GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, I would like to begin by talking about Bulgaria, which in recent years has made notable progress in its transition to a free market democratic society, but not without economic and social problems. Nevertheless, Bulgaria now has an economy which is developing at a steady rate. This is not reflected, however, in a balanced improvement in the standard of living of the whole population. Perhaps a constructive dialogue between the government, the opposition parties and social representatives could provide a positive impetus to move things in the right direction. This dialogue would also contribute to the creation of the necessary administrative capacity for the effective management of the country, creating structures which do not currently exist and reducing cases of corruption. Many countries have faced similar problems at some time in their development and can advise Bulgaria in order to help it to overcome those problems it is facing at the moment. In Bulgaria, 20% of the active population is out of work. In addressing problems such as this, which have no easy solution, it is essential to create an environment conducive to the work of industry and to there being competitive economic structures. Bulgaria also has an important geopolitical role to play in the future of the Balkans. Its cooperation with the international community during the Kosovo conflict, and its balanced role at that time, are of great importance for the whole region. In fact, Bulgaria uses its position as a bridge between Central Europe and the Balkans in a way that is fruitful for everyone. The European Union must continue to help Bulgaria in its progress towards joining the Union and, of course, to ensure that the planning of that aid becomes even more decentralised. Mr President, having talked about Bulgaria, I would not want to end without a more general comment. I would like to restate our support for enlargement. If we want the process of enlargement to take place in a serious and honest way, we will have to give a commitment to two essential issues. Firstly, that enlargement should take place hand in hand with a deepening of the Community. The Intergovernmental Conference must therefore be an effective step forward on the road to political union. Secondly, the Union should tackle enlargement with sufficient budgetary resources. Enlargement will thereby have credibility in the eyes of those who want to be with us in the future, and credibility in the eyes of our public from this very moment.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, first I wish to congratulate Mrs Redondo on her work and efforts and on the passion with which she has supported the obvious. No wise man would deny that the value of forests is priceless. They have an environmental, a climatic, a health, an economic, a social, a cultural and, still more, a historic value. So when you have something which is priceless to look after, it is unacceptable to make comprises as regards the economic dimension of what you have to look after and the measures you take. Allow me to remind you that, 5 000 years ago and more, the ancient Greeks had put the care of the forests into the hands of the gods, while we compromise on what funds we shall make available – more or less – to save and look after this priceless, God-given treasure. In all events, we must nonetheless be decisive in recording both the state of the forests and the information which is needed so that we can identify the cause of fires. We must fight the causes at their root if we are to be able to save the forests. We need to make an effort to increase citizens' sensitivity in the approach to and use made of forests. We must make provision for measures which will not allow fires to break out or to spread if they do break out. We must look after the forests and, finally, we must realise that forest fires do not obey the Schengen regulation. They pass borders without any control and the fires themselves have no borders. That is why there must be very close and very efficient cooperation between countries which belong to the European Union and others which do not belong and we must help each other to bring about the best possible result.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to begin by emphasising my support for the rapporteur’s rejection of this initiative. We understand the circumstances which led the Austrian Government to suggest it. Those circumstances are highly specific to Austria’s situation, and were clearly explained during the debate by Mr Pirker. We have, on more than one occasion, however, drawn the attention of this House to the problems raised by this type of initiative on the part of Member States occupying the rotating Presidency, since they are often dictated more by internal political exigencies than by an overview either of Community interests or of the healthy development of the legislative framework of the area of freedom, security and justice. I will also repeat something I have already