GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by congratulating and thanking my fellow Iberian Member, Mrs Figueiredo, for her good work. Lisbon, Nice, Stockholm and more recently the Barcelona Summit, are dates, places, cities, memories of summits which illustrate the social temperature of the European Union, dates when the European Union committed itself to creating a better and more developed economy, more and better jobs, sustained development and social cohesion. But we should remember the harsh reality: it might shock many of us if we were to stop and think, or if we read in the media, that in the countries we live in, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line (bearing in mind the commonly accepted criterion of income less than 60% of the national average income) is 8, 12, 14, 19 and even 22% (with an 18% average in the Union as a whole), and also bearing in mind that, although the European Union has recorded an average rate of GDP growth of 2.5%, levels of poverty and social exclusion are still very high. Mrs Figueiredo’s report includes a series of considerations of measures for fighting social exclusion. I would like to highlight two or three of them: firstly, the development of an integrating labour market and the promotion of employment as a right and opportunity for all, a measure which sometimes means having to take decisions which, as is happening in Spain, may be opposed by some; that is why social dialogue is so important, but it must be proper social dialogue involving reciprocal concessions, dialogue in the true sense of the word. There is no question that employment is the best way to ensure integration. We also need to promote training, new technologies, in view of the risk of technological illiteracy, and, above all, an integrated and multidimensional strategic approach, sex equality, education and environmental good practice as well as improvements in social services. And of course – and I will end here, Mr President – joint action. I agree that this should be executed at the lowest possible level, but I must also say that, probably, that execution should also be compatible with promotion actions, with actions carried out by other administrations.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am very glad that the accession of the Czech Republic has today been approved. It is unfortunate that my parents could not live to see this event. My mother died in January. They were expelled from their home, and lost a very great deal. My uncle was murdered in a Czech camp in 1946. Having, however, been brought up in a spirit of tolerance and forgiveness, there is one thing I can tell you, and that is that those who – to some extent justifiably – have voted today against the Czech Republic's accession because of the Beneš decrees, have forgotten the decisive truth that it is peoples who are accepted. We have to look forward rather than revert to the old politics of revenge; I see it as very, very important to stress that. In view of how certain members of the CSU have just voted against it, that is, alas, again no doubt attributable to elections in Bavaria, where they want to have air sovereignty over certain beer gardens where expellees gather. I cannot go along with that. I find it very regrettable that there are those here who were not big enough to take a forward-looking view of history, but remain imprisoned in their old feelings of desire for revenge.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, although the lack of political will to date by the Sharon government, which has recently resigned, and its use of the security argument as a pretext have prevented the reopening of the peace process, this process could now peter out entirely. As Ha’aretz states in its editorial this morning, the government that has just resigned has been a terrible one. Its policy of using force in the occupied territories has not ended terrorism and has inflicted the greatest human bloodshed on Israel since the war in Lebanon. Its relations with Egypt and Jordan and even with Europe itself have never been worse, as we know. There has not been so much fear and so little hope in Israel for a long time. The economic situation, as we also know, is terrible. Unemployment is increasing. This is, of course, largely although not entirely due, in my opinion, to the war with the Palestinians, which is incompatible with prosperity. The advocates of peace have to go to enormous lengths to convince the majority of their fellow citizens that any improvement in their economic and social situation depends precisely on re-establishing political negotiations with the Palestinians; that a new national agreement must be reached in order to reach a good agreement with them. The Palestinians, for their part, must understand that an absence of terrorism in Israel will help these advocates of peace. I believe that the Palestinians are moving in that direction. It was announced on Israeli radio yesterday that Al Fatah and Hamas will meet next week in Cairo to negotiate an end to suicide attacks in Israel by Hamas. I wonder if Israel will frustrate these efforts, as it has done on previous occasions, with a new deadly assault on Gaza or the West Bank. The European Union must actively support these advocates of peace.

