GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Ladies and gentlemen, the Middle East has a unique heritage, rich in symbols and history. But that heritage, which for too long has undergone the colonial conflict ravaging Palestine, is in danger of disappearing. Many age-old historical centres have been devastated, destroyed by the Israeli occupying forces. In Hebron, the army is preparing to destroy around one hundred houses bordering the prayer route. It is a real corridor, riddled with watchtowers and only accessible to the settlers, which will be developed to link the settlement to the tomb of the patriarchs, the symbol of the three religions, which Israel wishes to appropriate. Hebron is a blatant example of apartheid. The town is separated in two by a large road used only by Israelis, and some streets are entirely forbidden to Palestinians. This is a symbol of a downward spiral that can only lead to an escalation of violence. During the conflict, Palestinian heritage has become a major political issue. The foundations of cultural sites are giving way under the attacks from Israeli tanks and helicopters, which are also battering public and professional buildings, schools, houses and refugee camps, causing thousands of civilian casualties. Is that not true terrorism, military terrorism, state terrorism? Israel is thus clearly showing that a Palestinian identity has no place in its plans to extend the settlements. This idea of eradicating the history and memory of the Palestinian people is a result of the Israeli State’s quest for legitimacy. I would also like to commend the courage of civilian and international missions, which with no power to intervene but the right to report and observe, are playing a moderating and protective role. Through their action on the ground, they are carrying out citizen’s diplomacy where our international diplomacy is unable to intervene. We must urgently condemn what are genuine crimes against humanity’s shared cultural heritage, demand that the Hague conventions and Geneva conventions on the protection of goods and persons be respected and ask the Commission to call on the UN Security Council to send an intervention force to protect the Palestinian people, their cultural and historical heritage and their environment. Let us remember that fair and sustainable peace for these two populations can only be based on respect for international law, the withdrawal of settlements and occupation forces and the creation of a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders.

Political group: Verts-ALE
I have been a long-standing supporter of European research efforts. Problems related to research on stem cells and supernumerary embryos must not be tackled in emotional or simplistic terms. Given the fundamental, high principles and the universal values that we defend, it is our duty to completely rule out the risks of eugenics as well as cloning for reproductive purposes. We must not hide the fact that many people who are ill are waiting for new therapies to be developed that will offer many of them the possibility of recovery. Although the legislator’s task may be to provide a framework for research, the risk is that it will be bound up in an overly restrictive straitjacket. We must also encourage a Europe of discovery. Research also affects the daily lives of all European citizens and priority areas such as food safety, the fight against major diseases and the improvement of public health demonstrate the desire to associate research and well-being. I am also pleased to note the support for developing research into rare illnesses.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Whitehead’s report on the setting up of a European Food Authority to be responsible for food safety appears to us to be moving in the right direction, both in its analysis of the situation which led to the proposal to create this authority and as regards the tasks that will be assigned to the authority and the proposed method of ensuring that it operates in the best possible way. We must remember that this initiative is the result, unfortunately, of a series of repeated scandals connected, on the one hand, with the desire to increase agricultural productivity and, on the other, with the monopoly enjoyed by the major distributors, which have led to health-conscious, industrial farming but have not prevented the development of scandalous trends such as chicken containing dioxin, trafficking in veterinary products of all kinds, and in particular the fundamental crisis of BSE. Putting all these things right is one of the main objectives of this agency, in order to safeguard the health and safety of the consumer all the way from the farm to the fork. It must play a double role, on the one hand ensuring safety along the whole length of the food chain, and on the other hand guaranteeing the quality of all products intended for the consumer. In order to do this, it will operate at an earlier stage in the process than the institutions, because every citizen must have the right to healthy, safe food. Moreover, like those in the industry itself, it must be aware of the rules that this implies and of the costs that it represents. At the beginning of next year, in order to apply the principles of transparency and completely independent monitoring, the Food Authority will have to propose the principles which this document correctly sets out. It must be able to provide analytical input on any product, including any genetically modified organisms, vaccinations and pesticides which might at any moment enter the food chain. The failure of public health awareness as the only reference criterion has been proved following the scandal of animal meal. Such an agency must be able to set out a list of measures constituting good practice, of labels for products having special local characteristics, and of farm-type qualities, rather than merely industrial standards which cannot prevent either salmonella or alarming epidemics. Its main mission is above all to serve as a coordinator for the national agencies, so as to ensure that they all recognise the same references and so that their role in providing scientific evaluation and preventing risks is sufficiently well publicised. Of course it will have to require the same controls and traceability rules for all the countries of the Union, whether for their exports, their imports or their own consumption. As for where it should be located, this is of little importance provided that transparency and traceability are observed by everyone concerned.