17. Request for defence of the immunity of Aldo Patriciello (


Future of the sheep/lamb and goat sector in Europe (debate)
The next item is the report by Liam Aylward, on behalf of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, on the future of the sheep/lamb and goat sector in Europe.
Rapporteur. - (GA) Mr President, the sheep and goat sectors are very important for the economy and environment in Europe. Sheep and goat farming is even more important in remote areas and in mountainous regions, where it is often depended on from an economic and agricultural perspective. It does not adversely impact the environment and it protects the rural landscape.
But yet, the future of this industry is currently under pressure in the European Union. Sheep production has fallen 12.5% since 2000. Farmers are leaving this occupation as the work is hard and income is too low. Sheepmeat consumption is in decline, as some feel it is too expensive and difficult to cook. This is particularly true among younger people. There is also increased competition in the market from other countries.
Sheepmeat production will fall 10% by the year 2015 unless something is done now. This sector should be looked at under the CAP 'Health Check', and prompt action should be taken.
Mr President, since being appointed rapporteur for this report in June 2007, I have opened up a wide-ranging series of discussions with interested parties, including farming organisations, representatives from the lamb-processing sector and consumer organisations. Ernst and Young compiled a very thorough study of the sheep and goat sectors, for which I would like to thank them. I consulted with the Agriculture Commissioner, Mrs Fischer Boel, and various European agriculture ministers, who were all very supportive to me in compiling this report. At all times I try to remain realistic in the proposals I put forward.
Very briefly I would highlight the main recommendations of the report.
Firstly, the introduction of a new environmental sheep-maintenance scheme which would allow sheep farmers to be paid under on a per-ewe basis, in recognition of the positive environmental attributes associated with the maintenance of sheep production, to be co-financed by national and European Union funding.
Secondly, an additional payment for traditional mountain breeds in order to preserve sheep in sensitive areas.
Thirdly, an EU regulation for the labelling of sheepmeat products which would have an EU-wide logo to allow consumers to distinguish between EU products and those from third countries; this would be underwritten by a number of criteria, including farm assurance schemes and a country of origin indication, thus ensuring that consumers are fully aware of the point of origin of the product.
Fourthly, a review of the introduction of the compulsory electronic identification system for sheep, scheduled for 31 December 2009. Due to the difficulty in implementation, high cost and unproven benefits, we propose allowing each Member State the discretion to decide whether to introduce electronic tagging on a voluntary basis if they so wish.
Fifthly, an increase in the current annual European Commission food promotion budget which is valued at EUR 45 million for 2008, the ring-fencing of funding for EU lamb, and changes and simplifications to the practical rules governing the operation of this budget so that lamb products can be given meaningful access to this budget.
Sixthly, that the European Commission bring forward proposals on price transparency in this sector to provide information to consumers and producers.
Seventhly, a review of existing import quota management regimes by the European Commission so as to ensure that EU-produced lamb is not exposed to unfair competition and that the option of sensitive produce status for sheep meat products be available to the European Union.
Eighthly, support for the European Commission in research and development in the small ruminant industry, concentrating on both technical innovation for farms and product innovation.
Ninthly, as part of the simplification process in the review of the common agricultural policy health check, which is taking place over the next eight months, the European Commission must allow 14 days' notice to be given to livestock farmers for on-farm cross-compliance inspections.
Finally, the setting-up of an EU implementation task force comprising members of the European Commission, the presidency and the Council. This EU implementation task force will oversee the practical reforms needed so as to make the European sheep sector viable, competitive and profitable.
I would ask my colleagues to support this report as I believe, if implemented, it will go a long way to help save the sheep and goat sectors in the European Union.
Member of the Commission. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am standing in for Commissioner Fischer Boel, who of course knows this sector better than I do.
Nevertheless, as Vice-President Mauro knows, I hail from a region of Italy whose history, whose raison d'être consisted of sheep and goat farming. My name actually derives from the shoes formerly worn by shepherds. It is therefore a particular pleasure for me to be able to express the Commission's opinion on this topic.
I should like to begin by thanking Mr Aylward for taking the initiative of presenting this report. As Mrs Fischer Boel stated recently when putting forward the proposals on the CAP Health Check, farmers are the custodians of the countryside: they protect our shared natural heritage, and in many rural areas they continue to represent the beating heart of the economy.
I would add that, in my opinion, this is especially true for sheep farmers. Having said that, I think we all agree that the sheep and goat sector deserves special attention. It is nonetheless important to distinguish between two very different sets of circumstances within this sector: on the one hand, extensive farming, which is more beneficial for the environment but often less profitable for those practising it, and on the other, intensive farming systems, which are more competitive but less environmentally sustainable.
It is important to recall, in this connection, that the purpose of the recent CAP reforms was to make agriculture in the European Union more efficient and competitive, but at the same time to ensure its sustainability. The Health Check will now confirm the validity of this twofold objective. We cannot of course maintain artificial restrictions which prevent farmers from meeting rising demand, but at the same time we must pursue a policy of protecting the environment.
The Commission has therefore proposed, as part of the CAP Health Check, stronger and better targeted support for environmentally-sensitive production. One proposal made on these grounds is to maintain coupled aid for sheep and goats. We are suggesting in addition that the existing Article 69 be applied more flexibly, making it possible for the sheep sector in particular to benefit from it.
Finally, we propose firming up the rural development policy with a view to safeguarding the environment and the rural landscape, as well as creating jobs and encouraging growth and innovation in rural areas, paying particular attention to outlying and depopulated areas or areas that are heavily dependent on farming.
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I am convinced that the new proposals offer numerous opportunities to the sheep and goat sector. Once the discussions have been finalised and the conclusions reached in Parliament and the Council, it will be up to the operators in the sector to exploit these opportunities as best they can.
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - Mr President, can I first of all welcome the new Commissioner to his post. I look forward to working with him in the years to come and wish him well in taking up his post as Commissioner with a heavy responsibility. I know he is not involved in his own particular area tonight and he is speaking for Mariann Fischer Boel but I have little doubt - and I accept what he says - that his background knowledge in the area is quite good.
Like many politicians he came from this House. I am so delighted to see a Commissioner who actually was a Member, who actually knows what Members think and what Members feel. So, Commissioner, I hope you will not take personally some of the things I might say tonight but you will take them back to Mariann Fischer Boel and tell her what I really think.
The report that comes before this House regarding the sheep and goat industry is timely and has comprehensively addressed the particular problems which the sector is currently facing.
The sheep and goat sector has come through many years of being non-profitable. The industry has been demoralised by low prices, cheap imports and a low price for wool. Sheep production is usually based mainly in mountainous and less-favoured areas where there are no farming alternatives. As young people look to the future they see that they cannot survive on the present income that this sector provides. They are therefore turning their backs on sheep and goat farming.
The mid-term review did not bring any improvement to the financial viability of this sector. Under the present health check the sector must receive special attention and we must look to see how we can best improve the overall viability.
I have to say that the Commission proposal to bring in electronic tagging as proposed will destroy the industry. If ever there has been a proposal that has not been thought through, this is it. The industry simply cannot afford to pay for this. Most of the time, in fact, the tag would actually cost more than the animal might even be worth.
The Commission could ease fears by accepting our amendment to postpone the proposal until 2012. This would allow time to see if the technology associated with tagging improves and if the cost comes down. Then and only then can we really improve the traceability that the Commission requires.
Let me now deal with the proposal for a task force, which always seems to be put forward as a solution to any problem, be it in the national estate or in Europe. The agriculture industry is littered with task force reports that have emerged in a blaze of glory only to enter the dustbin of history, never having achieved their stated goals.
They are always well meaning but, unless you have the follow-through and the financial support, such reports will be doomed to fail.
I fear this will be no different. There is an urgent need to develop the momentum behind this report. The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development should have a report every six months on the state of play in the industry and what is being done to develop and improve the sector.
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I must first of all thank the rapporteur, Mr Aylward, for the excellent work he has done in consulting the professionals and the sheep and goat sector and for the very comprehensive report that he has submitted to us.
The sheep, lamb and goat sector has had a rough ride over the last ten years as a result of a series of crises, including epizootic-type diseases, but more especially because of the decoupling of aid, which has led to a marked decline in the sheep and lamb population as breeders quit the industry. The sector is currently experiencing real difficulties and it is now time for us to sit up and take notice, for this sector is capable of producing high-quality meat and milk and it plays a key role in ensuring the natural upkeep and improvement of the local terrain, which also includes reducing the risk of fire and natural disasters.
I support the proposals that have been put forward by our rapporteur and by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development relating to financial support for the production and promotion of agricultural products. Faced with foreign imports that already total nearly one quarter of European production, I believe that it is important to develop a European quality mark that can be used in addition to local and national origin labels.
I also think that the introduction of an electronic tagging system on the date set by the European institutions will only be possible if the European Union first provides the necessary funding, for the industry itself in its present predicament would not be capable of doing so. Unlike the previous speaker, I believe that setting up an implementation task force would be an appropriate step, but in my opinion this should include representatives from the professional organisations so that developments in the field can be closely monitored.
Finally, I would remind you that we need to act as a matter of some urgency, and certainly by next year, if we want to save this sector, for I fear that using Article 69, which has now become Article 68, as a health check for sectors in crisis will simply come too late in the day.
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - Mr President, I would add my own congratulations to the rapporteur this evening. I have been delighted to support this report since I first saw it and continue that support tonight on behalf of my group.
Mr Aylward has clearly consulted very widely with the industry - the people who know what they are talking about - and that shines through in this report which could provide a few examples of best practice to a few other rapporteurs.
I will pick up on two issues. The proposal to have an implementation task force is absolutely fundamental. We regularly come up with umpteen 'Christmas lists' in this Parliament and they do not necessarily go much further into actual reality. Scotland's and Europe's sheep farmers do need a better deal and we do need to have regular updates on how this industry is doing and what we need to do to fix it.
The second issue which will be of no surprise to colleagues is sheep identification and electronic tagging. I would appreciate it as well if the Commissioner, whom I welcome to his new post, could perhaps bring a fresh pair of eyes - as opposed to a pair of tags - to this issue, even though it is not within his remit, and accept that this well-meaning but deeply flawed proposal is precisely what the sheep and goat sector of Europe does not need at this time or at all.
It is flawed for three reasons: the proposals are impractical in that what works on a Brussels flipchart will not work in the dead of winter up a hill in Scotland; they are unproven: even the manufacturers of this technology admit that they need a great deal of work; and they are badly timed because the economic implications could put vast numbers of farmers out of business completely.
So Mr Aylward's report is excellent. I am delighted to support it but we have still got plenty of work to do.
(PL) Mr President, Commissioner, as I take the floor on behalf of the Union for Europe of the Nations Group in this debate, I should like to draw attention to four issues.
Firstly, the 2003reform of the common agricultural policy, which involved decoupling direct payments from production, resulted in a sustained decline in the number of sheep and goats bred in EU territory.
Secondly, other factors have contributed to the decline of this sector. These include higher than average production costs, mainly relating to fuel, electricity and feed. In addition, an undue amount of meat has been imported from third countries where farmers are not bound by such strict rules on livestock farming.
Thirdly, this type of livestock farming plays an important role in protecting the natural environment, including maintaining less fertile ground by natural methods and preserving biodiversity. It also helps to protect the landscape. Furthermore, sheep and goats are raised in areas that are, for all intents and purposes, unsuitable for any other farming activity.
Fourthly, urgent action is needed to protect the sheep and goat sector at European Union level. In particular, this should involve introducing a system of income support for producers so as to encourage them to develop this type of production.
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. - (PT) It is well-known that sheep and goat farming is extremely important, particularly in less favoured and mountain areas, as it helps to keep people on the land, naturally upkeep less fertile areas, and preserve landscapes and sensitive ecosystems. It also helps to prevent forest fires, for example in my country.
Having said this, production in the European Union is not meeting demand and the number of animals is constantly decreasing. It is therefore essential to adopt measures that will help to improve producer incomes and increase the production of meat, milk, cheese and other products in order to encourage young farmers into the sector and to support family-based small and medium-sized holdings.
Urgent action is needed through a range of support measures, mainly financial, bearing in mind the high cost of production, the epizootics which frequently affect these animals and the paucity of technical support in various areas, particularly medical and veterinary support.
We must look at the huge gap between the low prices paid to producers by intermediaries and large supermarkets and the very high prices paid by the end consumer. This means that the Commission and Member States must give absolute priority to this problem of the transparency of prices in the sector.
However, in particular, we must encourage the formation of associations, guarantee a movement towards fair prices for meat, milk and cheese produced on a small scale and establish local markets, bringing producers and consumers closer together.
To stop the decline in sheep and goat meat production seen in the European Union since 2003 when the common agricultural policy was reformed and the Single Payment Scheme was introduced, with subsidies no longer being linked to production, the new review must change this situation by adopting the necessary measures. These must include extraordinary support for introducing the electronic identification system which, as has already been said, must only be voluntary, at least in this phase, so as not to overburden producers.
I must also stress the importance of guaranteeing an additional payment for producers of rare native, traditional and regional breeds of sheep and goats. This type of production must be increased in mountain and other specific areas in order to preserve biological diversity in agriculture and keep these animals in sensitive areas.
Finally, I want to reaffirm the need to support, through a range of measures, the production of traditional cheeses from the milk of these animals. We must keep alive the artisanal processes that have survived to date and that form part of our cultural heritage and we must guarantee that shepherds and other producers of meat and milk from sheep and goats have the option of continuing their cheese production and selling this directly to consumers at local markets.
I must thank the rapporteur for his report.
- (FR) Mr President, Commissioner, we are dealing with a serious subject, namely the gradual disappearance of Europe's sheep and Europe's shepherds. There are a billion sheep in the world, but Europe only has 97 million, in other words less than 10%, and when it comes to ewes the situation is even worse, for there are now only 67 million of them in Europe. Admittedly the UK may create an illusion with its 15 million head of sheep and Spain too with its 16 million, while Chairman Parish's Ireland is self-sufficient to the tune of 333%. France, however, has seen its flocks decline from nearly 13 million animals some 25 years ago to about 8 million today and this will decrease further to a mere 5 million by 2015. In France one out of every two legs of lamb consumed is sourced abroad. Even worse than that it is the lactating ewes that are disappearing.
Of course the causes are well known: massive increase in the cost of feed, reduced consumption levels, the difficult life of the sheep farmer, catarrhal fever, falling prices, decoupling of aid and, above all, duty-free imports of mutton and lamb from New Zealand. Some 227 000 tonnes arrive from New Zealand every year, i.e. twice the French production level. It is not a case of wolves eating sheep; it is a case of New Zealand sheep eating European ones. A century and a half ago New Zealand had 1 million head of sheep; today it has 40 million. Over the same period the French figure has fallen from 30 million to 8 million.
So what can we do? We need a major European plan for the sheep and lamb industry, the willingness to pay a subsidy of EUR 15 for each lactating ewe and a sheep subsidy that is 125% of the cattle subsidy, loans to help modernise livestock buildings, conveniently located abattoirs, a European risk-insurance fund for livestock farmers, an assistance scheme and, why not Erasmus grants so that young shepherds can go to learn their trade in Spain or Italy. Thank you, Mr President. If we have sheep we have civilisation.
Mr President, thank you. Well, Mr Martinez, I knew that New Zealand sheep were guilty of many things, but I did not realise they ate other sheep, especially European ones!
But, to be serious, I thank the rapporteur for a very good report. Can I echo the words of Mr Nicholson that it is great to see you here, Commissioner, and I am glad to see that you come from a sheep-keeping area of Italy, so I am sure you will be able to shed light on this whole project.
Sheep farming is extremely good, not only for farming but for the environment, and we talk a great deal today about a great environment for agriculture. But it is in the high-landscape areas, the mountainous areas, the hilly areas in my own area that I represent - Exmoor and Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor - that the green landscape is kept by sheep farming.
Sheep meat and lamb meat is a very healthy red meat. It is also a meat that is fed on grass, and when we now are living in an age where people are saying it takes eight kilos of grain to create one kilo of protein, then do not forget grass-fed meat is extremely valuable.
We must go out and market this, because it is a healthy meat but it needs to be marketed, and that is where I say to the rapporteur in his report: marketing is extremely important.
I actually want to see a form of grassland payment paid to sheep farmers to keep the sheep on the hillside. I do not want a coupled payment, because I believe all that may do is maintain more sheep than the landscape needs to keep. We have got to have the right number there to keep the landscape but have a good quality sheep that can then be marketed properly.
Electronic tagging: we are not ready for it. And when you are halfway up a mountain in driving rain, you try to read these new-fangled monitors and the answer is you will not be able to do it. There is no system yet that properly stops the collision of the numbers on the different sheep. And do not forget you are talking about millions and millions of sheep in the European Union. We are just not ready, and I would say: leave it to 2012 or beyond.
