GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, after all this praise, one scarcely dares utter a word of criticism of Denmark, especially not as a Swede, for fear of being suspected of envy. The Swedish Presidency ended, of course, as a bloody police fiasco, while the Danish peace meeting may end up in the history books. Nonetheless, there is some justified criticism. Denmark has not succeeded in showing that the EU is a project for the people and not only for élites. No change has been made to the EU’s disastrous agricultural policy, which increases the fortunes of counts and barons but forces small farmers from Eastern Europe into bankruptcy. There has been no allaying of the anxiety, felt in Estonia for example, that EU bureaucracy will crush the newly won right to self-determination. There has been no explanation of why Poland is forced to build a new Iron Curtain towards the east. Mr Titley, the Iron Curtain is not disappearing. Instead, it is only being moved. There has been no understandable explanation of why freedom of movement should apply from day one to capital, but from a much later date to people. The enlargement process has thus again become a unilateral annexation whereby Brussels dictates and the candidate countries knuckle under. Denmark, which has its own exemptions, should understand that an enlarged EU cannot be uniform, because it then becomes totalitarian. It must be diverse if it is to be democratic. Now, it is a question of ensuring that the referendums in the candidate countries are democratic. Above all, it is a question of ensuring that we do not decide about the EU’s constitution before the accession of the new countries. If the EU were to make a decision on a constitution, right under the nose of the new EU Member States, that would be a triumph for the arrogance of power, and democracy would have lost out. Denmark’s success at the Copenhagen Summit would then merely be the calm before the storm.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, the use of genital mutilation is an extreme form of female repression which, in some countries, is as old as time itself. It was the women of those countries themselves, of Egypt and of Somalia, who told us about their extreme suffering. They denounced it and had to overcome a world of prejudice in the process, but they did it for the benefit of their sisters, who were often younger, or their daughters. They are asking us to show the same courage. A number of women have sent the European Parliament a petition in the same vein. We are supported by women across the world. Respect for the human being must be judged the same for men and women alike: women’s rights are human rights. Allowing this mutilation to take place under medically acceptable conditions does not make the mutilation itself acceptable. Neither is the fact that this cruel custom is one of the oldest traditions in some communities – I am deliberately avoiding the term ‘religions’, for they have little to do with it – reason for us to tolerate it. The sexual mutilation of girls must be considered a punishable offence in every country and every society, as demanded in various international agreements. A positive development is that, in any event, an increasing number of countries have prohibited genital mutilation in women. But in many cases, they are merely paying lip service to this ban, and we should therefore amend the Cotonou Agreement so that we can implement it in the same way as for human rights violations. For the rest, I share the view of fellow MEPs.

Political group: Verts-ALE
The Draft Supplementary and Amending Budget (SAB) 2/2001 presented by the Council aims to continue and to speed up the development of the common European security and defence policy (ESDP) by setting up three new directorates within the General Secretariat of the Council, recruiting 51 staff, paying daily allowances for military experts and purchasing telecommunications and data protection equipment. In this way, the ESDP management structures will be created, helping speed up the militarisation of the European Union, a process we reject and which is sufficient justification in itself for rejecting the current SAB and the Ferber report. Besides, Mr Ferber not only fails to question this process but he also ‘welcomes the Council’s decision to launch with this SAB a new European defence policy’ and also ‘regrets that this policy is not more integrated in the first pillar’. There are also, however, institutional and technical issues to examine. Firstly, the entering of this operating expenditure as administrative expenditure of the Council both confuses the nature of the expenditure and removes the possibility of democratic control over it, specifically by Parliament, which, in practice, is thus giving up its budgetary power. However, in addition to the issues of democracy and transparency, there is increased pressure on the ceiling for expenditure under heading 5 – administrative expenditure – at a time when the European Union is preparing for enlargement. The motion for rejection tabled by the Group of the only deals with these last two issues but essentially accepts the position of the Ferber report, without commenting on the basic issues of the ESDP. We cannot, therefore, vote in favour of this rejection. - Schleicher report (A5-0167/2001)

Political group: GUE-NGL
