GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, children are worth their weight in gold. This is an expression mostly used by parents and grandparents, but we should henceforth also use this expression when we discuss the policy. Just as two-way communication has been established between parents and children, such communication must also be established between children and the policy in all areas. In this connection, particular attention should be paid to the fact that children have changed a great deal over the past few years. This is due to the fact that families no longer necessarily live together and the division of roles is no longer self-evident. The traditional family is no longer the norm. Children want to belong 100%, the age aspect is no longer an issue. It is a message which policy-makers must take to heart. Children must be treated as fully-fledged partners in the decision-making process. It is up to the policy to provide adequate procedures and consultative bodies in this respect. It would be of particular importance if the European Parliament were to take an initiative to offer children from the Member States, and also from third countries, a forum in the buildings of the European Parliament.

Political group: ELDR
The pursuit of the second wave of the feminist movement in the 60s and 70s was strongly focused on enabling women to get on in paid jobs. On average, women were not as highly trained as men, and even if they were, due to male domination, they often got the jobs with the lowest status and the lowest income. Moreover, many women were financially dependent on their husbands. Highly trained women were right to claim access to jobs from which, in those days, they were almost automatically excluded. For women who were less highly trained, the situation was often different. Cleaning offices or stacking shelves in supermarkets are not demanding jobs, and, in many cases, not to be preferred to the role of housewife. That group of women experienced it, in many cases, as liberating if the income of their husbands obviated the need for them to work. Most women now have a paid job, while men do not work fewer hours to look after and raise the children. Feminism has become the employers’ accidental instrument to solve staff shortages and to limit government spending. Certainly under those circumstances, it is even more important to actively fight any form of discrimination and intimidation at work. - Miguélez Ramos report (A5-0335/2001)

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, as Mr Karas said in the first speech, the Fiscalis programme currently in operation has had real benefits. It has allowed knowledge to be disseminated and it has added to the experience of those who participated in the programme. It has definitely helped the fight against fraud and in doing so has improved the workings of the internal market. It has allowed officials to adopt new administrative practices and cooperate more with each other. All of these things have been very beneficial since 1998. It has also improved mutual understanding of Community tax law on indirect taxes such as VAT and excise taxes. There have been exchanges of officials from the EU Member States, seminars on indirect tax issues of common interest, multilateral control of excise duties, development of common professional training across the European Union, including improving audit skills for the officials concerned, and, significantly, development of language training. There has also been funding for the maintenance and development of communication and information systems and schemes. Overall, we are enthusiastic about the Fiscalis programme and believe that it has been very successful and that it should be continued, but only in its present form. It should also be extended, but only in its present form, to the candidate countries, which could benefit very much from this programme for the objectives and the kind of things that the Fiscalis programme has been carrying out. They could certainly benefit from implementing the necessary legislative, organisational, administrative and technical measures in the programme as it exists at the moment. I have stressed the notion of the programme as it exists at the moment because I agree with Mrs Villiers that the Fiscalis programme should not be extended to direct taxation. Unlike value added tax, there is little by way of a shared body of knowledge of direct taxation across the EU Member States and different Member States impose indirect taxation in very different ways. The fact needs to be borne in mind that the Fiscalis programme as it stands has not really been properly evaluated yet and it would not, therefore, be a good idea to carry it forward on this basis. The programme as it stands at the moment has been a success. It should be continued in its present form and we should not extend it beyond its current boundaries.

Political group: PSE
Can I make a suggestion for the future. At the beginning of this session, I waved my hands repeatedly for a long time. I may or may not have got on the list, but I had no idea whether or not this was the case. Would perhaps one of your assistants acknowledge our wavings so that we would know we can stop and whether we are on the list or not. It might help us.