(ES) Mr President, the European sheep and lamb sector has for a number of years been experiencing a serious crisis that is taking it to the brink of collapse, as has already been mentioned.
The traditionally low profitability of this sector has been aggravated by the rise in the price of feed as well as the massive decrease in consumption of these products.
Mr Aylward's report correctly depicts the sector and emphasises its key role in supporting populations in the most sensitive and vulnerable areas and in maintaining the natural environment it inhabits.
It seems evident that neither the market nor the current CAP aid will be sufficient to keep this sector afloat, especially since the current regulatory production costs are causing a loss of competitiveness in comparison to imported products, which do not have to meet the same requirements.
If we do not act, there is a serious risk that these undertakings may disappear and with them one of the most important economic activities, if not the only one, in many of Europe's rural areas, which will pose a serious problem in terms of land use management.
My Group supports the rapporteur's report and if we tabled amendments it was purely with a view to improving it. We are concerned not only about the traditional breeds, which are certainly in danger, but also this stockbreeding profession itself, which is also in danger.
Although Mr Smith seems to believe that only Scotland has sheep, there are also some in Spain. We are in fact the second largest producer after the United Kingdom, as has been mentioned, and we believe that the electronic identification system is the only way to guarantee the traceability of herds and the only way to ensure that EU labelling is completely reliable.
My Group is calling for Community financing mechanisms to facilitate its introduction by the date envisaged. We also want the Commission to include in the strategy for this sector the revival of the activities of shepherds, milking professionals and shearers, which are disappearing.
(PL) Mr President, Commissioner, the situation of the sheep and goat sector indicates that the common agricultural policy is in crisis. It provides further evidence that the agricultural policy is not meeting expectations and that maintaining it in its current form will result in the loss of food security.
We have experienced a crisis in the market in cereals, when it proved necessary to take 2 900 000 hectares out of set-aside. Then there was a crisis in the milk market, caused by a restrictive policy and the imposition of penalties on farmers. The milk quota had to be increased quickly by 2%, which does not allow commitments to be properly met in the future.
It now appears that we also have a crisis in the sheep and goat sector. The situation regarding horses and many crops is also serious. In short, the agricultural policy must be changed, but not under pressure from industry. We cannot allow additional burdens to be imposed and paid for by breeders and consumers. I have in mind, for example, the electronic tagging of sheep.
Mr President, I should like to say thank you and welcome to the Commissioner. If you have not heard it already, Commissioner, the message coming very clearly from this House is that electronic tagging is a very bad idea and it must be put to bed. If this report - and I thank Liam Aylward for his work on it - achieves anything, I would hope that it would achieve a bit of realism on electronic tagging of sheep. You have heard the reasons - it is not practical, it is too costly and sheep farmers quite simply will not wear it.
Irish sheep farmers are in an angry mood at the moment - as you know, we have taken a vote on the Lisbon Treaty - and it would be rather practical if the Commission could say, 'Let's listen to them and put this one to bed'. Do not bring it in.
I would like to say a few things about the report, which details the problems in the sheep sector and does it particularly well. The real solution for sheep farmers is better market prices and, if we cannot get those, a better share of the price we, as consumers, pay for lamb. We need to encourage young people to start eating this meat which, as you have heard, is a healthy product. So measures in terms of marketing initiatives to help that are very important.
I worry about Article 69. We are simply cross-subsidising between farmers and I am not so sure that would go down very well with farmers from whom the money will be taken.
I support the idea of an environmental-linked payment but I am a little concerned. We had them before and there were problems on the mountains because of it. Then - guess what - we decoupled, hoping to solve that problem, and now we are trying to recouple. But the sheep sector needs additional payments to keep farmers in business, particularly in sensitive areas.
Moving on to the task force: I am not a great fan of task forces but I am happy to support this idea if the rapporteur, as he has said, is prepared to stick with it and make sure work happens. Could I ask the Commission to clarify how many people, if any, are working in the Commission on sheepmeat? I gather very few. I think there is one person, but I would like to know.
Briefly, the experience in Ireland of a sheep strategy report is not good. A year and a half ago EUR 28 million were promised, with great fanfare, to Irish farmers. Guess what? To date EUR 9 000 have been delivered. I hope this report does somewhat better.
- (FR) Mr President, Commissioner, I would first like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Aylward, for the work that he has done on this report, which is aimed at reviving the sheep and goat sector in Europe. These industries are in real danger because their production levels have been steadily declining for a number of years.
