GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, I wish to begin by thanking the rapporteur for his report – one aspect of which has a particular significance for my constituency in Wales – and, as other Members have covered most aspects of the report, I would like to focus on that particular issue. The report covers animal products other than meat, including aquaculture. As we have had particular problems in Wales concerning the testing of cockles, this is very important for us at this time. The harvesting of cockles is a long-standing and much-valued industry in coastal areas of Wales, such as the Burry Inlet and the Welsh Dee. About 3 000 people are employed directly, mainly small businesses and self-employed people. However, for two years the major cockle fisheries in these areas have been closed, causing significant hardship and even bankruptcy. The cause of the closure was the discovery of unidentified toxins during testing, even though not a single case of illness has been reported. Directive 2002/225/EC allows for either of two different test methods to be used to detect toxins, and the method used in the UK has been seriously questioned in recent months. As an earlier speaker mentioned, public and producer confidence is essential. The main issue here, and the one relevant to this report, is that to date there is no standard toxicity test for bivalve safety within the EU. This has meant that during the period when the cockle beds have been closed in Wales, cockles from other EU countries, which have not been subject to the same tests, could be, and have been, imported into Wales and sold. The purpose of this report is to improve controls under the food hygiene package, and our first priority is the health of the public. To do that we need very clear and detailed rules, but there must be a level playing field across Europe, and in this case that means a harmonised and more effective method of testing. This report will take us in that direction and it is very welcome.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, Commissioner, the Erika is still lying at the bottom of the sea, off the coast of my home town. On behalf of the people of Brittany in France, I would therefore like to pay tribute to the people of Galicia in Spain, whose lives have also been affected by an oil slick. Europe’s work is dictated by one crisis after another. The attacks of 11 September produced a European arrest warrant; from the Sangatte centre emerged the right to asylum and substantial measures were drawn up as a result of the Erika disaster. The Commission has worked well, but what are we going to do now? We have the whole shebang: oil in the Atlantic and old bangers in the Pas-de-Calais. The only thing left to do is fill them up with petrol. Things just never change. We need to learn a lesson, so we will learn it. I am sure we will make the provisions on single-hull vessels more stringent, I am sure we will step up the measures on battered old boats, I am sure we will step up this, that and the other. I am going to make a suggestion, Commissioner: you should start to explore the idea of a European coastal guard, which does not work in the same way as in the United States but uses our method. You will see – because this is not necessarily our last disaster – this request will become increasingly popular in coastal communities. The people will demand it and they will not understand why the seas remain in this state. I am not telling you to do this in two minutes flat, but to start thinking about it, because, as usual, it will come to pass, as the result of the next disaster or the next crisis, in the same way that the European arrest warrant and many other measures have been introduced. This is the way Europe works. Since necessity is ultimately the mother of legislation, let us begin by adopting legislation where it is needed.

Political group: PSE
I have been involved in the issue of blood donation for many years in the Italian Parliament, including setting up a parliamentary group belonging to AVIS, the principle Italian donor organisation. Over the years the task has involved the passing of and subsequent amendments to what is known as the ‘Law on blood’. I formed the opinion then that increased European harmonisation of the sector’s rules is vital, not just because of European citizenship which compels us to take the same attitude in dealing with problems of human health in Europe, but also because common rules are indispensable when faced with serious illnesses – AIDS, BSE – and a worldwide market in blood which must also take account of scientific progress (artificial blood, human blood produced from stem cells) Our amendments to the directive satisfy those, like me, who have always fought to strengthen public policy in favour of non-remunerated voluntary donation. It might perhaps have been possible to do a little more, providing funds to promote initiatives in support of voluntary blood donation, but we are still taking a good step forward.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, I find the report by our fellow Member, Mr Schwaiger to be generally positive. Indeed, it follows on from the great efforts made by the Directorate of the Commission to redefine our trade policy and to ensure that trade serves the objectives of sustainable development. Having said that, I have four comments to make. The first is that, while undertaking a new round of talks on the basis of a wider agenda is still more than ever a fine objective, the mandates granted by the Council cannot be said to be satisfactory as they stand. In this instance it is not a matter of bartering trade concessions in return for environmental or social clauses, but rather of taking a different tack in negotiating on trade in order to ensure that it is in better accord with the societal models and state regulation requirements. In this respect, the talks scheduled in the Built-In Agenda are a test, which brings me to my second point. The agriculture line is not without its grey areas. There is, admittedly, an increased awareness that trade in agricultural products must be compatible with