GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I too would like to most warmly congratulate Mrs Ferrer on her report, which has quite rightly been adopted unanimously, and in which she also addresses the significance of the new technologies, especially of the Internet. It is this point that I wish to pick out particularly in order to deal with it in greater detail. Whilst we support all the good proposals made in this report with regard to the urgent necessity of building capacity, they will be only halfway useful if the developing countries do not acquire widely-available access to modern information and communication technology, thereby leaping over the digital gulf. There are still, in New York, more telephone lines than there are in the whole of Africa. On average, people in Africa are still 50 kilometres away from the nearest telephone, let alone from the Internet. You may perhaps have read that it took three days for a recent massacre on the border between Sierra Leone and Liberia to become public knowledge, those three days being the time it took to reach the nearest telephone. What this means, in both a positive and a negative sense, is that capacity-building requires that it be possible to transmit information for such purposes as the speedy provision of help in disaster situations, for the transmission of educational material enabling great advances in capacity-building, for enhancing the competitiveness of local, regional and national economies, for empowering civil society, especially women, to improve health service provision and eventually also the development of administrative capacity, to implement innovative techniques – if I had the chance, the list could go on forever. This is a necessary aspect of any capacity-building strategy, but there is a virtually total lack of any such strategy for Africa, where the need is greatest. In this respect, the Commission owes much to the ACP countries in particular, and I wish to urge most strongly that serious consideration be given, when examining all the concepts that have been set out so well in this report, as to how the communication gap can be closed, for it is demonstrable – there are calculations to prove it – that it results in economic failure for a very large number of people. To do so will be to the benefit of the capacity-building that Mrs Ferrer has described.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, unforgivably, I have forgotten something. It will take me just 20 seconds to express my gratitude to all the members of the Conciliation Committee: to Mr Provan, to Mrs Jackson, who also participated, and to the members of the Commission and the Council with whom we worked in order to reach an agreement on the report. Furthermore, I would like to thank all the MEPs for their support.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, this is the sixth and most sharply worded motion since the crisis broke in Zimbabwe. We have the Council to thank for finally getting Article 96 of the Cotonou agreement moving since the last resolution. We hope that contacts with Zimbabwe in this context will bear fruit, although we do not really expect this man to show the slightest interest in our measures. On the contrary, he will get his own party to elect him as a presidential candidate in Victoria Falls this weekend and he is already preparing to make a farce of these elections. For a start, he is now demanding proof of residency as well as identity cards as proof of electoral status. A great many people find it very hard to provide such proof. And now he wants to hold the elections in constituencies, rather than as nationwide elections throughout the country. People who are not registered in the large towns where they work will have to travel home. Most will not be able to afford to do so. The aim is to ensure that as many people as possible are excluded de facto from the elections, because he knows that this will stop the majority of his opponents from voting. There are 200 000 people currently starving in the Masningo province because Governor Hungwe has stopped food from being distributed by NGOs. The Governor has demanded that the food be delivered to him first so that he can arrange for it to be distributed. Then, of course, he will only feed his own people. We must not let this man get away with it. We must ensure that we take targeted measures to stop Mr Mugabe in time, and I call on us all to do so. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, I am very much in agreement with the majority of what has been said on this matter and I shall, therefore, not repeat what other speakers have said. I do think, however, that all of it should be taken into account, given that the whole world is waiting to see the European Union’s reaction. It seems to me that, given the condemnation of the situation in Afghanistan that this Parliament has already issued, and given the danger of the reduction in civil liberties, we have to remain united, as Commissioner Patten has said, and present a united front against terrorism. I am also worried, however, by something else that has already been said: the tragic situation that has arisen since these attacks. On the one hand there is the Afghan population, which is facing a serious crisis, as was very clearly stated by the Joint Committee of the FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) that recently visited Afghanistan, and which has said that, at this moment