GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office, Commissioner Patten, I should firstly like to express my satisfaction and also congratulate the High Representative of the CFSP and Commissioner Patten, because I think that in our attempts to resolve this conflict we are actually revealing the form which our CFSP will take. Commissioner Patten spoke of the responsibility which we have in the region. Commissioner, I should like to go a step further and say what mistakes have been made. In this specific case there are two things which, in my view, have not happened and which are nevertheless contained in Resolution 1244: firstly to disarm the KLA in Kosovo and secondly to disband the KLA in Kosovo. Neither have been done. Quite the opposite! The KLA has been given organisational structures which it did not have before. The sin also bears a name, because it was the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General – Bernard Kouchner is his name – who failed to do this. We need to state this openly here. That is why it is not enough to offer our good services for conflict resolution; we also have a duty to put right the mistakes which we have made. I welcome the fact that NATO is on standby. The disarmament of the KLA terrorists allows me to recognise them for what they are: terrorists and criminals and not rebels! These KLA terrorists must be disarmed and NATO is offering to do this. I wonder why we should now send an additional 3 000 soldiers there, under the conditions with which we are all familiar, when we could have disarmed these criminals and disbanded their organisations back in Kosovo. Under no circumstances – and here I fully agree with Mrs Pack and the other speakers – must a long-term NATO presence engender the division of the country along ethnic lines and under no circumstances must NATO entrench that split by its presence and its willingness to help. NATO must be deployed in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with a very specific mission, namely disarmament.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, the current united state of Indonesia is a product of 350 years of Dutch colonial rule. The population in the Moluccas, which was converted to Christianity, was recruited for the colonial army which had to keep the other nations under Dutch power. Fifty years ago, a large number of the Southern Moluccan population moved to the Netherlands and since then, the inhabitants of the densely populated island of Java have emigrated in massive numbers to the other islands. This has made the Moluccans who were left behind a minority in their own region. In 1965, the Indonesian army carried out a coup d’état which probably took the lives of one million people. Even after the 1999 elections, the army is still not under democratic control. It acts as an instigator of disagreement between different groups of nations. Monday last, I asked the Council to maintain the arms embargo against Indonesia. In this way, Dutch and French companies are not in breach of contract if they do not carry out prior orders of military equipment. Europe should not be surprised that civil wars keep breaking out in Indonesia if we refuse to recognise that the army has an interest in the thrashing out of ethnic and religious conflicts rooted in the colonial past.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, Europe is strongly committed to peace but is deeply frustrated by the latest terrorist attacks. For Europe, the Mediterranean is a crucial area, an historic challenge and until it is transformed into an area of peace, development, democracy and stability, Europe will not, I am sorry to say, be able to fulfil its potential. Today the conflict between Israel and Palestine is erasing any glimmer of hope and the worsening of the conflict is certainly not helping to combat international terrorism, indeed in ideological terms it is fuelling it. In order to ensure a future of peace in this area, however, greater responsibility is needed and all our efforts, our political authority and our financial and human resources must be used to ensure that we get back on the road to negotiations. The Athens Forum was therefore an important step, but this is not about supporting one side or the other. The route that we must take, even now that hopes for peace seem almost dead, remains that of working towards a clear objective: two states, one alongside the other, Israel and Palestine, that live in peace and security without discrimination and with respect for human rights. To this end, Europe must hold constant and open dialogue with the whole of the Arab world.