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, firstly I would like to ask you to determine an exact figure and to carry out an electronic check during the roll-call vote so that we know who is here and who is not. Secondly, I would like to say that I share the concern of my colleagues who want to upgrade Fridays. I am always here as a member of the so-called 'Friday Club'. I also want to upgrade Fridays, but through work and not through sabotage. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, it is important to pay particular attention to women in rural areas of the European Union, who represent almost half of the agricultural workforce and almost 29% of the unpaid workforce in some countries, such as Portugal. In many cases, however, their contribution is not properly recognised and they do not have the support they need for their quality of life to improve. This report is thus very timely. I congratulate the rapporteur, Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, on the work she has carried out, and especially on her inclusion of proposals, some of them tabled by me, relating to the need to put particular emphasis on family-based farming, support for small and medium-sized farmers, and recognition of women from these areas in terms of social security. The latter includes women’s right to a respectable retirement pension, though without their having to pay contributions which impose an excessive burden on family farms. I cannot, I fear, offer similar congratulations to the Agriculture Council on its conclusions of 25 and 26 June, in relation to the reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP), because I believe that these conclusions pave the way for severe problems for family-based agriculture and small and medium-sized farmers. Women in rural areas play a prominent role in such farms, especially in less-favoured regions and in countries such as my own. I would emphasise the special importance of the statement made in the report under debate here to the effect that the mid-term review of the CAP will only have a positive impact on equal opportunities if its objectives are substantially modified so as to ensure that family-based agriculture and small and medium-sized farmers are given particular prominence. Equally important, however, are the proposals upholding the establishment of a specific programme devoted to the ‘Women’ project, as well as those proposals emphasising the need to pay particular attention to creating public infrastructures, community facilities and quality services, so as to ensure an appropriate network of rural services in all areas, including high-quality family planning, educational and training services and cultural facilities. I would conclude by insisting also on the need to close the severe gaps in agricultural statistics. The appropriate measures could then be adopted to improve living conditions for these women and make it easier for young women farmers to establish themselves.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, there are many who believe that this report does not go far enough in analysing the potential problems facing us as we embark on the revision of the Television without frontiers directive, expected in 2002 as we are all aware. However, it raises some very important issues and it is important to start that dialogue now. My personal concern is the role of public service broadcasters in this important agenda. It is important to recognise that today's public service broadcasting needs to adapt to the changes. Today's radio and TV sector is a competitive one and the market forces which largely govern it cannot be ignored. Public service broadcasters have a crucial role to play in the digital world. Public service broadcasters make programmes of high quality in indigenous languages reflecting indigenous cultures. They also have a crucial role to play in encouraging people to use and understand the new digital media. I agree with the Commissioner's statement in a recent communication that broadcasting and culture should remain within the WTO's services category and that this arrangement should be respected. Having established that, we then need to be absolutely certain that there is sufficient scope for national and EU legislation to protect public services and cultural entities. Robust and determined early regulatory action will be needed to create the open environment we all seek, and one which is in the real interests of all citizens and economies of Europe. Europe has to compete in the digital world where consumers and citizens can wander freely and where competition delivers diversity and choice. With its complementary mix then of private and public service broadcasters, the European audiovisual model guarantees pluralism of information, cultural diversity and access for all to information, education, entertainment and the arts. I will be voting in favour of the report and look forward very much to the forthcoming debates as we look to the future. IN THE CHAIR: MR PUERTAVice-President

