Mr President, Commissioner, as has already been said, this programme is the result of analysing the success of DAPHNE I, which has been an enormously successful programme. It has been a very positive programme, very well executed, with very satisfactory results, and the only negative point we see is its financial insufficiency, since there was only EUR 20 million for four years. It is true, though, that at times we have had annual supplements, which have helped to finance some other projects. This programme is based above all on the prevention of domestic violence, on combating domestic violence through prevention and education, with a view to preventing domestic violence from taking place and helping its victims. It is therefore very important to take action agreed amongst the Member States because, although it continues to be a private issue, a family issue, it also has repercussions for relations between different countries as a result of the exploitation of women and children by organised mafias who work internationally. As was pointed out in the mid-term report on the previous programme, the cooperation of the media in terms of the way they report the news, the way they report on domestic violence taking place in society, is very important. The treatment of this phenomenon by certain television programmes, certain films and by advertising is very important. Particular emphasis should be placed on all of these issues because they have an influence on the awareness of society and on the way this horrendous phenomenon is reported. It is also essential that the public institutions participate together with the NGOs, in particular the local institutions, where they can do extremely important work. We have seen that until now there has been very little participation. It was introduced in the previous programme and we hope it will increase with this one. Another essential innovation is the right to remove the aggressor from the family home, and this has been introduced into certain national legislations, which are competent to do so. In other countries this is being prepared and we hope that it will soon be a reality in the whole of the European Union, because the victim must be protected. The victim should not have to flee, should not have to hide, should be able to remain in their home, in their own environment, with sufficient protection and far away from the aggressor. The DAPHNE II Programme takes up important suggestions which have been made as well as the experience of the DAPHNE I Programme and we in the Group of the European Peoples’ Party are going to support it through certain separate votes which we are going to request. Despite the fact that the greatest problem is the financial one, we agree with the proposal made by the Group of the European People’s Party in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities that the total contribution for the Programme should be EUR 50 million for the five years. We are doing this, moreover, because we know that the financial perspectives and enlargement do not allow for a greater contribution and we do not want this programme to go to conciliation. We are therefore going to do everything possible to ensure that it is approved before the end of the year and that the DAPHNE Programme can continue as it has until now.

Political group: PPE-DE