GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, Commissioner, Andalusia is one of the most tolerant and multiracial regions of the European Union. Since time immemorial it has welcomed all those who have decided to move there and regarded them as Andalusians from day one, whether or not they were born in our region. Therefore, as an MEP, but primarily as an Andalusian, I can feel only sadness, repugnance and condemnation for the xenophobic and racist events which have occurred and which are foreign to this tolerant community. Yet a worrying situation is apparent. All decisions which are or are not taken and all agreements which are or are not negotiated by the Community institutions with regard to the economy of the principal sectors in disadvantaged areas like Andalusia may indirectly lead to these serious incidents. I am referring, for example, to the lack of agreement with Morocco and to the lack of solutions for the fishing industry, part of whose fleet is moored in Almería. I am also referring to the erratic management of the import scheme for fruit and vegetables by the EU which is dominating relations between Almería and Morocco. I am also referring to the immigration policy of the regions, Member States and European Union which, due to actions or omissions, is leading to a few territories like Almería having to support this migratory pressure from north-west Africa on their own. All these factors have unfortunately been accumulating over time and are now allowing those who are cruel, intolerant, racist and destructive, of which all our countries have some examples, but thankfully a minority, to light the fuse of xenophobia. Anyone, whether European or not, who lives and works in Andalusia, is an Andalusian and deserves our consideration and respect. The EU can and must speak out. For you, the south is Andalusia but for us Andalusians it is Africa. We must therefore ensure that the EU provides every possible resource so that the economy of the south can prosper and enable a society to develop with more tolerance and respect for one another. This has not been achieved with the solutions proposed to date which have quite simply been based on looking the other way.

Political group: Verts-ALE
How wonderful it would be, Madam President, if we could find a solution to prevent conflicts! I voted for this document, Madam President, but I am convinced that we will be able to avoid these conflicts – 99% of which just happen to involve poor, or rather very poor, countries in the world – if we can make these countries a little less poor. I therefore think it is appropriate that the European Union should continue its actions of supporting the economies of Third World countries and poor countries, because I am convinced that only by improving the living standards of the citizens of our world who live in poverty – or rather in extreme poverty, not just in poverty, but in the most wretched poverty there could be – will we succeed in preventing conflicts of any kind. - Gahler report (A5-0418/2001)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, today I would like to argue for the Dutch polder ecopoint, the Scottish Highland levy and the Spanish Pyrenees tax. Just for the record and for the translation: this is not serious. The ecopoint system for the Alps, which aims to protect the local environment, sets the unjust local Austrian special position against the right of free movement of goods, and means that I am no champion of the current system. I was therefore not enthusiastic when I heard that the Danish Presidency had succeeded in extending the system until 2006. France and Italy also have Alps, and the Pyrenees are also very vulnerable. My colleague Mr Caveri’s report managed to bring this unexpected extension of a bad system by the Council back down to reasonable proportions. If it has to be, then let it be like this. The polluter must pay and the most environmentally friendly lorries must continue to be excluded from the full impact of the ecopoints. I am also pleased with the approach that involves no longer regarding the Austrian Alps as a single entity but looking specifically at those areas where there actually are extremely fragile environmental conditions. If Austria seriously wants to tackle transit traffic that pollutes the environment, she will have to invest in infrastructure, invest in railways, and invest in tunnels. Passing the buck by pleading for a stricter ecopoint system seems to me not to be acting in solidarity with neighbouring countries. It would just create extra traffic in these countries, with too little benefit to the European environment, as traffic would have to make detours. I am fervently hoping for a good result in the voting tomorrow.