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, for months the news from Côte d’Ivoire has been causing justified alarm within European public opinion and the corresponding concern in our Parliament. That turbulent situation surprised many because it was taking place in a calm and relatively prosperous country, with institutions that functioned reasonably well and with a society living in a satisfactory degree of harmony. The traumatic events that have occurred there are a clear demonstration of the process of degradation that the whole of the African continent is experiencing. In Côte d’Ivoire the degradation has been dramatic in terms of the economy. The collapse of cocoa prices, the crushing weight of foreign debt and the increase in fuel prices, among other factors, have led to an internal situation of growing tension, a notable decline in the social climate and an increase in unemployment and poverty. Xenophobia found a good breeding ground in that environment with political forces prepared to use it for their own ends, focused around the concept of ivoirité, and making immigrants that had been established for decades the object of their hateful hostility. It was in this context that the military took power, which, as ever, only helped to aggravate the situation. Violence became widespread, particularly towards the immigrant population or towards natives of the north or neighbouring countries. The political process put together to recover democratic legitimacy did not fulfil the hopes that some had placed in its procedures. After a more than dubious presidential election, the European Parliament was determined to call for the legislative elections of 10 December to be free, fair and pluralist. We must now recognise that our demands have not been complied with. The most serious thing is that, in 32 constituencies, elections did not even take place, which makes the crisis of legitimacy even more obvious. We therefore need to create the political conditions to put an end to exclusion, to facilitate the participation of the RDR and other political forces in the democratic process and to ensure, at least, in these circumstances, while awaiting the elections in January, that a path can be opened up towards democratic normality. The problem is not to hold general elections at any cost. In order for the elections to really unblock the current situation, we first need to create the conditions for those elections to be held in a climate of civil peace and reconciliation. The conditions for this are: that no one should feel excluded, that the Supreme Court established by the military powers should disappear, and that the Head of State should be unequivocally involved in the process of restoring democracy and that the opinions of the Committee for national reconciliation should be heard.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I will be quite frank: I am not happy about the fact that we are adopting yet another resolution. I think that the situation for everyone concerned is far too serious for us simply to be carrying on with politics as usual. Please do not misunderstand me: I certainly would not wish to prevent the dreadful situation of farmers and rural communities from being given the attention it deserves at European level, quite the contrary. But I am afraid that if this discussion is not addressed seriously, it will simply create even more uncertainty among our citizens. The tragedy faced by the farmers needs more than headlines. The survival of a profession is at stake. Although the farmers currently receive up to 30% less for their cattle, a kilo of beef costs just as much, if not more, than before. And this is the case even in my own Member State, which fortunately still has no cases of foot-and-mouth disease or BSE. The situation in the regions where there have been outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease is critical. It is not only the farmers who are affected; it has an impact on everyone in these rural areas, including tourism and thousands of jobs. I should like to take this opportunity to express my sympathy to the farmers and the rural communities who are suffering as a result of this disease. I hope that everyone understands what damage this is doing to farmers, and that years of work will be required to rebuild these herds. Let me say a few words about vaccination policy: I support the emergency vaccination measures in order to prevent the virus from spreading. But we must not give people the impression that the animals are healthy as a result of vaccination, and that we do not need to cull them. I believe that we must continue to cull if we wish to regain our disease-free status. I also hope that the Commission, but above all the Member States, fulfil their responsibilities. I notice time and again that throughout the European Union, there are still no disinfectant mats at the airports. This hygiene problem is a matter of acceptance in the Member States.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, local society feels the scourge of unemployment and under-employment most acutely, especially in areas of poor economic growth where, as production is cut back, workers have trouble surviving. Greece has over 11% unemployment, the hardest hit being the young, with one in three under the age of 25 unemployed, and there are areas in which there is over 40 or 50% unemployment or under-employment. The aim of these proposals is not to combat this tragic phenomenon but to bring employment and social agencies and local authorities within the liberal policy of the European Union. The aim is to turn local authorities into structures which operate according to private-sector economic criteria and help destabilise labour relations, break collective agreements and erode workers' rights. These proposals undermine the labour movement and increase the potential for big business to drive a wedge in, creating artificial divisions and posing false dilemmas. They are an attempt to protect the monopolies' obscene profits from the grass-roots protest and opposition being pumped up by barbaric capitalism and cruel liberal policies. We categorically oppose these policies and are fighting alongside the workers for local authorities and local social agencies for the masses which express the real interests of the people and which the workers can use to weather the neo-liberal storm.