The EPWG?s Objectives
The EPWG?s activities

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The EPWG

Marie Stopes International (MSI) provides secretariat servicesfor the Working Group on Reproductive Health, HIV/AIDS andDevelopment in the European Parliament (EPWG). Established in 1991,the EPWG is a dynamic all-party group that represents across-section of EU Member States and the Parliament?s politicalgroups.
In accordance with the Programme of Action of the InternationalConference on Population and Development (ICPD, September 1994),the EPWG advocates for the support of gender equality, sexual andreproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the fight againstHIV/AIDS, as the basis for sustainable social and human developmentand poverty reduction.

The EPWG?s Objectives:

• Providing a forum for ongoing dialogue and for raisingawareness within the EU of the need for an integrated approach topoverty eradication, reproductive health and rights, sustainabledevelopment, the fight against HIV/AIDS and gender equality.
  
  
• Monitoring and advocating for an increase in resources from theEU and other sources for sexual and reproductive health programmesin developing countries.
  
  
• Raising awareness of reproductive health issues in ACP(African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries through the ACP-EU JointParliamentary Assembly.
  

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The EPWG?s activities

1. EU policy input

• Tabling amendments at Committee and Plenary levels to ensurethat all relevant European Parliament (EP) reports draw attentionto population and reproductive health issues.
  
  
• Ensuring that reproductive health issues are raised in allrelevant EP debates.
  
  
• Initiating EP reports on reproductive health and relatedissues.
  
  
• Tabling parliamentary questions and resolutions.
  
  
• Fostering discussions with Commission and Council officials anddelegates on EU policy regarding reproductive health and theresponse to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
  
  
• Ensuring EU commitment to UN international agreements (e.g.ICPD).
  

2. Resource mobilisation

• Striving to increase key EU budget lines for the fight againstHIV/AIDS and the promotion of sexual and reproductive health andrights programmes.
  
  
• Maintaining dialogue with EU officials on the effectivemobilisation and use of resources.
  
  
• Advocating to use the EDF in the context of the healthprogrammes in ACP countries more efficiently andeffectively.
  

3. Awareness raising

• Facilitating keynote presentations from expert speakers.
  
  
• Facilitating MEP visits to reproductive health careprogrammes.
  
  
• Hosting events.
  
  
• Launching the annual UNFPA ?State of World Population?report.
  
  
• Maintaining and developing contacts with parliamentary groupsworldwide.
  

4. Information dissemination

• Disseminating up-to-date documentation on major sexual andreproductive health issues in collaboration with externalagencies.
  
  
• Producing fact sheets and briefings in several languages onrelevant population, reproductive health, gender, HIV/AIDS anddevelopment issues.
  
  
• Writing and disseminating relevant articles.
  

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