Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as a Rhinelander, I lack Mr Pannella’s capacity for emphasis, but I would like to make a number of comments, just as strongly felt, on the speeches by the High Representative and Commissioner Patten. The Roadmap is essentially a method which the European Union applies all over the world. It is how we have shaped our enlargement process: by setting a goal and then providing support – both financial and political – for the stages along this road to enlargement. I regret that in the past, this well-established European principle sometimes seemed to be forgotten or appeared suspect, for there was an impression that no matter how much terrorism there was, no matter how much intifada or violence occurred, we Europeans act as if nothing had happened and carry on paying and maintaining contacts with President Arafat. It is a good thing that we have moved away from this. It is a good thing that Commissioner Patten has transformed budget aid into project aid again, that he is now involved in the reform of the Palestinian Authority, that we have very close contacts to the Palestinian Finance Minister, that we say a resounding ‘yes’ to Prime Minister Abbas and give him our support, and that we meet rather less often and less vocally, perhaps, with Mr Arafat. We do not need to isolate him, but we must make it clear where Europe's sympathies lie. We may have been a little late in doing so. Secondly, we are now making tougher demands of ourselves, and we should be making these same demands of the neighbouring countries as well. Now that Iraq no longer has Saddam Hussein as a dictator and is hopefully on the way to more democratic structures, we must send a clear message to Syria and Iran. The message is this: if you want to conduct relations with the European Union, you must say ‘yes’ to the Roadmap and participate in the process as well. We have made this very clear to our Iranian colleagues over the last few days. Maintaining good relations with the European Union while supporting Hizbollah is not an option. Maintaining a close friendship with the European Union while funding, supporting and cultivating links with the offices of terrorist organisations is not an option. I am therefore grateful to Commissioner Patten and the High Representative for stating this so categorically here today in plenary. If Iran is willing – even in this very difficult situation, also in its relations with the United States – to improve its relations with the European Union, then it would say ‘yes’ to the Roadmap and ‘yes’ to a Palestinian state by 2005, but it would also say ‘yes’ to Israel's right to exist, for even now, this statement is not forthcoming from most of the Arab states who would like to be the European Union's partners. If we were to receive such clear signals, this would strengthen the Middle East peace process as well. That is the message to us in the European Parliament: despite all the setbacks, despite all the violence, we will make more demands, not only on ourselves but also on Israel's and Palestine's neighbours, and that includes both sides. It also includes Prime Minister Sharon. He must be told very clearly that there is no room for negotiation on the Roadmap. That is the basis, and that is what we regard as the framework for the Middle East. The settlements must be removed. Here too, there are clear demands on everyone involved in this process. In my view, this clarity has been missing to some extent from Europe's policies over the last two or three years. We now have the chance to come back into the frame with the United States, Russia and the United Nations. I believe this will give fresh impetus to the peace process. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE