European Parliamentarians for Africa

"There is no better control than parliamentary control", said European Commissioner Louis Michel, emphasising the need to improve parliamentary oversight during a seminar took place under the auspices of Portugal's Presidency of the European Union and parallel to the European Development Days.

Commissioner Louis Michel spoke further about how the importance of the freedom of press, transparency and promotion of participation in the democratic process, are vital for the creation of an appropriate environment for oversight. Michel expressed his appreciation for the work of AWEPA in strengthening African parliaments and the hope for further co-operation between the European Commission and AWEPA.

In light of the EU-Africa Head of State Summit in Lisbon in December 2007 the strategic framework for future relations of the EU and Africa was addressed at the seminar: the Joint EU-Africa Strategy. In addition, the importance of parliamentary oversight of Official Development Assistance (ODA) was prominent on the agenda.

During the opening, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Jaime Game, stressed the importance of a strong relationship between Europe and Africa, to allow further implementation of the Joint EU-Africa Strategy. Secretary of State for International Affairs and Cooperation, João Gomes Cravinho, who has been active for AWEPA in the early 90s in Mozambique and South Africa, stressed the need for dialogue between Europe and Africa on global issues, such as migration flows, climate change, peace and security and trade.

 Press Release: Reinforcing the Partnership Between African and European Parliamentarians - 9 November 2007

More information 

For more information on the EU Presidency Seminar: Strenghtening Euro-Africa Partnerships, please click here

For more information on the European Development Days, please click here