GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I am disappointed about the fact that the new Liberal, Mr Johan Van Hecke, is still getting up to his Christian-Democratic tricks. Following his pacific speech, I would ask him, during the vote, to be guided by his conscience rather than by the Flemish Liberal Democrat party whip. I fully endorse Mr Titley's remark about the absolute need for multilateral discussion once one Member State has refused a licence. In this respect, I would recommend approval of Amendments Nos 1 and 7, which make undercutting more difficult. It is said, with good reason, that the code of conduct must become absolutely binding. This is the gist of our Amendments Nos 2 and 8. Further to the Nepal crisis, the Belgian Government will at long last include the code of conduct in national legislation. Could I invite the other fourteen governments finally to follow this Belgian example?

Political group: Verts-ALE
New rules for the waves of immigrants heading for the European Union, calculating the needs of the countries of entry and procedures for integrating third country nationals into society in the European Union are, without doubt, moves in the right direction. However, the Commission communication on an ‘immigration policy’ contains omissions and additional objectives need to be promoted. To be specific, we need: - to clarify the difference between the terms ‘working immigrant’ and ‘economic immigrant’ and avoid the risk of creating new forms of discrimination based on the narrow interests of the job market in Europe; - to accept family reunification in general and not as a special characteristic of certain categories of immigrants; - to extend mobility within the ΕU for immigrants with a legal resident's permit; - to combat human trafficking gangs; - a strategy to facilitate the return of specialised immigrants in order to strengthen productive capacity in their country of origin; - to abolish discrimination between immigrants on the basis of sex, age, sexual orientation or disability; - to create a European network for immigration as an observatory and census mechanism. This being the case, I voted against the report.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I too would like to congratulate the rapporteur and the draftsman for the consensus that they have drawn together. When this report first appeared it seemed to cover a small technical matter, but this is in fact a small technical matter with the ability to make a huge difference. It is of great importance, as has already been said, to the financial services action plan and to the better functioning of the internal market. As Lord Inglewood has already said, it is a proposal that, politically speaking, has come at the right moment. The collapse of a corporate giant like Enron and the reverberations of such a collapse for employees, for small investors, for pensioners, convince us that, if there is a way of helping prevent such misery for some of our citizens, then we should of course pursue it. These international accounting standards seem to hold out such a promise, both within and beyond the European Union. I hope that is so. I hope also, as other speakers have said, that the system involving a regulatory committee – a technical committee set up within our institutions – will provide the openness and, most importantly, the democratic accountability that this Parliament seeks. Our society, our citizens, have a huge stake in the success and health of our large corporations. It is clearly our duty to ensure that the standards by which they are governed or regulated attain the best levels of corporate governance. This report is an important step in achieving that and I can assure the rapporteur that he will have the full support of the Group in this House.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, implementation of Internal Market legislation at national level is an absolute prerequisite for achieving the Lisbon objectives. The increase in the implementation deficit is causing EU markets to splinter and is eroding the benefits of the Internal Market. Unless the directives on telecommunications, for example, are implemented in the Member States, that sector’s development will be become more disharmonious than ever. In order to maintain our competitiveness it is vital that we increase resources for research and training. We will not succeed in the future with just bulk products and a poorly trained workforce. Tax on earnings and employers’ indirect costs must be cut to boost employment in Europe and to make it easier for SMEs and growth companies in particular to employ staff. Lower taxation would, for its own part, stimulate European entrepreneurship, one of the pillars of competitiveness. Let taxation in future fall within the competence of the Member States. I would also encourage Member States to lighten the tax burden in parallel with the Lisbon objectives so that they take account of fair and positive tax competition. The EU’s task in this area will be to compile comparable data and propagate best practices.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I think that today we must determine why Member States are competing in an unfair and negative manner to win the prize for being the most off-putting State in terms of the way it welcomes nationals from other countries. It is this competition which is creating the tragic situations that we are now seeing, on a daily basis, in the Sangatte refugee centre, at Tarifa, in Italy, and in many other parts of Europe. These tragic situations are clearly calling into question the fundamental rights of individuals, the right to asylum and the international commitments to which we subscribed. The proposal for harmonisation is, of course, heading in the right direction, since it is seeking to halt the downward spiral in the conditions in which asylum applicants are received in Europe. It is heading in the right direction and will become fully credible within the framework of a common asylum and immigration policy with a European statute for refugees. We therefore welcome this prospect and the initial work, which will effectively guarantee rights such as the right to work, to education, health, housing, schooling, vocational training and fundamental rights, all of which are inseparable. The proposal aims to avoid a situation that we know all too well: asylum applicants trying to enter countries illegally, reception centres being inundated and, ultimately, the rights that we want to promote being violated. I think that, in this area, we must make every possible effort. We cannot give scope to those who want Europe to be based primarily on xenophobia, the rejection of all that is foreign and the fear of the unknown. In this area, it is the European project itself that we must defend. (Applause from the left)