said once before in this House. It is important to underline the Commission’s role in intelligently implementing the scoreboard established for that area of freedom, security and justice. This initiative raises various complex problems, which have already been mentioned. They include the problem of the regulation itself, which does not really seem to be the most suitable framework for this legislation, for reasons which everyone has outlined; and the issue of compatibility with the Geneva Convention, which was mentioned just now, by which I mean the need for us to take great care to ensure that the existence of lists does not conflict with the logic of individual examination underpinning the principles of the Geneva Convention. What really seems important, however, is that we keep trying to define a common asylum procedure. It is with that goal in mind, moreover, the goal of the Directive on that procedure, that we must examine, analyse and debate all of these issues. It was important for Parliament to vote on that Directive, of which there is a new version on which we have not yet been consulted. I would, therefore, like to emphasise the words of Commissioner Vitorino, who mentioned the need for Parliament to vote on that new version in the near future.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, this is no longer a matter for negotiation – it is a matter for action. And I would say that, in terms of the EU’s new political agenda, there is a set of three objectives in this field that must be achieved in the short term. First of all, ensuring that the Protocol will enter into force. In order for this to happen, Russia must ratify the Protocol. The problem, however, is that Russia has already promised on several occasions that it would ratify the Protocol and this has not yet happened. I ask the Commissioner, what type of concrete political and diplomatic initiatives are being and will be adopted in conjunction with the Russian Government to ensure that the Protocol is urgently submitted for ratification in the Duma? Secondly, I believe it is important not to give up – and in fact we cannot give up – attempting to convince the US administration to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol. The directive on emissions trading will help the European campaign to persuade the Americans to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol. Let us say that, with emissions trading, we will be able to demonstrate that it is possible to comply with Kyoto at less economic cost. I do feel, however, that on this issue too, embarking on a charm offensive is not enough. We must take Kyoto to the next round at the World Trade Organisation. And I wish to ask the Commission, is it prepared to submit an initiative to the next World Trade Organisation round, that guarantees the elimination of competitive and legitimate advantages that American products will gain as a result of their economy not being covered by the Kyoto Protocol? Thirdly, Mr President, I believe it is important for the European Union to strengthen its international leadership on the basis of action rather than words. On this matter, I wish to congratulate Commissioner Wallström on the excellent work she is doing in this field. The Commission has demonstrated its ability to take the initiative, not least in its directive on emissions allowance trading and in the European Programme on Climate Change, but I do feel that this is a serious political problem: where the Member States are concerned, we are seeing real paralysis. I believe it is crucial, for the sake of the credibility of our leadership, that the Member States also start to take action. With regard to the role of Parliament’s delegation in New Delhi, I would emphasise the words of its Chairman, Caroline Jackson: the parliamentary delegation must be allowed to attend the daily meetings held by the EU representatives.

Political group: PPE-DE
This report comments favourably on the Commission’s proposal for an action plan on financial markets, the objective of which is to liberalise capital markets. It is also in line with the Lisbon Summit, which declared that this and other liberalisation programmes should be speeded up. But the truth is that this process increases financial instability and encourages concentration of capital markets and financial institutions, and for this reason we are opposed both to the position adopted by the Commission and to the rapporteur’s position. However, with a view to introducing specific measures to combat the volatility of capital markets and to control capital movements in the EU, especially those of a speculative nature, and also with a view to minimising the risk of financial crises, we attempted, by means of an amendment to this effect, to persuade the Commission to include in its action plan corresponding concrete measures. These included, in particular, the presentation of a report on the introduction of a tax on capital movements, especially speculative movements. We regret that our amendment was not approved.