Political group: ELDR
I am convinced that this is the EU’s big chance to play a positive role in promoting world peace and to give up trying to be a poor man’s United States, with its militarism and philosophy of violence. Instead, the EU should develop an alternative non-violent peace policy. Unfortunately, the Brok report is permeated by traditional over-confidence in military interventions as the only way of bringing about peace. Ought not the EU to learn from the United States’ failures in Afghanistan and Iraq? Ought not the European Parliament to remember its own decisions along different lines, for example the recommendation to the Council, adopted as long ago as 1999, to set up a European civil peace corps? The Council has ignored this recommendation for ten presidencies. The European Parliament should also strongly support the promising talks now under way between the Beijing Government and the representatives of the Dalai Lama. It can do this by approving Amendment No 10 which repeats our old demand that the EU appoint a special representative for Tibet. Through the people with whom I am in touch as Vice-President of the Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China and as a member of the European Parliament’s all-party Tibet Group, I have contacts in both quarters. I therefore know that both Beijing and the Dalai Lama would welcome a strong initiative from the EU on this issue.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, the Cunha report, which deals with the regulation permitting the financing of tobacco growing in Greece, Spain and Italy, especially, has forced me – like Mr Ebner, who spoke a moment ago – to abstain because many pensioners are smokers, and therefore I cannot be against tobacco, but many of them unfortunately become seriously ill and die partly because throughout their lives they have breathed in the smoke from cigarettes smoked by others in their presence. I am therefore in favour of those who want to smoke, provided they do so outdoors, in the open air, because it is their own business, and I am also in favour of doing everything possible so that those who do not want to breathe smoke-polluted air are not forced to do so. I therefore abstained, and I hope the problem will soon be solved in this way, which I think is very fair.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I have in front of me 26 candles. I am aware that this could set off a fire alarm and would therefore be grateful if you would allow me to make this point in advance of the report by the President-in-Office of the Council. I would like to ask the President-in-Office to comment on one issue which was not raised at the summit and which the feels should have been raised: the continued detention without trial of 26 European nationals at Guantanamo Bay. These 26 candles are a symbol that these detainees should not be forgotten and, indeed, I hope that these 26 and all 600 detainees will have access to justice. I would ask the Italian Presidency, on behalf of the European Union, to raise this at every opportunity with the US Administration and to place it on the agenda for the next EU-US summit. The President-in-Office complains that he is a victim of injustice before the law himself and so he should be particularly concerned about this very real injustice on a far greater scale.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, in our work on food aid we must not forget that, even today, there are hundreds of millions of undernourished people in the world. The endeavours of our predecessors in the Community institutions succeeded in reducing the total number of undernourished people by over 20% in the space of 30 years. In recent years, the trend has been reversed, which is extremely odd considering the efforts made by the Western world: in certain areas of our planet, the number of undernourished people is constantly on the up and the problem is heightened by natural disasters or, even worse, wars, which have continued to hit the headlines recently. We must therefore congratulate ourselves on the fact that this issue is still on the agenda of the European Parliament and the countries of the European Union. I was very pleased to note that, as is the case in the Convention we are discussing now, the Community legislator has consistently striven to guarantee food security and not subsistence. The ultimate purpose behind our aid is to bring about food security: with the passage of time, the aid must be gradually replaced by tangible measures and sustainable instruments for consolidating that security, eliminating, at last, the need for any form of aid or intervention. I am sure that our fellow citizens fully approve and support any initiative undertaken by the Community institutions on the matter of aid, or, even better, support for those communities which are less fortunate than we are. However, I cannot miss this opportunity to touch on an aspect, a principle which, I feel, is of paramount importance, precisely to our fellow citizens. In my opinion, the correct weighting should be given to European production. The Convention does not give any form of priority to European products, not even agricultural produce, which are intended for humanitarian aid. Europe has always been one of the highest-producing continents in the agricultural sector. For example, the European Union is one of the world's largest producers of starchy products, which are essential for nutrition. This productivity must not be undervalued or underestimated in respect of the produce available on world markets, even in the provision of aid to the most disadvantaged communities. For this reason, I have tabled an amendment, not to the draft Convention, which, I am aware, cannot be amended, but to Mrs Schierhuber’s resolution. This amendment has been judged inadmissible, but my aim in tabling it was to provoke a debate of substance in this Chamber on a topic which, I feel, is of vital concern to our farmers, particularly at this difficult time for them in the aftermath of the reform of the common agricultural policy. In conclusion, I would stress that the purpose of my amendment, and the purpose, now, of this speech, is to promote the cause of Community products, in particular, agricultural produce, at the time of the conclusion of international agreements, and to urge the European executive bodies not to disregard the millions of people whose livelihood depends on European produce, and I refer not to consumers but to producers.