Activities of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in 2006

The European Parliament adopted the resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Thierry CORNILLET (ALDE, FR) on the work of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in 2006. (Please refer to the summary of 21/05/2007.) Parliament encouraged the JPA to continue expressing independent positions and putting forward concrete proposals for the EPA negotiations and implementation process, so that they can be a means to foster the full involvement of civil society and national parliaments. It wanted ACP countries’ national parliaments strongly to urge both their governments and the Commission to ensure that they, in collaboration with civil society organisations, are constantly involved in the programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Country Strategy Papers relating to cooperation between the EU and their countries (2008-2013). In the manner, EU countries' national parliaments must exercise close parliamentary scrutiny over their executives as regards programming in respect of the European Development Fund (EDF).

Lastly, the JPA was urged to adopt a strong common position concerning the failure of democracy, rule of law, human rights and the economic system in Zimbabwe and to insist that international travel bans on key figures in the Zimbabwean regime are fully respected.