GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the wider Europe strategy was a good idea. This initiative is sensible and necessary, but it has been ill-conceived. Commissioner, you know my views on this. The wider Europe strategy is a mixture of the Barcelona Process and our plans for our eastern neighbours. The result is a collection of instruments that in any case already exist, but there is no strategy – I would reiterate this – there is no big new idea, and that is what we need to structure our cooperation with our various neighbours, each of which has its own particular situation. The neighbours that want to join the European Union themselves have been treated in just the same way as the countries of North Africa. No consideration has been given to the real problems that 2004 will bring: the problems at the border, the fact that people are really worried about a new wall being erected, and the fact that there is already good cross-border cooperation there that is not being taken into account. These regions are facing very many problems that stem from the last two world wars. Individual groups are making huge efforts to restore understanding and then an initiative comes along that leaves them dumbfounded. None of what is really needed in this region is included in this initiative. I welcome the fact, Commissioner, that you have acknowledged this failure, and the differentiation approach in the Commission document gives grounds for hope. The New Neighbourhood Instrument also contains very good ideas. I think it would be very useful if it could be in place before 2004 so that we can achieve what we need to achieve, which is to give hope to the people on the external border that they are not being forgotten. In my opinion, general action plans are not enough here. Above all, the Neighbourhood Instrument must be earmarked for cross-border cooperation, because that means something to the people on the ground. In addition, a condition for inclusion in the neighbourhood concept as a whole must be to recognise and apply the democratic rule of law and to recognise human and minority rights. All of the measures must take this into account. I would refer here once more to Parliament’s criticism of Russia. The Chechnya problem is not a secondary issue. It is the central problem in our relations with Russia.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, when about two months ago I proposed that Paragraph 6 of the report should include a reference to the need to improve the security and protection of ethnic minorities and the rapporteur, whom I should like to take this opportunity to congratulate on her work, accepted my proposal, I was of course thinking of the generally poor record of this country in its dealings with minorities on its territory, especially the Greek minority. However, I must admit that even I did not imagine that we would have such overwhelming confirmation quite so soon of the poor conduct of the Albanian authorities. Its undisguised violence and forgery at the expense of the Greek minority candidates and voters during the recent elections, as witnessed by objective official international observers, demonstrated that, unfortunately, Albania has little respect for even its most rudimentary obligations as it makes its way towards the European Union, at the very time when Albania itself is calling on the international community to intervene, including militarily, in the defence of oppressed Albanian minorities in third countries and demanding that all the human rights of Albanian migrants, including illegal immigrants, be guaranteed, a demand which we all feel it is advisable for us to attempt to satisfy, and rightly so. Greece is a typical example; despite providing various forms of generous support to the post-Communist Albanian regime and receiving and welcoming thousands of Albanian immigrants and illegal immigrants, it must now watch as the large historic Greek minority in Albania is systematically persecuted and its rudimentary human, political and cultural rights are repeatedly violated. All this and the unacceptable events in Himara give us cause, I think, to make a very careful assessment of just how able and willing Albania is to take on the accepted European criteria in the areas of human rights and democratic freedoms and, by extension, to modulate and adjust our general approach, our action plans and the various benefits which we provide this country accordingly until such time it revises its policy.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I have a couple of questions for the Commissioner. I am obviously pleased that a report is now being produced, but I have to observe that there is a large discrepancy between the Commission’s report and what the Court of Auditors says. It might be stimulating to hear a couple of remarks concerning this discrepancy. The report also observes that there are serious problems with the system, as we also know of course from the Court of Auditors and from a canny Mrs Andreasen. The fact that the system cannot talk to itself is also a very great weakness. I am pleased to see the idea rejected that fraud and irregularities can occur, but the Commission maintains that there are too few authorised users with access to the system, and that is something about which the Court of Auditors disagrees. I should like to hear why there is such considerable disagreement between the Commission and the Court of Auditors. These really are issues we should very much like to hear something about in the Committee on Budgetary Control.