Brussels, 16 September 2020,
This week, the European Parliament adopted in its plenary session a report on the EU- Africa security cooperation and a report on the measures to green Erasmus+, Creative Europe and European Solidarity Corps. For both reports Zeljana Zovko was the shadow rapporteur representing the European People’s Party in the drafting and the negotiations towards the final text. Zovko said that these reports show the direct constructive impact of the European Union on its citizens and in the relations with the Member States and their partner countries in Africa.
In the EU-Africa security report, Zovko called for stronger European co-operation with local authorities, continued capacity building, training and development assistance. These actions will enable our partners to strengthen the rule of law and institutions in the future and take care of their security. Given the recent developments in Libya and the coup in Mali, Zovko managed to amend the report before the vote in plenary. She called to ensure that the proper conditions for truly free and fair elections are put in place through a new electoral law in Mali mentioned the need for a lasting ceasefire in Libya.
The report to green Erasmus+, Creative Europe and European Solidarity Corps aims to improve the experience of the participants of these programmes by implementing more environmentally friendly measures. “The report does not change the essence of the programmes, namely mobility, education and cultural exchange. Nevertheless, since these programmes contribute to the education of our next generation, we ensure that these programmes raise the awareness of the efforts needed to create a sustainable future,” Zovko stated.