GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, energy efficiency is arguably the poor relation in the overall supply situation. We all agree that it is a good thing. But, rather like Saint Augustine, who prayed to God to make him good but not just yet, we tend to put off doing something about it. I wish to congratulate the rapporteur on his determined effort to put this right, both in his report and the initiative that my colleague has referred to for an energy-intelligent Europe – although I confess that I would describe efficiency and conservation more as common sense than intelligence. Everywhere one looks in the energy-rich world we inhabit in Europe, and the USA in particular, one can see examples of energy extravagance, even profligacy. The challenge lies in persuading members of the public of the need to change their ways. The rapporteur lists many sectors where improvements can be made: by public authorities, industry, business and individual consumers. However, I do not believe it is necessary to have an energy chapter in the Treaty, nor to impose punitive taxation in order to impose an improved efficiency. It is better to proceed with a combination of setting higher standards and offering fiscal incentives, coupled with a campaign to persuade people to change. Above all, we must change attitudes and encourage people to look at the world in a different way. That is the way forward to achieve energy efficiency.

Political group: PPE-DE
I welcome Mrs Flemming's question and would also suggest to the Commissioner that there is a way through. There is a sphere of competence within the European Union and it is that of health promotion and illness prevention, which includes the illnesses and suffering that can be caused by elder abuse. I suggest we take a look at this. When I was responsible for this policy area in my home country, we did a lot of research, and a lot of research was done in the USA and other countries, to see how elder abuse could be prevented. Very often elder abuse is committed by evil people who are perpetrating crimes, but very often too it is committed by people within families, carers and professional helpers who reach the end of their tether because they do not feel supported. People who would never have believed themselves capable of elder abuse suddenly find that the explosion has taken place, and that they have struck out and hurt someone they love. I suggest therefore that we look to pool the experience we have in the different Member States in order to establish good practices in this field within the sphere of competence to which I have referred.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I wish to express my agreement with the report drawn up by Mr Turco. Regional development programmes are intended to promote the competitiveness of employment and the creation of conditions that will ensure sustainable development in Europe’s least-favoured regions, in an enlarged Community. In order to ensure that Community aid is effective, an assessment should not focus solely on cost-benefit analysis but should also include other quantitative and qualitative indicators. The priority of the funds is to improve the quality of the programmes, to link these with reducing regional asymmetries within the Union and to use them to improve the quality of life of the citizens. Programmes for the common agricultural policy, the common fisheries policy and for the research and information society must be incorporated into economic and cohesion policy so that the asymmetries are not increased in favour of the richer countries. The Cohesion Fund and the Structural Funds must be used to develop the trans-European networks and, in particular, the high-speed European rail network, so that this can be extended to the outermost regions of the enlarged European Union.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, all of us – or the overwhelming majority of us in this House – view the single internal market and competition in a very favourable light. There are, though, many people who are affected by this issue of general interest, and we are indeed seeing a burgeoning commercialisation of what are called services of general interest. To a large degree, such commercialisation is justified, but thought ought also to be given to whether or not we should go down this road. Much has already been said about the Green Paper and the Convention, and also about the question of whether we have left things too late. There is one thing that we can say with certainty, and that is that Parliament believes that the dialogue between the Commission and the European Court of Justice must come to an end. Parliament is being ignored to an extent that, in this area in particular, could scarcely be surpassed; hence the urgent call for the Commission to make some progress on laying down specific criteria for this. There are two points that are of great importance to me, and that I would like to see resolved once and for all. One feature of the discussion on services of general interest is that the Commission is willing to get involved only where economic activity is concerned. I am sure that this is perfectly understandable in principle, but it always ends up being about questions of detail. Is an ambulance service an economic activity? Yes or no? We do not need decisions in individual cases, but we do need the Commission to at long last specify the criteria to which it will refer when it takes decisions in future. It is not acceptable for decisions – like those on savings banks – to be at short notice and always, immediately beforehand, forwarded only for information. My second point relates to subsidiarity, which does, indeed, loom large in the Convention's deliberations. This is where the Commission's delay in making its presentation to the Convention has been