GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Commissioner Schreyer, we are undoubtedly confronted by formidable tasks as we try to determine the future shape of the EU, and setting the right priorities for this purpose is not easy. Top priority must attach to the real Community policies. One of these is unquestionably the common fisheries policy, which continues to need a solid financial basis – a need which is now greater than ever before. Allow me to enumerate briefly the main points which I identified in drafting the opinion of the Committee on Fisheries and which were explicitly and emphatically reaffirmed by the future Commissioner from Latvia, Mrs Sandra Kalniete, at her hearing. Firstly, adequate funding of the CFP in the forthcoming financial perspective is imperative. Secondly, the areas that depend on fishing, most of which are structurally weak regions, are in particular need of the solidarity and support of the Community. Moreover – and this is my third point – we need more socio-economic measures; fourthly, we need greater diversification and, fifthly, we need the development of new activities. I am convinced that fisheries in Europe have a future but only if they are adequately funded.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, in itself there is nothing to object to in the basic idea of creating a European Police College, whether it exists in virtual reality or is established with a permanent seat somewhere. The questions arise, however, of what this College is for and of what tasks and objectives it has. To take just one point, Mr Posselt writes of 'providing training sessions for senior national police officers on the basis of common standards'. That is when things already begin to get difficult. What are these common standards? As you know, Mr Posselt, police duties in the Federal Republic of Germany are a matter for the individual Länder, which are absolutely sovereign in this area. Now, compare the various Länder’s laws on police duties. You will see that, in Brandenburg (unlike in Berlin), de-escalation is the supreme precept when it comes to deploying police and that, under Brandenburg law, any police who are to be deployed are obliged to be identified by name so that anyone who might be attacked in a demonstration can read the name of the policeman concerned and know who it was. In other words, if you want common standards, you have to start by defining these. Otherwise, you end up with training that may be completely different in form from area to area. A College along these lines is not really needed just for the purpose of exchanging different types of experience. You speak about establishing public order. All right, that is accepted. Again, the only question is, with what resources? In the Federal Republic of Germany, even public order is defined completely differently in the various Länder’s laws relating to police duties. What do you understand to mean by public order? You write in your report about border control services. I ask you! We make a perfectly clear distinction between duties relating to the protection of Federal borders and the duties of the police. (In other States, it is different.) If you write in those terms, then before what you say can be approved, it must first be clear what common activities are planned and according to what standards one is going to proceed. As long as such matters have not been clarified, I have to say to you in all honesty that I myself cannot consent to the basic idea.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I am aware that this explanation of vote is likely to be lost amid the general confusion, but perhaps it will be enough for the record. The adoption of Mr Rothley's report on the fixing of book prices puts a temporary end to what is sometimes a very unwelcome development. We owe a great debt of thanks to Mr Rothley and, indeed, to all those who have contributed to this process and ensured that despite our adherence to competition, culture is still considered an important asset and – prompted in this instance by the fixing of book prices in Germany and Austria – enabled a sensible rule to be established in future in this area, which has now been copied by France as well. The attempts by this Commission and its predecessor to give far more priority to competition than culture have fortunately been shelved recently, and in this respect, I think we can claim to have taken a positive step. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I was afraid I was going to have to make my explanations of vote I was concerned in case my fractured foot prevented me from speaking. However, I hope that I am not one who often puts his foot in it when he opens his mouth and that I will be able to make my usual contribution to the proceedings. Well then, I would like to declare my support for the Peijs report and call for a European Bank to be established in practice. In recent days, I am glad to say, the euro has gained against the dollar and the pound. I would therefore like to take the opportunity presented by this explanation of vote to express my satisfaction at the European monetary policy and to call for an increase in the European Bank's activities, including the establishment of offices throughout Europe.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President-in-Office, my apologies for making you say things we already know. The point I think I need to come back to in my question is this: what new cards do you have up your sleeve in order to reinforce small and medium-sized enterprises which, as we all know, are the main source of employment, which is what we are desperately trying to increase in Europe. In my opinion, as I made clear to you in my question, you need to examine the evaluation of European programmes, of the funding given to companies so far, because it is our experience that some countries are doing better than others and have made progress with innovation, which I mentioned, with their competitiveness and, hence, with creating jobs. I think it really is crucial and important to the Lisbon process that we evaluate our policy towards small and medium-sized enterprises, which is why I am asking, Mr President-in-Office, if you have anything new to report.