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I welcome this timely report by Mr Oostlander. It contains a number of valuable recommendations. On Monday I returned from Turkey, where, with other politicians and trade unionists, I had the opportunity to observe the local elections. Paragraph 1 of the recommendations of this report refers to the 'oft-stated commitment' by the Turkish authorities 'to democracy and Europe'. I cannot share the same confidence. Whilst seeking to observe elections in the primary school of Vali Unal Erkan in Diyarbakir, we were shouted at, threateningly, by the local chief of police and prevented from entering the polling station. This was not an isolated incident. In polling stations in other parts of the country, members of the governing Turkish party were standing by, watching ballot papers being filled in by Kurdish electors. The military were present outside many polling stations within the Kurdish area. Speakers of the Kurdish language – spoken by 20 million people in Turkey – continue to face persecution. Kurdish-medium schools are banned, the only concession being the belated effort now to allow a few schoolrooms to be open to teach Kurdish as a foreign language for a few hours a week. How can we then say, in paragraph 8, that we have confidence that the AKP government will safeguard democratic values? As the report emphasises, the prohibition of political parties such as Hadep/Dehap continues, which is why I would urge colleagues to support Amendment No 11 by Mr Lagendijk on the crucial issue of abolishing the 10% threshold for political parties. Until these fundamental matters are addressed and the Turkish Government respects our own Charter of Fundamental Rights, many of us will have grave misgivings before supporting their accession to the European Union.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is fashionable these days to be pessimistic about Africa, sometimes on the basis of rash generalisations. In an ocean of instability, however, of never-ending wars and conflicts, such as in the long-suffering Angola, one regional power could guarantee a degree of order and peace in southern Africa – the Republic of South Africa. A real political miracle has taken place there, which is firmly ingrained in our minds: the country moved from apartheid to democracy. South Africa made a peaceful choice for democracy and thereby put an end to decades of racial oppression. Nevertheless, South Africa still faces serious problems that have been described here today, from violent crime, into which the country is threatening to sink, and into which it could very well sink, to the terrible disease of AIDS. The changes in South Africa have given rise to great hope, however. The wisdom and the prestige of Nelson Mandela gave South Africa enormous authority in the world. His political successors now have great responsibilities to history and to the heritage of values bequeathed to them by Nelson Mandela. South Africa can only be a power that has a positive influence on the destinies of its region and of the world if it avoids sliding into racial or ethnic conflict. The immigrant communities are living in fear and anxiety. The Portuguese community, one of the largest and most affected by the violence, has already been brave enough to demonstrate on the streets and demand protective measures. We must support South Africa, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, and help it, without adopting a paternalistic attitude, to develop and to combat a lack of safety, conflict, violent death and murder. A drift towards violence would be a tragedy not only for South Africa but also for Europe and for the whole world. Amongst the many resolutions adopted by this Parliament, this is one of the most important and topical. The Portuguese and other European citizens living in South Africa will then feel that Europe is not abandoning them to their fate and will keep the flame of hope alight. Most effective in achieving the remainder of what needs to be done, however, will be the diplomacy of the Commission and the Member States. I would remind you of the words of the great French philosopher, Montaigne, who said: ‘Every man contains within him the entire form of the human condition’. To a certain extent, it is the human condition that is at stake in that great country. Belarus

Political group: PSE
Madam President, I think it is pretty rich to compare the European arrest warrant with a party statute. However, there are, of course, parties – particularly in Germany – where there is a close link between arrest warrants and their party statute. (Applause and laughter) I would just like to say one thing to Mr Lisi: the entire ‘Forza Italia’ delegation has, at all the hearings on the Commission's proposals that have taken place in this House up to now, agreed to all the European Parliament's opinions. So I wonder why the Italian Prime Minister, who comes from the same party as Mr Lisi – who incidentally approved all this himself – is now instructing his Minister for the Interior to veto offences which we all agreed should be prosecuted at European level. I wonder if this could possibly have something to do with party politics, but not the issue that Mr Barón Crespo has rightly raised here. (Applause)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I wish to table another oral amendment. Have no fear: it does not take up any new issues. I have noted that one of the amendments has been incorrectly translated, and I do not think it accurately reflects the opinion of the Committee. The text of item 8, which I have also forwarded to you, should properly read as follows: 'considers that, in the area of collective exercise of rights, the enlargement of the European Union means that there is a need for suitable measures and that action may be required'. I think Members need have no qualms about voting for this. (Parliament agreed to the oral amendment)

