Formal sitting - Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
President
Your Holiness, Patriarch Bartholomew, it is a great honour to welcome you to this formal sitting of the European Parliament during the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008. The first guest to address the European Parliament as part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue was the Grand Mufti of Damascus in January. He is from Syria and addressed us as a messenger of peaceful Islam.
Your Holiness, you represent the Christian faith, and the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks will address the European Parliament in Strasbourg in November as a representative of the Jewish faith.
People from these three faiths - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - have lived side by side for centuries. Unfortunately, this coexistence has not always been peaceful. Even today, in the Middle East and elsewhere, there are areas marked by tensions between these communities.
We in the European Parliament support every effort to promote the peaceful coexistence of religions and cultures in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world. In the Middle East, there are also examples of religious tolerance and harmonious relations between people of different faiths. When I visited Syria a short time ago, I had the opportunity to meet the spiritual leaders of the various faith communities and they assured me that in their country, good relations exist, underpinning the dialogue between religions and cultures.
The European Union is a community based on values, and one of our most fundamental values is the dignity which is inherent in every individual. In this respect, religious freedom is central to human dignity, and goes far beyond the powers invoked by state authorities. The separation of church and state, which we esteem so highly, is a guarantee of the freedom of religious communities to manage their own internal affairs and external relations. These principles are reaffirmed in the Treaty of Lisbon, whose entry into force we are seeking to secure.
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, with its seat in Phanar in Istanbul, was founded in the 4th century and is an important spiritual centre for 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. Phanar means 'beacon', and you, Your Holiness, have always been a beacon of reconciliation and peace for the faithful in the Orthodox world and beyond.
The latest enlargement of the European Union has brought countries with Orthodox majorities, such as Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania, into the EU, while Greece has been a member since 1981. The late Pope John Paul II, who addressed the European Parliament in 1988, used the following metaphor to describe this: he said that after overcoming its division, Europe is breathing with both its lungs again. We could use this metaphor again today to describe the richness of the enlarged EU, brought about by the different perspectives of Western and Eastern Christianity.
Your Holiness, we thank you for your visit. You are one of the very few figures to address the European Parliament for a second time. You were here in 1994, and you are honouring us with a further address on the occasion of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. We are looking forward to hearing your speech.
May I now invite you to address the European Parliament. Thank you.
(Applause)
His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I
Your Excellency Mr President of the European Parliament, your Excellencies, honourable Members of the European Parliament, distinguished guests, dear friends, first and foremost we convey to you salutations from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, based for many, many centuries in what is today Istanbul - greetings replete with esteem and respect. In particular, we express our gratitude to an old friend of ours, His Excellency Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament. We likewise express our sincerest appreciation for the extraordinary honour to address the plenary sitting of the European Parliament for the second time (as the President already mentioned), especially on this occasion that commemorates the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.
As a purely spiritual institution, our Ecumenical Patriarchate embraces a truly global apostolate that strives to raise and broaden the consciousness of the human family - to bring understanding that we are all dwelling in the same house. At its most basic sense, this is the meaning of the word 'ecumenical' - for the 'oikoumene' is the inhabited world - the earth understood as a house in which all peoples, kindreds, tribes and languages dwell.
As is well known, the origins of our religious institution lie at the core of the Axial Age, deep in the history of the Christian Faith - with the earliest followers of Jesus Christ. Inasmuch as our See - our institutional centre - shared the centre and capital of the Christian Roman Empire, it became known as 'ecumenical', with certain privileges and responsibilities that it holds to this day. One of its chief responsibilities was for bringing the redemptive message of the Gospel to the world outside the Roman Empire. In the days before the exploratory age, most civilisations held such a bicameral view of the world as being 'within' and 'without'. The world was divided into two sectors: a hemisphere of civilisation and a hemisphere of barbarism. In this history, we behold the grievous consequences of the alienation of human persons from one another.
Today, when we have the technological means to transcend the horizon of our own cultural self-awareness, we nevertheless continue to witness the terrible effects of human fragmentation. Tribalism, fundamentalism, and phyletism - which is extreme nationalism without regard to the rights of the other - all these contribute to the ongoing list of atrocities that give pause to our claims of being civilised in the first place.
And yet, even with tides of trade, migrations and expansions of peoples, religious upheavals and revivals, and great geopolitical movements, the deconstruction of rigid and monolithic self-understandings of past centuries has yet to find a permanent harbour. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has sailed across the waves of these centuries, navigating the storms and the doldrums of history. For twenty centuries - through the Pax Romana, the Pax Christiana, the Pax Islamica, the Pax Ottomanica (all epochs marked by intercultural struggle, conflict and outright war) - the Ecumenical Patriarchate has continued as a lighthouse for the human family and the Christian Church. It is from the depths of our experience upon these deep waters of history that we offer to the contemporary world a timeless message of perennial human value.
Today, the ecumenical scope of our Patriarchate extends far beyond the boundaries of its physical presence at the cusp of Europe and Asia, in the same city we have inhabited for the seventeen centuries since her founding. Though small in quantity, the extensive quality of our experience brings us before this august assembly today, in order to share from that experience on the necessity of intercultural dialogue, a lofty and timely ideal for the contemporary world.
As you yourselves have said - in this most esteemed body's own words: 'At the heart of the European project, it is important to provide the means for intercultural dialogue and dialogue between citizens to strengthen respect for cultural diversity and deal with the complex reality in our societies and the coexistence of different cultural identities and beliefs' (Decision No 1983/2006/EC) and we would humbly append this noble statement, as we did last year in our address to the Plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in Strasbourg: 'Dialogue is necessary first and foremost because it is inherent in the nature of the human person'.
This is the principal message that we propose for your consideration today: that intercultural dialogue is at the very root of what it means to be a human being, for no one culture of the human family encompasses every human person. Without such dialogue, the differences in the human family are reduced to objectifications of the 'other' and lead to abuse, conflict, persecution - a grand-scale human suicide, for we are all ultimately one humanity. But where the differences between us move us to encounter one another, and where that encounter is based in dialogue, there is reciprocal understanding and appreciation - even love.
In the past 50 years, our human family has experienced leaps of technological achievement undreamed of by our forebears. Many have trusted that this kind of advancement will bridge the divides that fragment the human condition. As if our achievements had given us the power to overcome the fundamental realities of our moral and - may we say - our spiritual condition. Yet, despite every conceivable benefit and technological skill - skill that seems to outstrip our anthropological wit - we still behold the universal banes of hunger, thirst, war, persecution, injustice, planned misery, intolerance, fanaticism and prejudice.
Amidst this cycle that cannot seem to be broken, the significance of the 'European project' cannot be underestimated. It is one of the hallmarks of the European Union that has succeeded in promoting mutual, peaceful and productive co-existence between nation states that less than 70 years ago were drenched in a bloody conflict that could have destroyed the legacy of Europe for the ages.
