GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner Patten, although I do think that what Mr Cushnahan said is of course highly credible, the point at issue is not whether we feel like puppets – which I do not believe that we are – and nor is it a case of us giving priority to commercial considerations, as Mr Gahrton said. Something quite different is at stake. It is what Commissioner Patten was talking about in relation to the Middle East this morning; it is about avoiding a clash of civilisations. It is about how, by working towards intercultural dialogue, we Europeans are performing what is a primary task for our own age and for our world. Whatever the reservations expressed in this debate, Pakistan very definitely has a positive role to play in this. The question at issue is: who is our partner? North Korea is not one, but Pakistan is a partner in the fight against international terrorism, and the coalition ranged against that is of course much greater than the coalition of states at present in Iraq fighting terrorism there and fighting against the regime. The coalition combating international terrorism includes Germany, France, Russia and others. Pakistan is among them. It is for that reason that I believe that the conclusion of the Third Generation Agreement is a matter of the utmost urgency.

Political group: PPE-DE
I want initially to pay credit to Mr Harbour. I recall what he said about the long gestation period of this work and I would encourage the Commission not to feel that the timetable is an indefinite one. There has been a vacuum and I would encourage the Commission to feel that its restored sense of self-confidence is important to us here in the Parliament and more importantly to the peoples of Europe. Could I now draw attention to what Mr Lamassoure said in his explanatory statement about the institutional role of the Commission and particularly the political initiative. I do not often agree with my colleague Mr Van Dam who sits with me on the Estonian delegation. But he said two things I do accept, one that an attitudinal change was necessary and two, that enlargement is a key factor in the future success of the Commission. Mr Lamassoure says on enlargement that the Commission, as regards the accession process, is expected to propose a comprehensive strategy reflecting the Union's interest in its political timetable – not just an assessment regarding the suitability of each applicant country. When I was previously in this Parliament, the President of the Commission was Jacques Delors and he worked alongside Commissioner Brittan and before him Commissioner Cockfield. They did not wait for ideas to be handed down from the Council of Ministers. They themselves devised the single market programme. They worked hand-in-hand with the Parliament throughout. They promoted the scheme and they achieved it. There was a sense of great self-confidence and harmony between the institutions. I would simply say to Commissioner Kinnock, and I am sure he needs no encouragement in this, that it is not just a question of management or technical detail, it is a question of personnel and belief in what you are doing and belief that the Parliament will work alongside the Commission. We must have a goal. That goal is enlargement and it is extremely difficult to achieve but we look to the Commission to be the driving force and we want to work alongside it.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, as Mr Heaton-Harris has obviously got hold of the wrong figures, I would just like to briefly repeat what Mr van Hulten has just said, namely that nine dismissals were requested. Let me point out to Mr Heaton-Harris that, for technical reasons, eight of these were described as ‘removals’ and one only as a dismissal, so I would ask you to look at these matters carefully. I wish Mr Heaton-Harris and other Members would put a stop to their smear campaign against the Commission and stick to the relevant facts when carrying on their dispute with the Commission and with Commissioner Kinnock.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I would like to say something about the Rules of Procedure which I think is very important given that the MEP, when she asked for a quorum, cited that it is her right under the Rules of Procedure. That is correct, even though I do not approve of her behaviour politically. But she has now said something which must be objected to in respect of the Rules of Procedure, namely that we will now see from the numbers how the importance of this vote is to be assessed. I do not consider this acceptable. Under our Rules of Procedure a vote is fully valid if it has materialised in a proper fashion, even if those who requested that the quorum be determined were no longer able to do this because there were no longer enough of them. Even then a vote is fully valid.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I appreciate the consistent way in which Mrs Roth-Behrendt has developed her report and, in particular, the need to bring to an end a debate which has lasted for many years now. I also share the public's concerns regarding animal experimentation; when this is a matter of repeat trials on active ingredients and principles which have been known for years and are already on the market, then the sacrifice of more animals serves absolutely no purpose. However, Commissioner, when, as I point out in an amendment supported by over 50 Members of Parliament, it is a matter of new cosmetics containing new ingredients which have never been tested in the past in order to establish their toxicological profile in laboratory animals, then, as a scientist, I am convinced that it is essential to carry out an initial set of experiments on animals before cosmetics are used by human beings