[LOME] Message to the EU-ACP forum participants

[Michel ROCARD <moderation@ue-acp.org>]

FOLLOWING IS A MACHINE TRANSLATION OF THE ORIGINAL IN FRENCH. IT HAS BEEN
EDITED FOR MISTRANSLATION ONLY. THE ORIGINAL IN FRENCH IS FOUND FOLLOWING,
FOR REFERENCE.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

KEY WORDS: RENEWAL OF PARTNERSHIP, COOPERATION REFORM
  
* * Title: Message to participants of the EU-ACP forum * *  
  
By: Michel ROCARD, Chair of Committee  on Cooperation and Development of
the European Parliament <mrocard@europarl.eu.int>
<http://www.ue-acp.org/en/forum/presentations/rocard.html>
  
°°° Abstract: The forum ACP-EU contributes to the renovation of the EU-ACP
partnership, it must also make possible to accomplish the necessary reforms
for the improvement of cooperation. °°°  
  

Following the seminar of the month of April, the forum started in effect a
bit more than one month ago. I follow attentively the regular summaries
that summarize discussions. For me who am a neophyte in technologies of
electronic communication, two elements have struck me first of all.  
  
I am happy to note the strength of this tool that makes possible the
dialogue between academics, practitioners and recipients, until now
essentially from the non-profit world (61% of participants). This direct
feedback that makes possible to know the field has seemed to me very
important as much because it supports renegotiation of the new EU-ACP
partnership Convention in progress, as because because it points to a new
way to give life concretely to the renovation of methods of the partnership.  
  
I also note that the number of participants increases regularly, even
though it is a pity that the different European institutions and the
variety of ACP society components involved are not better represented.  
  
For me, this forum can become also a source of information in the pursuit
of the improvement of ways of working of our cooperation.  
  
During the two workdays we discussed the diagnosis proposed by the
organizers. This diagnosis establishes that the causes of cooperation
dysfunction and the frustrations that they generate have as much to do with
questions of policies and principles as with questions of procedure details
that ensue from them. It appeared obvious that without a
cross-institutional work between European Parliament, Commission and
Council, none of all this could be modified. I have committed myself for
this new legislature to work on the setting up of such a dialogue.  
  
To renew cooperation is an immense task. The important lines that will
guide our efforts must be defined in realistic way.  
  
The first concerns the forms of control of expenses pertaining to actions
of cooperation. To come out of the almost-paralysis of the system, moving
from the form of ex-ante control toward a ex-post control is necessary. I
have begun to work in this direction.  
  
A second line is to develop "a learning cooperation". We must succeed in
reaching a reform that would make learning systematic, and to finish with
this "disposable" knowledge that characterizes today the methods of
cooperation.  
  
The dialogue between actors and institutions are the third line. This forum
is an element of it.  
  
I remain therefore an interested participant in your discussions. Your
proposals - however practical - will be usefulto me. As European MP, I will
be able to continue to be your spokesman in the works and discussions in
progress.

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

ORIGINAL IN FRENCH:
------------------------------
MOTS-CLES : RENOVATION DU PARTENARIAT, REFORME DE LA COOPERATION

** Titre : Message aux participants du forum UE-ACP **

par : Michel ROCARD, President de la Commission Cooperation et
Developpement du Parlement Europeen <mrocard@europarl.eu.int>
<http://www.ue-acp.org/fr/forum/presentations/rocard.html>

°°° Resume : Le forum ACP-UE contribue a la renovation du partenariat
UE-ACP, il doit permettre egalement de mener a bien des reformes
necessaires a l'amelioration de la cooperation. °°°


A la suite du seminaire du mois d'avril, le forum a demarre effectivement
il y a un peu plus d'un mois. Je suis attentivement les syntheses
regulieres qui resument les debats. Pour moi qui suis neophyte dans les
techniques de communication electronique, deux elements m'ont tout d'abord
frappe. 

Je suis heureux de constater la force de cet outil qui permet le dialogue
entre universitaires, praticiens et beneficiaires, jusqu'a present, issus
essentiellement du monde associatif (61 % des participants). Ce retour
direct qui permet de connaitre le terrain me parait tres important tant
parce qu'il accompagne la renegociation de la nouvelle Convention de
partenariat UE-ACP en cours, tant parce qu'il dessine une nouvelle facon de
faire vivre concretement la renovation des modalites du partenariat.

Je constate egalement que le nombre de participants s'accroit
regulierement, meme s'il est dommage que les differentes institutions
europeennes et la variete des composantes des societes ACP concernees ne
soient pas mieux representees. 

Pour moi, ce forum peut devenir egalement une source d'information dans la
poursuite de l'amelioration des modes de fonctionnement de notre cooperation. 

Pendant les deux journees de travail nous avons debattu du diagnostic
propose par les organisateurs. Ce diagnostic etablit que les causes de
dysfonctionnement de la cooperation et les frustrations qu'ils engendrent
portent autant sur des questions de politiques et de principes, que sur des
questions de details de procedures qui en decoulent. Il est apparu evident
que sans un travail inter-institutionnel entre Parlement, Commission et
Conseil Europeens, rien de tout cela ne pouvait etre modifie. Je me suis
engage pour cette nouvelle legislature a travailler a la mise en place d'un
tel dialogue. 

Renover la cooperation est une tache immense. Les axes prioritaires qui
guideront nos efforts doivent etre definis de facon realiste. 

Le premier concerne les modes de controle des depenses afferentes aux
actions de cooperation. Pour sortir de la quasi-paralysie du systeme, un
passage du mode de controle a priori vers un controle a posterioi est
necessaire. J'ai commence a travailler dans ce sens. 

Un deuxieme axe est de developper " une cooperation apprenante ". Nous
devons aboutir a une reforme qui rendrait systematique l'apprentissage, et
en finir avec ce " savoir jetable " qui caracterise aujourd'hui les
modalites de cooperation. 

Le dialogue entre acteurs et institutions est le troisieme axe. Ce forum en
est un element.

Je reste donc un participant interesse a vos discussions. Vos propositions
- les plus pratiques soient-elles - me seront utiles. En tant que depute
europeen, je pourrai continuer a etre votre porte voix dans les travaux et
les debats en cours.