GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Madam President, the Minister began her speech by talking about her generation. I belong to the generation that, in Italy, is called the ‘ebb’ [apolitical] generation – I am too young for either ‘68 or ‘77 – and I am used to thinking of the police and the carabinieri as those who ensure personal safety and who have made it possible to defeat terrorism in Italy. The most surprising and shocking thing for me in the Genoa events was therefore to actually see how, within the forces of law and order, something tiny, a mere change of government, a defamatory campaign by the anti-G8 movement, inadequate organisation and a bunch of violent hooligans, was enough to bring out in some of them – I stress some of them – a desire to become the instruments of blind and profoundly stupid intimidation. This, Mr Tajani, Commissioner Vitorino, is a European, not a national issue. The divide that, from Nice to Gothenburg to Genoa and, perhaps tomorrow to Laeken – even if the Minister’s fine words perhaps give us grounds for optimism – is being erected, for right or for wrong, whether we like it or not, between people who, in good faith, want to take action for a better world and the institutions – the police, Parliament, government – is something that should concern us all, on both left and right. I am convinced that if police cooperation had been applied effectively and with respect for individual rights, if free movement were a true right, with the same level of priority as the free movement of capital, if the Charter of Fundamental Rights were in the DNA of all of us, the worst events of Genoa would, perhaps, not have taken place. That is why I believe that, to prevent another Nice, another Gothenburg or another Genoa, we need two things, and the first of them is transparency. In Italy, the Courts are already hard at work, as is the parliamentary committee of inquiry. Here, we must make a precise assessment of the lines along which the cooperation between European police forces was conducted and ascertain whether or not the Charter of Fundamental Rights was violated in the treatment of prisoners. The second and last thing, Madam President, is to understand whether suspension of the Schengen rules can justify the indiscriminate, collective ban on free movement. These are the things we must do in this House, and I hope we shall all work together to achieve them.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, over and above the initial brief comments that were heard in this House on 3 September 2003, Parliament can now give a much fuller opinion on the draft Constitution adopted by the Convention. It can do this thanks to the careful and impartial analysis provided by the report by Mr Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado and Mr Tsatsos: an analysis advocating turning to account of all the innovations, progress and potential offered by the Convention’s draft. It is therefore clear why Parliament is urging the Intergovernmental Conference straight out to do justice to the Convention’s result. I would like to add that we are particularly sensitive to the importance and the emotion of this historic process: the birth of a European Constitution, which was the dream of Altiero Spinelli. The draft supported by him and adopted by this Parliament almost 20 years ago laid the foundations with vision. This must not, however, prevent us from assessing the text issued by the Convention objectively, to take note of its shortcomings, contradictions and uncertainties. Indeed Mr Gil-Robles Gil-Degado and Mr Tsatsos did not fail to mention them in their report, they did not shirk their responsibility to point them out with the necessary critical spirit. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, the basic problem is not that Parliament is dissatisfied that certain positions and proposals have not been accepted, but the danger that the EU will not be capable of addressing the challenges awaiting it properly. It is with this in mind that we urge the Intergovernmental Conference to reflect, to look at every possible way of increasing the coherence of the draft Constitution and to prevent any distortion of it, so as to avoid any steps backwards. Parliament, through its Committee on Constitutional Affairs, will follow the Intergovernmental Conference with the utmost attention and vigilance. The approach that we have chosen to adopt is highly constructive, not uncritical and very responsible, and I believe that there must be no contrast between our attitude and that taken by the Commission, although that is not to deny the distinction between the two institutions or their independence. The Italian Presidency can count on their united efforts to stand up to the pressure from those governments that want to reopen negotiations because, Mr Antonione, there have already been negotiations in the Convention and to reopen them on the fundamental issues would make the Conference unmanageable. I hope that the Italian Presidency will show itself to be consistent and firm.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, I have a question about security in Brussels. We know that the official statistics that are collected on this issue often do not reflect reality because many members of the public are no longer willing to report crimes to the police. Are there any arrangements in place or any opportunities for us not to rely solely on police statistics but also to commission studies in order to obtain an accurate picture of the real crime situation and especially on how to combat crime effectively in future?