Political group: PPE-DE
There is 18% of the population of Europe, or 60 million people, living on less than 60% of the average national income (the low-income threshold used to measure relative poverty). Simply mentioning these figures ought to drive us to act, which is what the Heads of State and Government did in Lisbon by entering poverty and exclusion on the European agenda for the first time. Since Europe cannot be economically strong without social justice, we can only welcome this progress. That is why I have no option but to vote in favour of this report by our colleague, which not only endorses the Commission’s proposal but also enhances its content. The report calls for qualitative and quantitative indicators of social exclusion to be established. It is fundamental within the 15 States of the European Union for us all to able to speak of the same thing on the basis of identical data. Moreover, the report calls on the Member States to be more proactive and set precise objectives when they draw up their national action plans. Finally, the report goes back to the open method of coordination, calling for dialogue between the players involved (social partners, NGOs, local and regional authorities) and networking. In conclusion, our Committee on Social Affairs, is proposing a budget of EUR 100 million instead of the EUR 70 proposed by the Commission. All in all, this is a step forward that we must consolidate and encourage, since economic progress by itself can certainly not guarantee the citizens a better quality of life.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, the tendering directive, the single European sky directive, the directive on takeover bids, the agencies, the concrete work on economic growth – one need only recall the decisions made on major public works and the finance mechanisms associated with them – and the careful analysis launched by the Italian Presidency, followed by specific proposals on competitiveness, a subject which lies at the root of the Lisbon process which is only slowly taking shape in the way we want; the specific measures on immigration – which should take place legally with flows regulated by individual countries’ requirements – with particular regard for the border control agency; the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and the Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures and Civilisations, whose main task will be an assessment of the dialogue between religions in the hope of curbing fundamentalism, since this is terrorism in the making; the action in the Middle East – where we have worked hard towards a dialogue between the two sides, and Italy in particular has also provided a venue – with the launching of an intervention plan with a EUR 5 billion budget for the next five years: these are undeniable achievements that attest to the generosity of the Italian Presidency. There is, of course, one discordant note: the mechanism for giving the European Union a new formal constitution has jammed. At this moment we must pay particular attention to the sirens of the material constitution. We need time to reflect, because what emerged in the heat of the moment is certainly worrying. I will not mention those involved but rather the issues: a two-speed Europe, the emphasis on closer cooperation, a Europe made of concentric circles, in which all share the same policies but each group remains open to new associations – this is not the political scenario that the 25-Member Europe needs. We must not lose what lay at the heart of the Convention: the general interest of Europe, which gave rise to the decision to abolish national veto rights in most cases and proposals for a transparent and credible voting system. In the general interest of Europe we must make a fresh start and work with new formulas that we can create if we so wish.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I am very happy to see that the European Union and the Commission, and all of us together, are supporting the consumers’ associations. They are, in a sense, the other element of the triptych which makes up democracy. I would also, however, like to stress certain aspects which seem to me to be very positive. In accordance with this spirit of providing incentive, I believe it is enormously important to create networks and that they are not just made up of the European consumers’ associations already consolidated. The danger with this type of aid is that we create a group of associations receiving preferential treatment which, in the end, creates an autonomous body, with no relationship with the grass roots. To this end, we have introduced certain amendments mentioning regional and national associations, because it is extremely important that, particularly in relation to the management and implementation of the programme, the Commission ensures that the small associations can emerge, clearly linked to the scheme and the network. Since we also have the challenge of the new democracies in the Eastern countries, it is essential to incentivise the creation of small associations in every part of the Union. I would like to praise the efforts of the small associations located in regions far from the decision-making centres such as Brussels. It often takes genuine heroism to create an association in these regions, in which the people feel alone and misunderstood and where they often have to touch raw nerves or denounce aspects relating to their immediate neighbours to the local authorities, bearing in mind the scant inspection the administration can carry out. I therefore welcome this initiative and would ask that, when it comes to distributing aid, account be taken not just of the need to provide incentives for emerging associations and to strengthen the small ones, by linking them to the more consolidated associations, but that we also need to ensure that the more consolidated ones fulfil their duties and make contacts with all parts of the Union.

Political group: PPE-DE
This debate on the new Financial Perspective shows that there is an enormous gap between promises and reality. What we are seeing is, unfortunately, a repeat of Agenda 2000, when what we really needed was to increase funds, bearing in mind the growing needs in terms of social and economic cohesion resulting from enlargement, and to promote sustainable development, high quality jobs, improved social conditions and cooperation and development policies with the least-developed countries. What is happening shows the disgraceful nature of the ‘Group of Six’s’ blackmail in placing a ceiling in the Community budget of 1% of GNP, which would lead to what we feel is an unacceptable solution. This has also been shown with the Commission’s unacceptable proposal, which does not meet the needs of the acceding countries, growing social inequality, appalling unemployment or the poverty and exclusion that can be seen in current EU countries, such as Portugal. Yet the question is not exclusively about finance. Of equal importance are the priorities and revision of the objectives and of the instruments of cohesion and budget structure to which they correspond. The guiding principle of competitiveness, strategic realignment based on the Lisbon Agenda, the realignment of foreign policy towards actions within the scope of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Spatial Development Perspective, and of internal policy based on questions of immigration policing and border controls, encompass areas that lead European integration down a dangerous path. IN THE CHAIR: MR PUERTAVice-President

