GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
In accordance with the EC Treaty, the Community and the Member States are obliged to adopt measures to combat fraud and to protect the Community’s financial interests. In 2002 alone, some EUR two billion were lost to irregularities and fraud to the detriment of the Community, and this sum is perhaps only the tip of the iceberg – with obvious economic repercussions – highlighting the need to step up the fight against corruption. I share many of the rapporteur’s criticisms and concerns about the evaluation of OLAF’s activities. As the rapporteur states, ‘the Eurostat case has laid bare a number of weaknesses in the Office’s investigative activities’, in particular the fact that the investigation has been dragging on for years and that the rules to protect those being investigated have not been complied with. Consequently, I also agree with the need to guarantee OLAF greater autonomy and means, in particular for an increase in the number of investigators. There are, however, fundamental issues that must be addressed and which underpin many cases of irregularity and fraud, particularly as regards outsourcing Commission services. Furthermore, I have serious reservations as to the need for a European Public Prosecutor, a stage in the process of creating a European Public Prosecutor’s Office, backed up by Europol, Eurojust and OLAF.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur for his excellent work. My group supports his work in all its aspects. It is true that the issue is an important one: half of all trade is, so to speak, on the water. China is indeed our third largest trading partner outside Europe, and its importance is growing tremendously fast, and up till now there has not been any agreement like this with China. It will apply to such areas as maritime cargo transport and logistics. It is very important that this principle of non-discrimination, which the previous speaker also discussed, as did the rapporteur, is now being supported through an agreement which also contains a measure for action to be taken in case of violation. This principle of non-discrimination is vital for us. Another important thing is that the agreement enables shipping companies to engage in business activity and establish their own companies, subsidiaries and representative offices. That is also an important breakthrough. If a European shipping company feels that it is being discriminated against, it can appeal not just to its own but also to the European Union authorities. Obviously, this means a different sort of power altogether. This agreement means our position and our demands will gain strength. Maritime transport needs a common system of regulation because the sector has become one of cheap labour and despicable, even criminal, activity. It is precisely for this reason that we need strict controls in the maritime transport sector. I would also like to ask how the Commissioner intends to deal with the flag of convenience issue when such incidents as that concerning the Prestige or other accidents occur.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the need has grown over the last ten years for a policy for children, based on the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified by all Member States. The attention that has been paid to this issue has increased considerably in all Member States. Nevertheless, at European Union level, even though children represent around one fifth of the Union’s population, specific attention is very rarely paid to their needs in economic policies and in other areas. Thousands of children all over the world suffer serious and systematic violations of their fundamental rights, from domestic cruelty, which goes undetected and unpunished, and the economic exploitation of their labour, which robs them of their childhood and education, to their use in war; from being forced to play the horrific role of child-soldier to their use in prostitution or pornography. According to the estimates of the Economic and Social Committee, there are more than five million children working in Europe. Most of these children work in areas such as pornography, drug trafficking, child pornography and sexual tourism. These children are in particular need of society’s protection. The evolution of the Internet, its incredibly rapid development and its importance today raise the question of its use for these reprehensible purposes. In the last part-session, here in Strasbourg, we discussed what needs to be done about the Internet. The European Union’s desire is to make more rapid progress in terms of e-commerce and to make a firmer commitment to the new technologies and to education. Today we have been discussing what we need to prevent and combat, and that is the circulation and distribution of child pornography, which has been increasing at an alarming rate. And although it may be true that we have to encourage web-site administrators and service providers to define their standards of conduct and to regulate themselves, and encourage Internet users to inform the authorities whenever they discover child pornography, it is nevertheless true that Union and national law bear some responsibility. Mr Kirkhope’s excellent report makes it very clear how much we still have to do and where we need to improve, in terms of establishing specialist units, strengthening cooperation and exchanges between States, in terms of Europol’s activities and the efficiency of Member States’ actions, including, where necessary, the revision of their own legislation and the procedures in force in these areas so that we can guarantee the effective imposition of criminal sanctions. As far as the responsibility of the Union itself is concerned, I am delighted at the fact that the Charter of Fundamental Rights that is being drawn up considers the specific rights of children, and takes account of the areas in which the Union can provide considerable impetus, specifically in these matters.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I am a friend of Israel and I am proud to be so. I am also a candid friend of Israel. Those are two words: 'candid' and 'friend'; so let me be a candid friend to Israel first of all. Yes, Israel must accept that there has to be a Palestinian state in secure borders. Yes, Israel must withdraw from the territories which it has occupied these past few weeks. Yes, Israel must allow the investigation of what happened in Jenin to take place, provided that investigation is fair and balanced and takes a view which is objective to all sides. Yes, I say to the State of Israel that I am not entirely convinced that the action which it has taken these past few weeks will succeed in the object which it sets itself, because I fear it may have created more people who want to engage in suicide missions. So there I am, the candid friend to the State of Israel. But as a friend of Israel, I am also entitled in this Parliament to speak up for it. I say to this House that it has to understand that what Israel has suffered these past months, the murder of 418 innocent men, women and children, is almost too much for any democratic state to have to bear. What is Israel expected to do about that almost daily assault on its innocent citizens? What is Israel expected to do when it is surrounded by countries who do not even, to this day, accept its right to exist? I support the Saudi peace plan, but it is a shocking comment that it has taken nearly 53 years for some Arab states to come forward with a plan which actually recognises the State of Israel. Israel, too, must face a situation with Yasser Arafat, where he not only does nothing to prevent the terrorist actions taking place, but there is the strongest possible evidence that he is actually complicit in what has happened. That is unacceptable in a partner with whom any state, any government is expected to negotiate. I say to this Parliament that after the events of September 11, we took a view in the civilised world that terrorism was indivisible. Yes, people had rights, but terrorism was unacceptable, there was no such thing as a good terrorist. We must keep that proposal solid, because if we fail, if we say terrorism is OK if it is in the Middle East, but not if it is in the United States or Europe, then we are making a mistake for which we will suffer. The way towards peace and the way for Europe to contribute towards peace is to use its influence in the area, particularly on the Palestinians, and to say to them, yes, there should be a Palestinian state, yes, there should be a State of Israel, but both must have security throughout the years to come. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, that the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development should entrust the drafting of its opinion to a man, and that the women on it should agree to that, is a demonstration of the importance we attach to this problem of equal treatment and equality of opportunity, as we take the view that these are issues not only – and here, ‘not only’ is not meant to be restrictive – affecting women’s social, environmental and cultural achievements, for there is no doubt that they do, but also the economic development of rural areas. Women play a decisive part in the economic development of rural areas. Women’s continuing role, especially on small farms, as invisible workers – to which reference has just been made – is also made apparent by agricultural statistics according to which the proportion of women varies slightly from 0.2% to 0.3%, although nobody can deny that, as there is such a wide range of tasks to be done, women may well do more work on farms than men. This, then, is where we have to focus more on women’s role in the labour force. Commissioner, nobody will now expect the Agriculture Directorate-General to turn itself into an equal opportunities office for women – that would surely be to ask too much of it – but the programmes can of course include priorities that also take women into account, and I acknowledge that the Commission is already doing something about this. If we consider the ways in which funds are allocated, it becomes clear that what we call bottom-up approaches – that is to say, those in which local labour is involved – provide specific opportunities for women. On the whole, they are much more actively involved than are the men. If we give our attention to this, we will enhance women’s role as workers and give them greater economic clout, and that will benefit rural areas as a whole. If I may, as a man, conclude my speech by saying so, women will of course – as they must – defend their own interests, and we see in rural areas that they are very well able to do this and that they are already playing their part in shaping agricultural policy.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Allow me, first of all, to thank the Commissioner for her answer which I think sounds very positive. It is now really however a question of translating words into action. Where this is concerned, we naturally have high hopes of the Commission. It is a fact that air traffic over Europe has seen a period of very considerable delays. This is to a very large extent due to the fact that the number of flights is increasing very dramatically just now. This year alone, the increase has been close on 6%. If delays are to be avoided, what is now really required is the ability to take political action. It is only to be hoped that the Commission has this. The Commissioner is saying here that we need to ensure that we get a common system of air traffic control in Europe. I think that is extremely important. In the long term, we cannot have 66 different national or local bodies dealing with the matter. Instead, one body is needed. I therefore think it is good that the Commissioner is now talking along those lines. Allow me just to ask a short follow-up question. When does the Commissioner consider we are likely to have implemented such a system?

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, efforts to equalise pay for male and female workers for work of equal value have been made at European level since 1951. In 1957, this was enshrined in the Treaty of Rome as a guiding principle and in 1975 in a directive. Despite the legal ban on wage discrimination, there is, as has been said on several occasions today, still a wage gap in the EU at the moment. That is unacceptable. I appreciate that in some cases, it is difficult to establish an objective wage formation process or job evaluation procedure, but that does not take away from the need for more transparency and gender-neutrality. The report rightly mentions value discrimination. That is where the government could step in, but so could the social partners. As stated before, they too play a significant role. It is also important to involve women more in wage negotiations and in the decision-making process in general, and to recruit more women in decision-making bodies. It is embarrassing that the statistics available at European level on male and female wage differentials are out of date and incomplete. I therefore welcome the initiative to collect new data and I support the idea of carrying out further studies into the factors which affect salary scales, as well as the causes of unequal pay for work of equal value. A wage difference of 15% remaining after taking into consideration aspects such as age, training and career level is, as already mentioned, not acceptable. The topic we are discussing at the moment cannot be seen in isolation from other aspects related to women and the participation of women in work. It is closely related to aspects such as access to work, chances of promotion, a combination of work and care, etc. Equal pay for work of equal value can help break the vicious circle of lifelong inequality: lower pay leads to a smaller pension or to more work in order to obtain the same pension; more work often entails a greater need for child care, less time to develop other talents or abilities or to relax outside work, etc. I am pleased that the Belgian Presidency prioritises this issue and hope that the Member States will take this appeal seriously this time. I am also expecting the campaign on this topic in the year 2002 to provide a boost for it. The report we are discussing is an initiative report. I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mrs Smet, on her work. It is mainly thanks to her commitment that this initiative report is now before us. It outlines once more a number of aspects very clearly and offers specific directions for solutions.

Political group: PPE-DE
The Dehaene Group’s plans are, by its own admission, very ambitious, but these plans are only ambitious in relation to the current situation and existing opposition. However, the proposals fall short with respect to the requirements of a Union numbering more than thirty Member States. If the Union was to have twice as many Member States as it has now, the decision-making process would completely run aground unless drastic changes were to be put forward, and they would have to be far more drastic than those that are now on the table. Inevitably, the competences of the Commission, as guardian of common European interests would be extended at the expense of the competences of the national governments represented in the Council. This would demand far greater democratic legitimacy on the part of the Commission than is presently the case, and it would be necessary in the long term for all Commissioners to be directly elected. Of course our Parliament would also need to be accorded the authority due to it. What has a revolutionary ring to it now will soon seem very realistic.

Political group: ELDR
Madam President, 'in cauda venenum' as the Romans used to say: 'the sting is in the tail'. I voted against this report, and I was right to do so. An amendment was rejected which I had tabled, which called for disabled people, the blind and partially sighted, the hearing-impaired, seriously ill people and the very elderly, who as such receive benefits and pensions from the Member States, not to be treated according to current European Union regulations which stipulate that if they go to a Union State which is not their country of residence then they cannot receive their pension. In practice, a disabled person cannot travel within the European Union – from Italy to the United Kingdom, from France to Germany etc. – because, if he moves and changes his country of residence, he will no longer be entitled to the benefits on which he depends to live. When will we put an end to this injustice?

