GwendalTsang/DEFT09-parquet huggingface dataset:
Mr President, I would like to move a point of order regarding Annex 5. The Rules of Procedure state that, on decisions giving discharge, the House shall vote on the basis of a report by the Committee on Budgetary Control, regardless of whether discharge is refused or granted. The report submitted by Mrs Morgan tended towards favouring a certain decision. We cannot now recommend that the House take a different decision. I fully understand Mrs Morgan’s objections. This group was not responsible for initiating a dispute with the Council on this issue; on the contrary in fact, we called for moderation. Now we believe that, in order to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion, we must, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, refer this report back to committee, or at least the part of the report that concerns the Council, and vote on the rest of the report. But we must refer back to committee the part of the report regarding discharge to the Council. This is the only solution that conforms with common sense and also with the Rules of Procedure.

Political group: PPE-DE
I rise because a damaging accusation was made that somehow we have violated the treaties by excluding smaller groups from discussions and negotiations and it is extremely important to correct this. The debate and vote on the first draft report was held on 16 November 2000. The rapporteurs were given a clear mandate by Parliament for discussion with the Council. The European Parliament's Conference of Presidents also gave their clear political support. The mandate given under Rule 69 of the Rules of Procedure was, and I quote, 'to table amendments seeking to reach a compromise', in order to adopt the Regulation in a single reading and within the date set in the Treaty to implement Article 255. The series of trialogue meetings, discussions between the Council, the Commission and Parliament, took place from January to March 2001. All, and I repeat all, the various versions of the compromise amendments were discussed in the LIBE Committee and following the trialogue meetings. The process has been considerably more transparent than the conciliation process and these compromise amendments were agreed on 25 April in the LIBE Committee. At no time has any group, or any individual, been prevented from putting down amendments to put their influence into the procedure. Things move on. This Union has moved on. Post Nice, we have a security policy. It is right that we operate properly and responsibly.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I too shall refer only to the directive on fruit juice, as time is short. Along with previous speakers, we believe that the Council’s proposal represents definite progress because it establishes a clear distinction between fresh fruit juice and concentrated juice. This is a welcome development as it provides consumers with full information on two products with different characteristics produced in very different ways. We cannot therefore support any amendment aimed at blurring or doing away with the distinction established so clearly in the Council’s text. Further, we cannot accept the amendments aimed at ending the use of fruit from the fresh market. This is what would result if we agreed to ban treatment after gathering. The use of this fruit makes it possible to provide the consumer with a healthy product, manufactured to high standards of quality and food safety. It is also a way of utilising surplus agricultural production so that large quantities are not allowed to rot and pollute the environment. Consequently, we shall support the Council’s proposal and vote in its favour. In our view, the majority of the amendments tabled in committee do not serve to clarify or improve the situation. Instead, they cause further confusion.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, It is quite true to say that air traffic delays need to be urgently addressed. However, it is also worth noting that 33% of ATM delays recorded between January and June 1999 were mostly due to temporary capacity reductions associated not least with the Kosovo crisis. The real problem lies in the sectors straddling areas north and south which include Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, parts of Germany, Maastricht upper-air space and these are responsible for 44% air traffic flow management delays and 30 bottlenecks. At one time, Greece was part of that problem. However, the impressive results by the Greeks goes to show that the improvements can be made if there is strong action and real cooperation by national governments. All too often Eurocontrol is used as the scapegoat and is blamed for the present situation, but the real blame must lie with the inaction of national governments in the areas that I have outlined. It is quite clear that the European Transport Council must take immediate action to ensure that the air traffic control decisions are applied by all Member States Europe-wide. It should be remembered that Eurocontrol is the only pan-European institution in the air traffic management domain and must be supported. Finally, one issue that was raised – the critical shortage of manpower to the tune of 1,000 air traffic controllers throughout Europe – needs to be urgently addressed by national governments. That in itself will go a long way to improving flow control. In addition, both airports and airlines need to look closely at their practices, as they too are responsible far too often for the high percentage of delays incurred.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, today’s debate is extremely important because the principle of competition has probably been the cornerstone of the internal market. In accordance with the principle of competition, the legislation has implemented Articles 85 to 94, competition policy in the strict sense, and the revision of all state aid and tax provisions which may affect competition. Firstly, fiscal provisions of an indirect nature and recently, thanks to Commissioner Monti, there have been direct provisions, the code of good conduct in particular. This has worked fairly well, but, as in the famous film Casablanca ‘time goes by’ and we must adapt the legislation we have been applying until now to the new circumstances. In this respect I have observed a significant consensus in all the interventions. Firstly, it is necessary, in drawing up the legislation, to produce clear and complete rules. It is probably horrendous, especially in this particular raft of legislation, that there are confused rules, regulatory vacuums and rules that only lay down undefined legal concepts. This is all the worse – as is the case with the second part of this reform – when responsibility for implementing the legislation lies with national authorities. Thirdly, it seems to me important that the Commission should play a role in resisting the temptation to create independent agencies which would distort the very essence of the Commission, in order to guarantee uniform application by international bodies. Fourthly, and lastly – and this has already been mentioned – the international legal order has changed. We have seen this in the aborted Seattle Conference and we are now seeing it in the bilateral conferences with different regions or countries of the world. The principle of competition must now be universal in its application. We must monitor compliance with environmental standards, employment standards, in order to prevent dumping in this area, and we must ensure scrupulous respect for property rights and the revision of state aid, which in many industries – as has already been said – distorts competition and destroys jobs within our own territory. To sum up, we should apply similar conditions that will prevent aid, internal distortions by other countries, from being transferred to the international arena, in other words, through trickery.

