Strasbourg, 16/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 15 March, the EP adopted the report by Willy Meyer Pleite (GUE/NGL, Spain) on an EU-Central America association agreement. He report calls on the Council to consider setting up a Euro-Latin American inter-regional global partnership area as a priority strategic objective in EU foreign relations, under the terms of a joint amendment from the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE and GUE/NGL groups, replacing the previous objective of setting up an EU-Central America free trade area (FTA).
MEPs said the association agreement to be concluded between the EU and six Central American countries (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and El Salvador) should be global, balanced and based on three pillars: a political and institutional chapter strengthening democratic dialogue and political dialogue, a chapter devoted to cooperation which promotes sustainable economic and social development and a trade chapter leading ultimately to a free trade area. In December 2006, the Commission asked the Council for a negotiating mandate with a view to concluding an association agreement with Central America.
The EP believes that this agreement's negotiating directives should cover the major issues that will articulate with the work programme and political dialogue in areas such as democratic governance, combating terrorism, maintaining peace and security, and conflict management. Further issues should be included, say MEPs, such as combating poverty, social cohesion, migration and human exchanges, combating delinquency, and, more particularly, the fight against drug and light arms trafficking, human trafficking, and the activities of organised groups like the Maras. MEPs say, too, that concrete action on the adoption of joint positions in international bodies and in the United Nations to achieve genuine political dialogue between the two regions should be considered. (mb)