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I have the feeling that, recently, in each debate in this Parliament on the Middle East, we basically go over the same ground. The only thing that changes is the state of the crisis, which, unfortunately, is increasingly worse in that region. Since the last resolution we approved in the European Parliament, with the majority support of the parliamentary groups, there have evidently been more terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians. I think there have been five in the last ten days. We have also, however, seen the siege by the Israeli army increasingly close in on the Palestinian population and its institutions. There has been very considerable material and personal damage which I consider to be completely unjustifiable. Within the landscape of violence, which is very controversial both inside and outside the region and also here in the European Parliament, we should be able to agree on certain things. The first is that nothing can justify acts of terrorism, which reduce the chances of peace and produce nothing but pain and indignation. The second is that it seems clear that the Palestinian National Authority does not have the capacity to restrain this wave of violence. The third is that not everything is permissible in the fight against terrorism: when we have the Rule of Law, we must always act within the parameters of the law and with scrupulous respect for human rights. The fourth is that the parties in conflict must understand that no act of violence is going to improve their position. And the fifth is that we cannot stand on the sidelines; on the contrary, the European Union must maintain its political pressure and its permanent presence in the region. I am happy to see the efforts the Council and the Commission are making, but I am even happier to hear that there is a glimmer of light on the horizon. I agree with the Council declaration, which says that our first priority must be to put an end to the suffering of both peoples. And it seems to me completely pointless for us to try to find somebody to blame. On the contrary, I believe that we must seek solutions and, for example, the European Parliament should promote and sponsor an international conference for peace in the Middle East, a second instalment of the one held in Madrid ten years ago, from which Mr Solana could no doubt recount many experiences. Let us hope that amongst all of us we can contribute to peace, because I believe that that is the only truly important thing at the moment.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I would first like to say that we are at the end of the International Year of Mountains, which was organised by the United Nations. I think it is very positive that Parliament is able to discuss Europe’s role in this matter, particularly at the end of the Year of Mountains. I would also like to welcome, along with the Commissioner who is present and those who are absent, the fact that we are witnessing a change in perspective. Over the years, my colleagues here and I have criticised the Union’s lack of interest in the problems of mountain regions. Today you have shown a different attitude, which was already evident in the October meeting organised on the Commission’s initiative around the theme of ‘EU policies and the mountain’, which included, among others, a speech by President Prodi. I appreciated your speech, Commissioner, because you succeeded in summarising the various issues. I would like to briefly go back over a few matters. First of all, as Mrs Guy-Quint said at the end of her speech, there is the major problem of introducing the issue of mountain regions into the treaties, which is absolutely essential. I think that we should take into account the important role of the Convention in this. We also need to make use of the two presidencies of the Council: the Greek Presidency and the Italian Presidency, two countries that are obviously affected by the problems of mountain regions. Introducing the issue into the treaties will provide an essential legal basis for obtaining a directive on mountain regions, in which we must of course solve the problem of competition. I therefore think that progress should be made in this respect. Having said that, we should also look at the prospects for regional policy for 2007-2013. Why not consider a specific structural fund for mountain regions? Or, better perhaps, for areas that are geographically or naturally handicapped? I will not add anything regarding agriculture. Agriculture remains essential for safeguarding mountain regions. The same can be said about tourism, which Mrs Grossetête discussed in detail. I would like to add a few words on the International Convention on the Protection of the Alps. Unfortunately, I do not think that the Commission has sufficiently monitored the work of this Convention. In this respect, we need to promote the transport protocol, in order to have a legal basis for taking specific measures to regulate the flow of heavy goods vehicles in mountainous areas. We obviously also need to look more closely at the issue of the funding of the major rail links such as Turin-Lyon, the Pyrenees and the Brenner pass, because in my view it is one of the keys to sustainable development in mountain regions.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, I have listened to your comments with interest, but I would like to refer back to my question, Question No 6: What conclusions should now be drawn for European Council meetings in future, not only as regards policing but also in organisational and policy terms? In particular, I should like to know whether you are considering reducing the number of participants and the agenda, as has happened with the G8 summits. If the European Council meetings are only to take place in Belgium in future, has the idea of its own designated location been considered? Are there any thoughts on this issue and if so, what are they?

