Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, speaking both for myself and on behalf of our group, let me warmly welcome and emphatically endorse what the President-in-Office of the Council has said about the defence of the European Union’s external borders, and his observations on the recent and lamentable loss of human life off the coast of Sicily. (Applause) I gained the impression that Mr Berlusconi was very sincere in what he said, and share his bewilderment. I can also tell him that the Group of the in this House takes the view that the defence of the external borders and of refugees’ human dignity is not a task for Italy, Spain, or Greece, but for Europe, and we Europeans, from whatever country, must be clear in our minds that Italy is also defending the borders of my own country and those of Ireland. Italy thus has a responsibility to Europe, and we have an obligation of solidarity with Mr Berlusconi’s country. (Applause) If it is the case that we have this obligation of solidarity, and if this is a matter of our common European concern, then we can also manifestly rejoice that, within the Council Presidency, this task is in the hands of the acting chairman of the Council of Interior Ministers, Mr Pisanu, whose exemplary approach we very much welcome. We rejoice that it is not in the hands of certain members of your government, who say that, when they see boats full of such refugees, they want to hear the cannons thunder. We prefer the acting chairman of the Council of Interior Ministers. Mr Berlusconi, you have again had little to say about the Council’s conclusions on the outcomes of the discussions on judicial and police cooperation. You kept to yourself your thoughts on the statement in Article 34 of the Conclusions that discussion was needed on specific operations to combat serious crime in Europe and on the need for cooperation in this area. When I last spoke, I put two questions to you; I would like to put them again today, and I ask you to give me an answer, as our group regards what you will say in response as a matter of urgent concern. So let me ask you, Mr President of the Council, what you contemplate doing about speeding up the introduction of a European public prosecution service. What, in particular, are you thinking of doing about the introduction of the European arrest warrant? Our intention in introducing a common arrest warrant was to combat the most serious criminal activity in Europe, and I am not repeating this question just for dramatic effect; rather, I want to remind this House that, just in case the European arrest warrant does not enter into force on 1 January, the European Convention on the mutual rendition of offenders expires on 31 December this year, so that the law will be in a weaker position in 2004. (Applause) As there is danger ahead, we want you to tell us what you are doing about speeding up the introduction of the European arrest warrant. What gives my question ever more urgency is the appearance in today’s edition of Il Giornale, a newspaper with which you, Mr Berlusconi, may be acquainted, of an article by Mrs Sabrina Cottone from Milan, who interviewed Mr Bossi, in the course of which interview he said, ‘if the European arrest warrant is adopted, it will be a step towards dictatorship, towards terror’. Mr Bossi went on to say that the European arrest warrant is a crime in itself’. I will repeat that quotation: ‘The European arrest warrant is a crime in itself. It would be crazy to adopt it, and if it is adopted, then I will be its first victim’. Well, opinions may differ about that. What I would like to know is whether making the law less effective in the fight against organised crime is one of the EU’s objectives. Ought it not rather, Mr Berlusconi, to be your task, firstly, to put Mr Bossi in his place, and secondly, to do everything possible to enable the arrest warrant to become effective on 1 January 2004? I would be obliged to you if you could answer this question. (Applause)

Political group: PSE