crucial, but the regions and the Member States must continue to be given the option of determining these matters themselves on a local basis. What must not be allowed to happen is standards being imposed by the Commission through the back door. Subsidiarity is about having scope to take your own decisions on a local basis, so that things may perhaps be different in Bavaria – where I come from – from what they are in, say, Luxembourg, where the Commissioner comes from, or in Spain, Portugal, Greece or, in future perhaps, in Lithuania. That is why definitions must not be imposed through the back door. At the end of the day, though, I have to say that what we and the public need is legal certainty, and that is not promoted by what one of your fellow-Commissioners occasionally gets up to, then going as far as to advocate the deregulation of water. That, at the moment, is not on the agenda, and has to be dealt with in a sector-specific way; it is for that reason that the Commission needs to get around to taking action on this.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, what Mr Heaton-Harris has just said is to some extent correct. Mr Heaton-Harris was referring to a section about the interim solution of an internal public prosecutor, whereas the other amendments to the proposal for a directive have gone through. I do not think that this referral back is necessarily the way to solve the problem created by the vote. I cannot say, and in the light of the voting in committee, I cannot see how this report should be further amended.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the end of the treaty means that something must be put in place. Otherwise, an abrupt end of support would cause a chaotic situation. However, it should not be a licence for endless subsidy. The UK experience shows that it is possible to have a competitive industry, but that the adjustment process can be tough and painful. Deadlines are necessary to force action. I would prefer a shorter deadline, but I respect the compromise we reached in the committee to support the Commission proposal. We must recognise the importance of coal to the EU energy supply and I want to emphasise the aspect of security of supply. We are, in Europe, already heavily dependent on imports of coal, and therefore there is a case to maintain some domestic production. Coal represents 16% of our final energy supply in Europe. I believe that our subsidies, however, should be directed more at clean coal technology for greater efficiency and lower emissions. I welcome the recognition of the United Kingdom coal industry's achievement in improving competitiveness and I would like to close with the thought of challenging the logic of subsidising production of coal at around EUR 140 a tonne on the one hand, while on the other hand phasing out much more economically efficient nuclear production.

Political group: PPE-DE
The initial perplexity which the attacks of 11 September caused have not only led to unqualified support for American action in a country where the possible mastermind behind those attacks could be hiding, but has also resulted in measures being considered which would seriously affect civil rights deemed obvious hitherto. All the primitive ideas which guardians of law and order had ever entertained to make it easier to lock up, extradite and condemn opposition forces were suddenly given free rein. It is not only the American administration that comes up with new inventions such as the introduction of the notion of ‘illegal combatants’, who are subsequently unable to enjoy the protection received by prisoners of war. Unfortunately, this development also plays a role in Europe. Anyone who, for a long time, had fought for the right to extradite people to countries where capital punishment still exists, for calling an end to freedoms deemed undesirable in neighbouring countries or for curtailing the rights of suspects, seized their opportunity. Meanwhile, those who, in panic, allowed themselves to be convinced of the need for such draconian measures are starting to consider the implications. This morning, the President of the Group of the European People’s Party and rightly said that support for Russian action against Chechnya cannot be justified in the name of combating terrorism. The fresh proposal by Mr Watson is an improvement, but not yet sufficient to prevent accidents.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Young people are told that it is becoming increasingly easier for them to work abroad. For some, working abroad for a while to gain experience is fun, but it is not if it is a necessity because jobs in their own profession are dying out in their own country, so that they can only be found in far-flung places. People are altogether disenchanted if they have to work abroad at lower wages and with no recognition for the qualifications they have gained. According to EU propaganda, everyone in every Member State is entitled to work at normal wages that are current in that country, and qualifications are mutually recognised. Practice, however, differs a great deal from that ideal image. Foreign teachers do not qualify for equivalent work in France and Italy. According to petitions recently received, Greece does not recognise university degrees gained abroad by Greeks, and there are also problems in Baden-Württemberg and Scotland. I do not get the impression that the proposed amendment of fifteen directives will really solve the problems. At best, there will be more freedom to settle on the part of those practising liberal professions, whereby foreigners will no longer need to meet the licensing and registration requirements, but these will remain compulsory for their domestic counterparts. According to medical specialists, the equal status for their qualifications has not been regulated very well by the European Commission. The complaints are set to persist.