GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, the motion for a resolution on the Northern Dimension properly underscores some of the most important issues of the present time. The Northern Dimension, however, has to be seen as a dynamic process. I should particularly like to highlight two factors that will have an impact on this: enlargement and the environment. With enlargement our concept of the ‘north’ has to change so that by the end of the decade we will use it to mean more the Arctic north and less the ‘north’, in the sense that varies depending on who the speaker is. With enlargement too the role of the EU in the Baltic Sea will alter significantly. In practice the Baltic from the start of next year will be an internal sea of the EU. With its problems and opportunities it must be generally visible in EU policy. The prominence given to the Baltic Sea in all EU policy must increase, whilst at the same time its importance as part of the EU’s Northern Dimension lessens. Naturally, Russia in the future will be an important part of Northern Dimension content, but west and east are close together at the Arctic Circle. The Northern Dimension will also enable ties to the west to be strengthened. The EU should take the decision to join the Arctic Council, whose members are currently the United States of America, Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. It would be odd if the EU were to continue to be left out of the work of this Council, which was established in 1996, especially as so many of the EU’s own projects, if associated with Arctic Council projects, could result in important synergies. At the same time it would strengthen Euro-Atlantic mutual understanding in the area of the environment, which recently has not been the best possible. EU policy on climate change could in this way obtain a new basis internationally on which to build practical action. The vulnerable Arctic regions will be the first to suffer from climatic change, and before long that change will have an effect throughout the entire EU, extending as far as the Mediterranean Sea. It is obvious that the melting of the ice caps implies a likely threat, which, if it were to become a reality, would in practice totally devastate Europe’s culture and economy.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, at least three times I went searching for our Finnish colleague to assure him, as I was assured in the last plenary part-session, that he would be handed a card that would enable him to not just hear, but to see Finnish television in Parliament. I am really sorry that he has not been handed that card. I will attend to it this week. In the College of Quaestors we have also discussed – because we too are concerned – robberies that are taking place within Parliament. I can assure you that the Quaestors are working on it.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the citizens of Europe undoubtedly demand a more favourable environment and we in this House must reflect those expectations and make it possible for them to be fulfilled. The 2000-2004 multiannual programme for sustainable development in the urban environment is an appropriate instrument for achieving this end, and the implementation of Agenda 21 is an excellent way of coordinating and developing actions. Nevertheless, we must recognise that there has been no widespread success, either in the implementation of Agenda 21 or in the results obtained. Land planning in many Member States still fails to take account of the capacity of the physical environment, the cultural heritage and the resources of local authorities to assume their environmental duties. Furthermore, the report on sustainable cities highlights the existence of significant shortcomings in the practice and in the development of environmental legislation at a local level. The multiannual plan has ambitious objectives and a very broad scope, which can be extended to the candidate countries. Of course, we need a budget which is coherent with the terms of the proposal, but we would be falling into another trap if we did not have much more effective mechanisms for monitoring and assessing the results than we have at the moment. To conclude: ‘yes’ to strengthening the budget, ‘yes’ to the report and to the improvements which Mrs Lienemann has made to the Commission’s proposal, but also to reinforcing, considerably, the mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of all these programmes, both within the Commission and in the Member States themselves.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, thank you for your efforts and I would like to reflect what has been said by my fellow Members, in particular Mr Medina, since we are talking about two Spanish journalists. I would like to say that the seriousness of this issue does not stem simply from the fact that it involves journalists, and that to target them is an attack on the freedom of information to the whole world, but that what we have seen is an attack aimed at a non-military building, a civilian building, the Palestine hotel, where the journalists were based. This has been seen in all the media and means that there may have been a violation of the Geneva Convention. I would therefore ask you to continue to deal with this issue, because I believe it is very serious. We are not talking about actions against military targets, but very clearly against civilian buildings. We should not forget that very many Iraqis are also suffering, but in this case we have been able to see a cannon aimed directly at the Palestine hotel.

Political group: PSE
We Swedish Moderates believe that the GATS Agreement on including the service sector in the WTO’s free trade provisions is an important step in the right direction of increased international trade. In this area, we see no reason, however, for exempting education, the health sector and important parts of the cultural sector, such as audiovisual activities, from liberalisation. European education and culture, traditionally characterised by cultural diversity, have every opportunity to thrive in an open world market and indirectly to support minority cultures, in particular. On this point, we have a view at variance with the resolution, but we are voting for the resolution as a whole.