Here, in this great hall of assembly of the European Parliament, you strive to make possible the relationships between states and political realities that make reconciliation between persons possible. Thus you have recognised the importance of intercultural dialogue, especially at a time in the history of Europe when transformations are taking place in every country and along every societal boundary. Great tidal forces of conflict, and economic security and opportunity have shifted populations around the globe. Of necessity, then, persons of differing cultural, ethnic, religious and national origin find themselves in close proximity. In some cases, the same populations shun the greater whole and close themselves off from the dominant society. But in either case, as we engage in dialogue, it must not be a mere academic exercise in mutual appreciation.
For dialogue to be effective, to be transformative in bringing about core change in persons, it cannot be done on the basis of 'subject' and 'object'. The value of the 'other' must be absolute - without objectification; so that each party is apprehended in the fullness of their being.
For Orthodox Christians, the icon, or image, stands not only as an acme of human aesthetic accomplishment, but as a tangible reminder of the perennial truth. As in every painting - religious or not, and notwithstanding the talent of the artist - the object presents as two-dimensional. Yet, for Orthodox Christians, an icon is no mere religious painting - and it is not, by definition, a religious object. Indeed, it is a subject with which the viewer, the worshipper, enters into wordless dialogue through the sense of sight. For an Orthodox Christian, the encounter with the icon is an act of communion with the person represented in the icon. How much more should our encounters with living icons - persons made in the image and likeness of God - be acts of communion!
In order for our dialogue to become more than mere cultural exchange, there must be a more profound understanding of the absolute interdependence - not merely of states and political and economic actors - but the interdependence of every single human person with every other single human person. And such a valuation must be made regardless of any commonality of race, religion, language, ethnicity, national origin, or any of the benchmarks by which we seek self-identification and self-identity. And in a world of billions of persons, how is such inter-connectedness possible?
Indeed, there is no possible way to link with every human person - this is a property that we would ascribe to the Divine. However, there is a way of understanding the universe in which we live as being shared by all - a plane of existence that spans the reality of every human person - an ecosphere that contains us all.
Thus it is that the Ecumenical Patriarchate - in keeping with our own sense of responsibility for the house, the oikos of the world and all who dwell therein - has for decades championed the cause of the environment, calling attention to ecological crises around the globe. And we engage this ministry without regard to self-interest. As you know so well, our Patriarchate is not a 'national' church, but rather the fundamental canonical expression of the ecumenical dimensions of the Gospel message, and of its analogous responsibility within the life of the Church. This is the deeper reason that the Church Fathers and the Councils have given it the name 'Ecumenical'. The loving care of the Church of Constantinople exceeds any linguistic, cultural, ethnic and even religious definition, as she seeks to serve all peoples. Although firmly rooted in particular history - as any other institution is - the Ecumenical Patriarchate transcends historical categories in her perennial mission of service during 1 700 years.
In our service to the environment, we have, to date, sponsored seven scientific symposia that bring together a host of disciplines. The genesis of our initiative grew on the island that gave humanity the Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation: the sacred island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea. And it was in the Aegean that we commenced, in 1995, an ambitious programme of integrating current scientific knowledge about the oceans with the spiritual approach of the world's religions to water, particularly the world's oceans. Since Patmos, since 1995, we have traversed the Danube, the Adriatic Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Amazon, the Arctic Sea (last September), and we are now making preparations to sail the Nile in Egypt and the Mississippi River in the United States, both next year.
What we seek is not only an ongoing dialogue that is serviceable to practical necessities, but also one that raises human consciousness. While we strive to find answers to ecological concerns and crises, we also bring the participants into a more comprehensive sense of themselves as belonging to and relating to a greater whole. We seek to embrace the ecosphere of human existence not as an object to be controlled, but as a fellow-struggler on the path of increase and improvement. As the Apostle Paul, whose 2 000-year legacy both the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches are celebrating this year, says in one of his most famous epistles, the Epistle to the Romans, 'For we know that until now, the whole of creation groans with us and shares our birth pangs'.
Every ecosystem on this planet is like a nation - by definition limited to a place. The estuary is not the tundra, nor is the savannah the desert. But like every culture, every ecosystem will have an effect that goes beyond far beyond its natural - or in the case of cultures, national - boundaries. And when we understand that every ecosystem is part of the singular ecosphere that is inhabited by every living breath that fills the world, then do we grasp the interconnectedness, the powerful communion of all life, and our true interdependency on one another. Without such an understanding, we are led to ecocide, the self-destruction of the one ecosphere that sustains all human existence.
Thus it is that we come before you today, highlighting this Year of Intercultural Dialogue, bringing parables from the natural world to affirm your transcendent human values. As an institution, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has lived as a relatively small ecosystem within a much larger culture for centuries. Out of this long experience, allow us to suggest the most important practical characteristic that enables the work of intercultural dialogue to succeed.
Chiefly and above all, there must be respect for the rights of the minority within every majority. When and where the rights of the minority are observed, the society will for the most part be just and tolerant. In any culture, one segment will always be dominant - whether that dominance is based on race, religion or any other category. Segmentation is inevitable in our diverse world. What we seek to end is fragmentation! Societies that are built upon exclusion and repression cannot last. Or, as the divine Prince of Peace Jesus Christ said: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.
Our counsel to all is to recognise that only when we embrace the fullness of shared presence within the ecosphere of human existence, are we then able to face the 'otherness' of those around us - majority or minority - with a true sense of the consanguinity of the human family. Then do we behold the stranger amongst us not as an alien, but as a brother or sister in the human family, the family of God. St Paul expounds on pan-human relation and brotherhood quite eloquently and concisely when addressing the Athenians in the first century.
This is why Europe needs to bring Turkey into its project and why Turkey needs to foster intercultural dialogue and tolerance in order to be accepted into the European project. Europe should not see any religion that is tolerant of others and respectful to the others as alien to itself. The great religions, like the European project, can be a force that transcends nationalism and can even transcend nihilism and fundamentalism by focusing their faithful on what unites us as human beings, and by fostering a dialogue about what divides us.
From our country, Turkey, we perceive both a welcome to a new economic and trading partner, but we also feel the hesitation that comes from embracing, as an equal, a country that is predominantly Muslim. And yet Europe is filled with millions of Muslims who have come here from all sorts of backgrounds and causations; just as Europe would still be filled with Jews, had it not been for the horrors of the Second World War.
Indeed, it is not only non-Christians that Europe must encounter, but Christians who do not fit into the categories of Catholic or Protestant. The resurgence of the Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe since the fall of the Iron Curtain has truly been a marvel for the world to behold. The segmentation of Eastern Europe has led to fragmentation in many places. Not only does the centre not hold; it is hardly discernible. Through this process, as nation states strive to re-establish themselves, it is the Orthodox Christian faith that has risen, even above economic indicators, to a new status that could not have been predicted even 20 years ago.
One of the vital roles of our Ecumenical Patriarchate is to assist in the process of growth and expansion that is taking place in traditional Orthodox countries, by holding fast as the canonical norm for the worldwide Orthodox Church, over a quarter of a billion people around the globe. At this moment, we wish to inform you, dear friends, that in October - next month - at our invitation, all the Heads of the Orthodox Patriarchates and Autocephalous Churches will meet in Istanbul, in order to discuss our common problems and to strengthen Pan-Orthodox unity and cooperation. Simultaneously, we will also concelebrate the two thousand years since the birth of the Apostle of the Nations, St Paul.
