Activities of Frithjof SCHMIDT related to 2007/2183(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Policy coherence for development and the effects of the EU's exploitation of certain biological natural resources on development in West Africa (debate)
Policy coherence for development and the effects of the EU's exploitation of certain biological natural resources on development in West Africa (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on policy coherence for development and the effects of the EU’s exploitation of certain biological natural resources on development in West Africa PDF (191 KB) DOC (117 KB)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 22 May 2007 on halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
having regard to the report of the Committee on International Trade on the proposal for a Council decision on behalf of the European Community of the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006 (Rapporteur Caroline Lucas),
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the UN Millennium Declaration calls upon all States to ensure policy coherence for development,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A a (new)
Recital -A a (new)
-Aa. whereas the EU is strongly committed to ensuring policy coherence for development in accordance with Article 178 of the EC Treaty, which stipulates that "the Community shall take account of the objectives of community policy in the sphere of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries",
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the Conclusions of the May 2005 European Council contain the commitment to enhance the EU´s Policy Coherence for Development, in particular in twelve priority policy fields, including trade, fisheries, environment, climate change, migration and employment,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. Whereas the UN defines West Africa as the westernmost region of Africa comprising the following 16 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cap Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo (that is to say the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) plus Mauritania),1 and whereas, moreover, Cameroon is often seen as being part of West Africa,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Bali from 3 to 14 December 2007 acknowledged the significant contribution of deforestation to greenhouse gas emissions and thus to climate change, and emphasised the need to support developing countries in their efforts towards the preservation and sustainable management of their forests; urges for the EU and the Member States to substantial financial contributions to international initiatives for the preservation, sustainable use and management of forests in developing countries and in particular for support to African countries;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is concerned that cheap imports of illegal timber and forestry products, together with non-compliance by some industry players with basic social and environmental standards, destabilises international markets and reduces the tax revenues of producer countries;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Is concerned that, according to FAO data, less than 7% of the global forest area is eco-labelled and less than 5% of tropical forests are managed sustainably;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Welcomes the fact that in West Africa, the Commission is engaged in official negotiations with Ghana and Cameroon and in preliminary discussions with Liberia, with a view to signing Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPA) to control the legality of timber products exported directly to the EU;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Emphasises that all forest preservation schemes, including the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the EU Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT), need to safeguard the traditional and customary rights of indigenous and local communities to the use of their forests in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Considers that fisheries resources in West Africa, though already depleted in many cases, still represent a significant potential for local development and contribution to food security; notes with concern that according to the most recent scientific assessments by the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) from 2006, many stocks in West Africa are over-exploited and at least one is at risk of extinction;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that an evaluation of the extent of coherence between the Community’'s development policy and its fisheries policy involves many aspects beyond the bilateral fisheries partnership agreements signed with several third countries in West Africa; equally important are Community policies with respect to: - the monitoring, control and surveillance of the waters off West Africa and EU contributions to the fight against IUU fishing; - support for scientific research into fish stocks and the structure of the ecosystem; - the export and re-flagging of EU vessels to West Africa; - phyto-sanitary standards for the importation of fish and other non-tariff barriers to trade; - EU market policy and the type and quantity of fish imported from West Africa;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Considers that the EU's fisheries policy, including in its relations with West Africa, must respect the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries of 1995;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Deplores the fact that the Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) of the EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements of May 2007 commissioned by the Commission fails to investigate the forestry sectors and only touches on fisheries questions;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Requests the Commission to - generally conduct more and more detailed Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs); - mainstream PCD questions more thoroughly into the SIAs; - commission two SIAs for the EPA in West Africa with a special focus on PCD in the fish and timber sectors, including an assessment of the impact on local and indigenous communities;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, the Secretariats of the ACP andACP, ECOWAS, the AU, the OECD and, the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) and the Fisheries Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF), the governments of all ECOWAS countries, as well as Mauritania and Cameroon.