Mr Co-President,
Madame President of the European Parliament,
Mr President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives,
Honourable Secretary of State representing the Belgian Government,
Honourable Co-President of the Council of Ministers,
Dear Colleagues,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of the ACP members of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and on my own behalf, I would like to welcome you to this first meeting of the Parliamentary forum under the Cotonou Agreement.

I avail myself of this opportunity to welcome the 6 new ACP members of the Pacific, and also to express my delight at the presence, among us, of the representatives of the Cook Islands.

I would also like to thank our host, the Government and people of Belgium, and the European Parliament, for making arrangements and affording us excellent facilities to conduct our work as efficiently as possible, and rendering our stay as pleasant as possible.

Since this first session is holding a few weeks after the Olympic games held in Sydney, I avail myself of the occasion of this meeting to congratulate the ACP and EU countries which took part in the Games, particularly those whose aspirations materialized and thus obtained medals.

My dear colleagues,

This first session of our Assembly is a turning point in the annals of our Institution which, in order to stamp its Parliamentary seal, has been given a new designation and is henceforth known as the Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Nonetheless, this is not mere terminology, but indeed a fundamental change. Henceforth, this Assembly should be one of Parliamentarians and should play the increased role which the new Agreement confers on it in all areas.

In that regard, a Working Group has been created to dwell, inter alia, on the adaptations to be made to our Rules of Procedure. One of the issues which we, the ACP members, need to tackle now, is that of regional meetings.

We have no problem accepting the principle of such meetings whose usefulness needs not be over-emphasized. However, we should examine a number of details attentively, particularly the definition of regions, so as to prevent any eventual dovetailing.

In the framework of strengthening our activities as ACP Parliamentarians, the ACP has already taken a first initiative by organising a two-day seminar during which Members had the privilege of hearing, among others, our colleague Madame KINNOCK who spoke on capacity-building which, to us Members of Parliament, is an issue of capital importance.

My dear colleagues,

One of the most delicate issues under the Cotonou Agreement is the negotiation of the Regional Economic Partnership Agreements (REPAs). This phase will require our utmost vigilance owing to the importance and complexity of the issue.

We have the problem of who should lead the negotiations, and then there is the fact that, within the regions, distinction is made between those countries that are least-developed, and those that are not.

Another aspect pertains to the liberalization of trade between two groups of countries of radically different levels and the costs of the adjustment that that will entail.

We shall avail ourselves of the occasion of Commissioner Pascal LAMY's presence among us to undertake a more in-depth discussion of this important aspect of our cooperation.

The nature and complexity of these issues warrant the creation of a follow-up group which should inform us regularly of the progress made on the matter.

My dear colleagues,

We have a particularly tight agenda which bears on many important issues.

We shall hear the General report for 2000 to be presented by our colleague NQUOJANE of Lesotho on the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement and the challenges of globalization.

Our discussions are being held at an opportune moment, for the Cotonou Agreement integrates the reality of this globalization with its espousal of poverty eradication in ACP countries as one of its main objectives. Nonetheless, we should ensure that the emphasis laid on poverty doesn't overshadow global and sustainable development.

We shall also need to question the ACP and EU Council and the European Commission on the implementation of our resolutions.

I hope we shall avail ourselves of this occasion to establish comprehensive dialogue with the Council to which we must express our concerns.

Furthermore, we shall hear Commissioner NIELSON who will speak generally, among other things, on the measures the Commission intends to take towards the implementation of the Cotonou Agreement.

I am delighted that we have had this occasion to know the arrangements being made by the Commission to ensure that aid to the ACP countries becomes more efficient than in the past.

Our agenda finally provides for a debate on the situation in the different regions and countries still undergoing conflicts. We should tackle these issues with a new and more constructive approach, since our aim is not merely to observe and condemn but also to help in seeking solutions.

We already have the possibility of dispatching fact-finding and observer missions during which contacts are made with the different parties. Very often, however, our role only ends there. Perhaps we should have to go further by being more proactive and pursuing more sustained actions that need to be reflected upon.

Mr Co-President,
Dear colleagues,

As in the past, I hope that our debates will be held in an atmosphere of serenity that has always characterized our deliberations, and that we shall avail ourselves of the break to cement the personal relations between the members of our August Assembly, the diversity of whose origins is in itself an asset.

I thank you.