Currently in the City (Istanbul) we are experiencing great joy and enthusiasm as we are all preparing for its celebration as the European Capital of Culture in the year 2010. The City, which has a long history, was a crossroads for gatherings of people and served as a place of cohabitation of diverse religions and cultures. This past week, we attended a luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister of Turkey in honour of the Prime Minister of Spain. As is public knowledge, both are co-sponsors of the Alliance of Civilisations under the auspices of the United Nations. We heard their wonderful speeches, which were harmonious with the diachronic tolerant spirit of our City.
And now dear friends, please allow us to conclude in French in order to honour the French presidency, and also because this week you celebrate the European Day of Languages, I think next Friday.
Excellency, ladies and gentlemen of the European Parliament, the Ecumenical Patriarchate reaffirms its desire to do all in its power to contribute to peace and prosperity in the European Union. We are ready to join you in other constructive dialogues like that of today and we will lend an attentive ear to the problems of the day.
It is in this spirit that our Patriarchate has been cultivating and nurturing meaningful dialogue with Islam and Judaism for the past 25 years. We have held many bilateral and trilateral meetings. Within this framework, we will be meeting in Athens at the beginning of November to resume, for the 12th time, our academic dialogue with Islam.
Alongside these discussions, we are continuing our theological talks with the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Reformed Churches and with the ancient Oriental Churches: Armenian, Coptic, etc. At the end of October, at the Pope's invitation, we will have the opportunity, the privilege even, to speak at the 12th Ordinary Assembly of the World Synod of Bishops in the Vatican.
This should illustrate that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is extremely active in the area of ecumenical dialogue and seeks to contribute to a better understanding between peoples, reconciliation, peace, solidarity and efforts to combat fanaticism, hatred and all forms of evil.
We would like to thank you for this unique opportunity to address your Assembly for the second time and we call for God's infinite blessing for all your just ventures.
Allow me, from this distinguished platform, to present my best wishes to Muslims all over the world at the approach of the great festival of Ramadan and also to the Jews of the world on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. We are all brothers and sisters, children of the same heavenly Father and, on this wonderful planet, for which we are all responsible, there is room for everyone, but there is no room for war or for those who kill each other.
Once more, we thank you with all our heart for allowing us the great honour and privilege of addressing you today.
(Standing ovation)
President
Your Holiness, the European Parliament has accorded you a standing ovation to show its great appreciation of your speech. You spoke of pax, of peace for the human family and creation. Peace is the culmination of respect for human dignity.
We do not have to agree with every belief that exists, and we do not have to accept every view. What we must do, however, is respect our fellow men and women. It is this respect which is the core of human dignity, and it is the core of tolerance.
In that spirit, we would like to express our warmest thanks to you once again for the contribution that you have made to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. It is a valuable contribution which fosters understanding between the people of our continent and the world, and promotes reconciliation, peace and freedom.
Thank you very much, Your Holiness.
(Applause)


One-minute speeches on matters of political importance
President
The next item is the one-minute speeches.
Iuliu Winkler
(HU) Thank you very much, Mr President. The Regional Development and Cohesion Funds are very important for the new Member States, since the differences between regions are very significant for them. My country, Romania, can apply for more than EUR 20 billion for regional development by 2013. One year after our accession, experience shows an improvement in drawing on funds dedicated to regional development, but we are still far from accomplishing what we want. It is crucial for the regions of Romania that they increase their ability to draw on the Funds, by using them effectively and accounting for them systematically.
Romania needs tools for this, such as, for example, an effective and increasingly decentralised system of public administration institutions, and a new division into areas of economic development, since the current regions are not fit for purpose, nor are they effective, so new regions need to be created from the bottom up according to appropriate social agreements, and which would be led by elected regional governments. The new division of Romania into areas of economic development cannot be delayed. Thank you very much.
Marusya Ivanova Lyubcheva
(BG) I would like to draw your attention to some problems related to disaster and accidents at sea. These are usually discussed when they occur, and then time quickly sweeps tragedies away from memory. Accidents at sea, however, are part of the common maritime policy. We must get ready for them just like we get ready to implement a transfer.
The Bulgarian ship Vanessa was shipwrecked recently in the Sea of Azov. During the past several months there were a number of accidents in the Bay of Kerch in bad weather. Sailors died, others went missing, there were damages worth millions of euro. The Sea of Azov and the Black Sea were polluted with oil. The common maritime policy needs to provide for measures to minimize risks and establish navigation arrangements which will reduce accidents. We need a comprehensive scheme for rapid response and conduct of emergency rescue operations. We need equipment which can operate in severe weather stationed so as to enable its rapid deployment at accident sites.
Magor Imre Csibi
(RO) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen: obesity affects more than half of the population in most Member States. What is even more worrying is that every year more than 400 000 European children become overweight. One of the issues to be addressed in combating obesity is the effective labelling of food products. Unfortunately, European food labels do not yet provide the information consumers need in order to make healthy and safe decisions.
Therefore, I welcome the European Commission's proposal to review the Directive on the labelling of foodstuffs and implicitly the establishment of a simplified labelling system, printed on the front of the packaging of foodstuffs. However, I regret that the Commission's proposal does not include a colour-coded labelling system clearly indicating the nutritional value of the product (low, medium, high). Labelling should be to the advantage of both manufacturers and consumers, and a well informed consumer will make wise dietary choices.
Brian Crowley
Mr President, with regard to the upcoming referendum in Ireland on the Reform Treaty, I would like to put into context the importance of this from an economic point of view, because the Reform Treaty, if nothing else, is about making the European Union more efficient in its decision-making capacity, which in itself will lead to greater economic success and greater growth. From an Irish perspective, last year there was EUR 2.6 billion worth of investment in Irish industry and Irish business; 9 000 new jobs were created; there were over EUR 80 billion worth of exports; over 80% of all products manufactured in Ireland were exported, mainly to the European Union markets. Average salaries in Ireland are EUR 44 000 per year, and over EUR 3 billion are taken by the Government in corporation tax. These issues - to ensure the continuing growth in economic terms, in employment terms, in economic growth and in wealth management - are what is so important. That is why we are all seeking a 'yes' vote for the referendum in Ireland.
Ilda Figueiredo
(PT) When unemployment in Portugal has risen to one of the highest levels in the last 20 years, affecting women and young people in particular, yet another multinational is exerting pressure on workers to rescind their contracts of employment. The company concerned is Yasaki Saltano, which wishes to abandon cable production in Serzedo, Gaia. It intends to continue to transfer production to other countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, after already making drastic cuts in its labour force. This multinational employed over 6 000 workers in its factories in Ovar and Serzedo, for which it received millions of euros in Community aid. Those jobs have now been cut by more than two thirds, however.
We must therefore once again stress the need for effective measures to prevent these relocations of production, rather than mere palliatives such as the current globalisation fund for workers affected by relocations of multinationals, particularly in the automotive and automotive components sector, examples being Opel Portugal, Johnson Controls and Alcoa Fujikura, which have now closed.
Urszula Krupa
(PL) Mr President, at the last session I was not allowed to speak, and I am therefore protesting today, in the European Parliament, at an infringement of human rights and an assault on the dignity of the individual.
