GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, quite apart from all the general political issues that we in this House have to consider in relation to Turkey, economic feasibility and the compatibility of its society with the European Union are of course not negligible considerations. There has indeed been great progress in legislative terms, including in the areas of labour law, equality, health care and other important social protection systems, but I have to say that there are developments in quite the opposite direction that stand in an unfortunate contrast to this. Lamentably, nothing good can come of the increase in unemployment, the sharp increase in poverty, particularly in rural areas, the increasing tendency of firms to circumvent rules on health and safety at work by illegally employing short-term workers, the failure to combat the use of child labour, and other things besides. Labour law also lacks rules outlawing discrimination, with the consequence that legal action cannot be taken in respect of such things as the violation of the right to respect for human dignity. That can be sorted out, but there is still a need for great effort in order to do so. Pressure of time will not get these issues dealt with more quickly. With these reasons in mind, and nonetheless wanting to smooth the path towards the approval of Turkey’s accession to the EU, I think that, from a democratic point of view, there is no getting away from the need for the EU of 25 to consider this issue again and for Parliament to give its prior consent before negotiations with Turkey on that country’s accession are embarked on.

Political group: PSE
Welcome, President-in-Office. It is a pleasure to see you. I thank you very much for your reply and I would like to point out that new events have taken place since I submitted my question. Tomorrow, the Group of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party is holding a seminar on the democratisation of Cuba. We had invited four Cuban citizens to take part in the meeting, but they were refused exit visas by the Cuban authorities. A quarter of an hour ago, I received a fax from the Cuban Ambassador, stating that the seminar was an affront to the people of Cuba. As you know, the Cuban regime has also pushed through an amendment to the constitution which gives Socialism a permanent place in the constitution. What is happening in Cuba is naturally an extreme provocation for the Communist regime. I wonder whether the Danish Presidency is preparing to bring further pressure to bear now that so many different initiatives in favour of democratisation are to be seen. The tentative improvements we saw appear not to be leading anywhere. The EU has a vital role to play in this matter, and the Cuban opposition desperately needs us.

Political group: ELDR
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, may I start by drawing your attention to the fact that the conclusions of the Wiersma report on the possible accession of Slovakia to the European Union have the full backing of the group. Slovakia is an example of how, with political will, a country initially at a disadvantage, in this case a country which, under the Meciar regime, lost nearly four years compared with everyone else, can catch up with the other countries negotiating for accession and join with them in resolving problems quickly. What is most impressive is that Slovakia has successfully stabilised its economy over recent years and has started and, in many cases, completed comprehensive structural reforms, including privatising the banks. However, the European Union also needs Slovakia to accede, lying as it does between Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, because it will be easier to guarantee an area of freedom and security in an enlarged European Union along a continuous external border. However, Slovakia will only be able to accede quickly if it is equally quick in implementing government and administrative reform. This includes making the judiciary independent, introducing effective financial controls and reforming the communes and local authorities, all within the next few weeks. This will also indirectly guarantee the involvement of national minorities, especially the Hungarians, in over 500 communities. Slovakia should therefore keep up its resolve to deal with outstanding accession problems in liaison with the Commission and the European Parliament, so as to pave the way for fast accession to the European Union.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, pursuant to Rule 144(2) of the Rules of Procedure, the Group of the requests that this report be referred back to committee. This is for the reasons I adduced yesterday as rapporteur, namely the need to adjust the report to the interinstitutional agreement.

Political group: PSE
With respect, I believe that the President-in-Office of the Council has offered a reply which may belong somewhere, but not on Earth or in the European Union, and much less in Equatorial Guinea. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, your reply demonstrates that either you do not know or that you do not want to know that in Equatorial Guinea a trial has taken place with no democratic guarantees, with punishments based on non-existent accusations and, furthermore, in a situation in which, after being found guilty, the lives of the accused are in grave danger. I do not know if you are aware, for example, that for a week they have not been provided with any kind of food and that 48 hours ago two of them have had to be taken to the Malabo hospital urgently with serious pains. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, do you intend to honour the response of the European Commission to the situation in Equatorial Guinea, delivered by the relevant Commissioner at the last plenary, and, furthermore, comply with this Parliament’s resolution on this situation, by applying the provisions of the Cotonou Agreement?

