GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, my group would like to congratulate both rapporteurs and vote in favour of their reports. As the Chairman of the Committee on Budgets, Terry Wynn, has said, our group also wants very specific budgetary guidelines and not a shopping list. The guidelines are a political message which we send to the Commission and the Council regarding the form we want the budget to take; the more specific the message is, the more chance there is of it being understood. For next year, the situation of categories 3, 4 and 5 is very worrying; we have already mentioned it: we are very close to the upper limit and in category 5 we are really above it. My group still defends the Berlin financial perspectives, but we accept the strictness of the figures, especially those referring to enlargement. Therefore, the Costa Neves report on the 2002 budget proposed real alternatives, in particular an improvement in the quality of budgetary execution both in the Commission and in the Member States, and we want to see results this year. Furthermore, we must stress that there is a lack of a genuine spirit of interinstitutional cooperation in the budgetary field. The budgetary procedure should not be a game in which some institutions seek to gain power at the expense of others. We will not achieve anything that way. The financial Regulation or the response to Parliament’s demand that the legislative and budgetary procedures be updated are two clear examples of the fact that interinstitutional cooperation is still unsatisfactory. We expect a more positive response from the Commission and, in particular, the Council, in those two areas which are so important to our group and to the whole of Parliament. I would like to end by mentioning an example of the opposite: the good example of interinstitutional cooperation provided by the funding of the Convention’s budget, on which the three institutions have come to an agreement in order to move ahead without conflict.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I think that tomorrow’s vote is so important that I should like to ask the Commissioner to clarify two points so that we know what we are voting on tomorrow. Commissioner, my first question is this: have I understood you correctly, can you promise that you are making provision for an environmental liability with compulsory insurance, yes or no? I just want a yes or no. Or is it correct that you only agree to liability as set out in the White Paper, i.e. just for Natura 2000 areas and with no compulsory insurance. In plain text, this means that if damage occurs and the person responsible cannot be held liable, the general public, i.e. the taxpayer will pay for it. Can you give Parliament a guarantee – and I should like a yes or no – that compulsory insurance is contained in a horizontal directive? My second point is this: unfortunately, you did not go into proposed Amendment No 42. Can you confirm that there is no EU legislation for GMOs in contained use? You know that the contained use directive excludes this and, at the same time, Article 2 (4) of the common position makes no provision for regulations on GMOs for contained use. There is a gap in the legislation here and I think that this is very important for tomorrow’ vote. For example, transgenetic fish in contained use would not be covered by the two directives. I should like a clear answer on this.

Political group: Verts-ALE
On Tuesday, an extensive debate was held on the possible accession of twelve new Member States. The economies of most of those states are weak in comparison with those of the current Member States. It is not to be expected that these new Member States will swiftly change over to the euro as their own legal currency. In those states, the euro can at best acquire the position of a second currency, additional to the national currency and involved in an ever-fluctuating exchange rate battle. In those countries, the euro will at best be the currency for the rich and foreigners and have a role similar to that of the American dollar in many countries. The result of the enlargement will therefore be that the number of Member States which are eligible for financial support for their balance of payments will rise sharply. I am therefore not in favour of the simultaneous cut in the maximum level of loans to be allocated, from EUR 16 billion to EUR 12 billion. The Commission has still not made a concrete proposal for the way in which the new Member States can participate. I do, however, agree that responsibility for the management of the loaning mechanism should be transferred from the European Central Bank to the European Commission. A responsible body is needed which can operate at a political level, and the bank is not that body. - Lannoye Report (A5-0217/2001)

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, being Dutch sometimes has its drawbacks. To tell you the truth, I have been rather embarrassed over the past few weeks about the attitude of the Dutch Government. It has wavered long, far too long, over adopting a final stance and abandoning the veto. As fellow MEPs have already pointed out, this was mainly due to the Liberals, who are conspicuous by their absence in this debate, and who, in my view, have adopted a small-minded bookkeeper's attitude in a bid to obtain short-term electoral victory. Fortunately, an attitude of this kind cannot count on much support from other European Liberals. Anyway, it will all be all right in the end, I think, not least because the opposition of the Social-Democrats and will come to the rescue of the distressed Christian-Democrats in the debate that is being held in the Dutch parliament today. Another reason why it will be all right in the end – and I do want to add this – is because we have before us a sound report from the Commission which is very open and honest about the long list of shortcomings which candidate countries are still