Political group: PPE-DE
Madam President, Mr Maaten’s report states that alcohol is the second most important health factor within the EU after tobacco and that alcohol abuse is growing and giving rise to more and more illness, together with growing social and economic problems in a whole range of EU countries. The report also indicates that, thanks largely to its responsible alcohol policy, Sweden has a lower level of alcohol consumption and fewer alcohol-related illnesses than other Member States. Sweden’s positive experiences in these areas ought therefore, of course, to be made use of by the EU. Alcohol issues ought to be dealt with in the way that, for example, tobacco and drug issues are now beginning to be dealt with. Instead of Sweden’s now being forced to phase out its approach to health policy in order to adapt to the EU, it ought to be the opposite way around: namely, the EU should model its policy on Sweden’s and try to get to grips with the growing alcohol problems. In this area, I should like to see a convergence policy whereby countries with major and growing alcohol problems adopt the much more successful Swedish model. I am therefore going to vote against the Commission’s proposal, recommended by Mr Maaten in a move quite out of keeping with his otherwise excellent report. I want to conclude by noting that the Swedish Government has now given in to a market imperative able to dispense with the approach focused upon health policy. I hear that many of my fellow MEPs are adopting the same view, namely that Sweden should, for example, give in, even if there are reasons in terms of health policy for taking an entirely different direction. I do not share that view. I think there are good reasons why the EU should reconsider its alcohol policy, and the Swedish experience is important in that context. Therefore, Swedish policy ought not now to be discontinued but, instead, used constructively to the EU’s advantage and benefit.

Political group: GUE-NGL
Our coastal zones have been in continual decline for many years now, and the efforts of Member States to tackle this phenomenon vary according to the policies that the governments decide to pursue. Some countries, such as France, do not make land planning a political priority. The decline of our coastal zones is often a result of this reprehensible wait-and-see policy. The problems encountered, both on land, such as demography, road networks and housing, and at sea, such as oil discharges, excess algae for instance, are shared problems. Europe therefore has a duty to play a specific role in initiating and drive policy-making in this area. We must, of course, take the various geographical areas into account. No one coastal zone is the same as another. We must urge the Member States concerned to carry out a national inventory, to put in place a genuine preservation strategy that is coordinated at local level and guided at national level and to apply Community legislation that has an impact on coastal zones. (Explanation of vote cut short pursuant to Article 137(1) of the Rules of Procedure) - Report Sterckx (A5-0095/2002)