Political group: GUE-NGL
As we know, any debate even remotely connected with nuclear matters tends to become emotional and to turn into a debate of principle. That was not what the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism intended. The debate on the pros and cons of nuclear energy takes place first and foremost in each of the Member States, where it follows its own course. This report concentrates on the question of transport as such, and its different aspects: rationalisation, compliance with legislative provisions concerning transport, information on the transport of radioactive material, etc. Radioactive material is regularly transported over long distances, not only within the European Union but also to and from the European Union and other continents. Although a number of European Union Member States have decided to stop reprocessing or gradually to 'go non-nuclear', it will still be necessary to send consignments to those countries which have signed reprocessing contracts, in order to return to them their nuclear waste currently stored at reprocessing facilities. The increase in consignments generally and the frequency of the use of road, rail, waterway and air transport increase both the likelihood of accidents and the need for safety standards in the transportation of radioactive material. Safety must have absolute priority over profitability and supply, which is why the nuclear industry must strictly abide by international transport regulations. In view of these observations, I support the committee's call on the Commission to draw up a detailed list of consignments of radioactive material within the European Union and at its borders and to assess their economic and social justification, particularly in terms of public health. This should be done in order to propose means of rationalising such consignments and curtailing their number and volume, in the light of the risks identified, in compliance with the principle of prevention, if the risks are proven to outweigh the benefits. Moreover, the Member States concerned must apply the shortest possible distance principle to all shipments of nuclear material and, as far as possible, avoid transit through densely populated areas. Let me conclude by emphasising the importance of transparency in this field. Full information on the risks involved needs to be very widely disseminated on a continuous basis.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Mr President–in–Office of the Council, Commissioner Nielson, the Confederal Group of the unreservedly condemns the death penalty, and it has done so in the case of Cuba, as in the rest of the world. Our group also criticises the lack of freedoms and rights in Cuba – as it does in the rest of the world – but I would like to point out my experiences when I travelled from Argentina to Colombia and to Cuba last December. In Argentina I saw children suffering from hunger in the Tucumán hospital, in Colombia I saw people killed – there are thousands of deaths every year – by paramilitaries and also by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) with the complicity of the paramilitaries, the justice system and the army, but when I reached Cuba I found that children were not hungry – on the contrary, infant mortality is amongst the lowest in the world – there is culture, there is education, there are not thousands of deaths every year – as there are in Colombia – and there is therefore an obvious contrast. I believe that the European Union can and must play a completely different role with regard to Cuba, a positive role, and one which is totally opposed to that of the United States. In fact, one of the most important elements in understanding what is happening in Cuba comes from the conduct of the United States: the permanent blockade which has lasted more than 40 years, the Helms-Burton laws – condemned by the UN and denounced by the European Union – are a serious abuse. We must remember the siege and the actions against Cuba – also promoted by the United States – which have led to more than 3 500 Cuban victims and immense economic losses. All of this implies pressure and great influence from the anti-Cuban mafias in Florida, which, by the way – what a coincidence – have given victory to Bush, in one case, by a narrow margin – and also a rather doubtful one – as well as significant promotion for Mr Aznar in Spain, both in 1996 and in 2000, as acknowledged by a magazine in Miami which stated that Aznar’s victory was a victory for Cuban dissidents. All of this indicates that the general context is one of continuous siege by the United States. Colin Powell himself recognises that USD 22 million are channelled to the dissidents, in order to promote disturbances, in order to even promote an assault, as in the case of the actions in Iraq. I therefore believe that we should recognise that the European common position has failed, it is something that Aznar has imposed on the European Union and which takes us nowhere, and our position should therefore be one of dialogue without conditions, one of promoting cultural and economic agreements with Cuba, because that is the message which the rest of Latin America, and the rest of the world, expects. Because, as Fidel Castro quite rightly said in January 1999 – when the euro was put in place – the euro gives great hope that the developing world, and all countries, will be able to be freed from the yoke of the dollar. I believe that the European Union must play this positive role and not the negative role played by the United States.