independence in terms of food supply, public health and land use, yet we are at a disadvantage due to the postponement of reform in the common agricultural policy until after 2006. Indeed, the report speaks of the need to safeguard the model, though it is more a case of the need to change the model. Regarding trade, while it is essential to reduce export subsidies, we reject the calls to bring them into line with world prices, as this is a blatantly productivist move. Thirdly, the line on services is not satisfactory. There is talk of ‘further progressive liberalisation’. That is a unilateral objective. The Commission, moreover, states that trade policy is not a goal in itself, but it must help support the social model. Yet, in our social model there are services of general interest, and in developing countries such general interest services have yet to be formed. I shall, therefore, endorse the development of trade compatible with, or contributing to, the promotion of services of general interest. The European Union wishes to keep some sectors, such as, education and culture outside the domain of free trade. That is not enough. We have to work in the context of universal public assets. Indeed, it would be marvellous if the Directorate could provide us with a communication on the ways in which free trade and services of general interest may be complementary and compatible. There is one last point I should like to raise on a major problem of governance. We must work with civil society as we do with the developing countries and allow a frank exchange of views. This is something the Directorate does, but not the States, and Parliament is lagging behind. It is the responsibility of every single one of us. This is an approach that is critical in ensuring the success of the organisation of world trade.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I want to congratulate the rapporteur on this report and indeed congratulate Commissioner Diamantopoulou for her very excellent work in this area of social policy. A major step forward was made for the European Union at the Lisbon Summit, in its commitment not only to a competitive, dynamic economy but also to a society which is cohesive and based on full employment. Too often we hear spokesmen from the various political groups talking purely about the idea of a competitive economy and ignoring the balance we need to ensure within the European Union in terms of modernising and deepening the social model that we have in Europe. The Nice Summit also took a major step forward in adopting the new social agenda. If we had had a referendum in Ireland on that, rather than on the Treaty of Nice, it would have received 100% support. Unfortunately we do not have to vote on these issues at this stage. But it was an important advance. I have to say, however, that progress seems to have considerably slowed down since then. I have no doubt there are forces or elements in the European Union – both in the Commission and in the Council – which are deliberately seeking to slow down progress on this agenda. It seems to me to be short-sighted. If we are serious about creating a European Union which has the support of the citizens, we must give a balanced commitment to the development of a social Europe. Even for the centre right it makes sense. If they are serious about Europe and creating a Europe of states and peoples, then we must ensure that equality, cohesion and solidarity rule right across the Union. I feel there are inadequacies in the scoreboard itself. Not all the progress has yet been measured. I welcome the idea of a mid-term review for early next year and I look forward to participating in it. I hope that in the years ahead, particularly in the Convention and the subsequent IGC, we can succeed in ensuring that the commitment that began to be developed in Lisbon and subsequently in Nice can be incorporated and deepened in a constitution for the European Union which guarantees that we have not only a competitive Europe but a Europe that cares equally for all of its citizens.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, with the approval of the courts in Luxembourg and Strasbourg, the Convention has put together a draft Charter of Fundamental Rights which is remarkably balanced, and has delivered it into the hands of the Council. Where does the added value of this Charter lie? Firstly, it lies in the fact that a basic set of fundamental rights has been distilled from more than 30 legal sources which are currently in force. Secondly, it lies in its transparency for the public, who now know what rights they have in respect of those who create and apply European law, and in its transparency for those who do precisely that, draft or apply European law. They too now have a clear idea of the rights which they have to respect. Thirdly, the Convention has not confined itself to restating old rights – even the Council of Europe has recognised this – but has identified new dangers in connection with old rights and included them in the text: in the areas of crime, biotechnology, data protection and administration. The Charter therefore guarantees a greater level of protection than the European Convention on Human Rights – this needs to be said to all those who are asserting the opposite here in the plenary – and it formulates political and social rights in a balanced way. It is the first declaration of human rights of the new millennium and the most modern charter of human rights available anywhere in the world. It makes it clear to people that the European Union has always been a Community of values. Even so, the EU will have to do a great deal to keep it that way. Mr President-in-Office, I would ask you in all seriousness just to consider the following: if you now wish simply to go back to the Cologne Decision and reflect at your leisure on whether this should be incorporated into the Treaties, what encouragement will those who disregard human rights draw from the fact that we are hesitating to do this? What Mr Baron Crespo said is right: why waste time? All this is about, after all, is making law which is already in force more visible.