Political group: PPE-DE
Ladies and gentlemen, it will not come as a surprise to anyone that I, as a member of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities, will be broaching the subject of women, for a not inconsiderable majority of the population of the candidate countries consists of women. Very vulnerable women, at that. Let us not forget that most accession countries are also countries of origin and transit of trafficking in women. Let us also, therefore, discuss women for a change, as opposed to farmers, employers, trade unions, and the like. Let us talk about this large majority whom we wish to make Europe-minded and not frightened of Europe. If we do not devote any attention to that group, things are bound to go wrong. We therefore need to set up a proper information campaign by means of which women’s organisations, but also all individual women in the country or in the cities, can be reached for the purpose of explaining, among other things, the acquis communautaire as it relates to women. In that way, Europe stands a better chance of being accepted, and the situation for women will improve considerably. Finally, I should like to point out that, in his speech this morning, Commissioner Verheugen failed altogether to mention the situation of women in the candidate countries, something which I deeply regret.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, we are here to debate the situation in Syria and in particular the changes that have taken place since President Bashir al Assad took over from his father some three years ago. Following the arrest of Mr Riad al-Turk, a 72 year-old lawyer and secretary-general of the banned Communist Party, there are suggestions that Syria might be about to enter a new phase of repression, following a gradual thawing of relations with the West and a desirable but limited opening-up of the Syrian economy to market forces. Although no expert, I would certainly support the calls for all prisoners of conscience to be freed, in Syria and elsewhere. It is vital that the Syrian Government understands the need to distinguish between those who advocate violence or rebellion and those who simply advocate political change. I also fully support the paragraphs in the motion calling for the Syrian authorities to ensure that detainees are not tortured in prison. Human rights cannot be detached from wider political developments in the region. Only yesterday I was privileged to hear the very fine speech by the King of neighbouring Jordan, an exemplary role model of moderation and wisdom. For many years Syria sponsored terrorism in both Israel and Turkey and was the main state to reject any compromise solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute based on land for peace. There are signs that the end of the Cold War and the new geopolitical realities of the region have forced the adoption of a more reasonable and even pragmatic foreign policy by Damascus. Syrian leaders need to recognise the importance of the recent shift in international opinion and, in particular, the widespread support for a viable democratic Palestinian state and to work with – not against – the international community for a comprehensive regional settlement, including the return of the Golan Heights. Only then, I believe, will Syria be able to fully develop its potential as a nation and to offer its people the peace and prosperity which they truly deserve.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, the rapporteurs imply that ensuring social cohesion in an enlarged Europe consists of levelling out the differences between countries and regions. They do not, however, have anything to say about the inequalities within the same country, including the richest ones. How can we dare to speak of economic and social cohesion in a society where there is an ever-increasing disparity between the income of the richest and the poorest? How can we have the effrontery to speak of cohesion when big companies lay off workers to increase the stock market value of their shares, knowing that, in so doing, they are condemning their employees to poverty? The policy of the various governments entails bandying about the word reform, whilst hammering workers by reducing their retirement, extending their working time, cutting their social protection, holding back their salaries and making jobs less and less secure. What is the meaning of social cohesion when governments are doing all this in order to increase the profits of big companies and increase the fortunes of shareholders? What does social cohesion mean when governments are cutting their funding to essential public services in order to cut taxes for the richest? It follows that, if the European Union is incapable of dealing with social inequalities, it cannot hope to eliminate inequalities between the regions because the two are connected.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, the situation in Yugoslavia has still not been rendered safe and stabilised. Following the hugely important step of electing Kostunica, many other important steps need to be taken in future. That also includes an unequivocal return to the rule of law, democratic values and a sound handling of the legacy of the Milosevic regime. In order to establish truly lasting peace between the different groups, it is also necessary to shed light on the fate of the prisoners who have been imprisoned by Milosevic simply on the grounds of ethnicity or political views. We either expect a clear amnesty law in the short term with specific details or, and preferably in combination with, a concrete date for the release of the political prisoners. We believe that within Kosovo too, the mentality of ethnic groups which are still fighting each other should make way for mutual respect. The way in which Kosovar-Albanians are currently harassing Serbs on Serb territory is not helping to defuse the situation on either side. What we need now are concrete steps to reach lasting peace.