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I welcome the fact that you recognise the need for a coordinated EU response, but I put it to you that not only does it need to be coordinated, it needs to be comprehensive and backed up by sufficient resources. Would you accept that the problem that we face in the seas of Europe is not only about maritime safety and environmental pollution? It is the way in which our seas are used, for example for illegal immigration, organised crime, human trafficking, and indeed the abuse of our fisheries law. Would you not accept that we need an adequate response mechanism and that the only way to address the problem would be to establish an EU coastguard? Do you not think we could learn from the United States' comprehensive approach to these problems? There has been much talk in the Council and elsewhere about the problems of dealing with terrorism, yet we forget that such a danger could exist on our seas just as easily as in the air. If for example a terrorist attack using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons were to be launched at sea, a coastguard could be the first line of response. I disagree with you that it is not within the Council's remit. It has always been in the Council's remit to consider ways of addressing the public's fears. Citizens are sometimes disillusioned with the EU. Would you not accept that dealing with problems that threaten their safety and wellbeing in a coordinated and comprehensive way will help convince them of the values of Europe?

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the Group of the wishes to table an oral amendment to paragraph 12. The amendment reads as follows in English: 'Calls for the revision, with a view to the phasing-out, as soon as possible, of the individual opt-out proved for in Article 18(1)(b) of Directive 93/104/EC; in the meantime, calls on the Commission to identify practical ways of tackling potential or actual abuses of the opt-out provision, including seeking views on how best to strengthen the voluntary nature of the opt-out.' Mr President, some groups also wish to divide up this oral amendment. The first part would finish at ‘Directive 93/104/EC’ and the second part would then begin with ‘in the meantime’ and continue to the end.

Political group: PSE
The resale right for the benefit of the author is an important mechanism for supporting artistic creation and artists. The Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market rightly insists on no upper limit and a minimum of no less than 7%. However, the attempt to reconcile the resale right with the competitiveness of the European market in objets d'art has resulted, mainly on the part of the Council, in reduced protection for the artist from subsequent sales of his works. The European Union should move in the opposite direction and help to internationalise the resale right by putting this issue at the top of its agenda during negotiations with other countries with a flourishing art market, such as the USA, Switzerland etc.

Political group: GUE-NGL
I wish to raise a matter which, unfortunately, has been pending since August 2003. Five Community nationals, citizens of the European Union, are being held by the Pakistani authorities. The Greek-owned ship, the Tasman Spirit sank in Karachi harbour and, unfortunately, the cook is still being held, as are people from the salvage company who went there after the accident. All so that the Karachi port authorities can haggle with the insurance company over the insurance premiums which they should receive for the damage, which was indeed caused. I raised the matter with the President of the European Parliament before Christmas. He was sympathetic but, unfortunately, the matter is still pending. What I am requesting is that the President of the European Parliament intervene again, perhaps calling on the ambassador to Pakistan or even asking Commissioner Patten to tell us what demarches have been taken by the European Union. The Italian Presidency and the Commission had mobilised and we must not allow anyone to haggle over insurance premiums with citizens of the European Union as hostages.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I believe that the resolution on Zimbabwe that we have formulated together is quite rightly a tough one, intended as a warning to Mr Mugabe. At a time when democratic elections should be in preparation, Mugabe’s only response has been to encourage and establish an atmosphere of terror in his country – everywhere, in the countryside and in the towns. This makes it crucial that the elections are able proceed in a normal way, and that the international community continues to insist that they are. But nothing suggests that Mr Mugabe is receptive to this justified democratic demand from within his own country, where even in the previous elections it was clear that the virtual majority wanted a change of government. Mr Mugabe is clinging to power and to that end regards all possible legitimate and especially illegitimate means as justified. For example, journalists must now apply for a work permit before they are allowed to write. This of course runs counter to freedom of expression. The printing works of the few still more or less independent papers are smashed up. In this way opinion forming is hampered. Today I received the manifesto of the women’s organisations, which complain that women obliged to sell the fruits of their labour on the land to a state institution are either not paid at all or else far too late, in a country where inflation is running at 86%. We shall therefore vote in favour of this motion with great determination for this and many other reasons mentioned in the text. (Applause)

