GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, war is not the answer. Our message of suffering for the victims should not turn into a war cry. These were the main signals sent out by the thousands of American demonstrators who took to the streets of Washington last Saturday. On our side of the Atlantic, tens of thousands of demonstrators in Athens, Rome, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Barcelona, Stockholm, Istanbul and elsewhere raised their voices in protest against the warmongering plans of the American and European imperialists. What has happened is that those who systematically engage in state terrorism, those who made the Bin Ladens and the KLA what they are, those who turned whole nations into terrorists have found a golden opportunity, following the hideous terrorist attack in the USA, to settle their accounts with anyone and everyone who opposes their world dominion. At the same time, in the countries of the European Union and the United States, suppressive policing measures have been stepped up in order to gag anyone who stands up against or questions their anti-grass roots policy. The President of the United States said that the war against ‘terrorism’ will last a long time. The resistance of peace-loving grass-roots forces will be equally long-lasting. We are certain that the justice of peace will prevail against the barbarism of imperialist war.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the directive on general product safety is so important to us because it relates to a key area, namely those products that are not covered by the CE mark. But this brings me straight to one of the weak points of this proposal for a directive on general product safety, namely the fact that it will no longer be apparent to the consumer whether a product is really safe. This makes our Amendment No 3 especially important, because it provides quite simply for external certification by authorised testing agencies. There is an urgent need for the Commission to consider the introduction of verification marks – marks which certify to the consumer that a product is safe and, in some cases, that the product is of above-average quality. A product is then deemed to be safe when its safety has been verified by an accredited test centre. This is of particular importance to small and medium-sized businesses. If we think about the precautionary principle and prevention, it becomes clear that incentives must be created to encourage companies to have their products tested. I believe that testing by a third party, an impartial agency, would be an important means of easing the pressure on market-monitoring programmes. And this easing of pressure, along with the predictability deriving from testing and certification, would enable consumers to establish very clearly and easily where reliably safe products can be bought. On the export ban, let me say that there are naturally many countries whose standards differ greatly from those in Europe. I believe we should not be so haughty as to regard other countries’ standards as inferior and to assume that ours are the only good and valid standards.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, people have spoken about a very fast timetable in the discussions on enlargement. On the other hand, it has been demanded of the new Member States that, prior to accession, they should have adopted and implemented the whole of the acquis communautaire and that the transitional periods should be few and brief. There is an irreconcilable conflict between these points of view. Some have suggested that this conflict should be resolved by offering the applicant countries membership of the EEA first. This is not a realistic idea. The EEA would not suit the applicant countries and, besides, they will be satisfied with nothing less than membership of the European Union. Rapid enlargement of the EU is a political inevitability. That is why I have asked and I am now asking why we could not change the terms of membership. We could specify a basic version of the acquis, which would contain core parts of the EEA agreements and a common foreign and security policy. In addition to adopting and implementing this basic version, the new members would obviously have to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria, agree to adopt the acquis in its entirety as a longer-term objective, and commit to the political goals of the Union. In this way we could create preconditions for membership of many or even all the applicant countries in the next few years. In splitting the body of EU law in two, the level of integration achieved by the present Member States could be guaranteed and cooperation could be further enhanced. If the Union were to enlarge rapidly it would have to decentralise dramatically, as was stated in the Group’s position on enlargement. Thus, the tasks and competence of the Union would have to be curtailed and it would then concentrate on the core issues that can only be dealt with at EU level. This would mean that the Union would obviously also become differentiated, so that some present Member States would move further along the path of integration than others. A Europe of enlargement would be one of both decentralisation and differentiation. Talk about the fast accession to the Union on the part of the applicant countries is just empty words unless the conditions of membership are changed.