in time, the country is suffering widespread starvation due to a serious crisis in agricultural production, that could cause the death of a huge number of people. To this we must add the continuing danger to the farming population posed by the antipersonnel mines scattered throughout the country and the situation of the thousands of refugees in bordering countries – not only in Pakistan and Iran, but also in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan I would like to point out – that have to be dealt with. However, what also worries me – and it is on this that I would like to focus, Madam President – is the situation of the populations in all the other developing countries, particularly the African countries, who will suffer the worst economic consequences of this crisis. According to information from the World Bank, the terror attacks condemn ten million more people to poverty, as a result of economic slowdown and, particularly, from the loss of income due to decreased exports, a reduction in tourism, falling prices, etc. It is true, Madam President, that the European Union and this Parliament now have to form a strong coalition against terrorism. But we should also consider – and this would send a signal to the whole world – an international coalition against the poverty, misery and despair of millions of citizens across the world who very often seek protection from the very fanatics who organise these acts of terrorism. I would, therefore, ask that, alongside this coalition against terrorism, we also send a signal, chiefly to the peoples of Africa and Asia, stating our desire to build a coalition against misery, poverty and despair.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, despite what the President of the Republic says about the problems faced, in view of the spectacle at Nice, one must question whether the Union is really and truly prepared for enlargement. The candidates cannot have been pleased at the sight of the scramble for national power and status among the prime ministers. Sadly the common cause of Europe was a marginal factor. For the decisions on Council voting and seats in Parliament a more suitable venue would have been the casino at Cannes rather than the Acropolis at Nice, with Mr Chirac playing the role of chief croupier. Particularly regrettable was the failure to make reference to the Charter – a failure that will bring legal uncertainty and political frustration. However, my greatest fear is that Britain, France and Germany will now be able to subvert the delicate balance developed between states of various sizes and between the institutions over several decades. We will resist this forcefully.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to begin by thanking the European Commission for its sustained efforts in keeping the right of residence – within the context of the free movement of persons in Europe – high on the agenda; this is once again borne out by these two communications on the right of residence. Secondly, I should like to congratulate the rapporteur on her report. She has opted for a broad approach, Mr Hernandez Mollar, and her report covers right of residence for all citizens, including the economically active and those from third countries, topics which are, in fact, covered by proposals already submitted. My group supports this approach because, despite all initiatives from the Commission, despite the Veil report, despite the action programme and despite the legislative initiatives, the proposals remain on the Council table with very little happening to them. Within the framework of this debate, I should like to home in on four specific points. Firstly, it has become apparent recently that the European labour market is relying increasingly on mobility; an ever dwindling number of companies manage to fill their vacancies. It is therefore quite astounding that there are still that many obstacles with regard to the free movement of persons and right of residence, especially where temporary contracts, part-time jobs and the unemployed who look for jobs abroad are concerned. Secondly, my group keeps an open mind on European citizenship. To us, this means that the non-economically active, the retired and students should also be entitled to a right of residence, subject to certain conditions, of course. The obstructions which some Member States are creating at the moment do give us the strong impression that some Member States do not want to embrace the European citizenship idea at all. Thirdly, we aspire to create a citizenship which does not discriminate according to the type of relationship citizens choose for themselves. Whether they choose to live together, and whether they are single, gay or lesbian, they should also be able to claim right of residence in those countries where these types of relationship are recognised; if not, we would be denying thousands of people the right to live in families. And finally, we embrace a vision of citizenship which is also open to people from third countries, residents of the European Union, legal immigrants and permanent residents, without discrimination. We therefore give this report by Mrs Boumediene-Thiery our unconditional support. We hope that the Commission will continue to adopt a hard line against infringements and the pitiful transposition of EU legislation in the Member States, but above all I hope from the bottom of my heart that the Council will finally pluck up the courage to tackle the free movement of persons full-on.