and before they are placed on the market. If new cosmetics are not tested on animals, I would like to make it quite clear that this could lead to potentially toxic risks for men, women and children alike. There would be a risk of toxic effects on the liver and nervous system, and even cancer. And who would be responsible then, my dear Commissioner? For all these reasons, I strongly urge the House to adopt an amendment tabled by myself and 50 other Members, which calls for barriers not to be placed in way of the progress of science. As a scientist, I would like to make another point, dear Commissioner, and that is that, although it is important to develop, improve and finance alternative methods, they will never, never – and I am saying this as a scientist, as a man who has worked in laboratories for 35 years – they will never be able to reproduce the complexity of an animal or human organism. Finally, it would appear absurd, moreover, both in scientific terms but also in terms of existing international agreements, to prevent the marketing in Europe of those very cosmetics which are the safest because they have been tested on animals in the past. For all these reasons, dear Commissioner, I support your report, the Commission's report, which is not a hit-and-miss report but a report based on the recommendations of an international scientific committee. I therefore support it and I call upon Parliament to adopt amendments which would enhance it and which would make it possible, at last, for the entire report to be adopted so that this debate can be brought to a close.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, with great respect I have to disagree with Mr Simpson. I do not take this debate as premature at all. When an important proposal of this kind comes forward we, in this House, should have the chance to think about it and discuss it as early as possible, not necessarily for the last time. Like him, however, I was very grateful to the Commissioner for the extremely clear statement of the conditions in which charges of this kind would be lawful under Community law and of the real possibility that what we are facing here is not just a dodge to get out of an awkward corner, but a proposal that will fulfil Community law. Again, I thought that what Mr Simpson said was extremely helpful in reassuring us about the probable intentions of the UK government. I would also like to respond to Mr McCartin's remarks. British trade is important to Ireland but it is true the other way round as well. For example, the economy of south west Scotland around Stranraer and Loch Ryan is heavily dependent on the traffic which comes across the north channel, the shortest crossing between the UK and Ireland. Our people depend very heavily on that trade. I would like to say that it would be disgraceful if we were to introduce a vignette which is supposed to support the infrastructure but do not then use it to improve the infrastructure. The condition of the road leading from south west Scotland into the main motorway network, the A75, is disgraceful at the moment. This might give us an opportunity at last to see a real and sustained improvement of the transport facilities which connect our two economies. I very much hope that will be one result of this.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, although our hemicycle is largely empty, I do not want to miss this opportunity, from the benches of this Assembly, to greet and wish the best of luck to my former colleague, Tarya Halonen. There is a new Presidency, which does not resemble the last one very much, but shouldn't we point out some similarities nonetheless? The German Presidency was concerned with putting together its key work, Agenda 2000, and faced two major crises, that of the Commission, and the much more serious one of the war in Kosovo. The Finnish Presidency has been entrusted by the European Council with a number of important projects which could be grouped together under the heading ‘Preparation for Europe's Future’. Indeed, if it manages to bring to a successful conclusion the Tampere Extraordinary Summit, which concerns the security of Europe's citizens, the preparation of a European defence system, through the integration of the WEU with the European Union, the launch of a new round of enlargement in December, and finally, the implementation of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, the Finnish Presidency will have been a great Presidency of transition for the 21st century. Finland, thanks to the commitment and tenacity of its President, Martti Ahtisaari, caused a shift in the mind set in Kosovo from one of war to one of peace. Together with the German Presidency, the Finnish President clearly articulated Europe's voice at the opportune moment. In Kosovo, and throughout the region devastated by war, almost everything remains to be done: to guarantee an orderly return of the refugees, to build democratic institutions, to set up infrastructures, to reconstruct the economy and make it work. Well, in order to overcome all of these challenges, the international community, particularly Europe, will have to commit a huge amount of human and financial resources. Are we ready for that? The necessary funds have not, of course, been provided for in the financial projections. The sums of money which have been announced seem largely insufficient, and the ECO/FIN Council, as it has done many times before, is already questioning formal decisions taken elsewhere. If I have one piece of advice to offer you today, Mrs Halonen, one suggestion to make, it is that you should ensure that these words are followed up with action. The great European plan for definitive peacemaking in the Balkans must not fall victim to complicated and penny-pinching calculations.