Political group: PSE
I welcome the resolution of the European Parliament on combating the drugs problem in Europe. It is a good thing that MEPs are at last receptive to the way we treat drug addicts in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has been treated as a pariah for years, but now we are being praised for the way we are dealing with these matters. The results of this vote are an endorsement of Dutch drugs policy. I am pleased with the members’ decision to call on Member States in this report to place prevention and risk limitation at centre stage in our drugs policy. In this context, we should be offering facilities to help drug addicts kick their habit. We should also be making better use of the experiences of former drug users in the information we provide in places like schools and community centres. By providing better information we should be able to give young people a better idea of the consequences of taking drugs. We will have to pay specific attention to prisoners. I believe that it is a good thing for Member States to get prisons completely free from drugs. I have therefore voted in favour of this proposal.

Political group: ELDR
Madam President, we the Belgian are concerned as, fortunately, are a great many other Members too. The coalition which is being created in one of the Member States is clearly an Austrian affair but undoubtedly has a European dimension too. Because what is it that unites us in Europe? Surely it is the values and principles of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, more than anything. The Austrian Freedom Party leader, Mr Haider, has repeatedly repudiated these values. He also repudiates the basic forms of diplomatic politeness. He is a dangerous man. The Christian Democratic parties in my country have made up their minds a long time ago and they stick to their decision to listen to the protests of extreme-right voters but never to negotiate with extreme-right leaders. Values should take precedence over power. We deplore, therefore, what is happening in Austria. In fact, we were shaken by it. We are extremely disappointed. As a last resort, we would ask the ÖVP to look into alternatives. We keep reminding them about Article 6 of the Treaty. We continue to fight against the trivialisation of the extreme right. If, despite this, the coalition goes ahead, we would urge the ÖVP party members to ensure that the principles and values which underlie European integration are observed in political programmes, both in word and deed. Madam President, Austria awaits a heavy responsibility.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I read the documents we are discussing today with interest and I noticed that Parliament’s request affects a great many sectors, maybe even too many. We want peace, and rightly so – the point has just been discussed – we want health, we want prosperity, we want efficient public services and we want social progress. Now, in my opinion, when you ask for everything – which it is always a good idea to do, just in case – the results are often unspectacular. I feel that we should carefully pinpoint the areas in which bilateral measures or Union interventions can be employed in the Mediterranean countries. If we choose wisely, there are certain sectors which would undoubtedly yield good results. Firstly, local government, which needs to be knocked into shape through privatisation, which has already begun in certain countries, and the provision of technology. Then, the health services, which we discussed only recently, which need to be improved through staff training, with technical staff being trained locally and specialised medical staff receiving the input of the European countries as well. Finally, heightening the intensity of inter-programme exchanges, as is specified by the MEDA programme, which has so far failed to materialise. With regard to this programme, with which I had to deal in various different contexts in committee, I have to say that I was disappointed at the difficulty of obtaining information and also of reporting that information and its implications to Parliament. This Commission still has enough time: it has only been in place a few months, and so there is still time for it to invest energy in its work and to provide Parliament with more detailed information ... (The President cut the speaker off)

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, the MEPs and groups have the opportunity to express themselves in the House, but the proposal belongs to those who produced it and must not be unduly appropriated, since this may give rise to confusion over such an important issue and over possible unwanted alliances with the far right.