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, the EU’s economic and social policy is important, and the European model is based upon a balance between growth, union rights, good conditions in the labour market and sustainable development. We must give impetus to this policy. Where growth is concerned, we must pin our hopes on, for example, research and development, the training of the labour force and investment. It is at least as important that trade unions exert influence upon developments in individual workplaces and so achieve better working environments. It is just as important that we make development sustainable in a long-term perspective. I am optimistic. I believe that enlargement can be a positive thing, not only for the new countries but also for the whole of the EU, including those of us who have been MEPs and EU Members for some time. I believe that it can be a success and a win-win situation. I myself come from the Baltic area and live in Sweden. I believe that growth can increase through an increase in trade across the Baltic. It is therefore important that we not compete with one other through social dumping, poorer working conditions or tax dumping that undermines our welfare systems, but that we maintain a high level of rights in the labour market and where our welfare systems are concerned. When we invest, we must do so in new, clean technology that also creates sustainable development and makes for long-term, rather than just short-term, growth. I am optimistic, but such optimism depends upon maintaining the balance in the social model.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, under the present circumstances, reconfirming the Lisbon objectives would appear to be of somewhat secondary importance because we are, of course, all concerned about the war, its huge political consequences and the human tragedy. I am here to talk about Lisbon, however, and I think that the agreement reached at the Council about common action by the European governments is an important element of political stability with the present split in Europe. It was important, in these difficult times, for the European governments to express a common political will to continue their efforts in the social field. It is equally important for these targets to be closely linked to education and research. This meets the expectations of European citizens, who know full well that we cannot achieve more and better jobs and greater economic growth without education and research. We will, of course, have to be highly critical when it comes to meeting the targets. We are seriously behind schedule, as everyone admits, and that should spur us on to even greater effort. In order to make progress, we need more cooperation on investment programmes in all sectors, including training and lifelong learning which, together with education and research, are communicating vessels. Education must prove that it knows how to incorporate European culture and sciences, the learning process, in order to produce learned students with job prospects.

Political group: PSE
I abstained from voting on compromise Amendment No 7 and I disagree with paragraph 30 of the motion for a resolution. I believe that it is a mistake to say that ‘draft Constitution prepared by the Convention (...) expresses the will of the citizens’. The will of the citizens will only be effective once the Constitution has been ratified by a referendum of the people at European level. Furthermore, I supported Amendment No 78, which expresses unhappiness at the draft Constitution’s inclusion in part III, unamended, of all the articles of the Maastricht Treaty dealing with the Union’s economic and monetary policy, which are founded on the principle of ‘an open market economy with free competition’ (Article III-70 of the draft Constitution). I believe that this amendment is crucial to fully guarantee the content of Article 3 of the draft Constitution, which suggests that the Union is founded on a ‘social market economy, highly competitive and aiming at full employment and social progress’. On the issue of public services I supported Amendment No 82, which calls for public services to be exempted from the rules of Community competition law. (Explanation of vote abbreviated in accordance with Rule 137(1) of the Rules of Procedure)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I wish to draw your attention, and that of the Commission and the House, to the extremely serious events that have been taking place in East Timor, because this House has always supported the process of achieving independence and peace in East Timor, which is like a son or a daughter to this House and to the European Union, and to which we are committed. Extremely serious and somewhat mysterious uprisings and revolts have occurred in East Timor, which warrant the attention of the European authorities. I would ask the President to consider contacting President Xanana Gusmão in order to find out what is going on in East Timor, given our great concern for that country, which has only recently gained its independence.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, the very positive assessment that we are making today of the meeting in New York, should not allow us to forget that there have been serious deficiencies and great hypocrisy, even within the European Union, which make me want to double my efforts from now on. An example of this, and this is an appeal to the Council, is the issue of wage discrimination. It has been demonstrated that, compared to men doing the same work, women receive 50 or up to 80 per cent less. This is not in our legislation. Nevertheless, it appears that the European Union approves of it. I wonder if the Portuguese Presidency, before the end of its mandate, could make a recommendation in this respect. It also seemed extremely important to me, Mr Patten, that in the meeting in New York, when the policy of microcredits was discussed – loans to certain women so that they may be given access to financial autonomy – the countries recognised that these programmes of microcredits had been a complete success. Why does the Commission and the European Union, given such a positive assessment, not implement these programmes so that the European Union may also offer its women with no resources the possibility of these policies? Please answer me, Mr Patten. Mr President, the European Parliament’s delegation played a magnificent role with regard to the candidate countries. Our work has been outstanding in this respect. I do have reservations with regard to Poland, but precisely because Parliament’s delegation played such a significant role. Mr Varaut, you are very badly informed. You have made a fool of yourself. You were not in New York, but I was. Your information is not accurate. It is not even true. Your intervention is very unfortunate because it is false. I have to refute what you have said because none of it is true.