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, the main themes are now generally known, and it is not only since the Dehaene report that everyone has been talking about them. But, in addition to these main objectives, without whose attainment an enlargement of the European Union would scarcely be conceivable, a number of basic questions, relating naturally to policy on fisheries, ought not to be forgotten. With the Amsterdam Treaty, no satisfactory solution was found for the fisheries sector. Firstly, I demand – as I also did in 1996 – that fisheries be mentioned specifically in the Treaties. Fisheries must no longer be regarded as a mere appendage of agriculture. The importance of fisheries as one of the few existing sectors for which there are Community policies must at last be emphasised by fisheries’ being given their own chapter. This chapter must state the goals of the common fisheries policy, its principles and, above all, the legal procedures governing its regulation. Secondly, Parliament must be more thoroughly involved than it has been so far in defining the most important themes in the fisheries sphere. I demand genuine decision-making powers in connection with the basic aspects of the common fisheries policy and the regulations governing, for example, market organisation, the preservation and management of stocks, supervisory regulations and the tools of structural policy; in other words, nothing less than codecision making by Parliament. Thirdly, it is also necessary in the field of international politics to strengthen the role of Parliament and to introduce the procedure for agreeing to the conclusion of all international fisheries agreements. My final point is that Parliament’s participation is also to be desired at meetings of bodies forming part of international organisations. The points mentioned, which take account of the importance of fisheries in Europe, must therefore be picked out as central themes at the next Intergovernmental Conference when the role of Parliament is being considered. Happily, I have just heard from Giorgos that a compromise Amendment is being submitted which also refers to the subject of fisheries. Thank you for that. I trust that the House will support this.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, we have listened to the statements by the Council and the Commission and I would like to make the following observations. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, I appreciate the sensitivity with which you are addressing the issue and your effort to establish contact with the Turkish Cypriot side, but perhaps it would be more clear and more correct if the vocabulary you use did not leave one suspecting that you might be attempting some kind of indirect recognition, even though you stressed that this is not the case. For example, I would not refer to the government of Nicosia. It is the Cypriot Government, Mr President-in-Office, not the government of Nicosia. That government has proposed a way in which the Turkish Cypriot side can take part, and I think it would be right for the Council and the Commission to urge the Turkish Cypriot side to take part institutionally in the framework of the negotiations conducted by the Republic of Cyprus. On the other hand, the way that the issue of the end of the protocols and the pre-accession strategy has been addressed so far creates some doubts for us. I cannot understand why the two small countries must be treated differently, nor why a clash was necessary between the institutional bodies. Nor can I understand the pressure applied by Parliament to include the funds in Chapter 7 for the pre-accession strategy. How can the whole of the European Union treat, in this way, two small countries situated on its periphery? Not only are they countries which the European Union needs, but they are also countries which are fully qualified to operate within the Union and are already considered capable of participating in economic and monetary union. As the Commissioner said, and I agree with him, it is a matter of political decision. This is a small political decision which would bring major benefits, especially in helping the two communities effectively to constitute one state, to achieve effective rapprochement – because the two communities were once close – and for the Republic of Cyprus, genuinely, to be rid of occupying forces.