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, Commissioner, I would like to return to the subject of Columbia. I believe that we must not hide our extreme concern, for the hostages are currently in a situation of dire peril. The attempt to retrieve the hostages launched on 5 May by the Columbian President, Mr Uribe, shows that life is no longer worth anything in that part of the world. The European Parliament has on many occasions displayed its support for and taken steps to help people fighting for human rights and democracy. In this context, and in order to show that we are not a fickle Parliament but that we are endeavouring to be faithful to our democratic commitments and to the protection of individuals throughout the world, would it be possible to make representations to the government, reminding it that a hard line cannot be the general rule where people’s lives are at stake and there are prices to be paid, and that it is therefore appropriate in this case first and foremost to respect the demands of the families, who do not want the government to take a hard line so that it can give a display of its power some time in the future.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Northern Ireland has a very vibrant poultry industry, which is expressing grave concern. While what has happened in Asia is unfortunate, we have to protect the European market, because it is an extremely large market for the poultry industry. I am concerned about the length of time it took the authorities in Asia to notify us of the outbreak. This is a very worrying aspect. I have to ask the Commissioner to give serious consideration to the depth of our scrutiny of the chicken Asia is producing and exporting to Europe. There is cause for grave concern. Our producers produce chicken and broiler chicken meat of an extremely high standard for the consumers in Europe. But the standard of chicken, not only from the Far East but also from other parts of the world, is seriously questionable. We can sit back on our laurels and wait and see. Before this ban is lifted again, Commissioner, I would like your assurance that you will do everything to ensure that our veterinary inspection in the Far East where the outbreaks took place is of the highest quality, and we accept no excuses. I would also raise the point of the import of chicken feathers. This might not look like a problem, but I am told that it is the most serious way of exporting Asian bird flu to Europe. You have to take that on board too when you deal with the chicken meat.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, if every petition which we discussed and approved in this House were worth a life then I would be satisfied. Regrettably, however, this has never been the case and it is not so now. We must avoid turning our reasoning and indignant declarations into a wake because, while we are expressing our indignation, executions are still being carried out. Therefore, what we want from Parliament, the Commission and the Council too is sound pragmatism: we must endeavour to understand how we can be effective, how we can tip the balance so that the death penalty ceases to disgrace the whole of humanity. This is what the resolution is trying to say. There are two points which we consider to be of basic practical concern. Firstly, the abolition of the death penalty or a moratorium must continue to be an inalienable priority in our relations with third countries, not a condition for friendship but a condition for political, commercial and economic cooperation. The second point – which you raised, Commissioner, and which, I am happy to say, was taken up by many of the Members – is that the Commission must exercise great care in allocating its financial resources in order to support campaigns which are able to alter the public perception of the death penalty. As Mr Salafranca pointed out, there was a rather embarrassing moment in the debate for the US presidential elections when both the candidates for the Presidency of the United States declared that they were in favour of the death penalty. We are the children of Cesare Beccaria: we do not want our heritage to be confined within the borders of Europe. Therefore, we need actions in support of non-governmental organisations, in support of civil society, in support too of those who have proved that they have the enormous amount of courage necessary to invest in this area, as Mrs Bonino mentioned. I will end, Commissioner by calling for the highest possible degree of pragmatism from the Commission; I call upon the Council to give voice to our governments; I call upon Parliament to be courageous enough never to fall silent on this matter.

