(Sir Europe – Brussels) – The Agenda for the 23rd session of the Joint Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States and the European Union, due to be held in Horsens (Denmark) from today to 30 May, will include three main topics. Discussion will focus on the prices of agricultural products traded between ACP states and the EU, “the environmental and social impact of the mining industry”, climate change and energy. “The consequences of the Arab Spring on ACP countries and the situation in Sudan and Nigeria will also be on the agenda”, the Assembly explained in a statement. The three-day meeting is co-chaired by the president of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly Musikari Kombo. Keynote speakers at the event will include European Commissioners Andris Piebalgs, Connie Hedegaard and Karel De Gucht. The Assembly is one of the political expressions of the 2000 Cotonou Agreement whose goals are “the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty, and the gradual integration of ACP countries into the world economy, whilst adhering to the principles of sustainable development”. The EU and ACP countries are co-operating in a number of fields, not only in economic and political areas, but also in the defence of human rights and culture.

28/05/2012 -