Fuente: © European Parliament
http://www.europarl.eu.int/

EU: Eurolat Assembly completes an important and prolific session

/noticias.info/ The second session of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat), held in Lima, adopted three resolutions and a message to Heads of State and the EU-Latin American summit on 13-17 May. The two Eurolat co-Presidents, MEP José Ignacio Salafranca and Chilean Senator Jorge Pizarro, were satisfied with the outcome, stressing the importance of the parliamentary dimension in EU-Latin American relations.

Parliamentarians also adopted four declarations on very specific questions at the request of various Latin American delegations.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Mr Salafranca (EPP-DE, ES) highlighted the importance of building EU-Latin American relations on solid parliamentary bases, complementing the work of the Heads of State. "For a citizen to exercise his rights, there must be a Parliament", he said.

Mr Salafranca underlined the role of the European Parliament in the history of European integration. He noted that the EU's value system had grown from the top down, generating a democratic deficit that had progressively been overcome thanks to a European house that co-legislates with the Council of Ministers, approves the appointment of the College of Commissioners and possesses budgetary prerogatives.

Mr Pizarro said he was convinced that quality of Eurolat's work had brought progress in dialogue, representation, debate and proposals. He added ajouté: "We wish to pursue the deepening of this new assembly's parliamentary functions, so that it has not only legislative power, but also oversight over decisions taken by the summit and ministerial bodies".

Peruvian Parliament speaker Luis Gonzales Posada, who also took part in the closing ceremony, stressed the progress made at the session on social inequalities, combating drug trafficking and climate change. Mr Posada also proposed that the EU-Latin American co-operation programmes be stepped up so as "to ensure that in future young people and children do not become victims of drugs". He also stressed the role of parliamentary bodies here.

Secretary General of the Andean Community Freddy Ehlers, called for "European reason and Latin American solidarity to unite to find a solution" to current challenges such as climate change.

A clear message to the Lima summit

European and Latin American parliamentarians meeting in Lima from 29 April to 1 May adopted a message to the Heads of State at the 13-17 May summit, setting out the following aims:


* Conclude negotiations for an EU-Central American and EU-Andean Community Association Agreement by mid-2009 at the latest;
* Create a Euro-Latin American global interregional partnership area by 2012;
* Complete negotiations for an EU-Mercosur interregional Association Agreement as soon as possible;
* Draw up a Euro-Latin American Charter for Peace and Security;
* Create a bi-regional solidarity fund;
* Establish a bi-regional dialogue on immigration issues;
* Give priority to co-operation on climate change and to policies to prevent global warming;
* Draw up concrete joint initiatives in areas such as climate change, desertification, energy (particularly renewable energies and bio-fuels), water, biodiversity and the world food crisis;
* Create a Latin-American foundation;
* Create a migration observatory.


The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EUROLAT) brings together 120 Parliamentarians from the European Parliament, the Andean Parliament, the Central American Parliament and the Latin American Parliament, as well as national representatives from the Mexican and Chilean legislatures, and members of the joint parliamentary committee of MERCOSUR. It has three standing committees: Political, Security and Human Rights Affairs; Economic, Financial and Trade Affairs; and Social, Environmental, Educational and Cultural Affairs.
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