Activities of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly in 2004

 The committee adopted the own-initiative report by John BOWIS ( EPP-ED , UK ) on the work of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in 2004. Among the key points of the report:

- the JPA should strengthen its role as a forum for political dialogue, in accordance with Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement. To contribute to this process, it should continue its work on human rights;

- the Bureau of the JPA was to be congratulated for its efforts in making a positive contribution to the peaceful resolution of the border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia, by means of dialogue and in full respect for international law;

- attention should be drawn to the political importance of the resolution adopted by the JPA in November 2004 on the situation in Darfur, condemning the ongoing violence and calling for a political solution based on United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolutions 1564 and 1574 (2004);

- the Commission and other addressees of the resolution were urged to improve the follow-up of previous resolutions, in particular during meetings of Standing Committees;

- the JPA should adopt in plenary sitting in Bamako ( Mali ) its report on the budgetisation of the EDF;

- the inaugural session of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) held in Addis Ababa in March 2004 was welcomed. MEPs proposed that they should work closely with PAP Members.