Political group: PPE-DE
I welcome this third annual report by the Governor of the European Central Bank, Mr Duisenberg. I regret, however, that the ECB does not follow the high standards of transparency, accountability and openness set by the Bank of England. The Bank of England was granted operational independence in May 1997 in one of the first acts of the incoming Labour Government. Minutes of meetings of its Monetary Policy Committee, including voting records and reasoning, are now published after about 6 weeks. This boosts market confidence in its decisions and is a great example of open government. It can surely be no coincidence that, since the Labour Government’s brave decision in May 1997, Britain has enjoyed an unprecedented period of economic stability. It can also be no coincidence that the Labour Government’s decision was criticised at the time by the boom-and-bust Tories, who have an outstanding record on economic instability and incompetence. The ECB will not have the full confidence of the market until it becomes more open. Mr Duisenberg will surely face a challenge second to none with the introduction of euro banknotes on 1 January 2002. I welcome the ECB’s decision to distribute euro coins to consumers and larger banknotes to business beforehand. However, I am concerned that shoppers and small and medium-sized enterprises will not have smaller notes in their hands until 'e-day' itself. This may well give rise to endless chaos and confusion which should be avoided at all costs. The practical changeover to the euro on 1 January 2002 will clearly be a litmus test for the ECB and I very much hope that it will rise to the challenge. I would very much like to see the ECB follow a policy of openness and transparency similar to the Bank of England. It would be perverse for Britain to go from a position of transparency to one of relative secrecy. Therefore, if Britain is ever going to embrace the euro, the ECB must be seen also to embrace greater openness. – Maaten report (A5-0222/2001)

Political group: PSE
I have voted in favour of this proposal because it is the lesser of two evils. Nevertheless, this feet-dragging over unfair competition, now with South Korea, is allowing business to shift to the Far East, leading to the eradication of all shipbuilding activity in the European Union, including repairs and renovation as well as the building of new vessels. Without operational and technologically up-to-date shipyards, our strategies for maritime safety, employment and regional cohesion will be at risk, and will be hard to recover with palliative measures. – Katiforis report (A5-0352/2001)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, I am sorry that my good friend, Mr Dell'Alba, is not in agreement with the draft budget by Mr Ferber. We are in agreement and we are very happy. I believe that the rapporteur, in drawing up this draft budget for 2001, has been rigorous, has made optimum use of resources and has, at the same time, been imaginative and looked to the future. We congratulate him wholeheartedly. Ultimately, we are talking about a European Parliament for the 21st century, when we will have to face three fundamental challenges. We will have to respond to the MEPs’ new obligations, as laid down in the Treaty of Amsterdam, incorporate new technologies into our work and react immediately to the huge administrative, organisational and political obligations presented by enlargement of the European Union. These three challenges faced by the European Parliament should be set in a context of great budgetary rigour and complete transparency in the use of public funds. We must consider – and the rapporteur has done this – what kind of Parliament we want in the future. Do we want a more administrative and bureaucratic Parliament or do we want a more political one? Do we want a European Parliament that is centralised or do we want one which is compatible with a European Union which is becoming increasingly federalised but at the same time more subject to subsidiarity and decentralisation? I believe – and I agree with him on this – that the rapporteur wants a Parliament that treats the MEPs’ political work, both in Strasbourg and in Brussels, as well as in their individual political constituencies, as a priority. In this case it is necessary, as he says, for there to be new information points, new IT resources and new staff – if necessary – to help MEPs carry out their bureaucratic tasks. I hope that in September new appropriations will be provided for these lines. I am very glad that Mr Ferber has reacted to the report of the Court of Auditors on the funding of the political groups. An independent budget line will allow us to present a clearer and more transparent public image until we finally have a statute for the European political parties. Let us not forget that these parties are the cornerstone of European democracy and there must be no doubts as to whether they are being funded in the correct manner. We fully agree with the rapporteur’s view concerning the linguistic staff necessary for enlargement. We must initiate the preparatory administrative measures. Six new countries – with at least five new languages – in 2004 means that we will have to make a great effort to adapt. In order to fill these vacancies, we will need to know the exact order in which the candidate countries will join the Union, and that is something that cannot happen now or in this budget. We therefore support all Mr Ferber’s amendments.

Political group: PPE-DE
In a debate yesterday on the situation in Iraq, a deeply respected French colleague said that it was hardly the time to lay blame when men, women and children were dying in this tragic war. It is time to focus on the humanitarian needs of this long-suffering people and on the reconstruction of this beautiful country. We must commit to giving our utmost support, financial and otherwise, to achieve this. In so doing, we must ensure that we show the deepest respect to the different religious traditions in this country and to this ancient civilisation which has contributed so much to the world. Words alone may contribute little to the resolution of this conflict. For those of us who feel forced to stand and watch helplessly, Pope John Paul II, one of the world's greatest leaders, who has consistently reached out to the Muslim community, has asked us to fast and pray for a speedy end to this war.

Political group: PPE-DE