Producers now prefer to switch to other types of product because prices have fallen dramatically and can no longer guarantee them a sufficient income. What is more, European consumers, and especially the younger generation, have lost interest in products of this kind. We need to revive these sectors because not only meat but milk and cheese too are the natural products of our land and we should be promoting them. It is vital that we maintain these sectors for a number of reasons.
The first is that the milk sector, like the meat sector, represents a tradition and a skill that we should continue to offer to our consumers. Secondly, these two sectors also provide employment for those engaged in the production, processing and sale of these products. Nor should we forget that sheep and goat farms are often located in isolated, mountainous or insular areas. I know this because I was born in Sardinia, a region that I know very well, where opportunities for diversification are very limited. What is more, sheep and goats play a beneficial role in protecting the environment. This is why we have to ensure that these livestock farms are maintained and that the market in sheep and goat products is revived.
(PL) Mr President, Commissioner, I believe that the report before us contains many provisions that could, if implemented, prove beneficial to the future of the sheep and goat sector in Europe. The measure providing for the introduction of additional support for sheep farming in mountainous regions and in areas where sheep farming is the only form of farming would, in my view, be particularly valuable.
This sector is not very lucrative and has been experiencing many problems for quite some time. A fall in production and consumption has been accompanied by a rise in imports and production costs. In addition, the current outbreak of bluetongue and consequent restrictions imposed on the movement and marketing of animals has created additional socio-economic difficulties.
It should be emphasised that the sector's problems stem, inter alia, from decoupling payments and production. Support instruments should be proposed to assist in rebuilding sheep and goat stocks in the Union. I cannot imagine a situation where sheep have totally disappeared from the mountain landscape: they are quite simply part of that landscape.
In view of the financial situation of the sector, it is hard to justify the introduction of electronic tagging for sheep and goats. Once again, the cost of introducing new chips would have to be borne by the EU's farmers. I believe that we should focus instead on finding ways to increase the consumption of lamb and goat meat. Both are very beneficial from a nutritional point of view.
Mr President, for the sheep farmers of my country, Cyprus, the main problem for the last year has been the confusing and, as it transpired, apparently false results relating to foot-and-mouth-disease diagnosis which were supplied by an animal disease reference laboratory in the UK. This animal disease laboratory is used by the Commission as a reference laboratory. The results it supplied led to thousands of animals being killed and to a catastrophe for many sheep farmers on the island.
This laboratory, I note, is the same place from where the virus escaped a few months earlier, causing an outbreak in the UK with devastating results for the farmers there.
May I call on the Commission to take a second, more critical, look at the standards of the animal disease reference laboratories it uses, in order to make sure that their scientific credibility is of the required highest level?
(PL) Mr President, Commissioner, I am sorry to have to say that the report by Mr Aylward is actually more about rescuing the sheep and goat sector in Europe than about ensuring its future.
We hardly noticed when sheep and goats, like horses, practically disappeared from our landscape. No longer do we hear the sound of bells or barking dogs. Products derived from local raw materials are disappearing too. I am referring to products such as milk, meat, wool and leather.
I believe that there is still a chance of saving the breeding of these animals, at least in certain areas. If we fail to implement at least the measures proposed by the rapporteur, zoos will be the only place where will be able to see these creatures in future. If production is not profitable, we can of course buy in supplies from New Zealand, Australia and other countries. We should, however, strive to save our own fauna, of which sheep and goats are a part. It is important to bear that in mind.
Member of the Commission. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it seems that all of us here this evening come from regions where pasture farming exists and there is a keen interest in the sheep and goat sector. For this reason I need to - and certainly shall - inform my colleagues Mrs Fischer Boel and Mrs Androulla Vassiliou of everything that has been said in this House and all the requests made by Members.
Mrs McGuinness, I fully understand Parliament's position on the sensitive issue of tagging. I shall, as I said, inform the Commissioner responsible of the view expressed by several Members this evening. I do understand Parliament's concerns, and I hope that together with Commissioner Fischer Boel we can find a positive solution.
I believe and trust that, once the debate in Parliament and the Council is completed, the Health Check will provide an adequate response to many of the concerns raised by the rapporteur and raised during this debate by many Members regarding the future of the sheep and goat sector.