During a flight to Buenos Aires at the invitation of the Polish American community, where we transmitted and defended universal European values together with the director of a Catholic radio station respected by millions of listeners, we were harassed by journalists from the private, commercial television network TVN, who tried to force us to give interviews, and personally insulted the clergyman and myself, a Member of the European Parliament. This psychological violence, which endangered our mental and physical wellbeing during the fourteen-hour flight, was relieved by several interventions on the part of the Lufthansa flight crew, but it continued after we landed.
I would also draw attention to the danger of supplying third parties with information about flights, seat numbers and hotel reservations, contrary to existing legislation, since it can be used by all sorts of terrorists.
Peter Baco
(SK) Ladies and gentlemen, in their speeches in the European Parliament our Hungarian colleagues regularly attack Slovakia without any justification. The last attack consisted of lies about the abolishment of the national radio broadcasting network in Slovakia and teasing about how Slovakia should cooperate with Hungary on the normalisation of protection of Little Rye Island waters on the Danube.
We have already come to an agreement, after all, on the water regime in the entire Danube region. The last agreement consisted of a treaty concluded by Hungarian and Slovakian Government delegations in 1998 - I led the Slovakian delegation - and I remember well that this treaty accommodated the Hungarian requirements concerning this area too. The Slovakian Government has ratified this treaty and respects it, and now, finally, it needs to be ratified and respected by the Hungarian Government too.
Roberta Alma Anastase
(RO) Mr President, as rapporteur on regional cooperation in the Black Sea region, I would like to express concern for Bulgaria's agreement of 18 January 2008 to take part in and support the Russian South Stream energy project.
This project poses a dual challenge to the energy security of the European Union. First of all, a Member State's support to this project runs counter to the primary objective of diversifying the energy resources of the Union. The South Stream project would only increase the EU's dependence on a single source. Secondly, by its very existence, the South Stream project undermines the NABUCCO project, which is believed to be of strategic importance for the success of EU energy security policy.
Allow me to remind you that this agreement between Bulgaria and Russia came at a time when the European Parliament was adopting with a majority of votes the report on Black Sea cooperation.
Cătălin-Ioan Nechifor
(RO) I would have preferred my first one minute speech not to deal with a negative topic, but what happened last week on the Eastern border of the European Union should serve as a warning to us all.
On 21 and 22 January, groups of Ukrainian citizens blocked the access of cars to the Siret-Porubnoe border post, between Romania and the Ukraine, because of their discontentment with the requirement to pay for a visa for entering Romanian territory, whereas Romanian nationals no longer require a visa to go to the Ukraine as of 1 January 2008.
As a Member State, Romania must comply with European regulations concerning visas for non-EU nationals and cannot possibly grant preferential treatment to the Ukraine. This is why I believe that the Parliament and the Commission should ask for more consistent action from the Ukraine, as a means of asserting its European vocation...
(President interrupts the speaker)
Marian Harkin
Mr President, I want to draw attention to a recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency on water quality in Ireland. While we have invested significantly in upgrading waste water systems under the Water Framework Directive, we still have to achieve certain objectives with regard to water quality.
In this connection, I want to mention an issue which we have ignored and continue to ignore in Ireland: the issue of putting substantial resources into upgrading and refurbishment of septic tanks in Ireland, particularly in rural Ireland. There is far too great a tendency to blame septic tanks for the threat of pollution to Irish drinking water. But, to the extent that there is a problem, it is imperative that the Irish Government put in place a grant-aided programme to examine and, where necessary, upgrade existing septic tanks.
But perhaps there is an agenda here not to invest in upgrading septic tanks, and then to use this as a stick with which to beat the rural population. If so, this is short-sighted and totally contrary to European legislation.
Francesco Enrico Speroni
(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Neapolitan politicians are in the habit of sending their rubbish throughout Europe. Today the waste has reached the Quirinale, where the dirty Bolshevik Napolitano has given the order to provide blandishments to prolong the death-agony of his drinking friends, without a care for democracy or for the people's wish to vote for a new parliament. This, however, is all you would expect from someone who spoke in favour of the Soviet invasion of Hungary.
Pedro Guerreiro
(PT) I would like to take this opportunity to speak in the plenary to denounce the unacceptable situation of Kader Şahin, a young Turkish Communist Party activist who has been detained by decision of the Turkish authorities since January 2007, with no grounds being given for the charges against her, or for holding her in preventive custody awaiting trial.
Kader Şahin was arrested when a press conference denouncing the repression of Turkish political prisoners in December 2000 was violently disrupted by Turkish police. Bearing in mind that another hearing on her case is scheduled for 5 February, we express our dismay at this situation and call upon the Turkish authorities to release her immediately and drop the unfounded allegations against her.
Gerard Batten
Mr President, Alexander Litvinenko testified to the Mitrokhin Commission in Italy and made to me personally the allegation that Romano Prodi was an agent of some kind of the KGB. Mario Scaramella of the Mitrokhin Commission later came to London to warn Mr Litvinenko of murder threats. Mr Litvinenko was soon murdered.
Mr Scaramella returned to Italy, where he was immediately arrested. He has been detained for the last 13 months on trumped-up charges, without trial and denied access to the outside world. Mr Scaramella has lost his income, his home, is separated from his children and his health is at risk. Mario Scaramella is a political prisoner. His continued detention is a scandal at the heart of the European Union. His only offence, if it can be so called, was to help shine a light into the rotten corners of European politics. All democrats should call for his immediate, unconditional release.
László Tőkés
(HU) In this European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, I would like to draw your attention to an extremely discriminatory draft law by the Romanian Conservative Party which, if adopted, would penalise people who belong to ethnic minorities and who do not speak the state language of Romania with loss of their nationality. This language law is primarily aimed at the Hungarian community in their ancient homeland of Transylvania. Up to now, not a single Romanian parliamentary party has opposed it, and the National Council for Combating Discrimination has even given it the green light. At the same time, the Romanian parliament is preparing to adopt another discriminatory law, the Education Act. We will be contacting Leonard Orban, the Romanian Commissioner responsible for multilingualism in the European Commission, about these issues very soon, because we are convinced that Romania must follow the democratic practice of the European Parliament with regard to its language laws.
Colm Burke
Mr President, I wish to raise an issue in relation to the Convention on the Adoption of Children. This was adopted by the Council of Europe in 1967. Four decades later it is out of date and needs to be replaced.
In 2002 the Council of Europe decided that it should be changed. There were proposals agreed in 2004. The text of the new convention was agreed in 2007 by the legal experts. However, it appears that one country is now having a road block and blocking it from coming before the Committee of Ministers.
I think a clear message should be sent from Parliament to the Council of Europe that this matter needs to be amended at the earliest possible date and a new convention put in place to bring it up to date with what has happened in individual countries, and also taking into account the decisions of the Court of Human Rights. I would ask that a clear message be sent to the Council of Europe.
