PRESS
RELEASE - ACP-EU Council of Ministers
Luxembourg , 25 June 2005 (Or : FR/Tr: JA
/Rev:AM)
The
30th session of the Joint joint ACP-EU Council of Ministers was
held in Luxembourg on 24 and 25 June 2005 under the chairmanship of Victor
Borges ( Cape Verde ) and Jean-Louis Schiltz ( Luxembourg ), the respective
ly ACP and EU Co-Presidents of the Council. This was considered a significant
meeting for the ACP since it provided the opportunity for the Group to
review the different aspects of the partnership and state its position
s on crucial issues relating to development cooperation.
Some of the issues discussed at this ACP-EU Council of Ministers were:
The United Nations Summit on
MDGs. Council gave the ACP-EU Committee of Ambassadors the
a mandate to formulate a Joint joint Declaration on the United Nations
Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to be held in New
York in September 2005.
Economic Partnership Agreements. The
ACP expressed concern that the regional negotiations of on the EPAs
were not proceeding satisfactorily. As a mater of fact, M most of the
issues of interest to the ACP regions, particularly the “development” dimension
and the priorities for regional integration and additional resources,
were have not been taken into account from the outset of the negotiations.
ACP Commodities. The Joint Council
discussed the situation regarding commodities situation – sugar, rum, banana, cotton – each
being the most important resource for certain ACP countries. The ACP
States were apprehensive that the advantages they currently enjoyed on
the European market were being threatened. The European side agreed to
examine the situation in each case and to provide some aid assistance.
The ACP countries nonetheless asserted their desire for firmer and more
concerted measures.
HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Council
adopted a Joint joint Declaration on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
The Ministers were of the opinion that the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria
and tuberculosis, as well as the attainment of the Millennium Development
Goals required additional efforts and a substantial increase in foreseeable
anticipated resources . Furthermore, they asked called on the EU , to
work in partnership with the private sector , to increase the resources
intended for research and development of new instruments and interventions
measures to combat these three infectious diseases.
30 th anniversary of the ACP Group. Council heard
an ACP Declaration on the 30th 30 thanniversary of the creation of the
ACP Group, celebrated this year. The ACP Ministers had, at their last
Council, declared the 6th of June as “ACP
Day” and adopted a programme of activities spread over the
entire year up to 6 June 2006 .
31 st ACP-EC Council of Ministers. The next Joint
joint Council of Ministers will be held in Papua New Guinea in 2006.
The Georgetown Agreement creating
the ACP Group was signed in Georgetown , Guyana , on 6 June 1975 .
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