GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Commissioner, the European Union needs an industrial policy. Enlargement makes it even more necessary, and that policy cannot be reduced to competition policy alone. Competition policy alone can neither respond to the social challenges and to the risk of sudden relocations to areas of low taxation and low wage costs, nor can it satisfy the ambition of having an excellent innovative industry with a high level of skill and added value providing a large number of quality jobs. This ambition of excellence ought to be ours for the present Member States as for the candidate countries. We must reject any kind of fatalism that says Europe is doomed to de-industrialise or to see its industries concentrated in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe alone. As Mr Herzog said, I do not believe that the answer to this vision of renunciation or to the illusion of a European economy that will remain strong if it concentrates exclusively on services but loses many technological trump cards lies solely in entrepreneurship; we must also look for the answer in genuine industrial strategies, which are still hard to discern in the Commission communication. A real industrial policy must be based on large projects and sustained strategies in sectors combining, for example, research and development efforts with the creation of European champions. By encouraging groupings, for example, we could create champions capable of acting on a world scale, drawing after them a whole sector of job-creating SMEs. When that has happened in the past, it has been on the basis of intergovernmental and not Community initiatives. We can think of Airbus, the defence industries or Arianespace, while there are many other fields – you mentioned several – where much more aggressive and vigorous action would be required. I think it is up to the Commission to take initiatives in this respect, although, it is true, we need to give it the competences to do so. Perhaps we should have an industrial policy Commissioner alongside the competition Commissioner. Finally, as Mrs Zrihen has said, this industrial policy, including the aspect of competitiveness, must form part of a social vision. There are essential questions that cannot be avoided here. I will mention tax harmonisation, the conditions of social harmonisation, especially after enlargement, and worker representation in large European groups, without which there will be no real social dialogue. In this connection, the revised directive on European works councils is still blocked, even though it has been approved by Parliament. Finally, I will mention policy on lifelong learning. I will end on this point by pointing out that in our businesses, in our countries, it is easier to give training opportunities to people who are already very highly qualified than to the least well qualified persons. That is why I hope that our Assembly will vote by a very large majority in favour of Mrs Zrihen’s report and that the Commission will take note of it.

Political group: PSE
The Commission’s proposal aims to establish a framework for a monitoring mechanism for greenhouse gas emissions, with a view to implementing the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Of the many different issues at stake, it might be worth emphasising the following: - measures which encourage a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in an objective, rational manner are much-needed and positive, but it is just as important to emphasise that reduction as a goal must not be mystified or made into a big deal; - the Commission has stated its aim of attempting to establish the right conditions for creating an emissions allowance market, by means of a Community scheme for managing pollutant emissions. The Commission, moreover, is seeking to take centre stage yet again in overseeing the extent to which each country is meeting its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. The European Parliament is acting, yet again, to stall these plans, ensuring that Member States retain their prerogatives in this area and in respect of their international obligations. In conclusion, no solution to the grave threat of air pollution can be envisaged without the necessary research into other sources of energy, such as renewable ones.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the diversity of languages is a source of cultural wealth. I thank the rapporteur, Mr Graça Moura, for having reinstated this aspect which was sorely lacking at the beginning, for having established from the outset that we are not simply facing a technical information and communication problem and for reminding us that the diversity of languages is the product of a civilisation which has both written and oral traditions. We must be wary of adopting a functional and utilitarian approach to languages, for this approach ignores the fact that language facilitates thought and that thought facilitates citizenship. I feel, therefore, that learning at least two languages is the minimum needed to keep up with the dynamic evolution of European democracy, as well as to ensure the mobility of students and workers. I just wonder what means are available to us now, apart from a few fine words and a tiny amount of money, to see this policy through. We must be able to think with our mother tongue and also with, or in, other languages. As a Frenchwoman I am convinced that being a French speaker goes hand in hand with using foreign languages. That is why we must convince parents, teachers and politicians that language learning must begin at primary school level, or even at pre-school level. That is also why interpreting and translating should not be relegated as they still are, to the status of ancillary skills. We must do more than simply argue in favour of the diversity of languages and call for differences to be respected. It is a question of whether Europe takes on an identity based on a range of identities, rather than just accepting a common ground of differences. This leads on to the debate on the official languages of the Community and the recognised languages, be they national or regional, of all of today’s countries and those of tomorrow, particularly in the context of enlargement, which, as we all know, is a cause for concern for us in terms of languages. Europeans also have a heritage, beginning with ancient Greek and Latin; we have all stressed this in committee and we must not lose these languages. Europeans must not neglect any language, nor must they forget the languages of the immigrants present in considerable numbers in our countries, or sign language which is the minority language par excellence. I feel that a successful awareness campaign must, of course, present languages as subjects to be studied and as a mechanism for exchang but it must also remind people that languages are also a source of fun and a pleasure. (Applause)

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President-in-Office, Commissioner, with my French colleagues in the Group of the , I naturally follow the external actions of the European Union with great interest. In general we favour a strong European Union presence on the international scene. That implies firm and unswerving commitment from the Council itself first of all. You spoke of high ambition, Minister, and I was pleased to hear it. But that also presupposes a Commission genuinely capable of action. That is what the Commissioner wants and I hope he is getting, and will get, the political, administrative and financial resources he needs to put his ideas into practice and make the CFSP really effective and efficient. But in this short speech, I want to focus on enlargement. A recent interview with a German newspaper stirred up some turmoil. For us, however, it is clear: there is no question of slowing down the enlargement process by introducing new requirements or a variety of delaying tactics. On the contrary, we must do everything we can to move it forward, as you just reaffirmed, Minister, and of course that does not exclude either rigour or vigilance. A slapdash enlargement would obviously be a great mistake. Having said that, we are conscious of the problems due to public opinion both within the fifteen Member States and in the candidate countries. Public opinion is very ill informed and can veer from irrational enthusiasm to a sense of discouragement to outright hostility. A great deal of work undoubtedly needs to be done if the long and difficult process of enlargement is to have solid, clear-sighted and determined popular support.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, as the previous speakers have already said, the situation in Eritrea is becoming increasingly serious as far democracy is concerned. The Eritrean Parliament, which is made up of elected members who all belong to the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, has decided to ban the formation of political parties. The independent press has been suppressed and many journalists, politicians and political opponents, including former government ministers, have been arrested, accused of treason against the national assembly. There is an increase in repressive measures being taken to control the citizens, especially students, two of whom died while imprisoned in the desert. The Italian ambassador has been expelled. The state of the economy and of citizens’ living conditions is becoming increasingly serious. The non-governmental organisations operating in Eritrea report situations which have reached hitherto unknown severity: even doctors, nurses and paramedics have been removed from hospitals and sent to the front, leaving the people with no health care at all. The violence inflicted on the people, particularly women and children, is indescribable. The international community cannot just stand by and watch. We need to intervene as swiftly as possible to help define the borders. The UN Security Council and the Algiers Commission have committed themselves to doing this, but we need a European delegation, a troika, to go to Eritrea and we need to reassess relations with this country on the basis of the Cotonou agreements. We need to demand the announcement of parliamentary elections – already scheduled, moreover, for December 2001 – elections which must take place under international supervision. We must demand the release of all political prisoners, and that the freedom of the press, the freedom of association, the freedom to develop society and the freedom to form political parties and trade unions be restored. All this must be an essential prerequisite if the Union is to resume the financing which is absolutely vital for the reconstruction of the country’s war-torn economy and for its development. The Council and the Member States need to adopt a coordinated approach to relations with Eritrea which is as effective as possible and such as to contribute quickly to the process of achieving peace at the country’s borders and within Eritrea. The ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will take place as of mid-March. We hope that, at that forum, we will be able to debate the processes announced previously as having already taken place, and that we will be able to find a way to initiate a peace process with the Eritreans as well, to restore democracy and, most importantly, to restore to the citizens, men, women and children acceptable living conditions which are no longer shameful.

Political group: PSE
We have voted in favour of this report because its content is sound. We do not, however, accept the content of one of the amendments to the report. This calls upon the Member States automatically to legalise the position of immigrants working without residence permits. We view this as a direct challenge to people outside the EU to try to emigrate illegally to the EU, and we also perceive the risks of social dumping that such a situation would entail.

Political group: PSE
The distinct identity of the outermost regions, as manifested in a specific set of problems requiring special treatment by the European Union, has once again been recognised by the European Parliament. This time it is in the context of the common fisheries policy – an area in which the specific nature of the outermost regions is particularly evident – when Parliament decided in favour of the need to extend the exclusive fishing zone for regional fishing vessels from 12 to 50 miles. This measure makes very good sense for two main reasons: First, since the opportunities open to fishermen in these regions have shrunk, it is vital to expand them by increasing the exclusive fishing area to 50 miles. Secondly, this is also a way of ensuring the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fish stocks in the seas of the outermost regions. In addition, the fishing capacity of the regional fleets is limited, and the fishing methods used in these regions are environment-friendly, in that they are fully compatible with the overriding need to guarantee the conservation of fish stocks. I therefore welcome Parliament’s adoption of this important measure for the outermost regions and also the ’s vote in its favour, which was decisive in its success.

Political group: PPE-DE
It was a request for you to refer this to the Constitutional Affairs Committee. ***

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I too would like to congratulate Mrs Morgan for writing this report especially considering the remarkably tight deadlines that she set herself by falling pregnant. I am sure that this House wishes her every success in that particular project, although I am slightly worried that the baby's first words might include the words 'discharge' and 'procedure'. I would also like to commend to the House the way in which from its conception this report was drawn up using other reports already passed by our committee. Some here will know of my interest in the budget in general, and as budget rapporteur for the Budgetary Control Committee, I wrote a report in which a number of conclusions that are included here were conceived, mainly in paragraph 16 of this report. From that embryonic stage, they have now come through their period of gestation and are born within this report. They concern a number of courses of action that the Budgetary Control Committee can take when it finds problems in different areas, including recommending to the Committee on Budgets to freeze or reduce the amount of appropriations intended for the headings concerned in the following year's budget; to authorise no transfers of appropriations to take place involving increasing the headings concerned for a certain period until further internal investigations are concluded; up to asking the President of the Commission to ask for the resignation of any individual Commissioners concerned with the serious problems found, a kind of EU Caesarean. Finally, I would commend the rapporteur's proposals about speeding up the contradictory procedure and the various statements on the special reports, although I do have to say to the rapporteur that I intend to disagree with the five-month timetable proposed in the report for dealing with these. Perhaps a nine-month timetable would be in order. I am sure that the rapporteur would be pleased to hear that there are few differences between the main groups to breach in these circumstances. Forceps are not required to tweeze out any agreements, and we will be voting for her report.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, my motion is that we hold a vote on this matter. The committee which I have the honour to chair examined the STOA report. We know quite clearly what the position of the different Members of the House is on this, and the Conference of Presidents has quite rightly presented proposals to us. There is only one question which arises: whether we should look at one particular system which might be an invasion of privacy, or at all potential systems that might be an invasion of privacy. There are clear amendments on our order paper today which deal with that point. I move that we now hold a vote on this matter.

Political group: ELDR
Commissioner, I have a further question. I believe that your response to the problem of third-country imports was simply that you are introducing more stringent controls on imports of feedingstuffs. However, Mrs Doyle and, indeed, Mr Parish were referring to the end product. After all, throughout Europe, we have ready-made foods from these countries in our freezers. This is why we are asking to what extent we have to impose controls, reject the products, or even tolerate distortions of competition with the European Community.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, two questions need to be answered with regard to the new proposal in the Napolitano report. The first question is: is the proposal in accordance with the rules of the OLAF European Parliament and Council Regulation of 25 May 1999? And the second question is: is the proposal in accordance with the interinstitutional agreement between Parliament, the Council and the Commission? The answer to the first question is an obvious “yes”. The proposal is in accordance with the Regulation. The answer to the second question is not so easy. It was the intention of the agreement to find a solution to the whistle-blower problem, that is to say, to the question of what an official should do if he obtains knowledge of fraud or clues suggesting corruption but – for whatever reason – does not want to confide in his superiors. We have said that he should then approach OLAF directly. This possibility is now excluded in the proposal before us in the case of Members of this House. That is justified because the Members are protected in a special way by the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities in the performance of their duties. This protection goes further than the protection enjoyed by the Members of the EU Commission through this Protocol. My concern is only that the proposal that officials should approach the President of the Parliament directly, will create more problems than it solves. It is foreseeable that the press will then regularly ask: How many cases are there and which ones? If there are none, they will say that they have intimidated their officials to such an extent that nobody trusts himself or herself any more. If there are some, then they will try to drag each of these cases into the spotlight. I would have preferred to take up the original proposal by the Committee on Budgetary Control in its opinion for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, in which this whole series of questions is ignored and only the rights and obligations of the Members is covered. That would have left us time to consider other questions in peace. I believe, nevertheless, that given the difficult circumstances, Mr Napolitano has drawn up a very good report and I should like to support him in the vote this lunchtime.