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, this joint motion for a resolution on the ratification of the Rome Treaty to establish the permanent International Criminal Court comes at an opportune moment. Only yesterday in this House we debated our priorities for the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The Swedish prime minister once again reiterated the importance of human rights during the Swedish Presidency. The discussion this afternoon is yet another vivid reminder of injustices around the world. Therefore it must follow, and I hope the House will agree, that if we are serious about the human rights of men, women and children, then we must have a permanent International Criminal Court to prosecute those who carry out or commission crimes against humanity. We need a criminal court with international jurisdiction, which can independently judge those accused of such atrocities. Only with complete determination to implement the Rome Treaty will we be able to end the impunity of the perpetrators of these crimes and contribute to the deterrence and prevention of such crimes in the future. As we have heard, 139 governments have signed the Rome Treaty yet sadly only 27 have ratified it. Sixty such ratifications are needed for the Treaty to enter into force and for the Court to be set up. Therefore I believe it is imperative that the Member States set an example. Already Italy, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, Austria and Finland have notably and honourably ratified the Treaty. It is now time for the remaining Member States of the Union to follow suit. Cynicism is an easy option and I will not indulge in it. I believe we should welcome the signing of the Treaty on 31 December by the United States of America and we should also welcome the Yugoslav Federation signing the Treaty on 19 December 2000. We must now call upon those parliaments to ratify the Treaty. Nonetheless, at the same time we must urge all states to continue to support the work of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia. History teaches us that we must never forget. Therefore, look back across the last millennium. Look now across the world as it is and remember that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Future generations will never forgive us if we turn our minds away from those who have suffered such terrifying atrocities and who continue to suffer as I speak. Words are not enough. The time for action is now. Sign the Rome Treaty on the ICC and thereby signal our commitment and our challenge to the rest of the world. As co-author I urge the House and the Council to support this motion.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, in point 38 of the Minutes, which is Questions to the Council, I have noticed that there is an error in the Spanish and German versions, at least, in that Question 9 is missing. Question 9 has been omitted in printing. However, it does mention the speakers on Question 9, but we must correct the fact that it passes from Question 8 to Question 10 without mention of Question 9, which I directed yesterday at the Council. The intervention which appears here by Mr Martínez Martínez is clearly not related to Question 8, but rather to Question 9, which has not been included.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, has peace really returned to Côte d’Ivoire or does it only seem that way? Gbagbo has provisionally been recognised as president on the basis of elections from which his most important opponent was excluded. If the parliamentary elections in December do not proceed in a fair manner then the unrest will undoubtedly flare up again. After all, the violence of recent times has left the people with deep scars. If there is even the slightest political lapse their anger will take hold again. It is therefore absolutely essential that the parliamentary elections due to take place in December, proceed fairly, and needless to say, exclusion for reasons of ethnicity is absolutely out of the question. Côte d’Ivoire will only be able to regain its stability if the new rulers are prepared to engage in power-sharing. It is also impossible to envisage lasting peace in the country without religious and ethnic tolerance. The political, military and religious leaders must pull out all the stops to make national reconciliation possible. What is needed is a constitution which guarantees the rights of the citizens and the political parties and rules out abuse of power. It is also vital for relations with the neighbouring countries, especially Burkina Faso, to be restored. We as a European Union, must be prepared to continue to provide assistance, but this will only be possible if the country is run properly and democratisation really takes shape. The leaders have now been given a new chance and let us hope they seize it. Côte d’Ivoire could become a role model and take the lead in the region. But this will only be feasible if everyone takes responsibility and peace is restored for good.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, Commissioner, it goes without saying that cruelty to animals must be stopped. This already forms the specific ethical basis of European agricultural production. The Commission must have adequate powers to intervene in the activities of Member States; penalties must be sufficiently severe; and executive measures to correct these matters definitely need to be intensified. I would like to thank Mr Maat, the rapporteur, for taking the exceptions into consideration. There exist such things as sparsely populated areas, islands, and long distances, and these areas too must be able to function; in this report they have been taken into consideration in a balanced and even-handed way. Animal welfare forms part of a greater whole. The regionalisation of production chains has been the topic of the day and a theme for the future, and it is against this specific background that the aid for transportation of animals for slaughter must be ended. This will further regionalisation, and the implementation and development of regional chains.