Political group: PSE
Mr President, our committee undoubtedly agrees with Mr Marset Campos’s report. However, I should like to draw the House’s attention to a number of points which, as far as we are concerned, are right at the top of the international aid priority list. International aid must, without fail, be well coordinated. The Commission, for its part, must set up suitable structures on the ground. However, it must also cooperate as efficiently as possible with the international organisations which have been working there for several years already. The same applies when it comes to involving the people affected, especially the indigenous population. We must work with these people on the ground during both planning and implementation, that is essential as far as we are concerned. Not only does it save costs, it increases efficiency and, more importantly, prevents fraud. We know that in El Salvador, for example, the erstwhile Calderón government diverted aid of EUR 1 million in order to win votes in the right-wing camp. If we really want to help the countries devastated by the hurricane, then of course we need to do more than just implement a few aid projects on the ground. We all know that full well. It is therefore essential that we remit foreign debts and build up regional and, above all, sustainable structures in both the ecological and the economic sense of the word. The Union must also guarantee these countries access to the markets for their products, which must be assessed from both an ecological and a social point of view, because there is little point in giving out aid, on the one hand, and excluding these countries from our markets, on the other. I take the same view as the previous speakers, that it is unacceptable for the Council to argue that money now needs to be diverted from Latin America to Kosovo. Robbing Peter to pay Paul can hardly be called a policy; on the contrary. The Council keeps heaping more and more tasks on to the Commission and the European Parliament; it also needs to ensure that they can be funded by entering the relevant amounts in the budget.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Madam President, Commissioner, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, the economic and employment situation in the airline industry and in the related industrial and services sectors is critical. Although this situation was not caused solely by the events of 11 September, it was made much more acute as a result. Air passengers' confidence has fallen leading to a reduction in passenger numbers, losses have been incurred because of the closure of American airspace and airports, insurance cover has been withdrawn and there has been a decline in the numbers of tourists from the USA and the Far East: these are the main causes, as is the cancellation or postponing of orders for new aircraft. The fundamental causes of this crisis are, however, of a structural nature: crippling competition between the airlines, built-in overcapacity, a general economic recession and bad decisions by management. This motion for a European Parliament resolution refers to a host of necessary measures, for example compensation for the closure of airspace and airports, financial support or guarantees from the Member States to compensate for insurance cover being withdrawn, proposals on providing financial support to the European air transport sector so as to establish a level playing field with the United States and strategies to safeguard or create jobs. The Confederal Group of the supports this motion, although we are aware that it is intended as a very short-term measure and can only constitute a first step, but a step which should be taken immediately. In the medium and long term, we need a harmonised European airspace, higher standards of quality and safety, highly trained staff, high social standards and no low wages. The mass redundancies which were announced in the air transport sector even before 11 September are absolutely unacceptable to us. We need a strategy to coordinate the different modes of transport; we need an all-embracing European transport strategy. This problem cannot be solved on a mode-by-mode basis.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, in contrast to the previous speaker, who thinks that too few measures have been taken, I have to say that, as a Member and as vice-chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, the measures proposed by national governments give me great cause for concern. In the areas mentioned, the European Council is formulating objectives that in some cases are clearly cutting across the competence of Member States. Even if open coordination is not specifically mentioned as a particularly suitable policy tool for these areas of policy, that cannot disguise the fact that the procedure that will continue to apply is that based on objectives and guidelines whose implementation by the Member States is subject to scrutiny at European level. The end result is open coordination. This procedure is highly undemocratic. Neither the European Parliament nor national parliaments are involved in it. It amounts to a violation of the relevant treaties. However, it is also an affront to the objective formulated by the governments in Laeken in December 2001 for the next intergovernmental conference and the most important theme of the convention, that is to say the dividing line in competence as between the EU and Member States. What has become apparent from a constitutional point of view is the statement by the Barcelona Council that there should be a simplification of the process for the European Employment Strategy, and that in particular the number of employment policy guidelines should be reduced. So who initiated this process? It would be very difficult to demonstrate the need for a distinct division of competences more clearly. All I can do is to call on the Heads of State and Government to respect the competences laid down in the relevant treaties and not to arrogate rights to themselves that are found neither in national constitutions nor in the European treaties. The Council's exhortation to Member States to introduce more flexible working arrangements at national level will undoubtedly have a greater impact than utopian European targets and guidelines. The Heads of State and Government should avoid not only the inflation of targets, but also an inflation of Councils, and should concentrate on realistic tasks for the European Union which are covered by the treaties.

Political group: PPE-DE