Resolution on the Fifth Latin America and Caribbean - European Union Summit in Lima

Following the debate which took place during the sitting of 23 April 2008, the European Parliament adopted by 542 votes to 12 t with 12 abstentions, a resolution tabled on behalf of the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE, GUE/NGL groups on the Fifth EU-LAC Summit in Lima and reiterates its commitment to ensuring that the Lima summit marks a genuine step forward for the strategic partnership.

Priorities of the Biregional Strategic Partnership: Parliament proposes an overall strategic vision for the partnership which would not be confined to isolated proposals and would have the ultimate goal of establishing a Euro-Latin American global interregional partnership area around the year 2012. It would include a fully-fledged strategic partnership in the political, economic, social and cultural fields and the joint pursuit of sustainable development. Members make some recommendations for action for trade and economic relations between the partners to be beneficial to both sides. These include the diversification of the manufacturing base in Latin American countries and a shift in focus from purely trade-related to economic concerns, given the economic asymmetry between the two regions.

Joint action in pursuit of effective multilateralism: Parliament draws attention to the benefits that the joint commitment to multilateralism can bring the Euro-Latin American partners, which together have an overall population of more than one billion, make up one third of the UN member states and account for more than a quarter of world trade. It reiterates that action to combat terrorism must be carried out with full respect for human rights and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in Colombia, with priority being given to those who are sick. Parliament considers that their release should be effected by unilateral decision of the FARC or any other organisation by which they are being held or, failing that, under an emergency humanitarian exchange agreement.

A strong boost for regional integration and the partnership agreements: Parliament proposes that in the economic and commercial field the creation of the Euro-Latin American global interregional partnership area should be based on a model which is compatible with both the WTO and regionalism, to be applied in two stages:

-a first stage involving the conclusion, at the earliest opportunity, of the negotiations on the EU-Mercosur, EU-Andean Community and EU-Central America Interregional Partnership Agreement and the deepening of the existing EU-Mexico and EU-Chile agreements;

-a second stage, to be completed in 2012, involving the conclusion of a global interregional partnership agreement ensuring legal and institutional support and full geographical coverage for the various strands of the strategic partnership and providing for the free movement of persons and biregional trade through a deepening of both the integration agreements within Latin America and the Union's partnership process with all countries and regional groupings.

The Lima Agenda for the eradication of poverty, inequality and exclusion: Members call on the Lima summit for this agenda to include the adoption of a limited number of clear and verifiable undertakings.  Specific attention should be paid to reducing social inequalities, and first and foremost indigenous communities. Parliament makes a series of recommendations for the Lima Agenda including joint actions towards the common objective of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the creation of a Biregional Solidarity Fund, and an increase in the budgetary resources allocated, so that these match the major ambitions that have been stated.

Migration policies: Parliament suggests that the Summit launch a regular biregional dialogue on migration.  Priority should be given, within that dialogue, and especially as concerns the countries of origin and/or of transit of illegal immigrants, to issues relating to illegal immigration and opportunities for legal migration. Members propose that, between now and 2012, common rules and regulations of a general scope be considered to facilitate the movement not only of goods, services and capital but also of people.

The Lima Agenda in relation to sustainable development:  the political agenda between the EU and the countries of Latin America should give priority to cooperation on climate change and policies for preventing global warming. Parliament points out that the very poor, and especially indigenous populations, are the first to suffer from a deteriorating environment. It calls on the Latin American partners, in cases in which opinions differ on the details of measures to combat climate change (e.g. as regards air traffic), to adopt a constructive approach and under no circumstances completely to block initiatives.

Strengthening institutional promotion and forecast mechanisms: Parliament recommends:

-establishing a Euro-Latin American Foundation, of a public-private nature, for the promotion of dialogue between the partners on similar lines to those already existing for other geographical areas such as Asia or the Mediterranean; calls on the Commission to draw up a detailed proposal in this sense;

-establishing a Biregional Centre for Conflict Prevention, dedicated to the early detection of the causes of potential violent and armed conflicts and to seeking how best to prevent them and stop them from escalating;

-creating a Migration Observatory responsible for permanently and closely monitoring all issues in connection with migratory flows in Latin America;

Lastly, it considers it essential to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the strategic partnership and ensure suitable inclusion of the recently constituted Mercosur Parliament in the Euro-Latin American Assembly.