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1.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT MAKES STATEMENT ON THE OCCASION OF
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE WOMAN
On
the occasion of the International Women’s Day, 8 March,
European Parliament President, MEP Pat Cox (Ireland, Liberal
Democrat) has put out a statement on the work of EU regarding
women’s rights. He reminded the press that the year 2000 was
devoted to combating the trafficking in women, 2001 against
sexual mutilation, and 2002 against violence against women. Regarding
this year’s campaign, the President cited figures from
UNICEF in 2001, which show that conjugal violence causes more
injuries and deaths amongst women aged between 45 and 65 than
cancer. Mr Cox also lamented on the fact that so few women
are represented in the newly convened Convention on the Future of
Europe (See PAF 262).
In
another event, the Chair of the European Parliament’s
Committee on Women’s Rights, MEP Anna Karamanou, (Greek
Socialist) organised a conference on 6 March on “Women for a
Human and Non-Violent Society” devoted to the fate of women
in fundamentalist regimes. Participants included Ms Nawal El Saada
Wi, (Militant for Women's Rights, Egypt), Ms Samia Bamieh,
(Member of the Administrative Council of the General Union of
Palestinian Women), and Mr. D. Juan Carlos Aparicio Pérez,
(Minister for Employment and Social Affairs, Spain, EU
Presidency-in-office).
Also
this week, the EU Council on Employment and Social Affairs held a
debate on how to combat violence against women. The debate was
based on a discussion paper produced by the Spanish Presidency of
the EU. The campaign against violence against women is a joint
initiative from the Spanish Presidency and the forthcoming Danish
Presidency.
2.
NEW EU PROPOSAL ON ACCESS TO MEDICINES
The
EU announced this week that it has tabled proposals at the WTO on
ensuring access to medicines in developing countries with no
domestic drug production. At a meeting of the WTO TRIPs Council,
the EU put forward options to address the question on how to make
sure that countries, which cannot themselves produce essential
drugs may still fully benefit from the TRIPs Agreement. The EU is
proposing the import of medicines, which can be manufactured
elsewhere. The authorisation of such an action can be achieved by
amending the TRIPs agreement or making a declaration on how it
can be interpreted. The EU believes that the issue can be solved
this year.
For
more info on this topic, see:http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/csc/pr_050302.htm
3.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REPORT RECOMMENDS SPEEDING UP OF DEBT RELIEF
IN HIGHLY INDEBTED ACP COUNTRIES
The European Parliament’s Development Committee has
adopted a report by MEP Mario Mantovani (Italy, Right) on
additional debt relief for the highly indebted poor countries
(HIPC) amongst the ACP group. The report calls for accelerating
and consolidating the debt relief process of countries whose
governments respect human rights, principles of good governance
and make eradication of poverty a priority. According to the
report funds made available through debt relief should be made
available to social projects mainly education, and health care
and the fight against AIDS.
The Mantovani report is a response to a European Commission
communication on the balance of loans granted under the first
three Lomé Conventions. The Commission proposes in the
abovementioned communication that least developed ACP countries
that cross the threshold under the HIPC system, when a decision
is taken on debt relief, should immediately benefit from total
liquidation of debt service to loans granted by the EU through
the European Development Fund or the European Investment Bank.
4.
VIRTUAL CHAT WITH EU TRADE COMMISSIONER ON DEVELOPMENT
A
European Commission briefing announced this week that EU
Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy, will be going online for a
‘chat’ on the topic ‘Development, what role for
trade’ on 14 March 2002, 18:00 and 20:00 (CET). According to
the briefing some of the questions to be addressed are: How can
trade best contribute to sustainable development? What's the best
way to get developing countries involved in the world trade
system? For details on how to participate, see http://europa.eu.int/comm/chat/lamy7/index_en.htm
You can also send questions in advance to [email protected]
European Commission functionaries will no doubt begin work on
your questions.
5.
LAMY URGES MERCOSUR TO EXPAND RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU
EU
Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy called on Mercosur countries and
Chile to expand their relationship with the EU beyond free trade
arrangements, during his trip to South America last week.
Mr
Lamy affirmed the EU’s commitment to free trade negotiations
with Mercosur despite current economic difficulties in the
region. Mr Lamy did concede that there is still a long way to go
before agreement will be reached in negotiations on tariffs.
In contrast EU negotiations with Chile on a free trade
arrangement have entered the last round. The aim is to
conclude the negotiations in time for the EU-Latin
America/Caribbean Summit on 17-18 May in Madrid. The main points
of contention in the negotiations concerning fishing rights where
the EU under pressure from Spain is demanding access for its
fishermen to Chilean water, which had previously been refused by
Chilean authorities in order to protect fish stocks. Chile is
hoping to gain preferential access for certain agricultural
products like fresh fruits, jams and tomato juice. Chile is also
asking the EU to stop subsidising products that will be
liberalised.
6.
EU FINANCE MINISTER FAIL TO AGREE ON TIMETABLE FOR INCREASING EU
AID
EU Finance ministers have failed to agree on timetable to
increase official development assistance, as proposed by the
European Commission, at this week’s EU Economic and Finance
Council. It had been proposed that EU countries that allocate
less than 0.33% of the Gross Domestic Product to official
development assistance should reach this aforementioned
percentage by 2006 as an interim step to allocating 0.7% as
agreed by the international community. This proposal, which would
take the EU Member State average from 0.33% to 0.39%, is opposed
by the EU Member States currently allocating less than 0.33%
(Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece and Austria). The EU countries
backing the Commission’s proposal are Sweden, the
Netherlands and Luxemburg. Those willing to compromise are the
UK, France, Ireland and Denmark.
The matter will be now be discussed by EU foreign ministers at
next week’s EU General Affairs Council. EU Commissioner for
Development, Poul Nielson is still hopeful that the General
Affairs Council can agree on a timetable for the increase in aid
before the UN Conference on Financing for Development in
Monterrey on 18 March. But according to a diplomatic source, the
foreign ministers are unlikely to agree a timetable. The issue is
then likely to be discussed at the informal EU Heads of State
Summit in Barcelona on 16 March.
An email list
server has been set up for exchange of information amongst civil
society organisations on the forthcoming negotiations on ACP-EU
Trade Arrangements. For more information contact [email protected]
The European
Commission will provide € 420.000 to helping displaced
persons in Uganda (Gulu district, North).The aid will finance
projects to combat malaria and Ebola.
The EU has
welcomed the signature of the formal cease-fire between the
government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers, as a first step
towards ending the 19-year armed conflict in the country.
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