Political group: PSE
I am pleased to hear the Commissioner's comments on the Charter. I would like to push him to give details about the nature of the campaign. Last Wednesday we had a very successful launch of the European information campaign involving Commissioners and Members of the European Parliament. I would like the Commissioner to reassure me that, when the campaign is decentralised, information offices in the Member States will involve Members of the European Parliament in the information campaign as a matter of course. After all, it is the MEPs who are supposed to represent the citizens. We are at least as well-placed as the Commission to engage in that dialogue with the citizens.

Political group: PSE
As regards non-regulation by Community law, my understanding is that before 2002 a certain amount of EU funding was devoted to greyhound breeding in Ireland once funding for sheep breeding had stopped because there was an over-capacity of sheep. If that is the case, the Commission should be concerned about animals whose breeding was partially funded by the EU. In Spain the situation has not changed. I was talking to someone a few days ago who had been to one of these illegal race tracks in Spain, where they found nine greyhounds from Ireland racing on a course in appalling conditions. As regards animals not being traced, I would like the Commission to see if it could look at some sort of strict regulation on greyhound breeding and the export of greyhounds. As regards correct identification, a microchip would be very useful in tracing the animal's place of origin. The Commission could take an initiative here in passing some sort of law on this, and also making greyhound owners responsible for the animal, not just for the two-and-a-half years in Ireland where the dogs are economically of benefit to the owners, but for the whole of their lives. It is unacceptable that these animals are raced to death in places such as Spain and kept in appalling conditions. We have to take responsibility for that. That is why the Commission must take some sort of initiative to bring in legislation to ensure that this issue is wiped out.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Madam President, thank you giving me this opportunity to speak on the oral questions tabled by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. The presidency has already drawn up and submitted the report on the Intergovernmental Conference. We hope that, when it presents this report at the Feira Council, it will take into account the questions tabled by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and, of course, the opinions which will be expressed this morning by the representatives of the political groups. The main point raised by the questions of the Committee of which I am Chairman is that we should not just restrict ourselves to recording the agreements and disagreements expressed around the Intergovernmental Conference table, but familiarise ourselves with the extent of the challenges and risks facing the Conference. The future of the development of Europe and the validity and sustainability of the institutions of the Union is at stake, with the now sure and fast-approaching prospect of enlargement to include a further 12 countries, and our relations with the citizens and their approval and support are also at risk. In our questions, we referred to Mr Fischer’s speech. His speech and others which preceded or followed it – and, of the most recent, I would cite Wolfgang Schäuble’s extremely dramatic speech – should have contributed to impressing upon everybody the current responsibility of the institutions and, in particular, the governments of the 15 Member States to bring the Intergovernmental Conference to a conclusion. Clearly, all the questions regarding the future of the Union cannot be resolved here, of that we are aware, but in Nice we must create the institutional conditions necessary for a new stage in the life of the Union. In the oral question to the Commission, we requested clarification regarding its undertaking to reorganise the Treaties and provide a fresh perspective on the problems of governance, points on which the Commission had already made its opinion clear. In our oral question to the Council, we requested clarification of the issue of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and its incorporation into the Treaties. In conclusion, I would add that it is important to include the topic of closer cooperation on the agenda of the Intergovernmental Conference – and we greatly appreciate the efforts of the Portuguese Presidency in this area – but, in our opinion, the agenda cannot be extended to include this subject alone without serious consideration of all the other points put forward by Parliament in the resolution of 13 April. This is cause for serious concern, particularly for the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, and we are also very concerned by the serious difficulties encountered during these four months by the Portuguese Presidency in its endeavour to define satisfactory solutions for the three issues left unresolved after Amsterdam, particularly the issue of qualified majority voting. We await the responses with confidence.

Political group: PSE