Genowefa Grabowska
(PL) Mr President, the cost of visas for non-EU citizens has increased following the extension of the Schengen zone. Belarusians, for example, now have to pay 12 times as much for a visa - 60 euros instead of 5 euros. That is as much as a junior doctor earns in Belarus. Sixty euros is a third of the average monthly wage. For many Belarusians it is a barrier that prevents them from obtaining visas and visiting their EU neighbours.
The Union is impeding direct contact between citizens just when it is enshrining a policy of good neighbourliness in the Treaty of Lisbon. The increase in the price of visas is thus a painful paradox. It is also a perfect present for President Lukashenko, who says Belarusians can expect nothing from Europe.
Ladies and gentlemen, this must be changed. I call for all steps to be taken to reduce the price of visas for citizens of Belarus.
Toomas Savi
Mr President, yesterday the Russian state-funded youth organisation Nashi published the list of Estonians whom they propose to declare personae non gratae in Russia. Amongst them, next to the President of the Republic of Estonia, Toomas-Hendrik Ilves, a former MEP, is my friend and colleague, Tunne Kelam, a member of the delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
Nashi, supporting the non-democratic regime of President Putin, describes Mr Kelam as a consistent Russophobe, who has been notable for his nervousness and unhealthy homespun nationalism.
All of us who know Mr Kelam well are perfectly aware that those heartless words are complete lies. In my opinion, the European Parliament should react to this insult. But, on the other hand, being an enemy of the enemies of democracy in Russia is quite a grand compliment to Mr Kelam and his efforts.
Ewa Tomaszewska
(PL) Mr President, one of the main principles valued throughout the European Union is that of non-discrimination. Many documents contain references to the need for special protection for the rights of the disabled. The social role of sport, including its role in social integration, is also appreciated. Some EU countries are now adopting legislation on social assistance for sportspeople and former sportspeople, especially former Olympic participants, in difficult material circumstances. So much the better. But it is hard to accept that disabled sportspeople should be overlooked in this connection.
Desislav Chukolov
(BG) For the past 20 years Bulgaria should have been a rule-of-law country but it is not. Neo-communists in our country will stop at nothing. Georgi Pirinski, the Speaker of Bulgaria's Parliament, restricts the freedom of speech by imposing prohibitions on journalists, thus preventing them from doing their job. At the same time it turns out that Mr. Pirinski is a US citizen and according to Bulgarian legislation he is anything but a Bulgarian citizen. On the other hand, one of the most notorious drug traffickers in Europe, Budimir Kujovic, has Bulgarian citizenship because he was issued a passport by the top people in the Ministry of Interior, so that he could travel across the Union freely and go about his business. The Prosecutor's Office conducted an inquiry, no one is to blame, but the passport is a fact.
At the same time, the party most strongly in opposition in our country, Ataka, is subjected to daily attacks by the powers that be. Our leader's wife, Kapka Siderova, had a miscarriage because the harassment against her got so far that charges were pressed against her in a fabricated political trial. Finally, I suggest to Mr. Pöttering that he should do something more than sit apathetically and support neo-communists in Bulgaria.
Jaroslav Zvěřina
(CS) As far back as 2000 the Council of Europe expressed its wish to transform the European Union, within 10 years, into the most dynamic and competitive part of the world. Since then it has been repeatedly said that somehow we are not succeeding.
Nothing substantial has been done about the patents legislation and our entire innovation environment is lacking dynamism.
The modified Lisbon Strategy does not bring anything that is very new. Perhaps the targets it sets are slightly more modest. This is a further reason why we should try to set targets that are easier to meet. In my opinion, these include the simplification of legislation and the abolishment of unnecessary regulations in all areas where this is possible.
Curbing the high rate of European legislation is a promising method. Introducing the principle of 'discontinuity' into the workings of the European Parliament would surely be beneficial in this regard. It would be a positive step if the legislative proposals that have not been tabled could be abandoned once the parliamentary term is over.
Pierre Pribetich
(FR) Mr President, last week the package of legislation on climate change and energy was presented. We must welcome the spirit of the Commission proposals. These issues affect a large number of areas, in particular housing and more especially social housing. We realise that a large proportion of the housing stock in the Union will be affected by these necessary changes. The charges relating to heating, for instance, are a major expense for tenants and they need to be regulated and even reduced. The changes to social housing form part of our sustainable development policies and they call for appropriate financing in order to meet these new requirements. Until now, the Commission has concentrated financing on the new Member States, who have therefore received substantial support. The older Member States have not. National housing policies need consistent financial support to speed up changes to social housing. If the policies described are to be credible, we need to match actions to words. The Commission will have to take the necessary follow-up action and finance changes to social housing everywhere in the Union.
Hans-Peter Martin
(DE) Mr President, I wish to place on record in this forum an incident that occurred in the chamber this afternoon. When President Pöttering was in the chair, Martin Schulz, the Socialist Group chairman, called out so loudly and clearly to me from the front row that he could be understood up here. 'Shut your trap, you idiot!' were his words. That is truly unacceptable behaviour; it is insulting as well as calumnious. I expect appropriate steps to be taken, particularly since the man in question aspires to the position currently held by Mr Pöttering. That is no way to conduct the business of a parliament. Matters were made worse by the fact that, at the same time, some Members were singled out at random because they had the courage to call for a referendum and were then threatened with absurd sanctions.
Petya Stavreva
(BG) The second year of Bulgaria's membership to the European Union is about to turn fatal for many Bulgarian dairy farmers. High fodder prices, low farm-gate purchase prices for milk and the shortage of funds for feeding the animals during the winter months, and the lack of a targeted government policy in stockbreeding are factors that could lead to liquidation of the livestock and to bankruptcy for many Bulgarian farmers. Today, when reforming the common agricultural policy is a particularly important topic for the European Union, we should take into account the current condition of the agrarian sector in the new Member States as well. We cannot neglect the difficulties faced by farmers in the newly acceded countries which result from adaptations to meet European standards. Bulgarian farmers, like their European colleagues, expect wise decisions for the future of the agri-business in the Community.
Marianne Mikko
(ET) Ladies and gentlemen, the harassment of the Director of the St Petersburg Office of the British Council, Mr Kinnock, and his colleagues going as far as questioning by the Russian authorities requires our full attention. The charges levelled at the British Council are a link in the chain to which the cyber attacks against Estonia, the blockade of Polish food products and the radioactive attack in London also belong. In each case the Kremlin has innocently claimed that the incident was an isolated one.
Ladies and gentlemen, such a high number of isolated incidents points to a system. The Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Lavrov, said explicitly last Thursday that the reform of Europe's security architecture is a priority in Russia's foreign policy for 2008. Russia wants to reform the European Union by paralysing our foreign policy and by squeezing us in an energy vice between the North Stream and the South Stream.
As we do not wish to become the undefended target of a strong Russian foreign policy, we must stand firm together in solidarity. We in the European Parliament must condemn the harassment of the British Council.