Political group: PSE
Madam President, I must firstly thank you for your tribute to Carmen. If the cancer had not beaten her, I can assure you that she would have been here today, in her seat among our Group, in this House. As I have already told the President, I had the opportunity to visit Carmen in hospital two weeks ago and she asked me to say goodbye to all her colleagues. In particular, I want to thank two Members, her nephew Íñigo Méndez de Vigo and Paca Sauquillo, for their efforts to help her throughout the long and difficult process of her final days. I must also say that Carmen Díez de Rivera was a woman with a fascinating personality. She was also an excellent MEP and played an absolutely pivotal role in the history of my country and in its transition to democracy. I hope that history will one day pay tribute to her for this. (Applause) ***

Political group: PSE
Mr President, peace in the Middle East hinges on a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and on the entire European policy concerning strategic partnership. When Cyprus joins on 1 May, Tel Aviv will be half an hour's flight away from the European Union, and we will be direct neighbours. During the recent visit by Parliament's delegation, we noticed that many Israelis have high expectations of the European Union. They are expecting us to take a leading role in the region. Israel is being ruled by a man who rides roughshod over international law and who, in the present conflict, continues to pour oil upon the flames. He is doing a great deal of damage to his country and gives international terrorists an excellent excuse for their actions. According to the Council's declaration, the European Union is consistently opposed to extrajudicial executions. In my view, the only consistent stance would be to review the trade relations and use our economic power as a carrot and a stick – but not only on Israel.

Political group: PSE
Does the President-in-Office of the Council think there is any truth in the claims made by the Italian Prime Minister, Mr Berlusconi, and the Italian Finance Minister, Mr Tremonti, that when they came into power in 2001 after the previous centre-left governments they found a hole in the budget worth EUR 8 550 million, which had been covered up in the budget by the preceding governments and only came to light when the present government checked the figures? Is it true? Do you know anything about it?