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I would like to thank the minister for his reply, but I must say that the fact that Mr Solana is so detached from the process of settlement of the dispute in the island of Cyprus fills me with great disquiet. Would the minister agree that it is fear for their security that is proving the principle obstacle to Turkish Cypriot compliance with the Annan proposals? Would he not also agree that peace-keeping on the island will be a central responsibility for the European Union, through the process of settlement and following this process, for a considerable period before tranquillity and stability truly return to that poor strife-torn place.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, the recent events that have taken place in Vietnam demonstrate once again the repression suffered by the monks of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, the UBCV. The Vietnamese authorities have placed eleven dissident bonzes of the UBCV under house arrest for two years, including the Patriarch of the Buddhist Church, the Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, who has already spent twenty-one years in prison. This repression followed the first extraordinary assembly of the UBCV since it was outlawed by the communist authorities in 1981. The UBCV, which is an important religious grouping in Vietnam, and was founded decades ago, is still not allowed to exist. The Hanoi Government has justified these detentions by using violations of national security legislation as an excuse. Vietnamese law authorises local authorities to place individuals under administrative detention lasting between six months and two years, without trial, in cases of attacks on national security. In actual fact, through their behaviour the Vietnamese authorities are contradicting their grand declarations in favour of reforms and democracy. I should point out that religious freedom is a fundamental right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the European Union/Vietnam Cooperation Agreement is based precisely on fundamental respect for human rights. This policy of repression, not only of the monks of the Unified Buddhist Church but also of the Hoa Hao Buddhist Church, the Catholic Church and the Christian Montagnards must end. In fact, all of these religions are outlawed and have no legal status. Vietnam is a multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious country. This diversity is a wealth that should not be squandered. The Hanoi regime must show good will and implement a series of concrete reforms, beginning with those that guarantee complete freedom of religion, and in this way launch a real process of democratisation. Then we will be able to have confidence in them once again.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, the renewed escalation of violence in Nepal gives cause for concern and puts the stability of the entire region at risk. When the Maoist rebels attacked the Nepalganj army camp at the end of May, over 100 of them were killed, as were many soldiers. The number killed since the conflict broke out six years ago has risen to 3 500. Despite international appeals for peace, there is no sign of the violence coming to an end. What is worse is that families in Kathmandu and western Nepal – with whom I have had contact for years and whom I visit regularly – tell me that the fighting is getting more intense from day to day. The rebels are destroying specific infrastructure targets, cutting off the public's supply of electricity, and murdering both police officers – who are poorly trained – and government officials in the provinces. The overwhelming majority of the Nepalese people are still backing the monarchy and supporting King Gyanendra, who has substantially gained authority in the past few difficult months. He has dissolved Parliament early at the request of the Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and called new elections for 13 November this year. He has appealed to all sections of the population to turn out to vote in large numbers and thereby unambiguously declare their support for democracy and play their part in bringing about internal stability. The European Union is supporting Nepal to the tune of some EUR 15 million, and quite rightly so. I speak on behalf of the Group of the when I say that it should send independent observers to see that these November elections are fair and free and that the secrecy of the ballot is maintained. Commissioner, the European Union should definitely be willing to act as a mediator in this conflict, should it be asked to do so. Quite apart from that, there must be no let-up in the efforts to make use of every opportunity for negotiations between the parties that presents itself. We are also looking to see a proper trial for Krishna Sen, imprisoned on suspicion of leading guerrilla operations, and for four other suspected members of the banned Communist Party. I know Nepal very well – it is one of the poorest countries in the world, but also one of the most fascinating. Its principal source of income is tourism, and of that it is currently deprived. Why? It is because of the lack of security in this beautiful part of the Himalayas that thousands of foreign visitors are choosing not to travel to Nepal. As much as they need the state's internal affairs to be well ordered, Nepal's people need even more sustainable interventions, economic and structural reforms in all parts of the country, if they are at last to emerge from poverty, which is one of the essential causes of violence.