I merely think that there is another interesting coalition to which attention must be called, namely the coalition between the European parties which, over the heads of the people of Europe, are deciding to enrich themselves through this project.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Following the major financial scandals that have erupted across the world, such as the Enron and Parmalat cases – and their systemic nature, the Commission is seeking to show that it has been working on the matter, with a view to improving transparency in companies, in other words their ‘governance’, (which appears to be the way in which they are governed) and their sense of ‘social responsibility’. This could be said to be a case of shutting the stable door once the horse has bolted but, once you remove the declarations of intent and the appeals to the good nature of the business community, all that is left in the report is propaganda, because the aims are quite different. These are: to restore public confidence – particularly in the financial markets; to make regulations more flexible in order to facilitate the cross-border restructuring of companies in the European Union; to increase the competitiveness of companies and to improve protection for shareholders and creditors. We are consequently unhappy that, instead of focusing on the issue of relations between shareholders and managers – between ownership and control – the Commission has not attached greater importance to effective protection for workers, to their participation and that of the organisations that represent them in the process of taking decisions on the lives of their companies. The fact is that these employees have fewer rights than creditors and should have not only minimum rights to be informed and consulted, but also the right to active participation, with the right of veto, in decisions that are important for the continuity of the company and of jobs.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, if the Macedonian Parliament accepts the constitutional changes forced by rebellion and foreign intervention, this means that the large Albanian majority in the north-west regain their rights. Within the former Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, the Albanian language was the language of administration and education. This right was suspended following the independence of Macedonia. The situation is comparable with the language rights of the Hungarian minority on the southern edge of the equally new state of Slovakia. National minorities which become a majority often appear to have no understanding for the other language groups within the territory of their state. In 50 years’ time, the roles will be reversed as Albanians come to form the largest group in Macedonia. Only through an agreement based on equality can two peoples find a way to live peacefully as good neighbours. In that respect, much can be learned from the government structures of multi-lingual federal states such as Belgium, Switzerland and Spain. From that perspective I can now, in contrast to 3 May, consent to support for Macedonia.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, there is something I should like to bring to your attention. A few days ago, I visited Turkey as part of a representation of six MEPs. May I start by saying that we were delighted that Turkey has made real progress towards the Copenhagen criteria over recent months. I should like to point out, however, that the former Member of Parliament, Leyla Zana, has been in prison for some ten years now. When Mr Erdogan’s political freedom and rights were violated when he was mayor of Istanbul, we defended his human rights and political freedom here in this Chamber. We therefore expect the new government to be sensitive to the need to respect human rights; all other things being equal, it is intolerable that a Sakharov prizewinner should languish in a Turkish prison for ten years. I should like to ask you to lobby the Turkish Government directly for the release of Leyla Zana, for her immediate and unconditional release.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, it is fantastic to live through this exciting period in the history of Europe when we are finally unifying the continent. I hope that, in just a few years’ time, our new friends and colleagues will be able to sit down here with us in the Chamber instead of just listening from the gallery. We shall then be able to unite in solving the problems that exist and in creating good conditions of life for the citizens of Europe, and not before time. It will soon be twelve years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and many Europeans promised that those countries which had finally thrown off the yoke of communism would quickly be able to obtain membership of the EU. There is still a great deal to do, and this is also described in the excellent reports we are discussing today. Great progress is being made, and I am delighted that the Belgian presidency has such lofty ambitions. It is important that no more demands should be made now. There is more than a little to do in the EU, as well. Many of us are disappointed at the poor result from Nice and hope that Laeken will prove to be very ambitious. Integration is a mutual process that requires efforts on the part both of ourselves and of the future Member States. However, we together have a huge task in convincing the population in all the countries of the practical benefits of a united Europe. It is also a question of communicating pride in the Europe we have built so far and the Europe we shall build together.