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, our group, as you know, did not vote for the Sjöstedt report in committee. We would support it here, however, if Amendments Nos 5 and 6 were adopted. We have discussed this with the other groups. In the case of Amendment No 5, I am informed that other groups would be able to support the amendment if two linguistic alterations were made. The first is the replacement of the word 'review' by the word 'examination' as the English translation of the German Überprüfung; this is only a linguistic adjustment. The second, however, would be an oral amendment. We ask that the word Rechtssicherheit in the German version of Amendment No 5 be replaced by the word Klarheit and that the English term 'legal certainty' be accordingly replaced by the word 'clarification'. May I ask you to note this oral amendment and to put the adjusted version of Amendment No 5 to the vote.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the directives before us relate to the Union’s aim to restore consumer confidence in European food, and, at the same time, public confidence in the Union’s ability to act in this matter, which is one that affects the lives of our citizens. Marit Paulsen has played a very creditable role in this work by drafting her report on undesirable substances in animal feedingstuffs and the monitoring of feedingstuffs. In practice it is impossible to demand that animal feedingstuffs should contain no undesirable substances at all. Now we are confirming the maximum quantities beyond which a batch of feed could not be used. The Commission is proposing at the same time that the option of diluting a batch of feed that exceeds the maximum levels with one that does not exceed them should be abolished. This sort of practice has fortunately been unknown in the animal feedingstuffs industry up till now in many Member States. The Commission’s proposal is a welcome one, and clearly preferable to the amendment tabled by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, which would allow the practice of dilution to continue. Dilution would simply lead to unhealthy effects in the use and treatment of raw materials. The committee proposes the Commission’s proposal on this matter should be put into practice. After the committee meeting I really felt we needed just to extend a helping hand to the producer. The farmer must obviously be compensated for the destruction of a batch of feed that is so contaminated that it is unfit for use, just as in the case, for example, of the destruction of animals with TSE. Compensation is necessary, although it is obvious that farmers themselves are concerned about the wellbeing of their animals. The committee also adopted the amendment we tabled, reminding everyone of the division that exists in respect of rules for feedingstuffs produced on farms and commercially produced feedingstuffs. The good quality of the former is regulated by legislation on hygiene and the directive on undesirable substances in animal nutrition is most essential with regard to the latter. This division should also be maintained in the future. If hygiene legislation is inadequate in this area it will have to be amended.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, on behalf of the Swedish MEPs, I wish to convey our condolences to our Spanish fellow MEPs and Commissioner Solbes Mira and to condemn the terrible deed committed in Madrid today. Alongside our debate on the annual changes, the modernisation of Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71, which is linked to these annual changes, is also taking place. This means that we shall presumably have to debate this annex again in the autumn. It will then be called Annex X instead. I rather think that the Commission should have been cautious and not made any changes this year until we had completed the modernisation, in which the principles are partly changed and laid down. That is my personal view. Annex IIA is based upon certain principles governing what may be entered by the Member States. The Member States cannot enter whatever they think is appropriate in Annex IIA. The benefits concerned must not be universal ones, but require something in the way of a means test. Family benefits definitely do not have their place there. To Mr Schmidt and the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party, I wish to point out that the Swedish child allowance is universal. That also applies to the supplement for families with more than one child, to study grants and to the sum guaranteed for the parental benefit. This means that they do not have their place in Annex IIA. This may be considered right or wrong, but everyone must no doubt agree that the annexes have to be based upon certain principles. Nor, probably, should a question mark be placed over the housing allowance for families with children, but that is the only benefit that could possibly be discussed. I therefore reject Mr Schmidt’s proposal. It is unacceptable to ignore all the principles upon which we have jointly agreed. Mr Schmidt says that we have such different systems – which is true – but he also says that we could live with these different systems, that they do not affect freedom of movement and that we do not need these regulations. On that point, I do not at all agree with him. We naturally need regulations governing people who move across the borders and who are to receive social benefits. Were we drastically to change this system by, for example, saying that no family allowances might be transferred, it would have a harmful effect upon freedom of movement.

Political group: PSE