Political group: PPE-DE
I would like to congratulate Mrs Swiebel on the fruitful work she has done this year (particularly in recognising the rights of third-country nationals and in introducing the rejection of double punishment), but I regret the fact that the time limit for the drawing up of the report has been exceeded to such a great extent, hindering my work and that of my future colleagues. As successor to Mrs Swiebel for 2002, I wish to work within the spirit of this Charter, to work in a spirit of continuity and to make the Charter as fully visible as possible. To this end, two public hearings are scheduled, with the innovation that young people will be involved, by means of delegations of secondary school children, as will the media, with the participation of representatives from prominent sections of the media. It is our duty to ensure participation by young people, to increase their awareness and provide them with information, and also to involve and mobilise opinion formers, since they are our best vehicle for coming closer to the citizens and for allowing Europe to become more closely involved in the daily lives of Europeans. Specifically, in relation to its examination of the human rights situation, my report, like previous ones, will be based on the structure of the Charter and will highlight certain points which I will treat as my political priorities. In general, I wish my report to be a progressive one. (Statement abbreviated in accordance with Rule 120(7) of the Rules of Procedure)

Political group: GUE-NGL
Madam President, in this instance I cannot agree with the previous speaker because this relates to the Statute for the Members. It is the difference between Parliament and the Council in this instance. It is a different issue to the one we dealt with before. We maintain our amendment.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, I only wanted to ask a supplementary question regarding the extent to which the Euroregions are incorporated into your strategy and the extent to which the candidate countries themselves will receive funding to enable them to obtain information from us about their own situation, because I believe our task is not only to inform these countries but also to enable them to converge with us. I believe there are projects such as the planned Europa Centre at Aš in the Czech Republic and many others. I wanted to ask whether this sort of thing is included in your plans.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, during the discussions on the Karas Report I reprimanded Mr García-Margallo y Marfil for using the word ‘Vergreisung’ with reference to old people, with its suggestion that they are too old. There seems to have been an error in translation here. Our Spanish colleague used the word ‘Alterung’, which means ‘ageing’, rather than ‘Vergreisung’. Mr President, I regret my inability to speak Spanish.

Political group: PPE-DE
Thank you, Mr President. After months of heartrending and meaningless violence in the Middle East, we must now nurse and foster each and every glimmer of hope. President Arafat has indicated that he is prepared to negotiate with any Israeli party and to help search for a creative solution for the return of the refugees. These are two courageous steps forward which deserve our support and should be immediately responded to by an equally generous offer by Prime Minister Sharon. In addition, we have noticed that, in Israel, a shift has emerged in public opinion with regard to one of the key issues of the conflict, namely the illegal occupation of the Palestinian regions. There are now 110 reservists of the Israeli army who have signed a petition in which they refuse to take part in the occupation any longer. These brave soldiers deserve the open and emphatic support of the European Union because they are choosing international law and human rights, rather than choosing to obey their orders and to follow the path of least resistance. They are, in fact, choosing the road of peace, away from occupation, away from terror and state terror, and towards the negotiating table and, hopefully, peace eventually. I would be interested to hear from Messrs Solana and Patten whether they are prepared to express this support.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there is no democracy without a Parliament. Today again we find that the European Parliament is the principal integrating element in the European Union. Nowhere else do Council, Commission and Parliament engage in public discussion, not always achieving unanimity, but openly, and, I hope, constructively. Our three rapporteurs have presented excellent reports. This Parliament has, since Nice, been pressing forward with a Community process which must burst forth in Laeken. I share President Prodi's concern that the European Union is not yet adequately equipped to cope with enlargement, and so I ask the President-in-Office of the Council to check again, and check carefully, whether what was decided in Nice really does enhance the working capacity of the Council and of Parliament. I doubt it. The European Community and European Union have developed splendidly over the past nearly fifty years to date, and I hope that the next fifty years will be prepared for in such a way that we can work even better in the European Union over the next fifty years.