Marian Zlotea
(RO) The free movement of goods is one of the cornerstones of the European Union. I would like to draw Parliament's attention to the situation of this fundamental principle in Romania. On accession, the Romanian Government decided to adopt a first registration fee for motor vehicles. The Government then announced its intention of discontinuing this fee which the Commission considers to be in breach of the acquis communautaire, in order to prevent the continuation of the infringement procedures opened against Romania. However, the Romanian authorities refuse to reimburse citizens for the fees they have already paid, although this obligation is enshrined in ECJ case law.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the concept of European citizenship and equal rights for all European nationals will only be fully realised when all the Member States transpose and comply with the rights defined in the Treaty. I would like to inform you that I have started a written statement and I would like to ask you please to sign it, to avoid such situations occurring in the future.
Silvia-Adriana Ţicău
(RO) The Lisbon Strategy expresses the EU's commitment to becoming the most competitive knowledge-based economy. The Lisbon Strategy objectives include increasing investment in research, the development of the information society and the creation of highly skilled jobs.
Unfortunately, woefully few Member States have invested 3% of their GDP in research. Two-thirds of these funds should come from the private sector. Today, when we are talking about reducing climate change, sustainable energy resources, greener vehicles, increasing the energy efficiency of various industries, switching to digital technology etc., investing in research should be one of our priorities. Unfortunately, despite the allocation of national or European funds to research, the link between basic research and the industrial application of its results is still very weak.
I call upon the European Commission to prepare a strategy and an action plan enabling all European citizens to benefit from the results of research. I am convinced that the development of applied research will lead to the creation of high-skilled jobs and the development of a knowledge-based economy.
Oldřich Vlasák
(CS) Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to speak about a topic that is very important in terms of maintaining a variety of regional products and protecting traditional products, namely 'České pivo' (Czech beer).
It was this name, 'České pivo', that was published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the middle of January this year, together with a proposal to register it as a protected geographical designation.
'České pivo' is unique not only according to its consumers but also according to brewing industry experts and Commission officials. Due to the way in which the Czech brewing industry developed in the past, the types of malt and hops used and the brewing processes used have all given 'České pivo' a taste that is different from European beers such as Heineken or Stella Artois.
The Czech Republic was pressing for registration for more than three years. Long and exhausting negotiations culminated in publication in the Official Journal.
I would like to thank the officials of the European Commission as well as the Czech experts for their responsible approach to this matter. I believe that from now on nothing will prevent 'České pivo' from becoming a part of Europe's cultural heritage.
Catherine Stihler
Mr President, I wanted to raise the issue of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease which by 2020 will be the third largest cause of death worldwide. COPD killed 2.7 million people in 2000. Up to three quarters of people with COPD have difficulty with simple tasks such as walking upstairs. COPD is associated with many other health problems, and smoking is not the only risk factor: environmental tobacco smoke and pollution are also linked to COPD. As the population ages, COPD will become a bigger problem. I urge colleagues to sign Written Declaration 0102/2007.
Csaba Sógor
(HU) Mr President, I am speaking in my mother tongue, Hungarian. I cannot do that at home. I am delighted that it is possible here. In relation to the question of the Roma, it is the duty of all of us to ease the tensions that have recently built up between ethnicities and to stop the widespread anti-Roma sentiment. We must find an urgent solution to economic migration.
The EU Roma Strategy does, however, form a basis for working out a policy for new and traditional national minorities within the EU. Kosovo has reminded us again that the question of human and minority rights has become an international, European issue. We are responsible for what happens inside and outside the EU. Today, in one of our Member States, it is not Community rights but Community crimes that are being raked up. In Romania, the language law would deprive several hundreds of thousands of people of their nationality. We are mentioning this because we are all responsible for our countries, for our neighbours, and for the whole of Europe. This responsibility is not only present at elections, but it continues to be present in our everyday work, and in finding a reassuring solution to the Roma question. Thank you.
Árpád Duka-Zólyomi
(SK) The situation in the Slovak Parliament is tense and unusual. A decision is to be made on the Lisbon Treaty but the opposition MPs do not intend to take part in the vote as a protest against an anti-democratic press law. This is surprising news but what is behind it?
Robert Fico's Government continues to adopt measures that contradict the basic principles of democracy and a state governed by law. The Prime Minister ignores the opposition and, as he has said himself on more than one occasion, the main opposition in his view is the media. The press law is restrictive and the way in which it curtails the freedom of speech and press freedom is unacceptable. This was highlighted not only by the Slovak Syndicate of Journalists but also by the OSCE; the latter even vigorously appealed to the Parliament to reject the controversial proposal.
On behalf of the vast majority of opposition MPs, I can say that we support the Lisbon Treaty and we regret that the Slovak opposition's means of protesting against such a shameful press law are restricted.
Zita Pleštinská
(SK) The European Parliament recognised the struggle for human rights in Cuba by awarding the Sakharov Prize to the Cuban dissident Oswald Payá Sardiñas in 2002 and to the Ladies in White in 2005; however, ladies and gentlemen, there is much more to solidarity.
The people of Cuba, who can only dream of freedom while being threatened by repression and imprisonment, need more than solidarity. The 'Damas de Blanco' need concrete help from the European Parliament today to free their husbands, opponents of the dictatorial regime, whose health has deteriorate due to inhumane conditions in prison and who risk dying in prison.
Mr President, I am asking you to help secure the release of 45-year-old Antonio Ramón Díaz Sánchez, who was sentenced to 27 years in jail in 2003. Antonio, whose family we have been supporting, and whom I have symbolically adopted along with my fellow Members Peter Šťastný and Milan Gaľa, is seriously ill and urgently needs help: without it he will succumb to his illness in prison.
Péter Olajos
(HU) Thank you very much, Mr President. Last week, here in Parliament, President Barroso presented the Commission's road map for bringing about the ambitious European reduction in carbon dioxide. The next day, the council of Trebišov in Slovakia unanimously rejected a plan to build a power plant that would emit 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, and against which there have been widespread protests for a year and a half, with petitions and fines on both sides of the border. We could say "Hurrah! Democracy, subsidiarity and civil courage work." There is, however, another question here. How can it even occur to the Slovak Ministry of the Environment to support and recommend such a power plant? This suggests to me that some countries have still got lots of free carbon dioxide quotas from the Commission. I therefore call upon the Commission to review the grounds for the carbon dioxide quota awarded to Slovakia, because if the Slovak government is racking its brains about a giant coal-fired power plant using obsolete technology in 2008, it means that the Union's incentive system is not working. Thank you.
Milan Gaľa
(SK) In its report published on 17 January 2008 the European Regulators Group states that since the European Parliament and the Council adopted the Directive on roaming on public mobile telephone networks within the Community roaming call charges have fallen and operators have not been attempting to compensate for their losses by increasing charges for other types of calls.
It was also found that when it comes to roaming calls, overcharging by EU mobile networks can be as much as 20% due to call tariffs: roaming calls are billed on a per minute basis. I appreciate the efforts of Commissioner Reding, who announced that the Commission would be looking to remedy this situation.
In my view, it is essential for the mobile operators to offer consumers roaming calls billed on a per second basis just as they do at national level. I further recommend that the document that is being prepared also address the cost of SMS and roaming data services.
Avril Doyle
Mr President, a wise December decision by the Commission to allow the import of Brazilian beef only from approved holdings envisaged by 1 February a positive list of approximately 300 farms, based on previous inspections by the Food and Veterinary Office.
