Activities of Seán KELLY related to 2020/2041(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
New EU-Africa Strategy (debate)
Amendments (6)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change; notes that although the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities might still appear comparatively low in Africa than in other world regions, the crisis will likely have disastrous impacts on the continent’s already strained health systems; beyond health risks, the combination of lower trade and investment from China in the immediate term, a demand slump associated with the lockdowns in the European Union and OECD countries; and a continental supply shock affecting domestic and intra-African trade, will cause severe economic pressure on Africa; therefore, the effect of the pandemic, both in the short and long term, needs to be incorporated in the EU- Africa strategy;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries; reiterates the calls on private creditors to participate in the initiative on comparable terms and for multilateral development banks, such as the IMF and World Bank, to further explore the options for the suspension of debt service payments over the suspension period;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the European Union still has important economic ties with African states, and that China has intensified its economic engagement in Africa; notes, however, that the EU remains Africa’s most important partner in terms of investment, trade, development assistance and security; notes that as a continent with strong growth in many regions and a rapid-ly growing population, including an expanding middle class, Africa is set to play a larger economic role in the world, notes that Europe therefore has a strategic interest in pursuing closer ties and should seek to apply modern arrangements for coopera-tion in new fields and growth areas to ensure a productive transformation of the region, and building human, societal and economic resilience for future global crises;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments in order to implement its Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and make them fit the project of the Continental Free Trade Area; underlines that as part of the Continental Free Trade Area, European direct investment should support better regional infrastructure development that will help industrial production and increase economic growth in primary, and in turn secondary, industries in Africa;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines that the fragmented implementation of EPAs has resulted in a lack of substantial, which have the potential to boost trade and investment and encouraging the creation of regional value chains, has not resulted in the desired progress in supporting regional integration, capacity- building on border cooperation, and improvements in investment climates and good governance; notes, however, that where EPAs have trade liberalisation accompanied by internal reforms, higher degrees of exports are recorded;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments thatin key areas, such as research and development, and the need to foster innovation policies to facilitate the deployment of frontier technologies and enable “leapfrogging” in the African states;