Political group: PPE-DE
Free world trade is necessary in order to increase worldwide growth and help reduce the gulf between rich and poor. However, large numbers of the poor in the developing countries have still not benefited from free world trade. We therefore share the view expressed in section B that the developing countries’ interests and problems must have priority in any extended system of free world trade. The free trade system is urgently required if we are to reduce poverty and create a more just world. We therefore consider that the overarching strategies and objectives, as described in the report, for the forthcoming round of World Trade Organisation negotiations are a step in the right direction in relation to the Commission’s communication. If, however, the objectives are to become a reality, we should particularly like to emphasise section I, to the effect that agriculture must be one of the areas in the multilateral trade negotiations where new possibilities are opened up in Seattle. We think that what is prescribed in this section must become a reality in relation also to sections 5, 6 and 7. If this agreement is really to become the development agreement which helps reduce the gulf between the world’s rich and poor States, it is not acceptable to reject, in advance, demands from the other Member States in the World Trade Organisation for a change in our agricultural policy at the Millennium Round To help achieve this objective of reducing the gap between rich and poor States, frontier defences must be lowered and export subsidies phased out. The overarching objective in section 37 ought therefore to be that of completely phasing out customs duties on non-agricultural products. A development like that would be of greater help to the developing countries than the marginal preferences they at present have. The World Trade Organisation should support the work being done in terms of the global environment by, for example, incorporating basic principles of environmental policy, such as the precautionary principle, into its practice. It is therefore important that weight be given to section 10 in the negotiations.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I cannot do other than congratulate Mr Caudron and lament the fact that this will be the last of the major reports he has drawn up in the European Parliament. His work on this report is indeed remarkable and it opens up great horizons in many areas of research. I continue to hold a resolute position with regard to bioethical issues, on which I have to say – to you, Commissioner, and to my fellow Members – that I have nothing but doubts. I have been working on these issues for two years and I have nothing but doubts and only one certainty, which is the sacrosanct value of human dignity. I suppose I believe in the institutions which are shaping the future, and the European Parliament is certainly a point of reference and not just for Europe. We must realise that something unforeseen is happening which radically changes the rules of the game. We must therefore assess the results of the increasingly rapid innovation, we must reflect on the way biotechnologies are advancing and what impact they could have on the very nature of the human race. Biochemistry is only the beginning: in a future which is becoming increasingly imminent, we will have to adopt positions on the possibility of parents being able to alter the DNA of their embryos in order to provide their offspring with increasingly good genes. We will have to deal with the selection – for the purposes of genetic improvement – of dozens of embryos produced for that purpose. Cloning techniques will soon make it possible for individuals to produce copies of themselves, creating genetically identical twins which are capable of self-replicating, giving rise to a form of genetic immortality. It is an inherent part of the nature of each of us to fight against death, pain and suffering, and science is interpreting this instinct perfectly. The possibility appears to be attractive at first sight, but do we really realise how radically our existence might change? Is the possibility of genetic improvement techniques being used by dominant classes to perpetuate their genetic superiority over weaker social classes really so far off? I followed the long, anguished decision-making process on the Sixth Framework Programme closely; I witnessed a kind of resignation on the part of the Member States at their failure to come to an agreement on ethics. Aware of the difficulties of my colleagues themselves, I persisted with my amendment in order to send out a clear, consistent message. When I see companies springing up on the Internet offering to provide us with clones of ourselves at a high price, I realise that there is no limit to how bad things can get, but I also find in this a great incentive to persevere in the battle from which many – understandably disillusioned – people have already withdrawn.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Iran is particularly noteworthy since it is an area that is surrounded by all manner of countries undergoing turbulence: Afghanistan, the southern Caucasus, Iraq and further away, Palestine. That in itself is reason enough for expressly concerning ourselves with that country and especially because what we see happening there is not only negative, for there are also some positive developments. This is why it makes sense to call for a dual-track policy: on the one hand, to maintain effective cooperation in the field of trade, the fight against drugs, against terrorism and such like, and possible cooperation in the reception of refugees, which is a full-scale problem in Iran at the moment, and on the other hand to level tough, clear and honest criticism on everything that contravenes the rule of law, democracy and human rights. In my view, backed by the underlying attitude that we would like to see more democracy in Iran and the introduction of the rule of law – this can be encouraged in all kinds of ways – we could break through the deadlock which has come about in Iran in the wake of its conflict with the United States. The EU’s own attitude could possibly break this deadlock, and this is why I warmly welcome what the rapporteur has stated. We should bear in mind that Shiite Iran, of course, represents, in fact, a modern version of Islam, although there are all kinds of things which we do not like, particularly the fact that a clericracy has declared itself a theocracy, which has always sounded rather blasphemous to me, and which means that the normal, human wishes of young people and women are suppressed. On the other hand, we should note that the career opportunities of women too can indeed withstand the test of modernity. With regard to the introduction of democratic wishes, we hear of quite a few positive developments. In any case, I should like to subscribe to the rapporteur’s conclusion that it is a logical step for us to contact the parliament in Iran, and offer my congratulations to the rapporteur.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank Mrs Bonino personally for all her work. The Ottawa Convention represents an important step in the international campaign to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. I therefore very much welcome the fact that this new regulation is to implement that convention with an EU strategy for improving the coordination, coherence, transparency and control of these actions on mines. The European Union also has to live up to its claim to play a leading role in this area. The Austrian Federal Government has always given this subject the highest priority. As we have already heard today, Parliament has been dealing with this subject for many years. Parliament is the driving force behind all these efforts, and I believe that we should step up these efforts still further. At this point I wish to specifically stress that we need to call upon further States to sign or promptly ratify the Ottawa Convention, so as to assist international coordination and rehabilitation of mine victims. First and foremost, the EU Member States should sign the Convention. I regard this as a duty of solidarity within the European Community. Mines are of course a great obstacle to reconstruction in these countries and to the return of refugees. As long as this danger exists, it will be very difficult to persuade people who have fled their homes to return. The European Union is often the most important contributor to financing de-mining actions, and international actions are carried out in the relevant countries. The problem of anti-personnel mines is too big for the regions directly affected, and also for the refugees in the areas involved, so that without international cooperation it is not possible to provide effective support here. The international community must adopt a coherent and coordinated approach. Further progress needs to be made with support for de-mining programmes, assistance for mine victims, and research and technological development. It is imperative for a ban to be imposed on producing mines in the EU and on exporting mines from the EU. This objective should be an absolute priority for us all.

Political group: PPE-DE