The Courier

Opening of the ACP by Co-Presidents Glenys Kinnock and René Radembino-Coniquet.

© European Parliament, External Affairs Directorate / Tim Wilson

A sense of purpose hung over the gathering. Co-President Glenys Kinnock related sobering statistics on global inequalities in her opening speech. The mapping of the human genome is possible, she said, yet half a million women die due to pregnancy-related complications and childbirth, 99% in developing countries. One-third of the world’s people do not have enough water to live.

“Two years ago the G8 Summit in Gleneagles agreed to double aid to poor nations to US$50 billion and 100% debt cancellation. I regret to say that on the eve of the G8 Summit, held earlier this month, it was already clear that the rich world was well off track,” she added.

The JPA is a consultative body but has increasing clout. Its activities are tracked by other decision-making EU institutions who attend the bi-annual Assembly of 79 Members of ACP national Parliaments and their 27 European Parliament counterparts.

In a scheduled debate on the Econmic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), the free trade agreements for the six ACP regions due to come on stream in 1 January 2008, ACP nations and many MEPs were firm that there must be no spinning of the wheel of fortune over content of the accords. “The consequences (of the EPAs) are obvious for ACP countries which could lead to a perpetual and immense stock of imports,” said co-President René Radembino-Coniquet (Gabon). Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) heckled “halt the EPAs” on the Kurhaus lawns putting their viewpoint loudly and clearly that the EPAs could have a hefty economic and social toll, in particular on the four African ACP regional groupings (see ‘Trade’ rubric).

Germany’s President, Horst Köhler, voiced an opposing view that EPAs would increase competitiveness, local processing and improve livelihoods (see ‘Trade’ rubric).

Cotonou ratification lagging

There must be quick ratification of the Cotonou Agreement, urged Lesotho’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohlabi Kenneth Tsekoa, without which the 10th EDF aid package (2008–2013) could not come on stream to provide a boost to funds underpinning the EPAs. Just 13 ACP and 9 EU states out of 27 have ratified the agreement. All EU and two-thirds of ACP signatures are required.

Climate change was never far from the minds of participants throughout the week’s events. EU Commissioner, Louis Michel, announced it would be one of the prongs of the EU-Africa Partnership to be launched year end at the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. A workshop for Parliamentarians arranged at the nearby Darmstadt control centre of the European Space Agency (ESA) informed how its satellite monitoring of the climate and environmental change could assist ACP and EU policy-makers alike. Parliamentarians were struck how nitrogen dioxide emissions had doubled over China in just eight years.

On the political front, a resolution on Sudan called for the speedy deployment of a hybrid EU/AU force. On Zimbabwe, there was no resolution as Zimbabwean Parliamentarians were not present, but a debate signalled backing for the diplomacy of South African President, Thabo Mbeki (see ‘Round up’ rubric).

Guest speaker, President of the Pan-African Parliament, Gertrude Mongella, remarked that in the area of fact-finding missions in African nations, the Pan-African Parliament had particular success. Her presence signalled closer future ties between the EU and the ACP.

Three key reports at this JPA put the spotlight on poverty reduction for small farmers in ACP countries, the effects of the migration of skilled workers on national development in ACP countries and good governance and transparency in exploiting natural resources. In the wake of debate, the resolutions voted on put forward practical measures.

‘Brain waste’

Luisa Morgantini, of the co-Federal Group of the European United Left Party (Italy) also spoke for co-rapporteur Sharon Hay Webster (Jamaica), who was not in Wiesbaden due to electoral commitments, on the effects of migration of workers on national development. Parliamentarians cited figure after figure on the ‘brain drain’ of skilled workers from ACP nations, for example. Of the 600 doctors annually trained in Zambia, only 50 remained. Louis Straker (St.Vincent and the Grenadines) said 70% of doctors from the West Indies end up in the UK and US. Sixteen per cent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP) is dependent on what the country’s nationals earn in other countries.

The JPA resolution called for policies to mitigate the economic and social effects of migration on ACPs and better international mutual recognition of university diplomas to avoid ‘brain waste’. Longer, flexible contracts to make it easier for those working overseas to return to their countries and come back to the EU were called for as well as easier procedures to transfer money.

Tighter regulation of ACP natural resources was called for in a report on good governance, transparency and accountability in the exploitation of natural resources in ACP countries. This was to ensure that the resources are for benefit of all citizens, said co-drafter, Evelyne Cheron (Haiti), rather, than as put in the opening speech of Germany’s President Köhler, “...stashed away in bank for a few rich people.”

A body of international standards was already in place, said Michael Gahler (European Peoples’ Party, Germany). A resolution also called for transparency of state budgets, independent auditing of budgets, and for all nations to subscribe to Kimberley Process on rough diamonds and further initiatives by companies to operate in a transparent way and be able to promote themselves as “clean companies”.

The imperative of more local processing came through strongly in a report on poverty reduction for small farmers in ACP nations, particularly concerning fruit, vegetables and flowers, drawn up by Green Party member, Carl Schylter (Sweden) and Tanzanian Kilontji Mporogomyi, who was unable to be in Wiesbaden.

A resolution called for a bigger focus by the European Development Funds (EDF) on agriculture in the interest of food security and local production. And to avoid being swamped by cheap produce, it recommended selective ACP market openings for imports. With the HIV/AIDS virus taking a toll in rural areas agricultural development projects should include provisions to fight the disease. The elimination of export subsidies and more funds for labelling packaging and meeting phytosanitary rules were also mooted and a study to assess the impact of climate change on trade liberalisation, food security and energy resources.

“Business as usual will not do and action must be scaled up now,” Kinnock said in the opening of the JPA. This sums up the resolve of this JPA to ensure its words are acted upon, a message to be carried through to 14th session in Kigali, Rwanda, 19–22 November 2007.