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I would like to add my appreciation to that already expressed for Mrs Flesch's report. I feel that it is a particularly well-balanced and competent report, and so I can only endorse its approach and contents. I feel that this report represents a further step along the path embarked upon months ago now by the Commission and Parliament together, towards progress in the information society, to catch up, to eliminate that gap which exists between the information society of the continent of the European Union and the more advanced information societies of other parts of the world, specifically the United States. This is a further important stage, which may be more significant than others in terms of public opinion, but also or precisely because of this it is important that it is completed quickly. Well then, without wishing to go over the ground already covered by other Members, I would like to stress just one further point: my satisfaction that the path adopted is continuing to secure self-regulation for operators in the context of the Internet as well. I feel that we must constantly stress that the Internet is a wonderful experience, and it must be so also when we create a European domain for, apart from anything else, it has been entrusted to self-regulation, to the ability of the operators to manage themselves. Therefore, we must continue along this path of enhancing European information technology, but we must avoid restricting independence or, in any case, smothering in red tape an experience which has been positive precisely because it has been allowed to develop spontaneously.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, over the past two years, more wind-energy capacity has been installed worldwide than nuclear energy. Despite this, Messrs Bush and Blair are trying to breathe new life into nuclear energy. Along with a clear majority in the European Parliament, my group believes that nuclear energy should not, and cannot, play a role in solving the climate problem, not even in the “clean development” mechanism. On all other scores – I repeat, all other scores – the can accept a compromise in Bonn. That compromise must aim to keep Japan on board. Even a higher reduction target for Europe is to be considered. The Commission has recently published a study which shows that a reduction target which is twice as high as the current one is not a problem for us economically speaking. Europe must now seriously look into renewable energy and saving energy. A further development of solar energy is desperately needed to provide electricity to the last two billion people on this earth. Providing two billion people with electricity generated by fossil fuels would spell an uncertain climate death to us all. A weak agreement in Bonn is better than another fiasco. The 1987 Treaty of Montreal protecting the ozone layer was also a weak agreement, but over the past fourteen years, it has been tightened up on every occasion. We could adopt the same approach with the Kyoto Protocol.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I apologise to the Presidency and to the interpreters, who have to listen to this last explanation of vote and, in particular, I sympathise with the translators of our explanations of votes, particularly, in my case, the Italian translator, Ornella Buson. I will endeavour to take as little advantage as possible of this right to explanation, but I would like to say that I too voted for the report on the establishment of the Food Safety Agency. The reason why the report is important is clear, especially when I remember that one of my neighbours was taken into hospital one day with acute stomach pains, after eating poisonous mushrooms which he had not had checked out by the relevant person. Mr John Bowis' report will ensure that the food we eat is always healthy, natural and safe.

Political group: PPE-DE
I am speaking to ask you, as President, to protect the rights of the Members, in particular the honour of Mr Schulz. (Applause) You have made a proposal. I would ask you, as well as giving the floor to Mr Schulz, to call on Mr Berlusconi, the President-in-Office of the Council, to withdraw those comments, out of respect for the values we all share as Europeans. (Applause)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, referring to the text adopted yesterday and the issue of human cloning, item 8 in the English version, paragraph 11, reads 'considers that any temporary committee set up by this Parliament ....'. It does not actually say that such a temporary committee should be set up. Could we have some guidance as to what the presidency will do about this particular section of the resolution?

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I wish to bring to the House's attention the situation concerning a local councillor in Lancaster in the UK, who made public a decision made in secret by the cabinet of the City Council to suspend the local taxation owed to it by the local nuclear power station owned by British Energy. The Commission has indicated that this taxation relief could amount to the unlawful granting of state aid. In response to the publication of this information, this particular councillor, Councillor Dowding, has now been suspended for three months as a penalty for making public allegedly confidential information. Depriving the electorate of their only representation on the local council, and making an example of somebody who has brought to the public's attention an act which is not in the best interests either of that council or the European Union, is hardly an incentive to others to raise such issues. As the House is committed to transparency and financial probity, I am sure it will join with me in regretting the action of the Standards Committee.

Political group: Verts-ALE
I support the report drawn up by my fellow countryman and friend Luís Queiró, because I agree with the need to adopt measures that will enable us to establish favourable conditions for developing a competitive and viable European defence equipment industry. Savings and added value can and must be found in the field of defence, by means of cooperation involving relations of ‘industrial and technological interdependence’ that help to ensure that defence spending is used more effectively and that overlapping is avoided. It is not reasonable that the situation seen in all the Member States of the European Union should continue, when their defence spending amounts to 50% of what the United States invests in order to obtain the equivalent of only 10% of the military capacities of that country, which is an ally of ours. The inadequacy of the means harnessed by the countries of the EU as a whole is not desirable either for Europe or for our allies in NATO. It is worth referring, moreover, to the greater responsibilities for managing civilian and military crises that the EU will have under the ESDP.

Political group: PPE-DE