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, and those ladies and gentlemen who are still awake, the economic integration of Europe is an objective which many, even among those who oppose political integration, can swallow without indigestion. The promotion of local shipping also enjoys broad favour, since preservation of the environment and a significant reduction of congestion on our roads are essential. The Commission's proposal for a common form for ports is a sensible step (even though on this occasion it does not arouse political passions) towards the simplification of port formalities. It must be said that the forms in use at present vary greatly between Member States. The proposed directive would mean that the International Maritime Organisation's FAL forms would always be approved in our ports. For once we are getting a proposal from the Commission which does not increase bureaucracy in any way. It would be nice if this could happen more often. This stems from the fact that the Member States are by no means obliged to demand any forms; whereas, if a Member State regards it as necessary to obtain information covered by the proposed directive, it must always accept the FAL forms. I support the Commission's proposal, and take the view that we should welcome it with open arms. I have made a few technical adjustments which are in line with the Council of Ministers' preliminary position. I believe that we can now, exceptionally, get by with a single reading. I also thank the members of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, who succeeded in keeping the political animal which lurks in all of us under control, and did not churn out revisions of their own. Putting our own stamp on everything must not lead to the objectives themselves being obscured and timetables being interfered with. This time we neatly avoided this pitfall. The general adoption of the IMO's FAL documents will promote the efficient functioning of the common market, and it definitely represents a welcome improvement. I do not, however, wish to overestimate its importance, since what is involved here is merely a very small part of a larger whole. We will not bring dynamism to ports merely by standardising forms; we need to introduce competition to ports as well. The significance of my report does, in fact, largely hinge on the question of whether we will have the courage also to approve the Commission's proposal for deregulating port services. I hope that Parliament will continue the project of building Europe by dismantling monopolies. And, in this context, I look symbolically and appealingly in the direction of my highly esteemed colleague Mr Jarzembowski. Finally, I wish to give thanks once again for the cooperation of the Commission and of the Council. Europe needs constructive action and less politically-motivated confrontation. I trust that we will be able to improve the status of shipping by the action now proposed. Ladies and gentlemen, the rudder is set. Let us steer Europe in the direction of competitive ports!

Political group: PPE-DE
We broadly agree with the rapporteur's view that the Commission's basic proposal to reduce sugar quotas by 115 000 tonnes should be rejected. Nevertheless, we regret that our amendment, which aimed to correct the injustice committed by the Commission in allocating Portugal's quota, has been rejected. Our current quota is just 70 000 tonnes, and the total production rights allocated to growers represent just 20% of the country's consumption. This means that the economic viability of the only sugar beet processing plant in mainland Portugal, in Coruche, could be jeopardised if it does not reach an output close to 100 000 tonnes. An increase of 30 000 tonnes has therefore been proposed. This adjustment would create a level playing field for Portuguese growers and would guarantee the sustainability of sugar beet production, which in any case can and should be increased when the Alqueva dam comes into operation. Similarly, with regard to the Azores, we believe that it is vital to guarantee the viability of the only existing plant, on the island of São Miguel, whose operation is essential for that ultraperipheral region.