Political group: PSE
Thank you, Commissioner, for your answer. In addition to highlighting the seriousness of the problem and its effect on the Middle East peace process, my question was aimed at regarding the lack of water resources as a serious political issue. We all talk about the impending crises over water shortages. Something must be done. Commissioner, what initiatives are you going to take to formulate rules of international law in the management of water resources so as to eliminate any hotbeds of local and regional political antagonism, seeds of crises and a peculiar type of imperialism? Your answer to the Israel – Syria question should go somewhat beyond; to the Tigris and to the Euphrates, to Turkey and to Syria and elsewhere. I believe that rules of international law must be established to manage water resources. These rules must contain clear conditions for all the countries involved, through which rivers that cross more than one country flow. This must also apply to lakes that belong to more than one country.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, first I should like to congratulate the European Commission on the initiative which it has taken to mobilise women, increase the participation of women in science and enrich European research. It is a fact that the degree to which women are represented in the field of scientific research and technology is extremely low and in complete disproportion to the progress which they have made in other fields, thanks to European policy, especially education, where we really can speak of a triumph by women now that they outnumber men at nearly all the European universities. Mrs Gröner has already given us a great deal of interesting information on this. Of course, the position of women generally in career posts in scientific research depends to a great extent on the choices which they make while they are in the educational system and on their position in the family. The various directions which the two sexes follow in their studies affect their future development, which is why we need to intervene early, during careers advice at school and explain to young women the consequences which their choices will have on their career. On the other hand, the preservation of traditional roles and the division of labour by sex have a negative effect on women’s career prospects, which is why, of course, we still need measures to reconcile professional and family life. However, I would like to say that this should apply in particular to men. Men need to combine their career with their family and personal life. Women make up fifty per cent of human resources, half the source of talent, skills and creativity in the world. Maintaining the present imbalance in the crucial field of research is tantamount to a loss of precious resources and impacts directly on the development and the future of the EU. None of the present-day challenges can be met without the input, ideas, imagination and skills of women. However, over and above the question of equality of the sexes, there is the development dimension of the issue, i.e. the need to support the competitiveness and the innovation of the Union. The fifth framework programme aims to incorporate political equality of the sexes. We support the initiatives to mobilise the numerous scientific networks run by women and safeguard a balance between the sexes in science and we support the institutions which are shaping policies, selecting and evaluating plans and deciding how resources should be allocated. We call on the European Commission and the Member States to consider if women are adequately represented in the common agricultural policy, in the Structural Funds, in the fifth framework programme, in the numerous scientific and technical committees and in key positions. I should like to close, Mr President, by asking the European Commission to use the pre-accession aid programmes to candidate Member States and Turkey in order to target the scientific skills of women and give them a better chance to contribute to scientific and technical research and development.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, the does not support the resolution of the British delegates and has announced that it is to withdraw it later on, not because we would not want to condemn the increasing violence as a result of football matches, but because the resolution is too restrictive and insubstantial as it stands and, to that extent, does not belong in this Chamber. Surely it is not up to us to get involved in the politics of one specific match at a specific venue and make technical statements about the suitability of one football stadium for one Euro 2000 match? It would have been much better to point out – and I would like to do so on behalf of many colleagues – that, first of all, safety is an essential good over which extreme care is to be taken and for which many efforts are being made with regard to Euro 2000. Secondly, all those responsible for safety at Euro 2000 are called on to operate in an extremely preventive manner. Thirdly, the police forces of all participating countries must be encouraged to negotiate obstacles which would hinder extensive collaboration. Fourthly, we would like to call on all those involved – organisers, players and supporters – to observe fair play. It is unfortunate that this resolution led to a match between Belgium and England, first within the and later on in this Chamber, too. I do hope that this match finishes in a sportsmanlike way and I hope that the Belgians will not just win here but also a number of matches during Euro 2000. IN THE CHAIR: MR PROVANVice-President

Political group: PPE-DE
These days, outrageous packaging is a form of advertising in order to entice buyers. A great deal of material is wasted on it. It sounds environmentally aware to blame the consumers who buy packaged food or packaged products. However, those consumers do not create waste themselves, but are left with it following their purchases. They become the victim of conditional sales, because these days, it is often impossible to buy anything without wrapping. That is why we need to tackle the production and sale of waste at source instead of focusing on the consumers. In the proposed resolution, Mrs Corbey is right to make manufactures and retailers responsible for the prevention of the production of packaging waste and notes that precious little has been achieved since the 1994 packaging directive. The European Commission remains disinclined to present fresh proposals, and the Member States implement earlier recycling agreements with a delay of years. The rapporteur’s proposal is still torn between two ideas. I wholeheartedly agree with her attempt to prevent waste. However, I differ with her on the proposal to get the consumer to pay more for all that waste. Re-use may be important, but is not the most important solution. - Salafranca Sánchez Negra report (A5-0336/2001)