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I would like to congratulate Commissioner Busquin for deciding and having the courage to create a European research area, bearing in mind that, in the field of knowledge, we have always fought hard for the principle of solidarity. I am a member of the Committee on Culture and in fact Parliament has not taken up the opinion of this committee. I am the only person from that committee who is speaking in this debate. I very much regret the fact that the contribution of the Committee on Culture has not been allowed to enrich the debate. In this respect I would like to offer some constructive criticism. Firstly, I would like to say that this is a laudable and courageous piece of work, because subsidiarity is a straitjacket which is holding Europeans back despite the brilliance of their desires and their minds. Nevertheless, it lacks a parallel project, which is concerned with human resources. Much is said about money and companies, but we never take into account – or at least we only do so in the small print and indirectly – the fact that it is a question of human resources and that therefore research requires training, training and more training. In Europe there are no training programmes for researchers. FEDER and the FEDER projects do not cover grant holders. Furthermore, the fifth research plan only includes one person per project, although it is impossible to carry out a far-reaching project with grant holders alone. The personnel available to us include very few post-doctoral teachers and we do not have sufficient staff. How can we talk about mobility if we do not have researchers? This is the great challenge we have to face and, in this case, I would support Mr Rübig and others who have proposed specific training programmes. We must support the universities and researchers because, in Europe, working in research means sacrifices and a career full of risks and very few rewards and, of course, no economic reward. I repeat that we must recycle our teachers. Only by means of a strategic European resources plan can we do so. Lastly, I would like to express my fear that only centres of excellence will be recognised.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, my question related, firstly, to whether the invasion of Iraq has demonstrated that terrorism cannot only be combated through repression – and we should ask the Iraqis who they consider to be the terrorists – and, secondly, to whether the decision has been taken within the framework of the United Nations or within another very particular United States framework.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, the Commission’s analysis of the first year of application of the fourth generation of multiannual guidance programmes shows that very different situations exist in the Member States. While some countries are not meeting the objectives laid down or are not providing reliable data, others are not only meeting these objectives but are exceeding them, as in the case of Portugal. Therefore, at the beginning of 1998, the Community fleet exceeded the MAGP IV final objectives in terms of both tonnage, by 16%, and power, by 7%. On the other hand, France and the Netherlands were unable to meet the MAGP objectives and Italy failed to provide reliable data. Yet Portugal not only exceeded the European average but, with a reduction of 38% in terms of tonnage and 21% in terms of power, was the country which reduced the fishing effort of its fleet to the greatest extent. This has, of course, involved decommissioning, job losses and a threat to the survival of nearly 180 important communities. There is therefore a clear imbalance in the fisheries situation within the European Union, even taking into account the necessary caution which must be used in analysing the data presented in the report, as underlined by the rapporteur. For Portugal, the current situation is particularly serious and basically results from a common fisheries policy which takes no account of the specific conditions in each Member State. Having said this, the national politicians must also accept some responsibility as they want to be the best at complying with the European rules. It is now clear that a fisheries policy based on scant support for fleet modernisation and renewal, on measures encouraging the decommissioning of vessels and the cessation of activity, and on deteriorating working conditions and lower incomes for fishermen, combined with strong foreign competition, has led to a drastic reduction in the national fleet. This is causing Portuguese fishermen to emigrate to join fleets of other countries, particularly those which are not meeting their MAGP objectives and which are even increasing their fishing capacity. A major overhaul of the common fisheries policy is needed, and not just of the specific issue of the MAGPs. Particular attention must be paid to the specific aspects of each country. Special support must be provided for the renewal and modernisation of the fleets of Member States which have already met their objectives. Measures to support the survival of fishing communities must be established. An improvement in the living and working conditions of fishermen must be ensured and compensation must be provided for closed seasons, as in the case of the sardine closed season in Portugal, or for any other necessary reductions in the fishing period.

