19. Welcomes the agreement on the elimination, by developed countries, of export subsidies for cotton by 2006 but highlights that this is already required under a recent WTO dispute ruling and notes that such subsidies constitute only a small proportion of subsidies that the US gives its cotton farmers; stresses the importance, therefore, of achieving positive results in reducing and eliminating its domestic subsidies; welcomes the provision of duty-free and quota-free market access for cotton exports from LDCs; however, notes the limited impact that this will have; stresses the importance, therefore, of achieving positive results in ...[+++] reducing and eliminating domestic subsidies; considers that these measures should be complemented by structural supportive reform programmes for farmers and industry in the EU regions affected and with development support measures for the developing countries to be taken by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the UN Development Programme and other international organisations;

19. Welcomes the agreement on the elimination, by developed countries, of export subsidies for cotton by 2006 but highlights that this is already required under a recent WTO dispute ruling and notes that such subsidies constitute only a small proportion of subsidies that the US gives its cotton farmers; stresses the importance, therefore, of achieving positive results in reducing and eliminating its domestic subsidies; welcomes the provision of duty-free and quota-free market access for cotton exports from LDCs; however, notes the limited impact that this will have; stresses the importance, therefore, of achieving positive results in ...[+++] reducing and eliminating domestic subsidies; considers that these measures should be complemented by structural supportive reform programmes for farmers and industry in the EU regions affected and with development support measures for the developing countries to be taken by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the UN Development Programme and other international organisations;

Taking into account the recent Communications on migration and development and on EU/EC Strategy for Action on the Crisis in Human Resources for Health in Developing Countries[18], the orientations proposed in the second and third indented lines of this section should be implemented while fully taking into account the need for avoiding “brain drain”.

In developing countries, recent health and development gains have been reversed and the spread of major communicable diseases is a serious threat to their future development.

- Europe’s economic underperformance coupled with new competitive pressures triggered by continued globalisation and the emergence of newly industrialised countries (such as China, India and Brazil), signalling increased economic competition and possible shifts in national production structures, which have implications for sustainable development at a global level.

AIDS is the most recent scourge with, however, 90% of cases found mainly in developing countries and 70% in Sub-Saharan Africa: there are more than 40 million infected people. Malaria reappeared in the 1970s and claims one million victims each year. Tuberculosis, which has been eradicated from western countries, kills two million people each year, perhaps also, as with malaria, owing to the so-called developed countries irresponsibly lowering their guard.