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, in some EU Member States, and particularly in my own country, the Netherlands, this is the most serious agricultural crisis we have known in years. I would like to express my sympathy to the farming families affected by this, and also to other people who are suffering the effects. The liberal group is backing the policy of emergency vaccinations to restrict the outbreak and spread of the virus. We are of the opinion that, ultimately, this will need to lead to complete eradication of the foot-and-mouth virus throughout Europe. We cannot turn a blind eye to the major doubts which pervade Europe with regard to the non-vaccination policy. What the Commissioner stated this afternoon can be applauded, but the message must be made clearer to the public. What would the implications be if we were to abandon the current policy? What are the effects on markets in Europe? What would be the implications on the income of the farming families if we were to abandon this policy? This message must be driven home. I would now like to draw your attention to another aspect. At the moment, we are exercising extremely strict control at airports and other entry points. This should not be a temporary but permanent measure. We must follow the lead of the United States and Australia, where such controls have been in place for years. The Commissioner talked about the transport policy in Europe. We must consider whether we cannot set up certain quarantine zones throughout Europe, so that animals can no longer contaminate each other at the so-called resting points which are being used at the moment. I would like to finish off on a minor point. Farmers have been unable to deliver milk for some days in various countries. Is it possible that the Commission could revise its decision to adjust their quota downwards? They must be given an extra milk quota, so that they are not suffering more damage than they already are. The days on which they were unable to deliver should be added to their quota.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, I am delighted that the Commission’s presence has given the lie to the highly offensive comment you made earlier about the committee which I have the honour of chairing. I trust you are now convinced that the issue we are debating is important enough to warrant the presence of the competent Commissioner at the debate. Ladies and gentlemen, it is only natural when we talk of mainstreaming equality of the sexes in all policies and in all areas that we should look to our own House first, as Mrs Kratsa has just said. The European institutions and how they operate should set the standard and an example for both the Member States and the wider world. The European Parliament can offer a valuable framework for exercising policy and drawing useful conclusions about the application of gender equality in practice by encouraging equal representation of the sexes, both in parliamentary office and by promoting women to responsible positions within Parliament and helping women improve their grading and pay at all levels of the administrative hierarchy within the European Parliament. Unfortunately, 6 years after the concept of gender mainstreaming was set out in the Amsterdam Treaty, this important strategy for achieving equality is still not fully operational in either the administration of the European Parliament or its political work. Without wishing to underestimate the efforts made, we have to admit that the European Parliament is lagging behind the European Commission. Mrs Gröner’s important report details and sets out all the crucial issues for consideration, proposing specific measures and methods for combating existing weaknesses. Our committee’s objective is for the European Parliament to set the standard in the application of gender mainstreaming, and we trust that Mrs Gröner’s excellent report will be a benchmark and springboard for achieving this objective. However, we need support and commitment at the highest possible level if we are to achieve this objective and, at the same time, we need funds to ensure that the measures proposed in the report are applied consistently. The principle of gender mainstreaming must be clearly laid down in the new constitutional Treaty; this is one of my committee’s main objectives in our fight to make the future Europe – and, we hope, the male members of the European Parliament – more aware of gender issues. In all events, I think the decision taken by the Greek Presidency at the recent informal Council at your instigation, Commissioner, for the European Commission to submit an annual report on the application of gender mainstreaming in the Union, was a very important decision.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, during animal transport, animals are merely considered commodities and not living creatures with an intrinsic value. The Member States should hang their heads in shame for the fact that the supervision of compliance with legislation is so deficient. I therefore welcome the proposals to step up the supervisory procedures considerably and to tighten the sanctions. Furthermore, a general time and distance limit should be imposed and far stricter requirements should be prescribed for all trucks. Improved facilities should not be an alibi for extending driving times under the guise that it is acceptable for transport in ‘business class’ to take longer. The use of ‘business class’ is quite ludicrous considering the sixth-rate treatment animals still receive before they are killed. Live animals should only have to endure very short spells of transport. Eight hours is indeed an improvement, but four hours should, in fact, be the absolute maximum. We must move towards regionalisation of the production chain with small, clean slaughterhouses. The recent foot-and-mouth crisis has illustrated once again that the stopping and collection places entail irresponsible animal-health risks, and these must therefore be abolished. Reforms need to be carried out promptly with a view to enlargement. Across Europe, animals should no longer simply be viewed as objects which are financially lucrative instead of as part of creation. Mr Maat, many thanks for the sound report.