Political group: PSE
My thoughts go to the victims of the explosion, to the men and women who died working at the AZF factory in Toulouse and who join the ranks of all those who die every day in a work-related accident because their companies have given priority to profit over safety. My thoughts also go to the men and women who died in the street or at home because the government and the town hall did not want to impose the necessary measures to ensure that the factory was not a bomb waiting to go off, a danger to everyone working there and to everyone who lived nearby. Whatever the initial cause of the explosion, it is unacceptable that it should have turned into such a disaster, all because precautions were not taken. To bring down costs, expenditure on maintenance and storage was reduced, jobs were cut and with complete disregard for safety, work was given to sub-contractors who employed under-trained temporary staff. The TotalFinaElf Corporation, which already bears guilt for the Erika shipwreck, is fully responsible. Putting the requirements of profit before those of safety is a crime. It is murder and the authorities that have allowed this to happen share the guilt for this event. TotalFinaElf, which last year made the greatest profit ever seen by a French company, has the cynicism to toss F 20 million to the victims to cover damages that are estimated at FRF 8 billion at the very least. Not to mention the pain of the victims’ families, which cannot be compensated for. The material damage must be paid for in full by the Elf Corporation and above all, this must never happen again, in Toulouse or anywhere else in France, or Europe. This will require very strict inspection measures for these types of companies, with the participation of the workers and under their supervision.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, our initial reaction is to express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and their countrymen, but we must also immediately re-state our commitment to show solidarity with the affected countries, taking care that this solidarity is shown through immediate, generous and effective action. The principal role was initially taken by our own European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) and it appears that the Commission acted with the necessary speed by means of this office. But the action of the European Union should not stop at this point and we should make a significant contribution to the reconstruction of everything which has been destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Michelle. A large proportion of our efforts will be included within the Reconstruction Plan for Central America and within the framework of the Union’s agreements with Honduras and with Nicaragua. This is where we fall down, due to the pitiful lack of a similar agreement with the Republic of Cuba. This is something that we are continually denouncing here in this House. It makes no sense that Cuba, for whom, amongst other things, the Member States of the European Union include their main economic, commercial and tourism partners, should be the only country in Latin America with which the European Union has not signed a cooperation agreement. For this reason, at the present time, the European Union is restricted to acting almost exclusively within the field of humanitarian and emergency aid. We in this House would ask the Commission to show a high degree of flexibility when considering the suitability of projects which, in addition to this type of aid, also contribute to surmounting the damage and helping with the reconstruction of those sectors that have been most affected on the island by the effects of the hurricane. It is vital that we revise the European Union’s common position on Cuba, which today is obsolete and even counterproductive, with a view to achieving the objectives that should have been pursued in 1996 when it was established, that is to say, the progress and prosperity of the Cuban people. I would also have preferred that the paragraph added by the Group of the European People’s Party had requested the same from Cuba as is requested from other countries with which the European Union cooperates. In any case, I do not think that the situation in Cuba is as gloomy as those who are determined to criticise that country would have us believe. Mr President, we hope that the dialogue, without preconditions and without the exclusion of any particular subject from the agenda, that appears to have been re-initiated with the meeting this Monday in New York between the President of the Council and the Cuban Chancellor, will soon bear fruit and led to the signing of a cooperation treaty that will benefit Cuba and that will allow the European Union to act under normal conditions, with a greater degree of efficiency and with more influence in their relations with this country. Floods in Algeria

Political group: PSE
Madam President, Commissioner, the partial lifting of the embargo is valid law. However, it is also valid law for a Member State to take precautions to protect its people if there is a risk to public health. What interests me in this respect, in the short time available to me, is this: if you state in this compromise, in these two recitals, that testing will be carried out and that there will be a facility or duty to label, then we must be sure that this testing and this labelling will indeed be carried out if the import ban is lifted. There are no logistics in place for either and no results from the possible application of this testing, including in Great Britain, have been submitted. I therefore consider it premature to step up the debate. You for your part, at the Commission, should implement and test the measures agreed and then reintroduce them into the negotiations. (Applause)