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, the NATO summit is being held in Prague at the moment. The agenda includes changing the nature of the organisation and making it more aggressive, relations between ΝΑΤΟ and the European Union and the probable declaration of war on Iraq. We have all seen the massive demonstrations being held throughout Europe, in the United States of America and in numerous other countries against such a war. These demonstrations are wholly justified because our citizens know that war will have no effect on Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, but it will cause incalculable loss of life and material damage, with disastrous consequences on both the area in question and the world as a whole. I should like, speaking on behalf of our citizens, to launch an urgent appeal: we need to categorically oppose the possibility of war and demand that every effort be made to resolve any problems politically, not militarily, and we need to stop President Bush and his staff who, with the smell of oil in the air, appear to be very resolved, from going to war with Iraq right now. ***

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, as we have heard today more than once, it is important and a matter of urgent necessity that we should make every effort in order to boost Europe's attractiveness as a knowledge base and thereby draw closer to the Lisbon objectives. At the moment it looks more as if we are moving away from them. Erasmus World can be an opportunity to make up this deficit. It is the exchange of knowledge between Europe and third countries, rather than the concentration of knowledge in Europe that is the basis on which we will reach our objective. The programme is aimed widely, at institutions of higher education and postgraduate students all over the world, at students within the European Union, who can go abroad, and at scientists and academics from third countries. I do believe, though, that it is important for our students who go abroad that the necessary recognition of academic achievements and degrees should be pushed through and improved, and that Erasmus students should have study abroad improved and made easier for them. I would also like to emphasise that I am very much in favour of equality of opportunity or a balance in men and women's participation in this programme. Neither in terms of the countries' participation nor of the academic disciplines do I want this to be treated as secondary. If we do not pay attention to equality of opportunity from the very outset, we will have problems with making it a reality later on. I would also like to briefly address the issue of multilingualism. On this, opinions differ, but I do not think that participation in this programme can be dependent on it, as the Masters' courses have their own priorities, and the students accommodate themselves to them. I do indeed think that linguistic diversity has a part to play during courses of study, and I also believe that people must have the opportunity to participate in language courses, but that they should not be considered to be admission criteria for the bursary. Let me just say something about the financial arrangements. We are glad of the EUR 300 million, but it is not acceptable that this should be deducted from other programmes. If this is not to go against the idea of promoting a knowledge-based society, there must be additional funding.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, in taking the floor on the extremely difficult subject of arms sales, I should like to congratulate the rapporteur on the manner in which he has managed to clarify matters for Parliament in the outstanding and comprehensive explanatory statement in the motion for a resolution which is being discussed today and which will be voted on tomorrow in this House. This statement focuses on the fear shared by the majority of our fellow Members, that arms of all kinds manufactured by the European Union may, if exports are not effectively controlled, be used by countries or armed groups that do not respect international law or human dignity. This is a not insignificant risk. The rapporteur was right to point out that, without such control, we have a situation where military personnel from EU Member States, acting in a peace-keeping capacity, have, in the recent past, been confronted by weapons manufactured and supplied by EU companies. Mr Titley is right, however, to point out in addition that the future of the European defence industry, which is essential for pursuing the European Union’s peace and security objectives, will depend on the coherence between the policies of the Member states, particularly as regards exports, and that this should lead them to work towards drawing up and expediting the publication of a code of conduct based on the terms given in the legally binding agreement signed in July by six of the Member States. This is the objective of the Titley report, and that is why the Group of the European People’s Party endorses the report. That is also why it opposed those of the amendments tabled by our fellow Members in order to demand planet-wide general disarmament, with the European Union to set the example. In consideration of the situation of the world today and of this continent, following the end of the cold War and the breaking of the balance established by the dread fear of weapons of mass destruction, such an attitude would be highly irresponsible. Since this dream, as you rightly termed it, Mrs Morgantini, still remains today in the realms of utopia, as I fear it will for a long time to come, we should, as proposed, highlight instead the positive results that have already been obtained by applying the code of conduct and propose all the measures that are desirable and applicable in order to improve the efficiency of this method. I believe the report under consideration will contribute to this objective. I should like to congratulate the rapporteur once again.

Political group: PPE-DE