Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE), draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Development. – (ES) Madam President, as you are well aware, we in the Committee on Development have always paid great attention to the situation of women in these countries. The roadmap for equality between women and men 2006-2010 places the emphasis back on the discrimination problems that we have been condemning: the fight against violence, against discrimination in the workplace and wage discrimination, the lack of public space in which women can make their voices heard etc.

We congratulate the Commission on dealing with all of these issues in the new roadmap, although we must insist that it be effectively implemented and to that end make an assessment of previous plans and set up a public discussion on their results, which have not always been as positive as we could have expected.

Furthermore, this time the external dimension has been considered. We in the European Union are obliged to integrate the gender dimension into all of our policies and programmes in the field of cooperation, development and humanitarian aid, and to do so from the outset, in the programming of funds.

Women are at the centre of the millennium development objectives, approved in 2000 by all of the member countries of the United Nations. It is therefore essential to promote gender equality.

I would like to ask the Commission to put women's rights on the agenda of its meetings within the context of political dialogue with third countries, particularly our neighbouring countries.