Political group: PSE
Madam President, this matter is far too serious to be dealt with by means of an urgent procedure at this time. Firstly, the European Parliament has already expressed its opinion on the subject of General Pinochet, but, furthermore, there are certain questions to be borne in mind. The first is that this matter is sub judice in several European countries, and I would like to remind Members that there is still no European judicial area nor a European legal system. We are in favour of the International Criminal Court, but it does not yet exist. Secondly, there is currently a democratically elected government in Chile, led by Ricardo Núñez, whose first declaration was that all those who have committed this type of crime must face justice, and I would remind you that the Chilean justice system, which is independent, is currently examining 60 complaints lodged against General Pinochet, concerning his crimes against humanity. I believe that this is a serious issue which we are obliged to follow up, but it should not be dealt with by means of urgent procedure. We believe that justice should be done in this case, but this is not the most appropriate procedure. (Parliament rejected the proposal) President. – We now come to the third proposal which is for ‘Environmental disasters in the waters of the Danube’, a proposal tabled by the Group of the . Is there a Member who wishes to speak in favour of this proposal?

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, the discussion on decoupling is raging once again, this time in connection with these products of southern Europe, and it is conveying the impression that the money is to be taken from the farmers. On one occasion in committee I blew my top and made it clear that decoupling is actually a means of ensuring that the money remains with the farmers, especially in the case of tobacco. However, we must be aware that, in view of the fact that cotton prices cover only a third of production costs and tobacco prices cover only about half the cost of production, there is naturally a great danger that the absence of any compulsion to grow these products in order to qualify for the premium will result in other crops being grown instead. The main characteristic that distinguishes these products from the agricultural produce of northern Europe may well be that the production and processing of these Mediterranean crops involve more seasonal workers, who might lose their jobs in the event of a switch to other crops. The vital requirement, then, is to promote rural development and to rely on other products with a positive knock-on effect in terms of employment. There is a need to persuade industry of the need to start paying decent prices at long last for agricultural products, which are, in some cases, only a minor ingredient of its end products. Decoupling is the start of a wider debate on farm-gate prices – it applies to milk just as it applies to tobacco and cotton. This is about to become a burning issue. I must therefore say that I endorse the Commission’s proposals in principle and shall vote accordingly.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, before I give my explanation of vote I would like to congratulate you on your handling of the vote on the Middle East resolution. It was quite clear from the result that the majority in this House wanted that resolution passed today and it would have been an absolute tragedy if it had been deliberately scuppered. I am very pleased with that. Our group voted against the arms industry resolution because using more funds and resources to promote the arms industry in Europe goes against what the European Union should be about. We do not need more arms in this world – we need less. It is quite clear this is all driven by profit. We are particularly concerned about depleted uranium because depleted uranium is a small-scale nuclear weapon. It is very alarming that this Parliament, and indeed the EU institutions as a whole, have very little concern about the use of depleted uranium. If we look at what has happened in Iraq, and even in Afghanistan, we can see that people still suffer as a result of the use of this weapon long after wars are over. But it is easy to see that the arms industry as a whole is pushing the policy. Apparently the Western European Union Assembly wants to be able to contribute to the Convention on Europe to ensure that the arms industry is boosted so that it can compete with places such as the United States. When we look at the conflicts around the world we must realise that the production and sale of arms is one of the major factors contributing to global insecurity. We should be helping communities and civilisation by putting resources into education, health and other important areas where money is needed, instead of using resources to boost the arms industry. It is an absolute tragedy that the European Union is moving in this direction.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, the clearest lessons from this foot-and-mouth epidemic are that we need greater vigilance and a new emphasis on animal health, stricter controls on imports from countries where the disease is endemic on swill-feed plants and livestock farms, on animal transport and contingency plans for disasters such as this. Our continent's livestock must never again be put in jeopardy by failures in one country's Ministry of Agriculture. Today, however, the task is not to apportion blame but to plan ahead. When the dust has settled we will find a devastated economic landscape in some of the more remote and vulnerable regions of the European Union, such as my constituency in south-west England. This is not simply a crisis in farming but a wasteland of failed businesses and job losses in tourism, transport and in other sectors. The Union can play an important role in helping to rebuild those economies. I seek the Commissioner's assurance that the Commission will talk now to the governments of the countries and regions affected about how structural fund and other programmes can be adapted to provide early and effective help.

