Brussels, 10/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - During his speech before the ACP-EU joint parliamentary Assembly, the French Cooperation Minister, Charles Josselin, said that the change in denomination for the Assembly translates a desire by the two parties to base their privileged relations on a base of common democratic values". He recalled that the first aim assigned to the Assembly by the Cotonou agreement is to "promote the democratic process through dialogue and talks". "It is now a case of taking all the provisions necessary to make this agreement live", continued the President of the Council of the EU when underlining that the French Presidency made the implementation of the Cotonou agreement one of its priorities. "We hope that the ratification procedure unfolds at a faster rhythm than was the case for the previous Lomé Conventions", he added. He recalled that the exercise of national and regional programming of aid must be fully carried out in the year which follows the signing of the partnership agreement.
Mr Josselin recalled that the European Commission must pass on to the Council a Communication on the preparation of the regional economic partnership agreements (which will be negotiated as of September 2001 in order to enter into force at the start of 2008), guideline which corresponds to the desire to place emphasis on regional integration as a path for the inclusion of the ACP countries in the world economy. "The European Union is the source of over 50% of all development assistance. In Africa, our contribution accounts for nearly two third of foreign aid", said Mr Josselin before noting that, in the face of a "wave of criticisms and doubts", the Commission has begun an in-depth reform of its external aid. The Development Council intends to play an active part in this process and take initiatives of a nature to increase the efficiency of the aid. Following the communication presented by the Commission last May, "we are now working (…) on the drafting of an overall policy statement, which the Presidency hopes to have adopted at the development Council meeting on 10 November 2000".
This declaration should: - outline the principals and aim of development; - foresee a re-entering of Community activities towards a limited number of fields chosen in relation to their contribution to the reduction of poverty and for which the Community action would have an added value; - specify the methods to reinforce the efficiency and impact of the cooperation. It will contain recommendations aiming to improve the complementarity and coordination of Union polices and those of the Member States as well as the coherence of the development policy with the other Union policies. This declaration must be complemented by an action plan that will contribute operational content.