Future of #ACPEU partnership to be debated in Cotonou

From 3 to 5 December 2018, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) will gather members of the European Parliament and parliamentarians from 78 countries across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) to meet in Cotonou, Benin.

"Let us not lose sight of the three pillars of the Cotonou Agreement: development co-operation, economic and trade cooperation and the political dimension. We must avoid going backwards and, above all, avoid focussing only on economic aspects,” said Michèle RIVASI, co-president of the ACP-EU JPA for the European Parliament.

Work programme for the session

The 36th plenary session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will be opened formally on Monday 3 December by its Co- and Vice-Presidents Michèle Rivasi for the European Parliament and Joseph Owona Kono for the ACP.

International Co-operation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica (pictured) will represent the European Commission. The Minister of Economy and Development Planning of Tchad, Issa DOUBRAGNE, will represent the ACP Council. The Romanian Secretary of State on Foreign Affairs, Maria Magdalena GRIGORE will represent the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.The three standing committees (Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, Committee on Political Affairs, Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment) will meet on Saturday 1st December to adopt reports on the fight against cybercrime and drug trafficking, the development of small and medium enterprises (SME) at the heart of economic transformation in ACP countries, combatting wildlife trafficking in ACP countries and promoting the implementation of the external dimension of the EU Action Plan against wildlife trafficking.

On Sunday 2 December from 14h to 15h30 the parliamentarians will meet with Beninese young people to debate on “employment possibilities for young people”.

Parliamentarians will also have the opportunity to visit a coordination centre for the regional electricity market, which responds to the problem of electricity shortages and the Songhaï Centre, an example of family farming as a means of achieving sustainable food security.

Background information about the JPA

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) brings together MEPs and MPs from 78 European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states that have signed the Cotonou Agreement, which is the basis for ACP-EU cooperation and development work.

Information note for the media

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