ACP/EU

ACP/EU in Vienna, June 2006

The 11th Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) took place in Vienna, Austria, from 19th to 22nd June.

Members of Parliament from the African, Caribbean and Pacific Member States met with Members of the European Parliament to discuss their economic and political ties and relations.

John Bowis was involved in adopting resolutions on the avian flu and the threat of a human influenza pandemic, and on the situation in Sudan.

John also discussed the plight of the Saharwi people in the Western Sahara, coming two months after the European Parliament rejected the ratification of the EU-Morocco Fisheries Partnership Agreement because of concerns about fishing in occupied territorial waters of Western Sahara.

John spoke on the social and environmental aspect of fisheries, tabling amendments to a report on this subject.

He also continued discussions with diplomatic missions and companies interested in the EU's new chemicals regulatory regime, known as REACH.