Confusion is rife following a statement today by Commissioner Kyprianou that there would be a ban from this Friday, as the Brazilian authorities had presented a list of 2 600 farms, raising major doubt, so more time will be needed to check them out. But the Commissioner continued - and I am quoting - 'There is no positive list for the time being ... but, of course, this can change in the next few days'.
So, will there or will there not be a ban? Will the 300 or so FVO-inspected holdings form a de facto positive list, pending inspections of others? Why was there no press release today from a Kyprianou source? Our consumers and our farmers deserve clarification.
Mairead McGuinness
Mr President, could I bring to the attention of the House a very important report published yesterday by the Commission about the lives of over a million European people who live in institutions? These are people with a disability, and the conclusions are not very comfortable reading. The quality of life in these institutions varies greatly, and the dignity of the people who live there is not always guaranteed.
Institutional care is often of unacceptably poor quality. Can I ask people in the House to read their own country report, because it might just wake us all up? I know the situation in Bulgaria received media attention recently, and lots of us are concerned about that, but even in my own country we could make improvements there too.
It is not just about money. Services in the community are not more expensive than institutional care if we take into account the needs of the residents and the quality of their lives.
Lastly I will mention the Delta Centre that I visited in Carlow in Ireland just last week. It is a model of best practice for adults with a disability who can live in the community and visit this centre.
Mihaela Popa
(RO) Mr President, the Roma issue is one that concerns the entire European Union, not Romania alone. The Union has made available significant funding to ensure the promotion of equal opportunities. Funds have been earmarked for the desegregation of Roma; however, problems still persist. I believe that the implementation of these European funds should be monitored, and in particular it is the sustainability of EU-funded projects that should be monitored.
Mentalities are hard to change. However, education plays an important part in changing mentalities. Therefore, I believe that additional funding is needed for intercultural education, cultural and artistic activities, sports events, "second-chance" education, healthcare education etc. leading to Roma integration in all European societies. I'd like to reiterate the need to monitor these programs, in particular their sustainability.
President
That is the end of the one-minute speech, which was a little longer than usual. I think it was the longest one-minute speech in the history of this Parliament. That had to happen one day.


1. Ethiopia
President
The next item is the debate on the six motions for resolutions on Ethiopia.
Adam Jerzy Bielan
author. - (PL) Mr President, the news of the ongoing arrests, humiliation and intimidation of opposition politicians and students in Ethiopia has caused outrage and these actions should be decisively condemned. The recent arrest and expulsion from Ethiopia of two European Commission officials, who were accused of attempting to help Yalemzewd Bekele, a lawyer and women's rights advocate working for the European Commission in Addis Ababa, only serves to underline the gravity of the situation. Neither should we forget about the fact that 111 people are still in detention following the mass arrest of opposition supporters during demonstrations held in June and November 2005.
I call upon the Commission and to the Council to do everything in their power to initiate a broad dialogue in Ethiopia, which would involve the participation of the political parties, civil society organisation and the authorities, to agree on a permanent solution to the current political crisis. We have to do all we can to make sure that the enduring principles of respect for human rights and the rule of law are re-established in that country. In order for this to happen, the Ethiopian authorities must show the world that they are willing to resolve the current crisis. The immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners would certainly constitute such a gesture of goodwill.
Marios Matsakis
author. - Mr President, the issue of human rights in Ethiopia has been the subject of numerous previous motions for resolution in this House. Unfortunately, it seems that our advisory words of wisdom and strong condemnation have been falling on deaf ears as far as the Ethiopian Government is concerned. However, who can blame it for behaving in such an arbitrary and totally unacceptable manner towards this Parliament when the Commission, for reasons best known to itself, invited Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to address the European Development Days specifically on governance issues? That inevitably sent out the wrong signal with regard to the EU's policy on respect for human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance. Perhaps the Commissioner might be kind enough to explain to us today what the logic was behind that invitation.
We all understand the difficulties Ethiopia has been facing in its troubled post-colonial history and realise that some blame lies clearly and squarely with the ex-colonisers. We all want to help the Ethiopian people to achieve an acceptable standard of living, free of the evils of internal fighting and regional conflict. However, the governing regime in Addis Ababa must understand comprehensively and unequivocally that the highly-desired political stability will not be achieved through continuing arrests, harassment, arbitrary detention, humiliation and the intimidation of opposition politicians, civil society activists, students and other ordinary citizens. Such actions are, on the contrary, bound to lead to a deterioration of the already fragile political situation in Ethiopia, and the feared further worsening of the situation will become a certainty rather than a possibility.
I urge colleagues to support this motion for a resolution, and I wait with interest to hear the Commissioner's comments on the issue of the invitation to Mr Meles Zenawi.
Ana Maria Gomes
author. - (PT) The repression of students and of the Oromo, Amhara and other ethnic groups in Ethiopia; the continuing imprisonment and mock trials of elected opposition leaders, trade union leaders, journalists, teachers, human rights and development activists, and many other Ethiopians who are fighting for freedom and democracy; the manipulation by the Meles Zenawi government of the conclusions reached by the commission of inquiry into the massacre of 193 people in June and November 2005, following protests about election fraud, and the persecution of the judges in that commission who refused to alter their findings and were therefore forced to flee the country; the detention of the lawyer Yalemzewd Bekele, who was working for the European Union delegation, and the unjustified expulsion of European diplomats in violation of the Vienna Convention - all these events not only demonstrate how anti-democratic and totalitarian the Meles Zenawi regime is, but also expose its growing fragility and desperation.
Ever since the conclusions of the EU election observation mission in 2005, the Member States' governments in the Council and the Commission should have been working together to take action regarding Mr Meles Zenawi's regime. As Teshale Aberra, one of the judges who had to flee the country, said, the Meles Zenawi government is just as bad as, or even worse than, the Mengistu regime.
Ethiopia receives financial aid from the European Union, and therefore the European Union must demand the immediate release of all political prisoners. It must also demand that an international inquiry into the 2005 massacres be set up and that those responsible for the massacres be brought to justice. The EU must adopt the appropriate measures provided for in Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, of which Ethiopia is a member, as this Parliament demands.
Such measures include freezing the European assets of Mr Meles Zenawi and members of his government and denying them entry visas to Europe. All these measures must be designed so as to hit those who are primarily responsible, and not to hurt the Ethiopian people. Our governments and the Commission must stop justifying their tolerant attitude towards this anti-democratic regime that violates human rights, on the pretext that it is an ally in the fight against terrorism.
We in Europe and the United States must stop deluding ourselves. Ethiopia's intervention in Somalia on the pretext of fighting terrorism has only served to entrench the Islamic Courts in Mogadishu, and the disastrous consequences do not stop there: discredited and lacking in popular support, Mr Meles Zenawi's regime has left Ethiopia itself, Africa's second most populous country, wide open to infiltration by terrorists.
Michael Gahler
author. - (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, last month, Mrs Kinnock and I, together with two African colleagues, had the privilege of leading a delegation to Ethiopia, where we had talks with both the government and the opposition, as well as with members of the families of detained dissidents.
