Opening Speech for the European Parliament-Pan-African Parliament Parliamentary Summit

Honourable President of the Pan-African Parliament, Bethel Amadi,

Honourable Members of the Pan-African Parliament,

Honourable colleagues, Members of the European Parliament,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Welcome to the European Parliament.

It is an honour to host you on the eve of the 4th EU-Africa summit. I hope that we will be able to reciprocate the wonderful hospitality that you showed me last year on my visit to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand.

First and foremost, congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the PAP! It is my sincerest wish that the PAP will need much less time to become a major player in continental affairs than the European Parliament did. I guarantee that we will stand beside you to promote democracy and good governance throughout our two continents in the next decade to come.

It is a privilege to open this parliamentary summit held for the first time in the European Parliament. We were committed to holding this event, convinced that debate on EU-Africa questions should not be limited to the government level.Ahead of us are two intense days of debate to adopt a joint declaration that we will transmit to the Heads of State and Government. A joint declaration that — I am sure — will not only reflect the common vision of our two institutions, but also of our peoples. We will make their voices heard, exercising responsible leadership to improve the lives of all our citizens.

Our parliaments have deepened and strengthened our partnership over the years. We are living proof that EU-Africa relations can be a 'people-centred' partnership. For this reason, a key message that we must pass on is that the European and Pan-African Parliaments can and must play a central role in the relationship between our continents in the future. And Vice-President Martinez will convey our message, together with you dear colleague Amadi, on Wednesday to the Heads of State and Government at the EU-Africa Summit.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In our increasingly globalized world, the mobility of individuals is a vital tool for nurturing understanding among all peoples. Particularly, migration is a phenomenon that can economically, socially, and culturally enrich both countries of origin and destination. However, migration must be adequately managed through a strong legal system. Otherwise, we forgo the potential benefits of increased mobility, and hundreds of thousands of people are pushed toward irregular migration every year. Tragedies such as those that occurred on the Mediterranean Sea and in the Sahara desert, in which countless men, women, and children drowned or perished of hunger and thirst, are unacceptable in the 21st century. Investing in people — one of the central themes of this Summit — requires that European and African leaders cooperate closely to create a migration system that works for our citizens.

Investing in people also means protecting the lives and fundamental rights of all citizens in Africa and Europe. Both our continents share the common values enshrined in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the African Charter of Human and Peoples' Rights. In particular, we must ensure that women, children, and political, ethnic and sexual minorities are protected against all forms of human rights violations. Recent moves to criminalise homosexuality and to impose severe prison sentences on lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people constitute an unacceptable violation of the basic rights of individuals. Marginalisation of sexual minorities is unfortunately still all too common in Europe and around the world. It is a disgrace that in far too many places one can be imprisoned for their sexual orientation, and it is even more abhorrent that in some countries people are put to death because of their choice of who to love. This highlights the need to redirect aid to civil society and other organizations that fight against exclusion and discrimination based on sexual preference. Additionally, appropriate measures should be taken against countries who continue to criminalise homosexuality or pass even more repressive laws. LGBTI rights are human rights!

Ladies and gentlemen,

The second theme of this year's EU-Africa summit is investing in peace. Peace is a precondition for development. People cannot improve their lives if they do not feel safe in their homes and workplaces. As the former German Chancellor Willy Brandt said “Peace is not everything, but without peace everything is nothing”.

The threat of conflict is widespread: recent events in Ukraine have raised the spectre of war in Europe. In Africa, the violence in the Central African Republic and South Sudan, and the continued instability in various other parts of the continent remind us that the efforts to build peace are far from over. The EU, through its missions in Somalia, Mali, DRC, Libya and the Central African Republic as well as its financial support for African peace operations, will remain a strong partner in the promotion of peace and security.

However, to achieve lasting peace, we must address the underlying causes of conflict. Where institutional fragility and poor governance exist, the exploitation of natural resources can serve to finance armed groups and fuel conflict. We in the European Parliament recently voted in favour of making any Commission regulation on conflict minerals legally binding. The new parliament to be elected will have the responsibility of demanding that this become a reality. We have to ensure that natural resources are a driver of development, not conflict!

Ladies and gentlemen,

To invest in prosperity — the final theme of the summit — and contribute to sustainable development, the EU has had to rethink its approach to traditional development assistance. For the first time, a dedicated financial envelope, the Pan-African Programme, amounting to 845 million euros, will support activities at the African continental level and the implementation of our Joint Africa-EU Strategy. Moreover, the EU will continue to provide aid through its traditional facilities--amounting to roughly 33 billion euros between now and 2020 for sub-Saharan Africa--and North African countries will continue to be eligible for cooperation under the EU's neighbourhood policy.

But development aid is only one way the EU can help bolster the prosperity of African citizens. Providing support to the private sector and fostering its ability to create jobs, and contribute to development more broadly, is just as important. It is our duty to create an enabling global environment for this to happen. Particularly, we must take coordinated and decisive joint actions to tackle illicit financial flows and tax evasion—something that Thabo Mbeki and his High Level Panel estimated that cost African economies at least 50 billion dollars per year.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me conclude by saying that it is encouraging to see important overlaps in the European approach and the African Union position on the post-2015 development framework. Human-centred development, inclusive growth, environmental sustainability and peace and security are the core building blocks of such a framework. These should be complemented with ideals of equality and justice, democracy and human rights and responsible management of natural resources.

Difficult, but crucial, negotiations will take place in the coming months on the post-2015 world. Our parliamentary summit must contribute to these debates with a strong message: we must urge our heads of State and Government to agree on a strong EU-Africa common position on the post-2015 framework. This agreement could lay the foundations of a prosperous future, while respecting our planet and ensuring the wellbeing of future generations in Europe and Africa.

Thank you very much for your attention, and my best wishes for your work!