Political group: GUE-NGL
Claiming that the airlines are suffering as a result of the 11 September attacks on the United States is a barefaced lie. Although some carriers have had problems, these are not new and not all airlines are in that position. Far from it. Air France’s share dividends, for example, have increased by 22%, and this happened three days after the attacks on New York and Washington. It has just bought out Air Afrique and brought Alitalia under its wing as well as the Czech airline CSA. And, like other large European airlines, it is also doing very well out of the bankruptcies of AOM-Air Liberté, Sabena and Swissair. This is the result of giving free rein to the market, which national and European leaders claim should govern everything, the economy and the fate of workers. In recent years in Europe, this has led to hundreds of thousands of job losses in the air transport sector alone, which does not cause national and European leaders to bat an eyelid because huge profits are consequently pocketed by the companies’ shareholders, such as the incredibly wealthy Baron Seillière, the French “bosses’ boss”. The attacks of 11 September have simply been an excuse for the capitalists in the air transport sector to receive new subsidies while pursuing their offensive against their employees. And they have been aided and protected in this endeavour by the various national governments. We have seen this again recently in France, in Belgium and in Switzerland with companies going bankrupt and sacking tens of thousands of employees, at no cost at all to the key players who are largely responsible for these bankruptcies, such as Baron Seillière. We have, therefore, voted against this motion for a resolution which is cynical enough to claim that it is for the sake of employment that it wants to give further subsidies to the companies and capitalists in the air transport sector, who are already responsible for making hundreds of thousands of people redundant.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, the challenge of enlargement is an inalienable political objective, and it is unacceptable that negotiation of the agricultural chapter should put the aim or the timetable of enlargement at risk. It is therefore absolutely essential that we should continue working to support the efforts that the candidate countries are making to restructure and modernise their agriculture, under the requirement that the candidate countries should comply with the Community acquis, but we must be quite clear that we too must comply with this Community acquis. Direct payments form part of this Community acquis and the Commission’s proposal that they be phased in, which we support, should ensure that there will soon be a single agricultural policy for the expanded European Union. The rural development measures must ensure that there are active rural areas with diversified production in the candidate countries and especially that they guarantee employment. Lastly, it must be remembered that enlargement cannot be associated with the reform of the agricultural policy. Reform of the CAP goes at its own speed and according to its own timetable, and to a great extent it depends on the results of our negotiations in the World Trade Organisation and their effects on world market trends.

Political group: PSE
In order to ensure equality of opportunities between women and men in cultural, social and economic life, and to minimise and prevent discrimination on grounds of gender, the Commission has adopted a twin-track approach of which the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities approves. Special measures to help women should not be secondary; they should be integrated into policy. In practice, initiatives are to be taken in five areas, including equality in economic life, equal participation and representation, and equal access to social rights. EUR 53.5 million is provided for under budget item B3-4012. This is a considerable but also necessary sum, which the Committee on Budgets has agreed to as a matter of political priority. We would have liked to have scrutinised the fourth action programme just as we are now considering the fifth programme. I very much hope that in future, by producing an annual review in good time, the Commission will enable this House to carry out a more in-depth analysis and hold a more thorough debate. One more point about timing: this report contains many examples of ambiguous and infelicitous wording, because we have had to hold our debates and votes under extreme time pressure and the amendments were not available in all languages. I have some reservations as far as the content is concerned. For example, as so often happens in this House, studies are called for on the significance of a general reduction in working hours. We have adopted opinions by clear majorities recognising that the Member States can cope far better with flexible working hours than with unrealistic collectively bargained solutions. Furthermore, I think that a 'media code of conduct' is impractical. Whenever woman are presented in a discriminatory way, the only thing that helps is forceful protests against each specific incident – protests by active readers of both sexes and by alert national and European Members of Parliament. Nevertheless, I voted for the report because, on the one hand, various proposed improvements submitted by my group were taken on board, and also because the report calls for studies into the position of women in national labour markets and the inadequate access they have to social security systems, an area in which we need statistically relevant gender-specific data. And it is quite right to call for consistency of the fifth framework programme with the Structural Funds, which are probably the most sustainable instruments the Community has, with the Community's EQUAL initiative and with the DAPHNE, STOP, PHARE and MEDA programmes.

Political group: PPE-DE