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, might I ask the – I am also asking in my capacity as one of the co-rapporteurs – to take a slightly more pragmatic approach? Because they keep going for split voting on so many articles when there is often only one aspect they want to vote against. So I would be grateful if the Liberals could take a more pragmatic and speedier approach.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I wish to inform the House of the appearance in the Spanish media last week of a document from the European Commission’s Environment Directorate-General on the Spanish Government’s National Hydrological Plan and its funding by the European Union. Specifically, this document states that the request presented by the Government overstates the demand for water and underestimates the cost of the work, that the alternatives to the diversion have not been properly analysed and that the protection of the Ebro Delta has not been properly provided for. The possible alternatives must be analysed, Mr President, water is necessary, but it is also scarce. The European Union must only fund projects which offer the necessary guarantees and which do not prejudice any of its inhabitants.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, a great Italian writer, Oriana Fallaci, breaking years of voluntary silence, has written a major article seeking to stir the consciences of many Europeans involved in the fight against terrorism and to promote the values of freedom, democracy and tolerance throughout the world. At a time when fresh threats are being made to American targets in Italy, it is the European Union’s duty to take the lead in defending these values, which apply to all citizens. That is why, while I support the decisions taken by the Council at Brussels, I feel that it is vital that, as we implement the inevitable specific military initiatives, we must step up political and economic initiatives as well. In any case, I cannot remain silent regarding a controversial point raised in this Chamber: Mrs Napoletano’s call for the Italian Parliament to be monitored by the Council is irrelevant and devoid of any legal basis. I would remind Mrs Napoletano and Mr Barón Crespo that the Italian Parliament is sovereign, like all the parliaments in consolidated democracies. The statements of the Chairman of the Group of the are, as far as we are concerned, extremely serious and unacceptable, for they amount to interference in the internal affairs of a Member State of the European Union. And before making pronouncements on legislative affairs such as international letters rogatory, with which he is clearly unfamiliar, I would suggest that he read Article 3 of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed right here in Strasbourg, where he will find answers to his unfounded concerns: I would advise Mrs Napoletano, who also is clearly unfamiliar with this provision, to read it as well. It would, in any case, be appropriate for the Chairman of a Parliamentary Group, and also for those holding positions of responsibility in the European institutions – I refer to the absent Mr Michel – not to make statements either of approval or condemnation in this Chamber on the internal affairs of a Member State. Rather, we would like to hear what action the Belgian government intends to adopt, at last, to ensure the safety of the thousands of people who work within the European Parliament in Brussels, especially the staff based permanently on that site. Declarations of intent must be followed by practical action.

Political group: PPE-DE
Small businesses play an essential part in terms of dynamism, innovation and employment throughout the European internal market. That is why I am pleased to see the growing and increasingly visible recognition given by our Parliament to these key players in the European economy, and in particular by the Committee on Industry, which now never misses an opportunity to encourage this phenomenon. My colleague Mr Langen’s report says a lot about the part played by the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy, which has brought about definite improvements to the Commission Green Paper on ‘Entrepreneurship in Europe’, thanks among other things to the many amendments we put through together with my colleagues from the Group of the European People’s Party . Finally, the spirit that drives entrepreneurs, large or small, is given a definition that will enable measures to be put in place to simplify the red tape involved in the creation and operation of businesses, their transfer and the essential forms of tax relief. There is, however, still much to be done, like drawing up a European specification for businesses, better representation for SMEs in Community think tanks, aid mechanisms for their internationalisation, etc. and I expect our work will continue in this direction.

Political group: PPE-DE