Notes that multinationals operating under NAFSN favour large-scale contract farming, which risks marginalising small-scale producers; calls on the ten African states participating in NAFSN to ensure that contract farming benefits both buyers and local suppliers; to this end, deems it crucial to strengthen, for example, farmers’ organisations so as to improve the bargaining position of farmers.

2. Deplores the fact that the VNP has also become one of the most dangerous places in the world when it comes to wildlife conservation; notes with deep concern that armed groups have been involved in illegal exploitation of the park’s natural resources through mining activities and charcoal production used both to sustain their military operations and for personal gain; deplores, also, the fact that armed groups have been involved in large-scale poaching for food purposes and for war-sustaining trade in ivory and bush meat; notes with concern, furthermore, that poor discipline, irregular pay and lack of food have resulted in military ...[+++]personnel becoming increasingly involved in illegal activities, including artisanal mining, charcoal production and wildlife poaching; notes that while the park is an area of great wilderness, its two million acres (790 000 hectares) have huge protection problems, especially with limited government funding; notes that on 15 April 2014 the Chief Warden of the Park, Belgian Prince Emmanuel de Merode, was seriously injured by three gunmen and that more than 140 rangers have been killed in the park on active service in the past decade;

4. Recalls that, having seen the employment rate for women climb steadily for over ten years to reach a level of 62,8 % in 2008, the EU has now seen that rate fall slightly since the beginning of the economic crisis, to 62,3 % in 2011; stresses, therefore, the need for lasting responses that take the gender equality dimension into consideration in both EU and Member State policies to safeguard employment and renew growth;

In the last ten years so much has changed for the better: free and fair elections have been held throughout the region; changes of government via the ballot box are routine; large-scale conflict no longer threatens; countries of the region work together to improve the lives of their citizens.

No matter whether the regulatory and control bodies are separated or not, whether you liberalise or privatise, so long as there is no political will to accept that European airspace issues can only be approached on a pan-European basis, another ten reports will not help either!

No matter whether the regulatory and control bodies are separated or not, whether you liberalise or privatise, so long as there is no political will to accept that European airspace issues can only be approached on a pan-European basis, another ten reports will not help either!