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I endorse the fact that this budget for Parliament and the other institutions is indeed a very important matter. With enlargement we have to be most careful that we use money to the best advantage, right across the board. I would like to go through one or two detailed matters before I tackle the issue of health insurance. The car service is often abused and we have to make sure that it is very carefully controlled indeed. Concerning languages, technology and the Internet, we need to expand the services to ensure that we are ever more efficient and put our money to the best use at all times. Regarding staffing, we have already helped, as far as the is concerned, to trim down some of the expectations. This relates to assistants to the vice-presidents, where there was going to be considerable extra cost amounting to several hundreds of thousands of euros. We are making sure that whilst there will be upgradings in line with the promotion aspects of the service commitments, we will not be allowing the fast-tracking that was destined to lead to this enormous extra cost in the coming year or two. We will also be making sure that there are no assistants helping out committee chairmen. We see no need for that. We will also be very carefully monitoring the number of assistants helping out Quaestors. I would like to make sure that Amendment No 7 is adopted. This repairs some damage that was done in the earlier versions of this report by Neena Gill. It concerns the Association of Former Members. They have produced all the necessary reports, but they have to have meetings in June, which does not tie in with our budget calendar. It is no place of ours to criticise them and therefore I hope that we can pass Amendment No 7, which welcomes the decision of the Bureau, concerning the costs of meetings of this association. It is doing an excellent job in keeping former Members informed. I turn now to the contentious matter raised and the reference to the ' amendment on health insurance. If we as Parliamentarians do not safeguard against illness of our Members, I do not believe we are doing our duty. We must ensure that the onerous duties placed on us of travelling extensively, lengthy debates and discussions and busy programmes in our regions and our countries throughout the European Union are reflected in a proper health insurance which is up and running and cost effective. I would like to read clause 3 in full, to show that this is not a final decision, but simply open-mindedness with a view to keeping this matter under review. I quote: '...is willing to consider entering appropriations for the extension of the current health insurance scheme to former Members and looks forward to detailed proposals being submitted in due course.' I would emphasise also that if the MEP Statute comes in, as mentioned earlier, this would probably be embraced within it. The final decision is one for the Bureau of this Parliament. All I am saying is that we, as the Committee on Budgets, should take the necessary steps to ensure that we have some allowance and that we will consider the figures in the next few months. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to start by thanking my colleague Mr van den Berg most warmly for his splendid report and, of course, also for his other activities, such as education for all. As is set out in this report, the proportion of people who are illiterate is depressingly high in many countries, particularly in Africa, where there are few opportunities, especially in sparsely-populated areas. As it would, in desert or other uninhabited areas, be unrealistic to build a large number of schools near to where people live, we have to take a good look at other solutions to reduce the educational deficit. This is one of the things Mr van den Berg takes up in his report, proposing, for example, the setting-up of mobile schools, which are of particular importance in providing basic education. In this context too, though, I will come back to the subject of modern information and communication technologies, the use of which enables distances to be overcome, the digital gap to be crossed, and education to become more widespread. It is certain, though, that in the long term, the most important mass medium is radio, which could – and should – be even more widely used as a means of providing education than it has been so far. The example of what is done in the Australian outback can certainly not be followed exactly in African countries, but is one from which one can learn, and it too must form part of any strategy for education. I am glad that I do not have to point out the need to take especial account of girls and women in all educational endeavours. In this report, at any rate, this has become a generally accepted fact. It is not, however, generally known that education – particularly basic education – conducted in the predominant regional languages results in a marked increase in the desire for education and reduces parents’ misgivings about sending their children to school. This is where we must help with the investment in appropriate teaching material, play our part in promoting the education of teachers and contributing to the dissemination of knowledge that relates to local interests and is therefore an indispensable necessity in terms of raising the consciousness of civil society. (Applause)

