EC/Bangladesh agreement: cooperation agreement on partnership and development

The committee adopted the report by Bob van den Bos (ELDR, NL) recommending that Parliament approve (under the consultation procedure) the new Cooperation Agreement with Bangladesh. The committee welcomed the importance accorded to certain key issues in the new Agreement, such as the need for sustainable economic and social development, the fight against poverty, the role of women and the link between economic and social development and environmental protection. All these points were in line with the committee's consistent policy positions. The committee acknowledged Bangladesh's progress in recent years towards democracy but wanted the EU to do still more in future to promote democracy, the rule of law and good governance, including voter education and the fight against electoral fraud. It also wanted the human rights clause to allow for more comprehensive and efficient action, notably where the role and status of women and the fight against child labour were concerned. Lastly, it stressed the need for the EU to contribute actively to strengthening civil society, notably through the network of local NGOs. �