Political group: GUE-NGL
The report is a step towards achieving the highly placed objective in the Lisbon strategy of making the EU the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy, with sustainable economic growth and more and better job opportunities. In a situation in which many of the EU’s Member States are wrestling with major economic concerns, especially Germany and France which are not complying with the requirements of the Euro Stability Pact, this objective feels like a distant one. It is therefore to be welcomed that a start has been made on debating the place of industrial issues in relation to this objective. In spite of everything, industry is the backbone of the European economy. The report also demands that the national tax systems be harmonised because, as it states, they ‘adversely affect the single market’. We Swedish object to this wording because decisions about tax policy are a national matter. This led to my voting against paragraph 1d. - Situation in Bolivia

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I would firstly like to congratulate and thank Mr Salafranca for his report, which is very comprehensive, well-written and apt, because it is only when the enlargement process has been completed on paper, that we realise that there are still two issues that have yet to be resolved: Euro-Mediterranean strategy and this matter of Latin America. And it is precisely Latin America, with its growing organisational process, that offers more possibilities and at the same time has international repercussions that we should view positively. The influence of the European Union on Latin America within the United Nations in terms of finding peaceful solutions for conflicts, is, my view, a cause for hope, when compared with the militarisation and aggressive use of force practised by the United States at this time. I think that this issue is both important and appropriate, and Parliament is showing us that we are working in real time. For this reason and without reservations, our group will be supporting Mr Salafranca’s report. We do not agree upon certain, very specific, issues, but we will deal with these when the time is right. We are thinking here of the inclusion of Cuba, which for us is of fundamental importance, and also the choice of a peaceful solution of the Colombian conflict, which is what the European Union wants to see.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Madam President, as a participant in Monterrey, I too want to say that it was clear that many people are now in no doubt as to how important it is that we in the rich countries should contribute to combating poverty in the developing countries and be involved in securing economic progress in these countries and eliminating squalor. We must do this for our peace of mind, and we must do this for the sake of world peace. Efforts must be made across a broad front. The developing countries must have access to our markets so that they themselves can create the basis for their economic progress. Sound frameworks for private investment must be guaranteed, but foreign aid in the traditional form of transfer payments is still necessary. It is disgraceful that, over the last decade, the rich countries have reduced the share of their income that they give to poor countries. I would therefore praise Commissioner Nielson for the success there has been in initiating an agreement to the effect that the EU countries will increase aid. This agreement means that the most tight-fisted countries must make a contribution corresponding to the current EU average. The level of ambition must be higher, however. The objective must in every case be 0.7% of GNP, a figure which most EU countries do not at present meet and which the United States and Japan unfortunately fall still farther short of meeting. Admittedly, experience shows that there is not always a straightforward proportionate link between the extent of the aid and the results in the shape of development. That is why it is all the more gratifying that, with Monterrey, a common understanding now seems to have been established that development must take place through interaction between donor countries, NGOs and developing countries so that the developing countries are given responsibility for their own development and so that, as a condition of receiving aid, they guarantee democracy, legal certainty and human rights and combat the corruption that destroys many opportunities for progress.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, it is, of course, gratifying that several EU countries are about to ratify this agreement. It is in fact two years since we adopted the agreement. At the same time it only needs a fifth of the 60 countries to ratify it in order for the treaty to come into effect. It is, of course, very doubtful whether it will be done in time for December this year. It is, however, extremely important, because the treaty from the Rome Conference is the first international agreement that establishes that rape and forced pregnancy can be treated as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Experience from those courts we have set up, namely the war crimes tribunals for Rwanda and Yugoslavia, clearly show that the present system is inadequate for dealing with the type of crimes I have just mentioned. However, in order for the ICC to be able to work, broad international support is necessary. My question to the Commission is therefore: Have you any plans at all to try to persuade important countries such as the United States, Russia and Japan to also sign the agreement from the Rome Conference?