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European Union has entered an historic new phase with a total population of over 450 million inhabitants. Our Union, now enlarged to twenty-five countries, has greater political, geographical and economic substance. We have begun to share our common interests, both in the area of the economy and the internal market, and in terms of the responsibilities that we face as regards the threats to stability and security, which are not confined to borders. I refer to terrorism, organised crime, illegal immigration, drug trafficking and trafficking in human beings. The question of terrorism is an alarming problem that we currently face and should be given maximum priority. This is a threat to security, to our democracies and to the foundations of our civilisation; more specifically respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, respect for the law and respect for human rights are under threat. The European Union must do all that it can to protect its citizens, to tighten border controls and to improve security as regards travel documents, by introducing biometric data and by establishing visa systems and the Schengen Information System (SIS-II). Nevertheless, I should once again like to highlight at this juncture that, if security is to be strengthened, this must always be in compliance with the other two components of our European area, which are freedom and justice. 1 May also saw great change in the area of Justice and Home Affairs. A new institutional framework is now in force: in the area of visas, asylum and immigration, codecision with Parliament will enter into force, as will qualified majority voting in the Council. Parliament’s role will, hopefully, result in greater efficiency in addressing the repeated delays on the Council’s part, which many speakers, including Mr von Boetticher, have highlighted here. Commissioner Vitorino, who is here today, deserves praise for his excellent work in this area and his positive attitude towards working together with Parliament. It is my wish that the excellent work that he has done here helps him to rise to even higher responsibilities in our Community of Europe. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, we are dealing with a novel report by Mr Cornillet which, as he himself recognises, is limited and incomplete due to a lack of resources, which he has tried to substitute through personal effort and this is worthy of recognition. It is difficult to analyse what is happening in each Member State and, above all, know the facts and circumstances which affect each country in the light of our recent Charter of Fundamental Rights and, therefore, we must continue to study the procedure in depth. I would like to thank him expressly for his sensitivity to one of the most fundamental rights of human beings, the right to life, which, together with freedoms of expression and movement, is being persistently violated by ETA in an area of European territory, the Basque Country, and in Spain as a whole. Unfortunately, terrorism has warranted a specific mention with a new section which refers to the right to life and the intensification of the fight against terrorism, based on the legal instruments agreed at the Tampere Summit to combat it, such as, for example, the arrest order, which we are creating at the moment. Another aspect, which the Socialist Group in particular should reflect on, given that they do not even accept its application in places where the governments are of its same colour, is that mentioned in points 119 and 120, which recognise the right to vote of citizens of third countries, not only in local elections, but also in European elections. Ladies and gentlemen, let us not start building the house from the roof. When we have still not been capable of laying the foundations of genuine integration, which include education, housing, healthcare and the mutual respect for our cultures, there is still much to be done in the field of immigration and asylum. And false demagoguery will only hinder the resolution of such a serious problem.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, at the start of the part-session yesterday, I wanted to make a proposal and I asked for the floor. However, I was not given it due to a lack of time. I wish to make that proposal now. Would that be possible?

Political group: GUE-NGL
The situation in northern Uganda has been appalling for years. Does the Ugandan Government’s failure to exercise any military power result from unwillingness, from powerlessness or from both? In any event, the Ugandan troops that are currently stationed in Congo must move to that region, because they only have other intentions in Congo. There is total anarchy in northern Uganda, and the ‘Lord's Army’ does everything that God forbids. It is inconceivable that these incredible villains can continue to descend on schools and kidnap women and children in order to turn them into sex slaves or forced soldiers. Prisoners are forced to kill or torture one another if they try to escape. For far too long now, the international community has been standing idly by; the atrocities simply carry on without hindrance. The African Union is losing face by doing nothing, and it is high time that the Security Council got involved. Sudan has announced it will no longer provide aid to the ‘Lord's Army’, but my group is not at all convinced that Sudan will keep its word. To top it all, the threat of war with Rwanda hangs over the region. How does the Commission assess this threat of war? In addition, there is the question of what the European Union is prepared to do to protect the population there and provide humanitarian aid. It is high time that the appalling rule of the ‘Lord's Army’ was brought to an end.