Political group: ELDR
Madam President, Parliament must deplore in no uncertain terms President Bush's military order permitting the secret trial of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay by a military commission, which may adopt its own rules of evidence, judge and pass sentence. This is outside American jurisdiction. As has been pointed out by other speakers, the only American al-Qa'ida member so far captured is to be tried in a court in Virginia with full legal representation! This military order breaches all provisions for a fair trial as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the US is a party, such as the presumption of innocence, choice of counsel, impartial and timely hearing, and the right of appeal to a higher court. The US Government has introduced a category of unlawful combatants, an unknown term in international law, while refusing to grant the suspected al-Qa'ida fighters and Taliban troops captured in Afghanistan the status of prisoners of war. These concerns have been highlighted by renowned lawyers throughout the world, who contest the legitimacy of forcibly taking those now detained in Cuba out of Afghanistan without any extradition order, as well as their status as combatants, and calls for them to be treated as ordinary criminal suspects with all associated rights. We must also take into account the fact that some of these people, who are merely suspected of being al-Qa'ida supporters, have been deported from Bosnia to Guantanamo Bay. The reports of ill-treatment of prisoners is absolutely shocking. Nobody can deny what we have seen for ourselves on television, including reports that they have been shackled, hooded, sedated during transfer and their beards forcibly shaved. This sensory deprivation is something that was criticised in Ireland in the past in relation to prisoners in Northern Ireland – even by our own government. Yet everyone is turning a blind eye to what is happening in Guantanamo Bay. We have to speak out in the interests of international justice, respect for human rights and respect for the Rule of Law. America should abide by those international covenants as well. Parliament would do very well to speak out and send a very clear message that we do not agree with the policy they have adopted.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I fully support the idea behind this directive but there are certain tests to which we should submit the proposal and our amendments. Firstly, would existing successful arrangements for dealing with electronic waste be allowed to continue? I believe there is a danger that they would not. Parliament's amendments emphasise individual producer responsibility so that none can escape the net of the directive, but this means changing existing collective responsibility systems. The rapporteur has dealt with this by allowing for such collective responsibility agreements to continue for 10 years after the entry into force of the directive. That will create two systems in one EU and lead to distortions of competition. I look forward, with some trepidation, to the problems which we will encounter at conciliation on that one. Secondly, are we legislating with open eyes about the cost of what is proposed? No, we are not. The cost impact assessment in the original proposal is inevitably inadequate. The British Government has done a cost-impact assessment, learning from the fridges debacle. It has estimated a possible annual implementation cost for this directive at EUR 500 million, with a maximum save in landfill costs of approximately EUR 15 million a year. Do we have similar estimates from other countries? No, we do not. Will they legislate without counting the cost? Yes, in all probability they will. Thirdly, should we consider the interests of small businesses? Clearly the rapporteur thinks not because he has deleted in Amendment No 15 the possibility of giving micro-companies five years' grace to comply with the directive and take advantage of the technical changes that bigger companies may pioneer. I very much regret this and will not support that amendment. Fourthly, does what we are doing help responsible companies? Not yet. As it stands, the directive creates the possibility that some companies may end up paying for free-riders on the system. We look forward to hearing the Commissioner's reply on Amendment No 92. Fifthly, are we being fair to local authorities? No, the amendments ignore them. Sixthly, is it wise to increase the recycling targets? No. It is not done on the basis of any assessment of cost or practicability. Parliament habitually increases targets – any targets. It is a very bad trade union habit and one that we should get away from.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, I would like to draw attention to something which I believe to be extremely important. We are looking at the issue of Turkey from the point of view of fear, the extraordinary fear of a partner coming closer to us, one with a large population, which at the same time is rather different from us. Nevertheless, the reality is that, over the last two and a half years, nobody could have imagined the changes Turkey is implementing in order to come closer to Europe. Apart from the first revolution in the thirties, which changed the language and created a secular country – if only all the Arab countries had this view of a State in which civil power is separated from religious power – in the face of the increasingly powerful theocracies we have in the Islamic world, it seems incredible that we do not understand that this is a great experiment in democracy. Now, we are in the habit of looking at others arrogantly and we do not realise how small we are. And why are we small? Because, if we look at the international context and what is going to happen in the future, the great China, the great India, the United States ... all of these will be great powers and Europe will have a very minor role to play; it will be one of the world's small provinces. I do not, therefore, see any problem with a country which has a structure of government, a degree of capacity building, which must be developed, but which is greater than other European countries, which has State structures and is therefore capable of doing its duties, as it is doing, progressing under a moderate government which is striving to establish democracy and implement political reforms, I do not see why we cannot give it the opportunity to be a partner which is close to us and which can set an example for the Arab countries. Let us look at demography. The demography of the Mediterranean, of Turkey, of Azerbaijan and of other countries, stands in contrast to our own. Let us think of the future and develop the approaches and analyses we need.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I should like to express my gratitude for the fact that my suggestions were taken into account when this report was drawn up and, in particular, the recommendation that the size of deepwater rose shrimps be set at 22 millimetres rather than at the 24 millimetres proposed by the Commission. Although I think that the Commission’s proposal is not unreasonable, we have to bear in mind that the size limit is being set for the first time and that this species is an important part of the catches of certain fleets in southern Spain and Portugal where, until now, they have been fishing for shrimps without any size restrictions. In a species that does not grow very large, 2 millimetres is a great deal when trying to determine whether the profitability of some very small-scale fisheries will be increased or decreased. As I said, such fisheries are not used to fishing with minimum size restrictions. What is more, Portugal, the other Member State involved, wanted this minimum size to be even smaller. As a result, I feel that the compromise reached is acceptable and to be commended. I should like to thank the Commission for being so prepared to listen and to accept both suggestions from this House as well as from the Council, which were along the same lines. I am also especially interested in the Commission’s proposal on the temporary halt on sand eel fishing in Scottish and English waters. I must also welcome the fact that Denmark, the country most dependent on fisheries, has not raised any major objections to this measure. Their attitude should enable us to progress towards a more realistic management system of fishery resources used for industrial purposes. I have often expressed my doubts about the idea that we should maintain large fleets in depleted ecosystems, such as those of the Community, which means that fish stocks are being destroyed in order to produce fish meal or oil. In the European Parliament Resolution of June 1998 on this type of fishing, which was based on a report drawn up by Mr Kindermann, it was highlighted that 60% of Community yields in the North Sea, Skagerrat and Kattegat are intended for this type of industrial use. Reports from the FAO and environmental organisations estimate that 70% of fisheries production is used to this end and say this is contributing to the destruction of stocks on a worldwide scale. Evidently, these figures also highlight the high socio-economic dependency of some Community regions on such activity. For this reason, while I have no desire whatsoever to eliminate this activity completely, it may be an opportune moment to debate the possibility of achieving a greater balance, taking account of the various fleets’ objectives in the use of resources. Eventually, this new balance should be borne in mind when distributing Community funds for structural measures as well as administrative and market policy measures.