Political group: ELDR
Commissioner, thank you for your response, but I must admit I find it hard to grasp the logic of it. On the one hand, regarding state aid to the environment, you expect to implement a very thorough analysis of the subsidies to renewable energies even though it is clear that, for the time being, this sector is at a disadvantage due to the internalisation of costs. In other words, the market share of renewable energies within the current electricity market is barely 5%. Alongside that, nuclear energy amounts to 30% of the market but in this case you do not plan any systematic investigation. I do not therefore see how we can possibly understand this, if the logic of your energy policy is supposed to be fair, treating all forms of electricity production alike. I must therefore ask you to justify your position since, as far as I am concerned, and also many others, most especially the renewable energy industry, it is a position which is extremely difficult to comprehend.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Mr President of the Commission, what makes the forthcoming Spring Summit so crucial in terms of political psychology is the fact that the times in which we live are not at all rosy. The message from this summit must be one of confidence, because Europe's economy and hence growth and employment, will not be got moving if such confidence in the EU Member States' political leadership is not created or, where it exists, improved. I do think, however, that it is not just confidence in governments that matters, but that it is also significant that European business is at last affirming its responsibility for contributing towards growth, investment, and employment. The state alone cannot create the jobs that Europe needs in order to really develop its productivity and also in order to become the region of the world best able to face the future. So it is to the Greek Presidency of the Council that I am appealing for a continued campaign against unfair fiscal competition and for us to be enabled at last to blockade all the tax havens and not let matters rest with the first breakthrough we achieve on the fiscal package, so that everyone can help put the Member States in a better position as regards the receipts on which their ability to make investments depends. It is at this point that I would like, again, to appeal to the private business sector to step up private investment. Not only is there too little public investment, but the private sector also invests too little, and it is only partnership between the two that will enable Europe to evade the self-fulfilling prophecy that our weak growth – or, in certain states, stagflation – will be followed by recession, which is something Europe can do without. It is because our periods of growth are far too weak that this appeal is addressed to the Greek Presidency of the Council, along with the appeal to the Commission and the Council for improved cooperation between the institutions. The European Parliament, as co-legislator, is prompt in doing its work, and it would be a good thing if the Council could keep up with us. (Applause)

Political group: PSE
Madam President, my inaugural speech here in this House in 1994 was on the subject of the serious floods which had caused tremendous damage in Athens at that time, and I have spoken about natural disasters on numerous occasions since. On numerous occasions, both I and several of my fellow Members have called for the European Union to take action on the ground when major disaster strikes the Member States of the European Union. Last year, I submitted an amendment during the budgetary procedure for disaster-relief action on the ground by the Union, but it failed to achieve the required majority in the European Parliament. The fact that we are now well on the way to adopting a Solidarity Disaster Fund is of course, excellent news; I just wish we had not waited until after the terrible catastrophe, the human tragedy in Central Europe this summer; but, nonetheless, the European Commission and Mr Barnier personally deserve our congratulations because, we are, at long last, on the way to adopting a Solidarity Fund for natural disasters and, of course, congratulations also go to our rapporteur, Mr Berend, on his report, his hard work and his proposed amendments, which are a step in the right direction and almost all of which were adopted by the Committee on Regional Policy. I should just like to say, in support of what Mr Barnier and Mr Berend have said, that it is right, first that there should be a broad definition of disasters and, secondly, that the European Commission and Parliament have laid down the right limit for including disasters in this regulation. I really hope the Council will not demonstrate the meanness it appears to be demonstrating on this particular issue and will be as generous as it should. The limit set by the Commission and endorsed by Parliament is the right one, it is not too low and it is not too high and I think that the message which all three institutions need to send out is a message of solidarity, a message that the European Union will act on human suffering. I trust the Council will take this message on board; as for Parliament, I think that, with Mr Berend's report, we are moving in the right direction.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I wanted to speak briefly on the explanations of vote on the Iivari report in order to thank Mrs Iivari and to declare that it was with much conviction that I voted in favour of this report, which has now clarified a number of points and created the conditions for the necessary means to be used, especially where the European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages and Mercator are concerned; whilst, of course, the other issues in this report are close to my heart, this one is particularly so. I believe that this House has, recently, been consistent about this, and that it is taking the lead, and I hope that the Commission, just as it has attempted to clarify these matters, will continue to do so by way of the languages action plan and will demonstrate in practice the further commitment that Parliament has demanded.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office, the Italian Presidency's programme is not really available. I had to download it from the web and read it in English this morning. Fortunately, I understand English, but I regret that I do not understand Italian. But I would not have needed very much English to read what I found in your programme about environmental policy, because there was not really anything to read. You said a few nice friendly things that could easily have been copied from a daily paper. As you referred to the Lisbon process, I would like to ask you, Mr President-in-Office, whether you are aware that the Lisbon process calls for sustainability and environmental measures to be incorporated into all other areas of policy? If you are aware of that, could you please tell me how you intend to achieve it? I would also be grateful if you could confirm that your government has issued a paper entitled Environment as an Opportunity, which envisages that the Italian Presidency should use these six months to limit EU environmental legislation and downgrade it. If that is correct, Mr Berlusconi, I presume that you will have the paper pulped immediately and condemn it as being illegal. I would also be grateful if you could tell me whether you will use your presidency to ensure that existing EU legislation is transposed into Italian law, as in the case of environmental impact assessment, for instance. I would be grateful if you could tell us, Mr Berlusconi, whether people who do not comply with that legislation will be the subject of criminal prosecution, because non-compliance is an offence, and I also call on the Commission to take appropriate action if it is aware of such non-compliance. Lastly, Mr Berlusconi, I would be grateful if you could tell me if during your presidency you will also be pursuing the environmental legislation for which you will be responsible, and in particular whether environmental responsibility will be on the agenda during your presidency. I would be grateful if you could explain how you intend to take that forward.