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, Commissioner, I only have two minutes and must dispense with references to honeymoons. Nonetheless, I should like to thank the general rapporteur, Elmar Brok, who is also chairman of the committee, for the farsightedness and astonishing sensitivity with which he has conducted the debate, including and most importantly, in committee. As a result, we can now take up a coherent position for the European Parliament which is supported by all political groups. After such a comprehensive debate, I should just like to address and highlight two questions, which now have no or the wrong meaning in the public eye. The first is the question of the reforms needed in the European Union itself. As a result of the Intergovernmental Conference, the conditions needed in order for the European Union to be able to enlarge will be in place. All too often we stand with raised finger pointing in the direction of the candidates and lecture them on their obligations, when what we should do is point in our own direction and understand once and for all that, when it comes to fulfilling obligations, our turn comes well before theirs. The second point concerns the setting of dates. I am resolutely in favour of setting one date, i.e. the date by which the European Union will have completed its reforms and will therefore be ready to receive new members. To set a total of a further twelve dates would, in my view, be irresponsible, for the reasons which numerous speakers have cited here today, and would increase the candidates’ frustration rather than motivating them.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to congratulate the three rapporteurs on their reports. Over the past Christmas break, a striking number of dead sea birds have once again been found on the North Sea beaches. This is no coincidence. Indeed, every winter, around this time, there is an increase in the number of illegal discharges at sea. These are done by captains who are not so strict when it comes to adhering to regulations and who know that there is less monitoring during this period and that winter storms mean that the oil does not leave a clear trail. This is why this report is so important. Europe must act. The Group of the supports the Pex report we are discussing now, because it is a considerable improvement on the draft directive that indicates that Europe is now finally making out a case for attaching a penalty to maritime environmental crimes, including those committed outside its territorial waters. We therefore reject the Council’s arguments according to which this subject falls within the scope of the third pillar. How will the Commission react to this? How will the Commission react if the Council formally refuses to accept the directive’s introduction of criminal sanctions? The accident involving the Prestige brought out sentiments to that effect, because we also want to deal with the port authorities regarding environmental damage arising after a ship that is in difficulty is refused entry to a port or a safe haven. A European coastguard is necessary in order to make prosecution truly possible. In for a penny, in for a pound. Tomorrow, we will be voting on a proposal tabled by my group to link this Pex directive to the Bouwman directive concerning port facilities. In that way, we enhance the traceability of polluters. Furthermore, we would ask for your support for other amendments, such as the involvement of the EMSA during the implementation of this directive.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, just this once I shall resist the temptation to lambast the Commission and the Council for their contributions to the crisis facing the whitefish sector in Scotland. I can assure fellow Members that there certainly is a major crisis of confidence in the European Union's ability to manage fisheries at all. However, I will concentrate my remarks tonight on the main and most important purpose of the resolution which accompanies this question, that is, the social and economic consequences arising from the decisions made at the December Fisheries Council. Businesses are already feeling the pain from the interim cod recovery measures: not just the fish-catching sector, but whole communities. It is predicted that the long-term recovery plan will continue to inflict real economic and social hardship. I hope, therefore, that this House will unite in support of this resolution, calling for up to EUR 150 million of additional EU funding - and 'additional' is the important word here. This amount would be in addition to Member States' commitments, constituting a fund to help offset the widest possible range of economic and social consequences that the European Union fisheries management decision will inflict. My preference would be to aim for the use of the flexibility instrument for this. Not so long ago, as has been pointed out, the political will of this House and the Council, and the loss of fishing rights in Moroccan waters, brought about a similar, highly-concentrated downturn in activity. There will have to be detailed discussion of plans and priorities for the use of such a fund, but I certainly hope that this week we will take the first step towards setting it up. I call upon the UK Government to abandon its previous resistance to taking part in such a process.

Political group: Verts-ALE
Mr President, I want to preface my remarks by saying that whenever there is lack of respect for children’s rights, there is violence. And the first form of violence is failure to provide education. Children from families with problems suffer and often do not have access to proper education. They will have far less chance of success in life and the conditions are all present for their children to experience the same situation. So it is time to prioritise prevention and by creating a different family framework finally make it possible to avoid pointless social and individual suffering and implement a real policy of inclusion, socialisation and education from birth. We need to invent new responses and new social attitudes. It is our duty to take an interest in these children, particularly the girls, because in some countries they are still regarded as domestic slaves. The importance of the early years and education must be recognised in order to provide young people with forms of self-expression other than rebellion due to deprivation in childhood. Human beings are born in a state of dependency. Defenceless, babies have no duties. They cannot have any. Duties follow awareness and awareness awakens with education. So in parallel with the implementation of processes to promote literacy and education in general, we must also engage in some collective thinking about the living conditions of children in the various countries, especially in urban areas, and assist in projects to look after street children in third world countries, and also in our own countries, developing pilot schemes inspired, for example, by the family pre-school proposed by ATD Quart-monde. It involves reaching out to families and helping children within the family, as well as cooperation and funding to help families in difficulty, especially single-parent families and vulnerable children. In fact it is our duty to launch an extensive review of the education of children on our planet if we want a better future for all.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, I voted against this proposal for a regulation. It occurs to me that we are spending too long deciding how good or how bad what we eat is, what it is made of and whether it includes GMOs or not, while so many people in the world are hungry and have nothing to eat. Having said that, with all respect to the report, the Pensioners’ Party and I are in favour of GMOs. I am in favour of progress and progress cannot be halted. That is my opinion, and I am convinced that the future will see many genetically modified organisms in food. That is why I voted against the report.