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, it is an extremely difficult task to rebuild Kosovo without disempowering the population and undermining the self-supporting powers of that country. It is even harder to rebuild relations between the Serbs and the Albanians which make it possible for the Serbian minority to remain in Kosovo. This can only be achieved if legal proceedings are initiated against murderers, rapists and war criminals. This is one of the genuinely difficult tasks. The most difficult of all will be to secure long-term peace. We must learn to combine the military iron gloves of NATO with the economic velvet gloves of the EU and provide co-operation and aid for economic and democratic development. We in the EU must establish an anteroom to those Balkan states which intend to develop along the lines of democracy and the market economy. If they hope to perhaps one day become members of the European Union, we can strengthen the democratic forces in the same way as was successful for other previous dictatorships in Southern Europe. We must also provide humanitarian aid to Serbia, insofar as this can be achieved without supporting the Milosevic regime, and we must urge municipal leaders, private associations and others to work with the democratic forces in both Kosovo and Serbia. With regard to the reconstruction agency, I would like to thank Mr Fischler for his frankness. I have seldom heard a Commissioner distance himself so clearly, and in such a well-reasoned manner, from a Council Resolution. The Council has entered into a shameful, face-saving compromise for those who promised to locate the centre in Thessaloniki. Now, the Headquarters will be in Thessaloniki, whilst those carrying out the work will be in Pristina. What on earth is that all about? I ask all the Union's citizens to note that it is therefore not the Commission and the Parliament but their own governments which cannot grasp something as simple as the fact that the reconstruction work in Kosovo must be carried out in Kosovo and from Kosovo. We in the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party will vigorously contest the Resolution. It simply won't do. It must be amended. (Applause)

Political group: ELDR
Although we are without doubt enriched by the food from the widest possible range of countries that is to be found on the shelves of our supermarkets, consumers want to have confidence that products are safe and of high quality, and we have to create the conditions under which they can. As rapporteur of the Group of the European People’s Party , I welcome the revision of Framework Directive 89/109/EEC, and thank Mrs Thors for her good cooperation. The Group of the European People’s Party has called for a number of crucial amendments in order to make packaging, and thus also food, safer in future. Much as the proposal for a labelling system using the legend ‘suitable for food contact’ or the symbol of a stylised glass and fork is to be welcomed, we demand that an exception be made for items that it cannot be doubted are intended for contact with food (for example, cups, glasses, etc), thereby avoiding excessive bureaucracy. We also welcome the extension of the traceability principle to the materials used, although this must not result in over-regulation; it would, for example, be nonsensical for every item of paper packaging to have to indicate the origin of every tree. As these are always mixtures, this is not technically feasible. Provided that the plenary agrees to these demands, the Group of the European People’s Party endorses the compromise negotiated with the Council.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, I have voted for the McKenna report, which, together with the Conciliation Committee, marks the conclusion of the Community framework for intervening in the matter of marine pollution. I have talked to retired seamen, who tell me that they are all in favour of this programme, especially because it is a European programme aimed at keeping the seas clean. They also say that they know Europe and have had personal experience of it all their lives because many ships have mixed crews, with Italian, French, English and Spanish members, and so they are really happy that Europe as a whole is interested in keeping European seas clean. - Watts report (A5-0343/2000)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, I would first of all like to congratulate the President of the Council on the results of the Stockholm Summit. Needless to say, we want more, but sound results have been achieved. Despite this, I would like to underline a number of the warnings which Mr Prodi flagged. The summit is increasingly running the risk of degenerating into a media spectacle. We have had Mr Putin, the next time we will get President Bush and, as a result, the other topics will, of course, be pushed into the background. I should like to ask the President of the Council the following. Yesterday, we received a visit from Mr Sakharov’s widow in the group. Mrs Sakharov made the following statement: ‘Look, in Russia, the situation at the moment is such that there are most certainly democratic institutions and there is freedom of press, but they are no longer functioning properly.’ I wanted to ask you if these kinds of concerns which are around in the European Union also came up in the meeting with Mr Putin. My second question concerns the following. We are all grateful for the fact that Milosevic is behind bars. Needless to say, this is not about whether or not the Bush diplomacy has scored a victory. This is about whether the European Union can help the former Yugoslavia, namely Serbia and Montenegro, in the fight against poverty, with the economic reforms which need to take place and with offering the people a future. Could the Council not take an initiative in this respect, also to demonstrate to the people that it is indeed worthwhile having Milosevic behind bars? Finally, I hope that the summit in Gothenburg will not be overshadowed by the presence of President Bush, but will instead focus on enlargement. This is supposedly the last summit of the year on enlargement. Let us remove the obstacles.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, I think that what the public expects from us is not a contribution to even more hot air, but concrete measures. The most important of these will be specific steps towards the incorporation of them by the European Union, and industry-specific targets and timetables. Unfortunately, I have heard you say very little about these things here today. Please be more specific. I believe that we must start implementation here in the EU and not wait until the start of the period of enforcement. There are two other points I would like to mention. Commissioner, you mentioned renewable energy sources. This is less a matter of financial assistance and more of when we will have a European “feed-in directive” with compensation that actually covers the costs. Secondly, as the Swedish speaker already said, there is the matter of taxing aviation fuel. According to our international obligations, we are not able to tax aviation fuel. What is possible, though, is a tax on CO2. The European Union could introduce such a tax immediately. I would have liked to hear in concrete terms, what the timetables look like and how they stand in relation to these two specific recommendations, which represent a real contribution to achieving a noticeable fall in CO2 emissions.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I should just like to say that I hope the Conference of Presidents will take serious note of the numbers – or rather lack of numbers – of Members in the Chamber voting on that very important report.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner Patten, my group, the Group of the European People’s Party , thinks it essential to view the excellent and close relations that exist above all between the EU and the United States, though, in a broader context, between Europe and North America, as has been reiterated here, as a key factor in maintaining global peace and economic growth. If these, the two largest economic and military players in the world, were to come into permanent conflict, as unlikely as that may be, it would be a global disaster. That is why our group, in any political or economic disagreements that happen to arise, tries to look ahead and find solutions rather than point the finger. We are indeed concerned by many things. The unilateralism shown by the American leadership, one example of which is the Iraq war and its aftermath, and the policy President Bush’s administration has pursued which we think has recently only taken the interests of Israel into account, cannot have our approval. We cannot put this right, however, by terminating the framework agreement that exists between Israel and the EU or by just blaming the United States. We must try to find a way back to democracy, one in which global multilateralism and using the United Nations, and increasing its prestige, form a basis for solving crises. Good signs of this are already visible in America’s attitude to the forthcoming Iraqi administration under the supervision of the UN. Bad signs, on the other hand, are still almost exclusively visible in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and that is why the EU needs to be ever more active there. We also disagree about many trade policy and immaterial rights issues. For example, America’s unilateral approach to applying the concept of dumping is not in harmony with good trade practices, but protectionism. Under the expert leadership of Commissioner Pascal Lamy, the EU has endeavoured to remove barriers to speeding up the World Trade Organisation Doha round of trade talks. The United States on the one hand is a good partner in these negotiations, but on the other hand it also constitutes a certain barrier itself with its own system of rotational aid for agriculture and industry. By this I do not mean that the blame always lies elsewhere and not with us. We also have to open up our markets in this sense to a greater extent than previously. Once again, problems will be solved through dialogue, not through an escalating trade war. I wish furthermore to stress that the values we share, as has been often been said here, on which both continents – I am including Canada here – will build their future, democracy, freedoms and rights of the individual, human rights, a society based on statutory law, the market economy with its system of free enterprise, are such a wide basis for the development of natural, lasting and good relations between us, that conflicting interests can surely be settled. I am sure that speakers from our group will follow in my tracks and address many of the individual issues that make up transatlantic relations.

Political group: PPE-DE