The European Parliament, on Thursday 14 December, welcomed the provisional entry into force on 1 December of the cooperation agreement on partnership and development between the EU and Afghanistan (see EUROPE 11916) and it encouraged “the swift ratification of the agreement by EU Member States in order for it to enter into force in full”.
Endorsing the joint resolution by the EPP, Greens/EFA, ALDE, ECR and S&D Groups, MEPs also take note of the informal readmission agreement, “Joint Way Forward”, between the EU and Afghanistan, regretting the lack of parliamentary oversight and democratic control on the conclusion of this agreement.
“EU assistance and cooperation must be tailored to achieving development and growth in third countries and to reducing and eventually eradicating poverty, and not to incentivising third countries to cooperate on readmission of irregular migrants, to forcibly deterring people from moving, or to stopping flows to Europe”, MEPs warn.
They call on the EU to give active support to an Afghan-led disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme for former insurgents, stressing that “an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process is the only way forward”.
MEPs are also concerned that despite substantial international efforts over a long period of time, “Afghanistan is still facing a serious conflict”, “the security situation has deteriorated and the number of terrorist attacks has multiplied”. They call on the Afghan government to pursue its reforms, ensure the transparency of the electoral system in 2018, encourage stable relations with neighbours and tackle corruption, radicalisation and terrorism and its financing. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)