Mr President, in view of the increasing importance of restorative justice, I am grateful to the Kingdom of Belgium for its initiative in this matter. The aim is the establishment of a European network of national contact points, designed to permit a permanent exchange of information on restorative justice and on one of its most commonly applied methods of resolving disputes, namely mediation. Ladies and gentlemen, every citizen of the Union can move freely within its borders, but, by the same token, he or she can also become a victim of crime in any Member State. Some of the honourable Members of this House and their staff have had painful personal experiences of this in the immediate vicinity of the Parliament building in Brussels. On the other hand, I believe there is little point in creating more and more new European authorities. For this reason, I have proposed that the secretariat of the contact network be established within the existing secretariat of the European crime-prevention network. This will serve to minimise operating costs as well as maximising the synergy effects between the two networks. I have also given sharper contours to the defined aims of the initiative as well as proposing a different legal basis. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that the establishment of a network of contact points cannot be an end in itself. The creation of such a forum can only be the first step. It will therefore be our task to seek further advances in the protection of victims in cooperation with the Council and the Commission. Europe has the opportunity to adopt legal provisions that will effect a truly rational harmonisation of the varying treatment of victims of crime in the Member States. (Applause) (Parliament adopted the legislative resolution) *** Report (A5-0075/2003) by Arie M. Oostlander, on behalf of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs, on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing a specific Facilitated Transit Document (FTD), a Facilitated Rail Transport Document (FRTD) and amending the Common Consular Instructions and the Common Manual (COM(2003) 60 – C5-0052/2003 – 2003/0026(CNS)) and on the proposal for a Council regulation on uniform formats for Facilitated Transport Documents (FTD) and Facilitated Rail Transit Documents (FRTD) provided for in Regulation (EC) No.... (COM(2003) 60 – C5-0051/2003 – 2003/0027(CNS)) (In successive votes, Parliament adopted both legislative resolutions) *** Report (A5-0109/2003) by Paulo Casaca, on behalf of the Committee on Budgetary Control, on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the 2001 financial year (Commission) (SEC(2002) 403 – C5-0239/2002 – 2002/2101(C)). (In successive votes, Parliament adopted both decisions and the resolution) *** (The sitting was suspended at 11.58 a.m. for the formal sitting. It resumed at 12.30 p.m.) Report (A5-0101/2003) by María Antonia Avilés Perea, on behalf of the Committee on Budgetary Control, on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the 2001 financial year: Section II – Council (SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0243/2002 – 2002/2103(C)); Section IV – Court of Justice (SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0244/2002 –2002/2104(DEC)); Section V – Court of Auditors (SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0245/2002 –2002/2105(DEC)); Section VI – Economic and Social Committee (SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0246/2002 –2002/2106(DEC)); Section VII – Committee of the Regions (SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0247/2002 –2002/2107(DEC)) and Section VIII – Ombudsman(SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0248/2002 –2002/2108(DEC)) Before the vote: . – Mr President, I can accept Amendment No 10 as an additional amendment. That is to say, if Amendment No 2 is approved, it will not lapse, but it may also be voted on and, if it is approved, it will be an additional amendment. (In successive votes, Parliament adopted the decisions and resolutions) *** Report (A5-0082/2003) by Bart Staes, on behalf of the Committee on Budgetary Control, on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the 2001 financial year (Section I – European Parliament) (SEC(2002) 405 – C5-0242/2002 – 2002/2102(C)) (Parliament adopted the decision) Before the vote on Amendment No 15 to the proposal for a resolution:

Political group: PPE-DE