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the escalation of force in Nepal is an unacceptable threat to stability in the entire region of the Himalayas. The destructive work of the Maoist guerrillas continues unabated. In many parts of Nepal there are no longer any schools or hospitals and the infrastructure will be in ruins for years to come. Every week we hear of more police officers and civilians murdered. The most recent low point was when the famous statue of King Gyanendra was blown up in the middle of Patan, an area that I know well. One passer-by was killed and nine others were injured. The guerrillas – unlike the majority of the population who are unequivocal in their support – want an end to the constitutional monarchy. Over 5 000 people have fallen victim to the violence since 1996. It was only last May that the European Parliament conferred with Prime Minister Deuba in Brussels. Now the King has sacked him because, contrary to what he said in public, he was in favour of postponing the November elections for a year. Bahadur Khadka, whom the King appointed as his successor , and who has already been prime minister twice before, is now heading the transitional government and has announced that he intends to secure peace and stability in the country and start negotiating with the rebels. The position of the is perfectly clear. Nepal needs the rule of law, pluralism and continuing parliamentary democracy. The fight against corruption and nepotism must be stepped up and the postponed elections must be accompanied by effective security measures, so that they can be held as quickly as possible. We call on the European Union, across the party political divide, to offer its services as mediator. The Council should appoint a special representative for Nepal. I hope the Commission shares this position. I have acted as vice-chairman of the SAARC delegation for many years and know from my regular contacts with and in Nepal that Europeans are held in high regard. We could start acting as honest brokers right now and make an important contribution to the peace that the Nepalese people have long deserved.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, as the Confederal Group of the , we are against the extension of the Monday sitting, which will serve only to get the anti-terrorism package approved. This package was presented in the Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs this morning, but we could not proceed to the discussion because of the very tight deadlines, and no report was drawn up. I think it is worrying that Parliament should express an opinion without first having drawn up a report on such an important subject. We are therefore against this shortening of deadlines, because it simply does not allow us to present a reasoned report on such an important subject.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I too must express my delight at the fact that the voluntary element has been emphasised in this communication on corporate social responsibility. It was something to which Parliament attached a lot of importance when we issued our opinion and, in the same context, we also attached importance to the exchange of best practice. I should like to ask the Commissioner how this multi-stakeholder forum is to be organised. We proposed that use be made of the Dublin Institute which already has experience of the exchange of good practice between the two sides of industry and which has a large network. Is the Dublin Institute involved in this multi-stakeholder forum? Have the costs there will be in connection with providing small and medium-sized enterprises with information about corporate social responsibility been included in the budget?

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, I should like to start by congratulating my Spanish colleagues of all political persuasions on their enthusiasm for the subjects of their former colonies. However, I wish my country would sometimes stand up for its national interests in the way my Spanish colleagues seem to, irrespective of politics. Having said that, we heard Mr Rod ask why we should not have two regulations so that we can send the money where the poor are. Well, they are in Asia. And there are 800 million of them. If the two regulations are supposed to send the money where the poor are, why are we sending EUR 247 million from Asia to Latin America? I know that the European Parliament is famous for standing on its head but it is an extraordinary example of how we have done so again. We need simple legislation that we can understand, that our voters can understand, so that we can connect with our electorate. Creating two duplicate regulations, going through the entire process, the enormous amount of bureaucracy and, at the same time asking the Commission to simplify its procedures, to decentralise and so on, is such a contradiction. Why are we even considering this? Forgive me for saying this, but are we considering this to be nice to the Spanish? I have to say that I am very nice to the Spanish most of the time but on this occasion I shall not be.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner Bolkestein, ladies and gentlemen, since time immemorial, man has travelled in order to enhance his knowledge of other nations and to come into contact with other cultures. And since time immemorial, the travelling man has – legally or illegally – taken souvenirs from those other cultures. We only need to think of Lord Elgin or Napoleon, who both believed in the ‘finders keepers’ rule of thumb. It is evident that the cultural heritage of the country visited suffered damaged as a result of that. It is therefore to be welcomed that Europe is curtailing this practice. The important role which trade is playing in this cannot be underestimated. If we consider that art thefts from museums and churches are often by order of traders, we should indeed devote attention to this. Although, in my opinion, this is mainly a matter for the Member States themselves, coordination at European level in all fields is essential, particularly so, as Mr Aparicio Sánchez pointed out, in the field of police and customs cooperation. A first step to prevent theft is to draw up an inventory and detailed description, possibly with photographs, of the artefacts which belong to public and private establishments. But also the requirement to provide cultural goods with a certificate of origin has a preventive effect. It is obvious that a universally accessible digital network at European level would be priceless. I should therefore like to express the hope that this will be set up as soon as possible, especially in the light of the stolen goods and of those which have not yet been found. We should not only restrict our catchment area to Europe, but should involve the entire world via the United Nations. That is, after all, quite possible via the Internet. We need to start in Europe, however. I would therefore call on the Member States not just to protect their own cultural heritage, but also that of other countries. I am pleased to say that the Netherlands has already taken a step in the right direction. I hope that the other countries will follow suit, so that the illegal trade in cultural goods can be brought to a close.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am now somewhat surprised at the remarks by Mrs Terrón i Cusí, who yesterday evening said something else entirely. I am against a referral and I would like to ask you to allow the vote on the legislative proposal.

Political group: PPE-DE