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to thank all three rapporteurs for their excellent work, but especially Mrs Laura González Álvarez, whom we miss greatly in the committee. The role of the Committee on Petitions is to ascertain whether national and local authorities are implementing and applying EU directives properly. We are therefore obliged constantly to enter into disputes with national governments or ministries, and sometimes the European Commission also launches infringement proceedings. Obviously this is not to the advantage of the government concerned, but we are here – and that is how I understand my work in the committee – to protect the public. These Lloyd's petitions are unpleasant, not only for the former and current British governments, but also for the European Commission, which hesitated as early as 1978 to take steps against the United Kingdom. The circumstances surrounding the exchange between the Commission and the British Government on Lloyd's were very curious. But just what is the so-called Lloyd's scandal? Lloyd's had recruited Names without making these people aware that it was facing huge insurance losses, mainly due to rulings in the USA on asbestos cases. The Lloyd's management then passed these losses on to the Names. As a result many lost their assets and some the only provision that they had made for their retirement. It was not only Britons that were affected but also Belgians and Germans. A few even took their own lives. Now we could say very coldly, 'Well, hard luck!' But no, these people were confident that the insurance market was regulated and that British and EU law would be respected. I am standing between two highly esteemed British colleagues, namely Roy Perry and Michael Cashman. I am very pleased that a compromise has been reached, but I also deeply regret the fact that this report has caused such a political upheaval. I welcome the compromise and hope that it will enable us to bring justice to the petitioners and help to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, Mohamed was one of the many babies killed by the Israeli army. Eight years on from the signing of the peace agreements, the army still occupies over 80 % of the territories. The settlers have opened fire. How can we describe these new massacres and this Palestinian rebellion. More stone-throwing youths? It is more than that. The Palestinian security forces are also firing. The explosion had been brewing for months: it is difficult to believe in peace when you consider that the number of settlers has grown from 141 000 to over 200 000 since the signing of the peace agreements; when you cannot find work to support your children, which is the case of my friend Talal who works as a builder in the settlements, maybe even on the land which used to belong to his family; it is difficult when the soldiers stop you from moving around. Ariel Sharon was the catalyst but the responsibility also lies with the government which allowed him to visit the holy site and did not stop the soldiers firing on the crowd. While condemning all forms of violence, we cannot make any parallel between the Israeli violence and the Palestinian violence. On the one hand, there is a state and an army occupying a territory in breach of all international laws and, on the other, there is a people who is tired of suffering and humiliation. This is not the work of Hamas: it is the uprising of a people who have had enough of being oppressed and are not being given satisfaction even by their own leaders and decision-makers. It is the revolt of the Palestinians who live in Israel who are not only demonstrating their solidarity with their brothers but demanding to be treated as citizens with full rights and to be allowed to live free from discrimination in Israel. We must play our part in bringing the violence to an end and re-establishing negotiations: the fighting must cease, the Israeli soldiers must be withdrawn, there must be an international inquiry, at which Europe must be present, and the Palestinian people must be protected. It would be enough for the European Union and the UN to make it clear that the UN resolutions, starting with resolutions 338, 242 and 194 on the return of refugees to their homes, apply. This would in itself have a major impact and could change Israel's – by now – firm conviction that it can always do whatever it likes with impunity. The right of the State of Israel to exist and to security is very important to us, as are the Israelis themselves who, together with the Palestinians, are currently demonstrating that they have had enough of occupation and enough of this violence. But the rights of the Palestinian State are no less important. In my opinion, Europe can and must do a great deal in this direction, and it must be clear and resolute. It is true that peace is achieved through dialogue but rights have to be respected, and here rights are not being respected. It is not a question of the Israelis making concessions; we must enforce the law.

Political group: GUE-NGL
The report concerns itself only with those distortions of competition that are liable to be detrimental to the private enterprises that are taking over the postal sector; in no way does it reflect the interests either of users or of postal workers. For over a century, the European states have established public postal services that worked in more or less acceptable fashion until criteria of public service began to give way to those of profitability. The efficient running of public services, and of the postal services in particular, has for some considerable time been one of the most reliable indicators of a country’s level of development, and, dare I say it, of its level of civilisation. It was precisely because the postal services were to some degree sheltered from competition and from the pursuit of profit that they were able to perform their role; it was because they did not exist to be profit-making but to provide a service that they served the most secluded villages and criss-crossed the land with a dense network of post offices. Such is the progress that both the nation-states and the European institutions are engaged in systematically demolishing. We are absolutely opposed to this exercise in the destruction of public services, which is both regressive and socially unjust. To this fundamental reason for voting against this report, we would add another, namely that we are opposed to VAT and hence to its being applied, as also to the price increases that it will entail, and from which users on lower incomes will suffer most.

Political group: GUE-NGL