Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, you know that this report has been unanimously accepted without amendments. There are no contradictions in this report and in this revision of the Daphne programme. Everyone is in agreement. This initiative, instigated by the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities, has been a great success. Not only in Europe but also in many distant regions of the world, as my fellow MEPs have already mentioned. Sadly, it cannot be regarded as an unqualified success, as the Commissioner has already indicated. This programme may be drawing to a close, but I have heard many positive indications that it could continue although there may not be sufficient funds in view of all the associated problems. One of the questions I should now like to raise is whether, in the case where certain projects have been approved by the Commission but cannot be funded, the Commission and your Commissioner could not recommend that the Member States, who are after all responsible for the projects, should take over a project. This would mean that a project would be funded by a Member State instead of the Commission, encouraging the Member States to undertake high-profile activities in their own country, perhaps also involving NGOs and public bodies such as local councils. The Spanish Presidency has selected violence against women as one of its priorities. This led to a major study into the measures taken by various Member States and an examination of best practice. The Danish Presidency continued along this path, but I should like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to one particular aspect which I think deserves more funding: violence within the family. Why? A survey conducted among the Antwerp police showed that 70% of all police work related to events directly connected with violence within the family. This includes incest, attacks by children on their parents and vice versa. Violence against elderly relatives, psychological problems, physical and mental violence before and after divorce, when exercising visiting rights or in the case of a newly formed family unit. I am not just talking about children who grow up in a violent family and so see this behaviour as normal, but also of a general blurring of moral standards. Sometimes the reverse occurs: one of the parents grew up in a disruptive or violent family and wants to spare their children this experience at whatever cost. This parent becomes over-protective and exerts too much discipline. The other family members either accept this situation or feel oppressed and rebel. In situations like this children may run away from home or attack their parents. Or girls growing up in circumstances like this later on unconsciously choose a tyrannical partner and often become the victim of domestic violence. Making all these problems a fit topic for discussion in our society opened up a Pandora's box. We cannot abandon the victims to their fate, failing to provide support or a way out. I'm thinking here not just of the traditional activities like helplines, reception centres and safe houses, but also of training projects. Training and educational projects for people when they first come into contact with a possible victim and have the opportunity to help him or her out of their isolation: groups like doctors, teachers and police officers. Because acting when violence first occurs also prevents escalation and is the most important step in prevention. I should also like to stress just how important Daphne is. It was a project undertaken by a number of NGOs in various countries together with an international organisation: the International Organisation for Migration. They devised a project in the context of cooperation in helping the victims of human trafficking. That project was very successful, which is why I see it as so important that the projects can be continued and further refined. In fact, on 17 October the European Parliament will be holding a round table presenting a video, a brochure and a website where politicians like ourselves, police officers, journalists, researchers and students can obtain information. I should just like to tell my colleagues how important this is. Mrs Avilés Perea expressed it very well. We need the International Year against Violence, and subsidies. Perhaps we should put more pressure on our Member States to get involved.

Political group: Verts-ALE