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I would very much like to bring to your attention the problems we are facing in Brussels, in particular those arising between the Members’ chauffeurs and the security service. We are currently facing enormous problems in this regard, which are causing a great deal of delay. The Members have to wait in a basement full of exhaust fumes, which delays them and which does not do their health much good either. Further to this, I would also like to bring to your notice the matter of the drop-off point next to this Parliament, since I can envisage problems, especially in winter, when one has to walk the 150 metres across the courtyard. Perhaps it would be possible for the point to be set up on the other side, near the entrance.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, we have a wonderful opportunity in Strasbourg today to refresh our spirit of European community: the Giro d’Italia is arriving in Strasbourg. In honour of the introduction of the euro, the Giro d’Italia has become the Giro d’Europa: it started in Groningen in Holland, it has already crossed Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany and, today, it is arriving in Strasbourg, with which it now boasts a consolidated acquaintance for the Giro was presented in this House during the February part-session. I would like to mark this event by pointing out the great significance of the decision of the organisers of the Giro d’Italia to tackle such an undertaking, with the participants crossing half of Europe before entering Italy, and also by informing any Members who may be interested that I still have some passes left to watch the riders arrive, which should happen at around 5 p.m. this afternoon. It is a good idea to get to the arrival point – which is more or less in the Petite France area – a little before the time the riders are due in order to avoid congestion. In any case, anybody who has not yet obtained a pass can enter the area by showing our European Parliament card, for a friendly association has, in fact, been established between the European Parliament and the Giro d’Italia, an association which involves us all. Everyone is welcome, of course.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the issue of animal nutrition has become something of a regular feature on this House's agenda. Over recent years, we have played a very successful part in shaping EU legislation on animal feedingstuffs. Let me remind you of some examples: the open declaration of feed ingredients, the establishment of a positive list, and the new regulations on the production and use of meal made from meat. Today, we are embarking on a new round which focusses on feed additives. The Group of the supports much of what the rapporteur has just mentioned, such as the ban on antibiotics, etc. She has done sterling work, and has been receptive to many of our proposals. I would like to express my sincere thanks to her for that. Overall, then, we are pleased with the report which was voted on in committee. There are two point which should be corrected, however, and which I would like to explain as follows. Coccidiostats and histomonostats should not be authorised for use as feed additives; instead, they should be authorised, in the long term, as veterinary medicinal drugs. We must be consistent here. If we impose a general ban on antibiotics in animal nutrition, we cannot immediately make an exception for one product category. This cannot be justified to consumers. As regards coccidiostats, these must be subject to controlled use as prescribed by a veterinary surgeon who is familiar with the situation in the farm concerned and can respond appropriately. Otherwise, the general preventive use of these products, which are also antibiotics, could conceal possible hygiene problems on the farms. I strenuously refute any accusations that I am trying to generate a new source of income for veterinary surgeons. We have tabled amendments on this issue, and I would ask you to support them. My second point relates to the duration of authorisation. We support authorisation for an unlimited period, provided that this does not impact on product safety. A re-evaluation of the additives should therefore be carried out every ten years, taking account of new scientific information and research data. This ensures reliability for the applicant, on the one hand, and animal and consumer safety, on the other.

Political group: PSE
Although the 'droit de suite' compulsory art resale levy report by Mr Zimmerling has been improved on at conciliation, it is still flawed. It has usefully raised the threshold for art work affected to EUR 3 000 but, although the large art galleries and auction houses favour this, as the volume of work is reduced, it does nothing for unknown contemporary artists. It introduces, as a sweetener, a 6-year derogation before application, but my fear as a London MEP is that our world renowned auction houses, such as Sotheby's, Christies and Phillips, will seize this period as an opportunity to move their businesses to offshore jurisdictions outside the EU, such as Geneva, Monaco and New York, with a loss of jobs in London. This will both directly affect employed personnel and indirectly cause damage to ancillary businesses such as framing and specialist art insurers. Therefore I voted against this measure which seems designed solely to create a level playing field for the French auction houses, who have had such a concept in place for many years already.

Political group: PPE-DE
EPLP Members fully support the main direction of the Maaten Report in highlighting health risks associated with tobacco. However, we believe that there are a number of technical areas which will need to be clarified following first reading in negotiation with the Commission and Council. The question of tobacco growing subsidy has not been addressed in this report. Although many Members feel it is part of the whole debate on tobacco and health and should have been included here, we believe that it would be more correctly brought up in reform of the CAP.

Political group: PSE