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, despite the progress made in recent years within the European Union, within this Europe that champions human rights, structural discrimination on the grounds of sex still exists. Women do not enjoy the same rights as men, there are still fewer women representatives in public institutions and also at decision-making levels in private enterprise, and they are still the main victims of domestic cruelty and sexual violence. I should like to highlight one point which frankly I see as a determining factor in this question: the lack of equality in the employment sphere. There will never be equality if women do not have personal financial autonomy, if they have to depend on men for their support and to ensure their future. What can most make women truly free and equal is to have the same opportunities of finding a job as men and not at a lower rate of pay. I am convinced that the day when women achieve real financial independence through their work, then they will be truly free and all other inequalities will have disappeared.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, for the public, health and healthy food are the top priority. But how am I as a consumer to know if a particular food is healthy? Just looking certainly is not enough. An apple with wormholes in it can be far healthier than a shiny, beautifully round apple. The agricultural sector – and this does not just apply to Austria – professes to observe the principles of food safety, traceability and hygiene. For me, this debate is an opportunity to champion the cause of small farms, because it is always in the big, industrialised concerns, which really have very little in common with farms, that scandals occur. Nevertheless, small farms are still at the mercy of animal feed producers and vets who can prescribe all sorts of hormones and other drugs. One thing is certain: the controls have not worked. You can, of course, turn things round however you want and say, yes, we just need even stricter rules. But if we are not even enforcing the existing rules, how are we going to cope with even stricter ones? It will not help at all. Whatever legislation we enact will remain a paper tiger if we do not enforce it. As I see it, controlling the enforcers should be a job for the Commission. You cannot just turn your back on this problem. Cheap food may be good for winning the next election, but it is not good for public health, and I think the public knows that too. I would like to stress once more that strict rules and regulations and comprehensive documentation of controls are certainly important for big companies. But it would be pointless to harass small family farms with this. To be quite specific, very small food-processing companies need more information and motivation and less bureaucracy and documentation. There is no denying that not only is preventing food crises extremely important for the future of farmers, it is also highly important for the future of public health in the European Union. I believe, Commissioner, that we have not yet found the right way of achieving this.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I just wanted to say that I support Mr Wurtz’s proposal. As everyone is in agreement, I have nothing more to add. (Parliament agreed to the proposal) (The order of business was thus established)(1)

Political group: Verts-ALE
draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Budgets. – Mr President, I would like to begin by congratulating the rapporteur and, as you said, speaking on behalf of the Budget Committee, we are largely supportive of this report. However, there are one or two amendments that cause some difficulties. As the rapporteur stated, Article 28 of the new financial regulation requires that any proposal submitted that has budgetary impact must be accompanied by a financial statement and an evaluation. This report does not do so with respect to the new figure of EUR 351 million, so my committee will only be in a position to support this report if the rapporteur tables an oral amendment to this effect. I hope that all the groups in this House will support this approach because objecting to the oral amendment will only lead to referral back and delay. Moving on to this figure, we have to recognise the constraints in the financial perspective that we have at the moment. Unless we use the flexibility instrument, it will be very difficult for us to meet the amounts stated. So it will have an impact on other policy areas within heading 4 and my plea to all parties is that, when we move on to this stage, this should not be done at the expense of other policies affecting the poorest countries. We do not want to give with one hand and take away with the other. This is precisely what the Development Council states: any funding should be additional. Personally speaking, I welcome whole-heartedly the contents of the Commission paper and the rapporteur's proposals, and I applaud the fact that the EU has led the way in this area. HIV, tuberculosis and malaria are the world's greatest killers and are the most serious diseases affecting the world today. Nearly six million people have died. So much EU funding is used for intangible issues, and I hope we will support this report.

Political group: PSE