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, I would like to raise an issue arising from the two policies that are the subject of this afternoon’s debate, namely the problem related to the use of depleted uranium weapons and munitions. On 15 January 2001, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of these weapons and munitions. More recently, on 27 March 2002, the United Nations Environment Programme published the results of a study on six sites in Serbia and Montenegro that had been affected by the use of depleted uranium munitions during the Balkans War of 1999. The study confirmed that five of the six sites concerned were contaminated; in two of the sites, particles of depleted uranium were detected in the region’s air. The results of the measures show that dust particles of depleted uranium have been widely dispersed in the environment as a result of the impact from these munitions. Although the United Nations Environment Programme considers the level of radioactive pollution to be low, the fact remains that this pollution confirms the risks of using depleted uranium arms and munitions for soldiers, of course, but also for the civilian population and certainly for several future generations. Today, although there is no official information to confirm this, there are many elements to support the theory that a large part of Afghanistan, which was heavily bombed, has been contaminated by depleted uranium. These include the statement issued by the US Secretary of State, Donald Rumsfeld, which mentions a contaminated site, the concern expressed by scientists in Pakistan and, more importantly, the confirmation of the use of guided missiles with extremely dense metal warheads, which are most likely made of depleted uranium. According to the information at our disposal, the United Nations Environment Programme is due to begin a study on the impact of war on the environment in the coming weeks. I still have some questions, however, that I would like to put to the Council. Does the Council envisage taking any particular measures to protect troops and humanitarian missions on the ground in Afghanistan? What is the Council’s view of the long-term use of these weapons and arms, when it is aware that these weapons are used indiscriminately and affect both the civilian population and soldiers?

Political group: Verts-ALE
Madam President, much is spoken about preserving and enhancing European cultural heritage. For cultures to really flourish we need concrete action as well as speeches. I believe that the report by my colleague Mrs Prets will help us make some progress. There should be support for the Convention on cultural diversity as proposed by UNESCO’s General Conference. I think the rapporteur’s approach to examining culture as part of all the EU’s different policy areas is a welcome one. This way of considering the matter should also be extended to practical action. The Culture 2000 programme is the most conspicuous but by no means the only instrument. Money is channelled from the Structural Funds to projects in the field of culture, but the take-up rate could be raised with more effective systems of information. Internal market legislation has a partial impact on the mobility of cultural products, that is, arts and artists. We still too often run into problems in this area especially as far as taxation is concerned. The objective set at Lisbon regarding the European information society has brought a new dimension to the field of culture. Technology offers more opportunities and tools, but they must be harnessed in the service of culture, not the other way round. The European cultural networks are a key resource in the promotion of cultural diversity. I hope that we will establish a legal basis to ensure they are properly funded as quickly as possible. I want to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Prets, for her personal input to promote cultural diversity. She has organised several workshops on European art this parliamentary term.

Political group: PSE
Mr President, on a point of order I should like to ask you for clarification of the Rules of Procedure: namely Rules 133(2) and 138(4). These are both about voting. Is it not the case that on votes other than roll-call votes, the vote should take place initially by show of hands and only then, if there is some doubt, should we utilise the electronic voting system?

Political group: PPE-DE
Mr President, we are bringing the Belgian Presidency to a close, and that should surely be in the presence of the Council, normally speaking. The Belgian Presidency has been congratulated on the fact that the Ministers have attended the sittings so regularly, yet we are now evaluating their Presidency without any of the Council members being present. I would question the validity of continuing this debate. Whom are we actually addressing?

Political group: PPE-DE