Political group: PPE-DE
We wish to emphasise that, at present, we consider cooperation through Eurojust to be the preferred form of prosecution cooperation within the EU. The jurisdiction for a possible common European prosecuting authority for financial crimes should be limited to cases of fraud directed against the European institutions.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, during the night of 31 March, another ship carrying illegal immigrants ran aground to the north-east of Athens, just like the Kurdish refugees on 18 February off the coast of Var, in France. These are not national problems. Regularly, in Gibraltar, at Calais and elsewhere, refugees are coming ashore at European ports. They risk their lives to flee from dictatorships, conflict and misery. However, they are likely to end up as illegal immigrants, and they know it. One only has to look at France, where 94% of applications for asylum are rejected. Yet the right of asylum is a fundamental and inalienable right. There is a European fund to provide support for the consequences of receiving these people here. In order to improve efficiency, is the Council thinking of assessing the use of resources from this fund? Acting at European level means more than merely denouncing and condemning those who trade in human misery: as you have pointed out, Mrs Ludford, only an overall solution will deal with these problems, with the emphasis on a foreign policy of cooperation just as much as on a genuine policy of integration which recognises the equality of the rights of all citizens. Does the Council therefore not think that as a matter of urgency the Union should provide itself with an effective statutory instrument in the form of a framework directive which would enable it to regularise the position of all illegal immigrants, in order to adopt a more realistic and humane attitude towards immigration. At the present time, two mechanisms are being studied... (The President cut the speaker off)

Political group: Verts-ALE