We are very concerned about the situation there. We have found a complete lack of willingness - particularly on the part of the government - to learn any real lessons from the results of the elections, or, on the other hand, from the findings of a commission of inquiry into the parliament that the government had itself set up.
We have urged the Prime Minister to take these findings from the commission of inquiry as the starting point for a nationwide dialogue. To that he gave no clear response; on the contrary, indeed, we have discovered that the members of this commission have been subject to duress and that some of them have fled abroad. If the report is published at all, it will no doubt appear in a polished-up and falsified form.
We are grateful to the President of the Commission for speaking to the prime minister in such very plain terms of the occasion of his visit, but it is unfortunate that the environment Commissioner should, by inviting Mr Meles to visit Brussels, undermine the Commission's stance.
I think it important that we should, now that we are equipping ourselves with a new instrument for democracy and human rights, ensure that it is an effective one and one that enables us to support democratic political forces. The new regulation must include a form of words to this effect, for how else are we to provide the opposition with legal counsel or help newly-elected parliamentarians who have no money to exercise their constitutional rights? It is for that reason that I call on not only the Commission, but also and in particular on the Member States to abandon their resistance to an effective instrument for democracy and human rights being drafted in these terms.
Alyn Smith
author. - Mr President, in these debates we regularly stress the importance of dialogue and frank discussion. In Ethiopia's case that dialogue will be a critical one, both in the sense of it being important and in the sense of our being critical of the Ethiopian Government's current practices.
The omens are not good. Some 193 citizens were killed in the riots in June and November 2005. The report on that inquiry remains unpublished, sanitised and unclear. Since that time a number of Ethiopians have been imprisoned, and recently two EU officials were expelled from the country. All this is not news to anyone involved in this debate, but things are stacking up and do not look good for Ethiopia.
Dialogue will indeed be critical and, as Mr Matsakis says, paragraph 7 of this resolution expresses regret at the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Zenawi to Brussels to tell us about good governance. This is an irony that would be funny were it not so tragic. However, let us be positive. The Commissioner will hopefully tell us today that this will give us the opportunity to speak to Prime Minister Zenawi and tell him frankly of our concerns. I hope the Commissioner will confirm that this opportunity will not be missed when Mr Zenawi comes to Brussels.
Ethiopia plays an important role in the African Union and an important role in development. We could work much better in cooperation with one another. However, that cooperation, as colleagues have mentioned, should not be taken for granted and must be based on mutual principles and, importantly, adherence to them.
If we do not stick to our principles we can hardly expect others to, so I hope we can have a frank and open discussion with the Prime Minister when he comes to Brussels.
Karin Scheele
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (DE) Mr President, the outcome of the parliamentary elections on 15 May 2005 saw an atmosphere of political repression fall over Ethiopia once more, and once more too, then, we find ourselves gathered here in this House discussing that country.
Its manipulation of the elections and its repressive response to popular unrest have cost the Ethiopian Government respect at home and abroad and have cost the country itself its stability. The only way to counteract this is to resume the process of democratisation and involve the opposition parties in it. A year ago, the Ethiopian parliament set up a commission to investigate the murders committed in June and November 2005, and we call on the Ethiopian Government to publish that commission's final report without delay, without alteration and at full length. The findings must be put before the competent courts and used as the basis for fair proceedings in them.
We also call on the Ethiopian Government to release all political prisoners without delay and unconditionally.
Marcin Libicki
Mr President, we are well aware of the fact that all countries and societies around the world have the right to freedom and independence. I should point out that today, we are talking about a very specific country, a country whose history is older than the history of many, or even most, European countries, who consider their roots to lie in the times of the Old Testament rulers King David and the Queen of Sheba.
This country, which also adopted Christianity earlier than many, if not most, European countries, is a country that is also entirely unique on the African continent. It has maintained its sovereignty throughout its history, with the exception of a short period in the thirties, when it was conquered by a European state. Even then, it maintained its independence in legal terms. Even during that invasion, which was an attempt to impose colonial rule, Emperor Haile Selassie, the country's honourable ruler, who was greatly respected throughout the world and in Ethiopia, represented his country when he was an expatriate and in exile.
In the seventies, Ethiopia was the victim of a communist plot, involving the Kremlin and Cuba. Since then, it has not managed to return to normality. I do not want to repeat that which has already been said about the current suffering of the Ethiopian people, but it really is our duty to aid this country and its society.
Ryszard Czarnecki
(PL) Mr President, Commissioner, the European Commission has unfortunately behaved like a bull in a china shop by inviting the Ethiopian Prime Minister to the European Development Days. This event, to which the Prime Minister of Ethiopia has been invited as a guest, began on the same day as the Parliamentary session and will end tomorrow. The Ethiopian Prime Minister has even appeared as a speaker. The European Commission has decided that it would prefer to turn a deaf ear to the reports of persecution that are emerging from Ethiopia.
However, we in the European Union cannot pretend that we are dealing with a normal country. In fact, quite the opposite is the case. We are dealing with a country which is a political prison for many journalists, trade unionists and human rights advocates. We do not even know how large a prison it is, as the Ethiopian government systematically refuses to reveal how many political prisoners there are or how many people have been arrested.
Recently, members of yet another profession, namely teachers, were arrested. Clearly the attitude of the European Commission and the Council towards Ethiopia must depend on whether Ethiopia upholds human rights and, first and foremost, whether it agrees to release political prisoners or not. However, it should also be made clear that this is not only a matter that concerns the European Union. The African Union must also take action. That is why I stress that both unions need to deal with the issue.
Olli Rehn
Member of the Commission. Mr President, after the post-2005 election crisis the Commission, in close cooperation with the EU Member States and the international community, undertook efforts to defuse tensions and urged the Ethiopian Government to restore confidence in the democratisation process through the release of political detainees. The EU, in line with the international donor community, has given priority to maintaining an open and structured dialogue with the Ethiopian Government as the most appropriate way towards improving the situation.
Following a visit to key political detainees, Commissioner Michel received commitments from Prime Minister Meles Zenawi during a dialogue in February that they would get a short and fair trial. President Barroso met Prime Minister Zenawi in Addis Ababa last October to express the Commission's concerns about the trial and the prisoners. President Barroso pointed out that he expected the trial to be speedy, fair and transparent. He also stressed that he did not consider a trial to be an appropriate response to the Ethiopian political differences. Instead, he suggested reconciliation and dialogue as the only way forward in building confidence.
When two members of the Commission delegation were arrested and expelled from Ethiopia and a local employee of the delegation was arrested, President Barroso, Commissioner Michel and EU Member States immediately expressed their deep concern at these events, which clearly breached the Vienna Convention. The Commission strongly refuted the accusation against the Commission delegation and its staff. The Commission headquarters expressed its support and solidarity with the delegation staff and we were satisfied that this immediate and strong reaction resulted in the release of the arrested local agent on bail.
There have been some doubts as to the wisdom of inviting Prime Minister Zenawi to the European Development Days. The Commission believes that dialogue and further efforts have to be pursued to convey EU concerns to the Ethiopian Government and to obtain commitments on democratic reforms and good governance. The meetings and debates planned for the European Development Days will provide an opportunity to convey these messages directly and express our deep concerns.
President
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place at the end of the debate.