Political group: ELDR
deputising for the draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Development and Cooperation. – Mr President, I am delighted to follow Mr Colom i Naval's excellent speech. I am speaking also on behalf of my colleague, Mr Wijkman, who is not here. The Committee on Development and Cooperation is very concerned that the EDF is still not budgeted. There is now something called the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the ACP and EU, the only parliamentary assembly in the world which does not look at a budget. It is quite ridiculous that this state of affairs should be allowed to continue. If we are going to implement sectoral targets in the development budget then we need to move towards a budget which can have result-oriented strategy included in the budget itself so that the country strategies that the Development Commission is trying to put into place can decentralise and give greater control to our delegations. Otherwise we have an old-fashioned budget looking at a new model of economic management. Another thing I would like to mention is information technology and sustainable energy in the development budget. Transport and communication has been old-fashioned stuff that has been put in the budget year after year, but there are new technologies that we also need to take into account. Finally, a global fund for the combating of Aids needs to be considered in our budget. Just asking the chemical companies and pharmaceutical companies to cut prices is not enough. (Applause from the right)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, as initiator of this resolution, this morning I met members of the Zimbabwean opposition – The Movement for Democratic Change. They told me that Zimbabwe is going through hell. Europe's efforts at quiet diplomacy just have negative results. Mugabe presides over a state that day in and day out subjects innocent Zimbabweans to untold misery, murder, brutality and intimidation. They pleaded for the same standards of democracy, the rule of law and human rights to be applied in Africa, as would be expected in Europe. They told me that they do not want some second-class status in these matters. They would like to see Mugabe arrested as soon as he sets foot in a European state. Instead, it seems there is one standard in Europe for handling right-wing dictators and another for tyrants and terrorists, such as Mugabe. Instead of handcuffs he gets champagne in Brussels and Paris. In our strong resolution, thoroughly approved by the MDC representatives we have seen today, we condemn Mugabe and his regime and call for suspension of EU assistance directed through Zimbabwe government channels, identification of Mugabe's extensive overseas assets, invocation of the Cotonou Article 96 procedures and insistence that the Zimbabwean government respect its own laws. Our message is clear. I commend the resolution unamended to the House. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
It is not the first time and certainly not the last time that I am making a statement regarding the stakes related to the development of electronic commerce services. Indeed I think that, while one should be delighted that trade is facilitated by developments in information technology, it is nonetheless necessary to remain as vigilant as possible and ensure that there is a fair balance between the interests of the service providers and consumer protection. We must take new data into consideration: electronic communications and transactions are becoming more developed and more widespread. Sectorial products and services are generating a rapidly expanding world market. Its growth is expected to exceed 100% by the year 2001. This means that regulations to control this new market must be adopted as quickly as possible. Indeed, while it is generating new possibilities for firms of all sorts to make profits, it is, at the same time, creating a certain lack of security for consumers. It is therefore imperative to perfect standards for security and for the legal recognition of electronic signatures and authentication services (authentication of the origin and integrity of data). This is what the directive we are discussing today proposes. At the time of the first reading, the European Parliament proposed several amendments. We were pleased to note that many of them were adopted in the common position. This must also apply to the amendments proposed today. This directive must form an initial step in the development of a European framework in the field of electronic commerce, while bearing in mind that we cannot afford to wait long before having worldwide discussions on this subject.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the supports the current Commission proposal because it seeks to simplify and modernise the sole mechanism of financial support for the balances of payments of the European Union’s Member States which are not part of the eurozone. The fact that only three countries, Great Britain, Sweden and Denmark, should benefit from this mechanism, in addition to the fact that this instrument has only been used twice since its entry into force in June 1988, justify a reduction in the overall sums earmarked for loans from EUR 16 to 12 billion. Other proposals also warrant our support, such as the possibility of the Commission undertaking swap operations, the recognition of the role of the Economic and Financial Committee and the need to make the support mechanism compatible with the possible opening, in the very short term, of a line of credit by the European Central Bank. Three problems have become clear, however, and I should like to hear Commissioner Solbes Mira’s position on them. Firstly, with the proposal to apply this mechanism to the countries included in enlargement, will it really not be possible to have imbalances appearing in the balances of payments of future Member States, given the substantial structural reforms that must be implemented in order to make accession possible? Mechanisms must, therefore, be planned forthwith to address these situations. Secondly, must and can this mechanism apply to candidate countries as early as the pre-accession period? Lastly, what advantage do we gain by having the Commission and not the European Central Bank supervising these loans? I wish to thank the Commissioner for the answers he may give us and I congratulate Mr Andria on this report.

Political group: PSE