Fiona Hall (ALDE). - Madam President, I too very much welcome the initiative of my UK colleague, the UK Minister for International Development, Lynne Featherstone. She has made it a UK Government priority to end female genital mutilation in a generation, both at home and abroad.

I would urge the Commission and the External Action Service to continue to work with Member States and to commit funding to sensitive local projects. The best progress is made when projects take place on the ground in local communities, with families coming out and declaring publicly that they have abandoned the practice of female genital mutilation.

However, as well as that action on the ground, it is also important to take action at the highest diplomatic level. The EU needs to work with global partners, such as the African Union, to build a global consensus on ending female genital mutilation. The Joint Parliamentary Assembly is meeting here in Strasbourg next month: I wonder whether the Commission could tell us what special initiatives it is planning, taking the opportunity of this meeting to push effectively for joint action by Europe and Africa on the commitment to end female genital mutilation once and for all. I welcome what the Commissioner said. This is child abuse and we have to stop it.