displaying – something which I think is very brave – but, crucially, which also offers solutions to all the problems that still exist. As has been mentioned by many fellow MEPs, the vital element needed to find those solutions is monitoring – monitoring the accession process and safeguard measures for two years. I should like to put a question to Commissioner Verheugen on this subject. Mr Verheugen, you spent the past two weeks in the Netherlands, you talked with the Dutch Government and you were undoubtedly informed of the Dutch Government's stance. I should like to ask you for your observations on two specific points. As you know, the Dutch Government proposes not to restrict those safeguard measures to two years, but possibly to extend them to three and four years. What is your personal opinion about this and what is the Commission's opinion about this? Secondly, it has been proposed to lift these safeguard measures only in the event of unanimity in the Council. I should like to have your opinion about this too and, with regard to this last point, I should also like to hear the comments of your former colleague, Mr Haarder, current President-in-Office of the Council. Finally, a word on Turkey. For reasons that are incomprehensible, the Commission has not adopted a stance on this matter. I should again like to ask the Council, and Mr Haarder in particular: is it conceivable – and I am choosing my words carefully – that the Council could reach a different conclusion regarding the setting of an accession date for Turkey? For example, because Turkey could play a very positive role in the case of Cyprus in the next few months and because it is able to prove that it is taking the reforms seriously. I would urge both the Commission and the Council to remain critical about Turkey, as we are doing, but also to continue to reflect on how the reform process can be promoted rather than frustrated.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, Commissioner, we all know that the imposition of punitive duties is a very powerful instrument which may threaten the economic survival of individual undertakings. That is the reason for my question: Which methods could you envisage in future to protect enterprises from the adverse effects of such measures? Would compensation, tax relief or other options be a possibility so that individual enterprises do not have to bear the consequences of a dispute settlement procedure?

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I appreciate the Commission’s proposed recovery plan for depleted cod stocks. It means that the Commission is complying with its commitments under the common fisheries policy. I also appreciate Mrs Stihler’s work and her report, together with the cooperation that she and I have enjoyed, in my case as draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy. That committee’s amendment according to which the precautionary principle would lead to drastic measures being taken and to the Member States having the opportunity to take measures in addition to the common ones in order to protect and preserve stocks has been adopted by the Committee on Fisheries, and that is something I am pleased about. As we heard earlier, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) will tomorrow present its annual report on the fish stocks in our oceans. Again, a total moratorium is recommended, which should make the doubters realise that measures really must be taken. We know that the Council, which can no longer put its head in the sand, must take action and adopt this plan. It is the fourth version that the Commission is presenting to the Council. Even though I am satisfied with the Commission’s proposal and believe that it is a move in the right direction, I should also like to have seen the Baltic Sea included, because we know that cod stocks are just as threatened there. The International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission has, moreover, come up with further plans, which sounded quite good in October. I therefore withdrew my amendments concerning the Baltic Sea in the Committee on Fisheries. At a later meeting in October, the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission deviated from its own principles concerning what should be done. It is completely ignoring the scientific advice and states that the catch is 45% larger than what international advisers claim. That is very serious. Not taking the measures recommended by the international advisers is a waste of fisheries resources. The advisers consist of 1 600 researchers from 19 countries, and not listening to these researchers constitutes a waste of what could be flourishing fishing communities and a flourishing industry. In the Baltic Sea, we could have fished three times as much as we are doing today. Take a genuinely sound decision here in the House now, as I hope will also be done by the Council and the Commission.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, in response to the rapporteur’s intervention, I should like to clear up one small point. The amendments to this report were tabled by myself. I just want to straighten that out because Mrs Roth-Behrendt’s name was mentioned. Azocolourants are dyes which release cancer-causing aromatic amines if they come into contact with human skin or with the mouth cavity. That was also the reason why a number of Member States issued interim regulations to protect consumers, as well as the reason for the Commission’s initiative, which we are discussing this evening, whereby azocolourants are now to be prohibited throughout the EU and a ban placed on imports of these substances from third countries. The draft we have from the Commission nonetheless has some gaps in it which compromise safety and which, in my opinion, need to be closed. That is the purpose of my amendments, to which a large majority of the committee agreed. We are mainly concerned with adding two further amines to the