Political group: PSE
The Commission has consulted the European Parliament on the proposal for a Council regulation on the control of concentrations between undertakings. The Commission wishes to assure itself that there will be no distortion of competition in the common market. Steps should therefore be taken to prevent dominant positions and oligopolies because these are in danger of leading to a rise in prices, the regulation of production and a reduction in quality. In these respects, the Commission’s proposal was clear and vigorous. Many of the rapporteurs’ amendments were aimed, however, at softening the Commission’s proposals, with the justification that concentrations between undertakings are entirely lawful in themselves and cannot be compared with cartels. The rapporteur believed, therefore, that the Commission should not be given the same powers of investigation in the matter of concentrations between undertakings as in the matter of cartels. The Group of the European People’s Party believes that the Commission’s more stringent wordings are better than the main thrust of Parliament’s adopted amendments. That is why I have voted ‘no’ in the final vote. - Motion for a resolution (B5-0411/2003) – Personal data

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I just wanted to protest at the decision of a majority of the Conference of Presidents not to send a delegation from the European Parliament to the first hearing of the trial of Leyla Zana, who is of course a Sakharov Prize laureate. This decision was, I am glad to say, opposed by the and also by the Group, but the Conservatives, Socialists and Green Group insisted on cancelling the delegation. There had been lobbying from the Turkish side not to go, on the grounds that this was a sensitive time in Turkey. Of course it is, but since the views of the Turkish population on Iraq are shared by most EU citizens, the EU as such should be neither more nor less popular than normal. It is always a sensitive time to raise human rights and Kurdish rights in Turkey, but if we do not, we let down Turkey itself and its prospects of getting into the EU. I therefore hope this House will join with me in deploring the majority decision in the Conference of Presidents. I understand that a delegation will be sent to the second hearing on 25 April 2003, and I hope that arguments will not be found to cancel that as well. The first decision was utterly deplorable.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Napolitano report addresses one of the most controversial issues facing the Convention. It is an issue which puts to the test the principle of subsidiarity and the very ideal of Europe as a community of diversities, and it involves different national historical traditions and systems whose attitudes towards regional power vary. I believe it is right for the proposal on the Union’s powers not to interfere with the systems of the individual States. We cannot, however, disregard the fact that some national Constitutions confer major legislative powers on the regions, and the Convention will have to recognise this, although without creating privileges, without upsetting the internal market and without removing the need for a political Europe. For all these reasons, I feel it is right to give the regions with legislative powers the right to approach the Court of Justice directly when their prerogatives are affected by European measures. I believe that it would be a mistake to overlook the fact that some Länder or regions – in Germany, Italy or Spain – are territorial authorities which are much larger than some of the entities established in the national States. Widespread consensus on this report, which Mr Napolitano has rightly called for – is necessary to the constitutional process, which must facilitate the participation of regional and local authorities in Europe’s future as a community.