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I want to thank the rapporteurs for their work and say that they have found a decent consensus and produced good reports. I want to wish the new Commissioner well in her first budget and say that I sincerely hope that we can have a smooth and effective procedure in which all of us will do the best we can to produce a sensible budget in a most efficient way. If there are to be problems – and sometimes there are problems – it will be around this whole question of the proposal to finance the shortfall in Category 4 with money from the agricultural section of the budget. This proposal is more likely to create psychological problems throughout the European Union in rural areas than real problems. We have to reassure European farmers and say to them there are regulations in place, those regulations grant entitlements to European farmers and there is no possibility whatever happens that those obligations can be denied by the European Union. Nevertheless, we do have a fall in incomes. We did have a statement by the Commission for 2000-2006 and that set out certain perimeters within which agricultural spending would be provided for. Now we hear new proposals coming forward that if we have a situation of enlargement, we have entirely new proposals for entirely new policies towards the new Member States and without any provision as to how these will be financed. We need a little bit more clarity and there is tension building up between the institutions on this question of the Balkans. The sooner the Commission can propose to us clear figures for year-by-year spending the better. I do not actually think that it is necessary to take any money from agriculture in order to finance a decent programme within the amounts of money set out – EUR 5.5 billion – considering what the obligations of the Union are, what the Member States will put up and what is likely to be called upon because of the situation in Serbia. So why generate a battle about some EUR 300 million that, in the end, I do not think that we will have to call down from agriculture? IN THE CHAIR: MR ONESTAVice-President

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco products: this is where the Commission wants to combine the three existing internal market directives. The simplification of regulations as such, is only to be welcomed, yet the debate about tobacco has certainly taken on a very biased tone in many quarters. There is no doubt about it: our citizens must be protected against the damaging effects of tobacco consumption and given the appropriate warnings. I say that as a confirmed – but hopefully very tolerant – non-smoker and am wholeheartedly in support of this. However, the debate about labelling is completely over the top to my mind. Every smoker is aware of the risks tobacco consumption poses to health. If people do not have the willpower themselves to give up cigarettes then as I see it, a statement covering a large area of the packet is not going to deter them from smoking either. Overdoing the statements will do neither the consumer nor the industry any favours. The death’s head on the packet has no real bearing on whether or not someone decides to take up smoking. We need to hit the consumer where it hurts the most, which is the wallet in my view. Temptation is best tackled with a lack of money. If we do not want to drive the industry to take up the habit as well, then we must support an extension of the deadline for reducing the tar and nicotine content of tobacco products until December 2006. The limit values proposed by the Commission for the year 2003 are not workable in our view. The tobacco industry in Europe constitutes a highly significant economic factor. I am therefore against putting companies at a disadvantage competitively, especially small and medium-sized enterprises. The Commission talks about harmonisation of internal market regulations, yet these small enterprises will be the ones to suffer the most from the stranglehold of special conditions and measuring procedures.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, may I first, on behalf of my group, congratulate the rapporteur very warmly on his report, which certainly gives a very good, consistent and comprehensive picture of the situation as he sees it. Nevertheless, my group tabled a large number of amendments both in committee and in the plenary, and the fact that it did so is no reflection on the quality of the report, but because we are, after all – particularly on the issue of the scope of the principle of subsidiarity – of a different political opinion. We want a strong union which takes full responsibility for the tasks incumbent on it, which creates a well-functioning internal market and which actually makes it possible to strengthen social and regional cohesion. It has to be possible for the Community to act wherever this makes it possible to achieve improved and increased European added value. It is particularly important for this strength of acting at Community level to be emphasised at this time. Firstly because, in view of the forthcoming enlargement, we are in especial need of a strong European Union if we want to help the future new Member States and their peoples, and also if we want to overcome the many crucial tests facing us in our Member States. Secondly, we in the European Parliament, of all people, should be emphasising European togetherness and the Community aspect, particularly at a time when we are seeing that the commitment of the governments of many Member States to this is declining, and that short-sighted, egotistical nationalism and a desire to go it alone are gaining increasing ground. But it is precisely when we want the creative power of the Community to be at work in all the central and important European issues, and when this is also accepted and supported by the public, that it is certainly necessary for us to concentrate more than ever on the essential points and to delete a good many of the points from our present agenda. I am also convinced, if we can agree on what is necessary and right, that it would be better to do this on a case-by-case basis and to remove anything superfluous from the agenda. It is certainly easier to make pragmatic decisions in individual cases than it is in general reports and debates of principle. This is particularly true of the principle of subsidiarity, but it also applies to the quality of legislation. Instead of having abstract arguments about general principles, we should consider the necessity of individual projects more often in this House and we should also invest more time and resources in legislative quality.

Political group: PSE