banned list because they have since been categorised as carcinogenic. Moreover, the general description of the area of application that has been given is too vague. We want an exhaustive, clearly defined list for the purpose of creating clarity and legal certainty. By means of the voluntary stamp of quality and the interim deadline of 1 January 2006, we have also succeeded in taking account of the special problems presented by the oriental carpets industry and, in spite of these problems, in also including hand-made oriental carpets in the directive in the medium term. We have also provided for an option whereby, until such time as new testing methods have been validated, two methods can be applied which take account of the differing demands which materials make upon the testing method. With the adoption of these amendments, which have been decided upon by a large majority of the committee, any vagueness and lack of clarity in the directive would, all in all, be removed. In this way, the directive would do justice to the demands which will have to be made upon it in view of the risk of actual damage to public health.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, Commissioner, I would like once again to make the idea of extending codecision to the fisheries policy palatable to you. The fisheries policy is one of those policies that makes a substantial contribution to the realisation of the single market. It strengthens economic and social conditions. How does it do this? Well, here in Europe, in excess of 250 000 people are still directly employed in this sector; being engaged in activities ranging from the catch itself to fish processing, through to marketing. According to the latest investigations, for every euro invested there is a three-fold return. A substantial number of those employed in this sector – almost 60 000 that is – are reliant on the international agreements, since fish are, by their very nature, an extremely mobile source of food, and also – I might add – an extremely important source of protein. It is up to us, today’s politicians, to set down a marker and guarantee the fishing industry’s future. Consider the message we are to send out to those regions of Europe that depend on the industry. I refer in particular to the forthcoming fisheries reform in the year 2002. We must concern ourselves mainly with protecting and conserving this resource, which will have social, economic and environmental consequences. It is obvious that the fisheries sector is not an isolated pawn in the game, for it has an impact on sectors such as development, the environment and foreign relations. As a Community policy in its own right in the Union treaty, the fisheries sector will unite these aspects to good effect, for that is what we want to achieve: we want to place the fisheries sector on an independent administrative and legislative footing, in relation to agriculture for example. In fact this political responsibility inevitably gives rise to a claim to the most far-reaching of codecision rights. In addition, if qualified majority decisions in the Council and Parliament’s codecision powers accord with one another, then clearly this will help to tighten up on legislative procedures. I would welcome any support the leader of negotiations can offer at the Intergovernmental Conference. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, even if Côte d'Ivoire used to be a bastion of stability and democracy compared to other states in western and central Africa, for a long time now it has seen ethnic and religious tensions and, most recently, the abuse of power by the former government under President Bedié, which eventually led to the violent military coup. But the fact that this military regime was recently ousted in the elections, under difficult circumstances, says something about the democratic resolve of the people of Côte d'Ivoire. I believe there is now a chance to restore democracy and the rule of law. Here I wish the current president a good hand and a very delicate touch. The unrest surrounding the elections produced a death toll of about 200, which of course places a heavy burden on the future of the new regime. But we must also say that the day of reconciliation on 9 November will send out new signals in regard to establishing democracy and the rule of law and taking seriously the demand for national reconciliation. The European Union has been asked, and has declared itself prepared, to help ensure that the elections in December, as well as the local elections in January, are conducted in a peaceful, fair, free and transparent manner. Here, too, we must keep a watchful eye and take a constructive approach to this process. Much will depend on whether it really proves possible to consolidate these first cautious steps. Of course that also means amending the constitution so that ethnic origin can no longer be taken as grounds for discrimination. Very many parts of Africa comprise very many different ethnic and religious mixtures. To draw such narrow boundaries between them can only produce problems and difficulties. We know that millions of people living in Côte d'Ivoire come from one of its neighbouring countries. I will not even broach problems such as child labour – for there also there are problems. A peaceful environment needs to be created for these people as well, and they, too, must be given some political responsibility in the country and must not be excluded. In that regard, I believe that the resolution reflects Parliament's resolve to make its contribution and I hope we will also manage to succeed in doing so.