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, with the adoption, without amendments, of the common position of the Council, the European Parliament is rising to the challenges of the current changes, to the demands of the new economy, at last setting rules in place governing the use of the Internet for trade and the provision of services. I will not go into the technical and legal details, which were covered by the rapporteur, Mrs Palacio with her usual competence, and I would like to thank her for the extremely skilful way in which she handled the legislative procedure for this directive. A further point: the new economy is something which the European economic and social model will have to address, and it must exploit all the opportunities for development and new jobs it provides. We are witnessing a new industrial revolution. Consequently, the structure of the European economy is in need of legal infrastructures and, tomorrow, we are going to meet that need. The absence of legal infrastructures is holding back development. The internal market has become a reality and the fundamental freedoms enshrined by the Treaty of Rome as objectives have indeed been achieved, but whilst in the past the creation of the internal market was an end in itself leading to economic development, now new challenges have arisen for a market which is being forced to compete with the rest of the world by the globalisation of the economy. The European economic and social model, which is based on the social market economy, is quite capable of dealing with world-wide competition, provided that it succeeds in evolving, eliminating all the unnecessary rigid constraints which are responsible for its continuing weakness in some areas. It is no longer good enough just to create any old market: the internal market must be competitive, regulated in such a way as to allow firms to produce and trade quality goods and services at costs which are compatible with those of competitors. This constituted the historic change brought about by electronic commerce – a revolution whose scope and implications are still not fully understood. We only need to think back to the issues we have worked on in the past: risk capital, highly skilled services, innovation tools and the protection of intellectual and industrial property. All these areas will have to evolve, and, in many cases, change completely. A malicious thought has come to me: what will become of the petty national protectionist behaviour which we have witnessed in recent years? Now, at this time of revolution, a large number of issues dear to the European People’s Party must be reassessed. The social market economy also means solidarity and paying due attention to the more vulnerable strata of society which, in the industrial revolution sparked off by the Internet, also now include those who do not know how to use a computer. This potential for growth is our challenge for the future!

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, it really is curious, after 50 years of European policy on gender equality and 100 years since the right of women to vote was claimed and recognised, that we are trying here to persuade everyone of the self-evident, in other words that men and women should share all the responsibilities and all the obligations of both private and public life equally and fairly, that there should be a balanced participation of men and women in democratic institutions and in all political decision-making centres. In the run up to the European elections in June, Mrs Dybkjær's truly exceptional report is of particular value, because it sets the framework within which all the Member States should move, especially the accession countries, in order to ensure that the percentage of women in the House as a result of the European elections should at least be no smaller than it is at present, which is 31%. And I should like to name the two countries, Estonia and Slovenia, which did not bother to send even one woman, even one as an example, with the observers they sent to the European Parliament. Our fears are also reinforced by the traumatic experience we had last year, with 17% participation by women in the constitutional convention for the European constitution. That is why our committee, the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities, has put promoting the democracy of equality at the top of its priorities and has taken initiatives to mobilise governments, national parliaments, political leaders and women themselves in order to achieve this objective, an objective which does not simply concern the application in deed rather than just word of gender equality, but also the financial and social development of Europe through the rational use of the valuable human resource which women represent. The Lisbon strategy, like other ambitious European policies, urgently needs the full participation of women at all planning and decision-making levels in order to achieve its objectives. The future of Europe cannot be planned in the absence of women. In the run up to the European elections, we need additional strategies and legislative measures, positive action, quotas or political agreements which will safeguard the balanced participation of men and women in electoral combinations and in the elected bodies which result. I hope the new European Parliament of the 25 will attain this objective and will operate as a shining example and standard for the other parliaments in the world.

Political group: PSE