Political group: PSE
In practice that answer was very satisfactory. I thank the Commissioner.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, we have to recognise that the relationship between the European Union and the United States is at an all-time low. I believe that over the coming months we have a role to play in this Parliament, along with the Council and the Commission, to rebuild that relationship. When we recognise the great need there will be to rebuild Iraq, we must also recognise the tremendous need to rebuild the relationship between the European Union and the United States. We have to face up to the truth. The truth is that we have grown apart. Each of us has focused on different priorities and, in many ways, we have ceased to understand each other's concerns. After the attacks on the Twin Towers on that terrible day in 2001, the United States concentrated on terrorism: where the next attack was coming from, homeland security. In Europe we went on to bring in the euro and concentrate on enlargement. To some extent we have lost track of what we have been trying to do. We have both retreated to hurling insults at each other across the Atlantic. Now is the time for each of us, on both sides of the pond, to take a step back and allow things to calm down. We must begin to rebuild that relationship. We have far too great a common bond. We share common values. We must not allow recent events to continue, or ferment or destroy us. Yes, it will take time and no doubt it will be difficult. There will always be disagreements between us and the United States. Let us hope that those disagreements, in the future, will only be in the WTO, over steel or on trade. Those are natural disagreements, which we can have. But let us begin a renewed, an improved, deeper relationship and one that will not crumble as the last one did.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, last Tuesday night, 11 people were murdered at a false roadblock in the Ain Defla province; on Saturday, 24 December, a young cabaret singer was murdered in a discotheque in the town of Annaba; a week before that, 16 high school students were savagely murdered inside their own boarding school. Algeria has just experienced its bloodiest Ramadan for two years. Over two hundred people – men, women, children, the elderly – have been murdered; girls have been abducted and raped. The horrendous, barbarous and inhuman violence perpetrated by the Islamist guerrilla groups appears to be on the increase, if indeed it ever actually ceased. This information is obtained mainly from the newspapers. Indeed the relative official silence, except perhaps in the case of foreigners, can only be regretted. So I should like to pay tribute to the Algerian press, one of the most independent in the Arab world, which has paid such a high price at the hands of those who are implacably opposed to any form of freedom of expression and who dream of an uneducated people subject to their diktats. Yet, in the last year, and more, thousands of terrorists are supposed to have surrendered their weapons in return for a total amnesty. The election of President Bouteflika had given the people hope, but we are forced to acknowledge that the path taken by the ‘civil concord law’ is a very long way from leading to peace. Even though the Algerian people displayed remarkable resistance in order to reject fundamentalism, the amnesty for such murders – described by some as crimes against humanity – and the lack of punishment enforced upon the perpetrators of these crimes appear to have exonerated them to the point that they are continuing their murderous work. Surely attention should be paid instead to the opinions of the associations of the families of the victims of terrorism, which are outraged that they have received no form of compensation while ‘penitent’ Islamist rebels are given financial support in order to be reintegrated into society? Surely the doubly courageous fight of Algerian women should be recognised, since they are the main victims of terrorism yet, at the same time, still subjected to a family code which flouts their most basic rights? Finally, the economic and social situation is also perilous, when it already proved a propitious breeding ground for the rise of Islamism in the 1980s. Subject to intense external pressures – I am thinking of debt – Algeria finds itself in a crisis which has already led to an unprecedented rise in unemployment. More than ever, solidarity with the democrats and with an Algeria which is fighting against terrorism and death and for a free future is urgently needed.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, the compromise that has been reached is a great success for environmental and consumer protection. It is the first time that manufacturers’ liability for waste has been up for debate at all, and the fact that manufacturers’ liability is soon to become a reality is to be welcomed. The compromise reached on heavy metals is also a giant step towards an environmentally friendly strategy for dealing with the flow of materials. I believe that this outcome, which is also excellent from a green point of view, will help encourage the motor industry to be more innovative and to begin to develop cars which can be recycled more easily. However, the compromise is also a slap in the face for our Chancellor and, more precisely, for the German car industry, particularly Volkswagen which has unfortunately tried to stand in the way of this Motor Directive. I also hope that the rapporteur, Mr Florenz, will draw the relevant lessons from this debate and, when it comes to the Directive on Electronic Waste – which is again concerned with manufacturers’ liability – will also, in actual fact, try to act in the interests of the consumer. I hope too that we do not allow ourselves to be put under pressure by individual industrial interests.

Political group: Verts-ALE