Brussels, 27/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament welcomes the fact that the main institutional components of EU-Africa partnership launched in December 2007 in Lisbon are finally in place. However, it says, in order to be democratic, this institutional architecture must be backed by a stronger parliamentary dimension and by the representation of non-state players (civil society and local authorities). This is one of the key messages of a resolution adopted by a large majority (588 votes to 38 and 13 abstentions), on 24 March in Strasbourg, on the basis of an own-initiative report drafted by Maria Martens (EPP-ED, NL) on EU-Africa partnership in action. The Parliament considers that the European Development Fund is not adequate to finance the African Peace Facility and calls for an alternative and definitive solution to be found to get the instrument up and running. (A.N./transl.jl)