Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by joining – on behalf of the Socialist Group – in the condemnation of the massive attacks in Saudi Arabia and Chechnya, and Parliament should also send its condolences to the families of all the victims of this war, particularly the civil population, and stress that we profoundly regret the fact that 14 journalists have died during the conflict, two have disappeared and American troops have bombed media organisations such as Al-Jazeera and also the Palestine hotel, which was occupied by journalists. Having heard Mr Poettering, I would like to say, on behalf of my group, that we regret even more than you that it has not been considered appropriate to produce a resolution, because we could have agreed on many points and because it is important that the European Parliament’s voice is heard. We are giving the impression that we are indifferent to what is happening and we have a shared responsibility with the other institutions of the Union. Firstly, with regard to the emergency situation, I would like to welcome the efforts the Commission is making – the Commissioner has been in Baghdad. EUR 100 million is being provided, and I would ask you please to include women in the peace negotiations and in aid, because this is a very important element if peace is to be achieved in Iraq. Furthermore, I believe we must support the restoration of basic services. The Commissioner has raised a point which I believe to be important: we must not confuse humanitarian aid with reconstruction and, above all, humanitarian aid must not be a political bargaining chip. You have the support of the Socialist Group in this regard. With regard to the reconstruction process and the debate under way in the Security Council, I would like firstly to point out that, according to international law, we are in a de facto situation, in which there is a coalition which is acting as an occupying power in occupied territory. In accordance with the Geneva Convention and the Hague Regulations, the coalition has clear responsibilities and limits to its authority, and this must be incorporated into the current framework, because otherwise everything will depend on the power games in Washington. I remind you that the first team of American governors in Iraq has already come to an end. The confusion is increasing all the time and it is therefore important to reaffirm the role of the United Nations Security Council. We Europeans have responsibilities here. It is the case that, according to Articles 11, 12 and 13 of the Treaty, we are obliged to coordinate our positions. But it is odd that we are able to coordinate them amongst Europeans and with others, in the Middle East Quartet and even with the Arab League, but the same principle is not applied in the Security Council. Public opinion cannot understand this and furthermore Europe has serious responsibilities here. It is therefore very important that the agreement reached in Athens on 16 April is now applied, but within the framework of international law. Why? In order to establish a government belonging to the Iraqi people, which respects territorial integrity and also provides the Iraqi people with an opportunity, having finally been liberated from a despotic tyranny. We are beginning to see the disappearance of political and religious repression and the Iraqi people are being allowed to express themselves. This is an absolutely essential issue. The lifting of the embargo – as expressed in several United Nations Resolutions – must be carried out under the authority of those Resolutions. The inspectors must also return, because paradoxically the only people who have found any traces of weapons of mass destruction have been the teams of Mr Blix and Mr ElBaradei rather than the American inspectors, who are acting illegally, and it is therefore also important to intervene in this regard. I would like to reiterate, on behalf of my group, that Iraqi oil and its exploitation belongs to the Iraqi people. Oil – as we have seen too often – is a poisoned gift and there must be genuine respect for its use and the right to access to resources for the Iraqi people. Finally, Mr President, please allow me to refer to the situation in the Middle East. We cannot say that action had to be taken because 12 years had passed during which the regime of Saddam Hussein had not respected the United Nations resolutions when we have been waiting three decades for Resolution 242 to be complied with. We must support the roadmap, Mr Sharon cannot cold-shoulder the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Mr Solana, because he has met President Arafat. We must show goodwill, and above all we must defuse the most dangerous time bomb in the Middle East. And all this requires that we Europeans re-establish our unity and act together. (Applause)

Political group: PSE