Solutions to some of the questions could be at hand in the near future. We are working towards an agreement on the agricultural aspects of the Doha Development Agenda, which should be finalised before the summer break. This should shed more light on the question the rapporteur has raised about sensitive products.
As concerns promotion, we are open to all constructive suggestions but, as I have mentioned, we are committed to the principle of targeted support for Community products of clearly identifiable quality.
Another issue has arisen with regard to the future of this sector, which I personally - but the other Commissioners, too - consider absolutely vital for the economy of the European Union, but above all that of certain mountainous regions and regions with a particularly difficult hydrogeological system.
I therefore wished to respond to the suggestion of creating a group of Commission and Member State representatives to monitor developments in this sector. Concerning the creation of such a group, it goes without saying that comments and proposals from Member States and from stakeholders are always welcomed by the Commission, which, I believe, must become even more open to requests from across the European Union. Nevertheless, various bodies with responsibility for this sector do already exist within the Commission.
The Management Committee for Sheep and Goats issues opinions on the legislation relating to the sector. The forecasting group for the ovine and caprine sectors is made up of market experts and meets twice a year to discuss market trends and forecasts. The conclusions of those meetings are forwarded to the Advisory Group on Sheepmeat and Goatmeat, which also meets twice a year and represents the entire sector, from farm to fork. This last group also discusses a wide range of subjects which its members can propose for inclusion on the agenda.
It seems to me that the formation of another working group would involve an additional administrative burden and would in a sense duplicate the functions of the existing management system: it would in fact conflict with the aim of simplifying the CAP.
I am nevertheless prepared - and I believe I can also speak for Commissioner Fischer Boel here - to explore any possibilities existing within the present framework.
rapporteur. - Mr President, it was remiss of me not to welcome the new Commissioner, to thank him and to wish him well. I should of course also like to thank all the speakers here tonight, particularly the shadow rapporteurs, for their contributions.
I would also like to thank the Slovenian Presidency for their support over the last six months, during which they agreed that the development of the sheep sector would be put on the agenda of the Council of Agriculture Ministers in March. This gave the Agriculture Ministers across the Community an opportunity to discuss the crisis.
My thanks also to the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Neil Parish, who has been very helpful and supportive.
Briefly, I want to refer to the amendments and matters raised here tonight. I have heard the view from the Commission in relation to the implementation task force. Now I know I am right because they are against it. I find it very difficult to agree to Amendment 2. Some proposals have been made to me. If we can get proper wording I have no difficulty with that, but I will not dilute the importance of what we are trying to achieve.
Again, my view on electronic identification has always been clear. I am against it - not least due to the high costs involved - but also the benefits are unproven and there are difficulties in implementation. I have, however, always stated that each Member State should be allowed the option of introducing this system on a voluntary basis. Therefore I am unable to support Amendment 4 but I can support Amendment 1 by the PPE-DE Group deferring the implementation of the system until 2012 at the earliest.
All the other amendments proposed I will accept. I am not going to go through them now but I can accept Amendments 6, 7, 8, 9, 3 and 5.
I think it is worth pointing out that since 2003 it has been stated that any sector in the common agricultural policy facing difficulty or disadvantage will be prioritised in the context of the CAP health check. In the forthcoming check I would ask the Commissioner for Agriculture to ensure that the interests of the sheep and goat sector are comprehensively addressed.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the French presidency well over the next six months. They will be very important to this report. I have met with the French Minister for Agriculture, Mr Barnier, who is already committed to having a discussion on these sectors at the November meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers. I am confident that he, who has a well-informed understanding of the challenges that the sheep and goat sector faces, will do his utmost to ensure that the necessary proposals in this report on the future of the sheep and goat sectors are implemented in the context of the CAP health check.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place on Thursday, 19 June 2008.
Written statements (Rule 142)
in writing. - (PL) Sheep farming is one of the sectors of animal production that has received less attention recently in comparison to pig or cattle farming.
Sheep farming is, however, particularly important for countries with difficult geographical conditions. It is also important for regions where, for reasons of historical tradition, the rearing and consumption of lamb is very important to the population.
Care should be taken to ensure that this sector does not collapse. This is particularly relevant now that we are witnessing rocketing food prices. We simply cannot afford to restrict this production.
I fully support the rapporteur's proposal to introduce additional payments aimed at traditional mountain breeds in order to protect sheep in sensitive areas. I also support the proposal to identify mutton with an EU logo so as to distinguish it from third-country products. We are duty bound to assist the citizens of Europe to differentiate between good food and food that might not comply with European standards.