Political group: PPE-DE
I warmly welcome Mrs Hermange's report on a barrier-free Europe for people with disabilities. It is crucial that we in the European Parliament support such important measures to improve equal opportunities for people with disabilities. This report calls for an equal treatment directive covering a range of areas such as employment, education and training, transport, the information society and consumer policy. It also underlines the need to mainstream disability issues into all policies. The EU Heads of State or Government at the Lisbon and Stockholm Summits aimed to create the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-driven economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth accompanied by quantitative and qualitative improvement of employment and of greater social cohesion. However, we have a desperate shortage of skilled workers in the IT sector across the European Union. Surely it is pure common sense to train and make use of all our citizens so that we have a more skilled workforce to fulfil this ambition. I strongly believe that those with disabilities will be indispensable in this sector. The manpower is available, we just need to introduce effective training and ensure there is no discrimination in allocating the jobs. The need is there, the manpower is there – we must seize the opportunity and respond to this challenge of a new economy. I fully support measures to improve accessibility for people with disabilities in all areas of life ranging from employment to IT. This will not only transform the lives of many people with disabilities who will now be encouraged to play as full a role in society as everyone else, but it will also transform the economy of the European Union and make it truly the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world based on greater social cohesion.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, a few weeks after the murder of the Hamas leader Sheik Yassin, the Sharon Government murdered its new leader Abdel Ratissi, not only demonstrating that it does not wish the peace process to proceed and for there to be an independent Palestinian state, but also adding fuel to the fire and deliberately creating tension. The ΕU, as is clear from its attitude to date, is basically following the US line, in that it has confined itself merely to expressions of protest about these murders and the attacks by Israel, while at the same time talking – through Mr Solana – about Israel's right to protect itself and examining Sharon's policy to clear the Gaza Strip. It is therefore making a victim out of the attacker. We members of the Communist Party of Greece condemn the crimes by the Sharon Government and the hypocritical, de facto complicit, policy of the ΕU. We express our active solidarity with the Palestinian people and call on the European Parliament to demand that the ΕU stop arming Israel and freeze the association agreement with it. Madam President, again today, at your invitation, the European Parliament observed one minute's silence for the young Italian paramilitary executed in Iraq, but it has never requested the same for the thousands of victims of the invasions of Afghanistan, Iraq and, previously, of Yugoslavia. As the MEPs of the Communist Party of Greece have repeatedly requested this of you, could you tell us when you intend to do this?

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, I should like to begin by congratulating Mr Gemelli on having had his report adopted unanimously by the Committee on Development and Cooperation. It deserves the same accolade from the House. It is fair to say there was considerable input from all the political parties in this House, as Mr Gemelli accepted a number of amendments during the committee stage. It lays down the foundation for development policy for the coming decade. Some of the statistics it throws up are frightening in their nature, for instance the number of people under the age of 15 in developing countries; the utter poverty in which most of them live; the scourge of diseases such as AIDS, malaria and TB; the huge and widening gap between developed and developing nations; the predictions, which I believe will never be reached in the timescales laid down. Lastly, there is the enormity of the task we face as a European Union to help eradicate these problems. It is encouraging that the Commission, of its own initiative, has realised we cannot continue as we have in the past and that new structures and formats have to be found to close the gap between commitments and payments and that better use must be made of developing funds. Trade is the key. I applaud much of its thinking. We in Parliament must support its efforts. Decentralisation is a must to make better use of our delegation offices and cut red tape and wasted time. As the rapporteur for regional cooperation and integration last year, I am pleased to see progress being pursued in this direction with ECOWAS in West Africa leading the way. Only by strengthening internal regional trade will many nations be able to face globalisation and WTO rules. ‘Everything but Arms’ is a major step forward. But to make best use of development aid there must be closer cooperation between nation states, financial institutions and the Commission. The Commission should be acting as overall coordinator to cut out duplication and not be involved in the day-to-day development issues which should be contracted out to organisations that specialise in these matters. While budget support to national governments may spend more money quicker, it is much more difficult to police and monitoring will have to be of a high calibre. Small-scale help for entrepreneurs must not be abandoned. It is here that the members of the Committee on Development should be more active in keeping the Commission alert to its responsibilities. The Commission has laid down its six priority principles, all of which we can strongly support. The priority within the six is also important. We should never forget that without peace, stability, good governance and the rule of law none of the other five priorities can be acted upon.

Political group: PPE-DE