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I propose that the vote on the legislative resolution be postponed. This is a decision covered by an interinstitutional agreement: Parliament, Commission and Council must all agree on it. Now, the text to be put to the vote today is different from that proposed by the Commission and, as far as I know, endorsed by the Council. I therefore call for the vote on the legislative resolution to be postponed so that we can see if the other institutions can accept our point of view or, in any case, so that we can attempt to achieve a common position. (Parliament decided to refer the report back to committee) *** Report (A5-0068/2002) by Göran Färm, on behalf of the Committee on Budgets, on the guidelines for the 2003 budget procedure (2002/2004(BUD)) (Parliament adopted the resolution) *** Report (A5-0064/2002) by Per Stenmarck, on behalf of the Committee on Budgets, on the guidelines for Sections II, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII (A) and VIII (B) and on the European Parliament's preliminary draft estimates (Section I) for the 2003 budgetary procedure (2002/2005(BUD)) Section I – European Parliament Section II – Council Section IV – Court of Justice Section V – Court of Auditors Section VI – Economic and Social Committee Section VII – Committee of the Regions Section VIII (A) – European Ombudsman Section VIII (B) – European Data Protection Supervisor (Parliament adopted the resolution) *** President. – That concludes the vote. EXPLANATIONS OF VOTE - Report Inglewood (A5-0070/2002)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, the Union already has implicitly in the Treaties the bones of a Constitution. We all look to the Convention to make it explicit and clear and to create the proper legal framework for a thoroughly democratic Europe. That, of course, will involve, as has been said in parts of this debate, fully recognising the prerogatives and powers of this great all-European Parliamentary Assembly. But democracy at this level will not be effective unless it is also fully effective at the level of the little battalions: at the level of the local authorities, at the level of the constitutional regions, the self-governing internal nations of the Member States. Now that means that the Convention must look to that question as well, and improving governance in Europe must, as the Commission has said, look closely at the proper involvement of regional and local authorities. I thought that the Commission was somewhat timid in what they said about that, but alas, Parliament argues yet further timidity and talks down all the references in the White Paper to regional involvement with the Commission. Recital M and Paragraph 26 are to be deeply regretted as currently phrased in Mrs Kaufmann's otherwise admirable report. We want to see these amended. We want to see a strengthening of the reference to the necessary involvement of the Commission and Parliament with the regional and local authorities, as well as with national parliaments. We do not want to subvert the constitutional framework of Europe. We want to improve it.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Erasmus Mundus’, which seeks to strengthen ties between the universities of every continent by creating an exchange system for students, lecturers and researchers, is also creating centres of excellence for university teaching and research on our continent and seeks to make our universities, if we dare say it, competitive in the global market of higher education, by finally giving our students the means to obtain degrees with a European dimension. The provision of genuinely European studies, unprecedented in terms of the number of students concerned, and by their visibility in Europe itself and also in other continents, will in the future allow every young European to choose their path: either national or European. This will be an advantage both for students’ personal development and for their integration into the labour market, also considering the prospects for innovation in Europe. We absolutely must exceed the 1% of GDP devoted to higher education. The implementation of the ‘Erasmus Mundus’ programme must lead European companies to build lasting partnerships with universities, an essential means to give European courses the means for their excellence, to put European universities at the forefront of the international scene, to slow the brain drain from Europe to the United States, and to ... (Explanation of vote abbreviated in accordance with Rule137(1) of the Rules of Procedure) - Mauro report (A5-0080/2003)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, humbled and honoured at the privilege granted to me as the first MEP from Malta to address this Assembly so soon after enlargement, I believe that the European Constitution should emphasise a union of citizens just as much as a union of sovereign states – a Union based on the value of 'personalism' and not of individualism. There is no viable alternative to a Union of nation states, intertwined with a clear recognition of an unmistakable historical fact: Europe's Christian roots, values and heritage. Without such heritage we would not have had the works of Dante, Petrarch, Raphael, Michelangelo and others all inspired by a Christian leitmotif, or the labour of love and Christian faith involved in building the cathedrals and churches of our European cities, including Strasbourg. 'Yes' to European laicism, but 'no' to secularisation. I shall continue in Maltese. (MT) Mr President, I believe in a Europe where it is essential for its legitimacy and credibility to speak categorically with one voice in the international arena. We must have a European Constitution where the rule of law is the same for all, a Europe of the power of the law and not of the law of power or one which favours the strongest. A Constitution that confirms that every State is equal, even by acknowledging Malta’s right to have six seats in this Parliament. Malta must be represented effectively in the same manner as all other States. Mr President, we created and moulded Europe. Now it is important that everyone feels equally European. This must be the crux of the European Constitution and Malta will be working to achieve all this.

Political group: PPE-DE