“I am warning against mixing EU security or military policy, on the one hand, and EU development policy on the other.”
Debates, 17th of Nov. 2005
Tobias Pflüger (GUE/NGL), author of the declaration of the co-deciding committee for Foreign Affairs – Mr. President! It really seems to be a judgement on the rank accorded to Africa policy that we are conducting this dialogue now and in that small a circle.
The Committee for Foreign Relations has discussed a statement concerning this report, it was partially very controversially discussed, but decided unanimously in the end. Unfortunately, it was refused later on by a majority, upon motion by the conservatives, to ask for a debate on the role of colonialism that in my opinion in the African context would be important after all.
In our statement, it says among other things that the basic human rights have to be respected in the treatment of refugees and illegal immigrants at the EU border in Africa. I have been there recently with a delegation: One sees there concretely, how the fight against poverty by the EU is being conducted at the moment, namely by way of fences and walls, and that is very problematic.
In our statement, we demand a debate on the social responsibility of governments and of corporation as integral part of the new Africa strategy. In any event, there should be some improvement forthcoming from the side of the commission.
In our declaration, we also raise the issue of the reductions in the area of the measures for the fight against HIV/Aids, Malaria and tuberculosis, which absolutely have to be taken back, and there is emphasised in it the necessity to promote peace and the solution of conflicts in Africa, which is why we make reference in particular to the control of weapon’s exports debated yesterday.
In this context I also want to mention that I have taken note of the speech that you, Mr. Michel, have held on September 21 before the parliamentary assembly of the WEU. There you have pointed to the fact that 250 million Euros for African troops should be taken out of the development aid budget. I think that that is the wrong way, and I warn against mixing EU security and military policy, on the one hand, and EU development policy on the other.
Translated by Carla Krüger, November 26, 2005
Tobias Pflüger (GUE/NGL), author of the declaration of the co-deciding committee for Foreign Affairs – Mr. President! It really seems to be a judgement on the rank accorded to Africa policy that we are conducting this dialogue now and in that small a circle.
The Committee for Foreign Relations has discussed a statement concerning this report, it was partially very controversially discussed, but decided unanimously in the end. Unfortunately, it was refused later on by a majority, upon motion by the conservatives, to ask for a debate on the role of colonialism that in my opinion in the African context would be important after all.
In our statement, it says among other things that the basic human rights have to be respected in the treatment of refugees and illegal immigrants at the EU border in Africa. I have been there recently with a delegation: One sees there concretely, how the fight against poverty by the EU is being conducted at the moment, namely by way of fences and walls, and that is very problematic.
In our statement, we demand a debate on the social responsibility of governments and of corporation as integral part of the new Africa strategy. In any event, there should be some improvement forthcoming from the side of the commission.
In our declaration, we also raise the issue of the reductions in the area of the measures for the fight against HIV/Aids, Malaria and tuberculosis, which absolutely have to be taken back, and there is emphasised in it the necessity to promote peace and the solution of conflicts in Africa, which is why we make reference in particular to the control of weapon’s exports debated yesterday.
In this context I also want to mention that I have taken note of the speech that you, Mr. Michel, have held on September 21 before the parliamentary assembly of the WEU. There you have pointed to the fact that 250 million Euros for African troops should be taken out of the development aid budget. I think that that is the wrong way, and I warn against mixing EU security and military policy, on the one hand, and EU development policy on the other.
Translated by Carla Krüger, November 26, 2005
Tobias Pflüger - 2005/11/28 10:41
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