Corrections to votes and voting intentions: see Minutes
(The sitting was suspended at 1.10 p.m. and resumed at 3 p.m.)


36. Biomass and Biofuels (vote)
- Before the vote on paragraph 76:
(DE) Mr President, we would like to propose a brief amendment at this point, namely in the middle of the paragraph, 'as part of the energy package for 2007'.
(The oral amendment was accepted)
That concludes the vote.


3. Rising tension in Burundi (debate)
The next item is the debate on six motions for resolutions on the rising tension in Burundi.
author. - (FR) Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, initially, we did not wish Parliament to consider right now the situation in Burundi, for, as you know, the Burundian authorities are currently negotiating with the FNL, the National Liberation Forces; they have reached a critical stage which is finally presenting a positive outlook and which should, we hope, lead to the practical implementation of the agreements entered into in Dar es Salaam that aim to put an end to the fighting, violence and insecurity affecting the country. As we now know, the beating of a butterfly's wings in Strasbourg may sometimes unleash a hurricane thousands of miles away.
On the other hand, not to speak of the situation of this small country that has been orphaned in terms of its development, having been stripped of its natural resources of the kind that often attract donors, would have been unthinkable. Therefore, in agreement with the other political groups, we wanted to make this resolution into a call for positive action with regard to this associated country situated in the troubled Great Lakes Region. We wanted to reiterate the EU's determination, and especially that of Parliament and of yourself, Commissioner, to seek new solutions for development aid that are more effective in those countries that are weakened by situations of conflict - in this instance, civil war - countries where issues such as the process of democratic reconstruction, the restoration of destroyed public services and the relaunch of policies on matters as fundamental as health and education might be addressed and supported more effectively and more rapidly. We wanted this resolution to form part of the action plan that the Netherlands has been asked to develop for Burundi, which has been selected - and we are delighted that it has been so selected - as one of three pilot countries under this new approach. Therefore, we have made our wishes clear. We want Burundi to become a model of development and, in order to achieve this, we want the authorities of this small country to be provided with the financial resources and support required for civil, political and economic reconstruction.
Parliament will monitor developments very closely, but it also wishes to call on Burundian MPs from all political groupings to seek, as a matter of urgency, ways and means of bringing their institutions back into operation, after having been prevented from carrying out their work for months, with a view to holding debates and voting, as well as allowing the Burundian Government to implement projects aimed at reconstruction such as the long-awaited reform of the judiciary and that of the healthcare system, among other areas requiring urgent action.
Finally, we should like to point out that Burundi, one of the world's poorest countries, receives proportionately the least amount of development aid per capita. This cannot continue. We should like to request that additional financial resources be released quickly to finance priority development programmes and, in particular, the rebuilding of shattered infrastructure. Along with the EU, only five Member States are represented in Burundi, a country where everything remains to be done. We hope that these countries coordinate their efforts effectively prior to any decision-making in Europe's capital cities and that the delegations on the ground in Burundi entrusted with implementing development policies continue working together and that their staff numbers are increased.
In conclusion, I should like to emphasise the paragraph in our resolution which refers to the maintenance of, and possible increase in, much-needed humanitarian aid, and I should also like to urge that arrangements for the withdrawal of this aid be made in close association with the stepping up of development policies whose implementation is more complex. In this connection, we wanted to make the point so as to ensure that the visibility of the measures taken locally by the Burundian authorities, with the backing of the European Union and the Member States, is properly acknowledged. Apart from the resolution of conflict with the FNL and the restoration of greater security, the Burundian people urgently need to see improvements in their country's development reflected in their troubled daily lives.
author. - (ES) Madam President, the resumption of hostilities in Burundi represents a backward step in what is already a fragile process.
Dozens of deaths and thousands more displaced people show that the efforts to build peace are, at least for the moment, clearly not enough. The responsibility for this state of affairs should be shared.
It is clearly regrettable that the FNL has taken up arms again, but it has to be said that there have been many allegations of human rights violations by the Burundian Armed Forces and police force.
It is also clear that instability in Burundi could have important and serious consequences for the region, especially in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
I agree that greater stability has come to Burundi since the entry into force of a new constitution followed by general elections. However, this also strengthens the need for the establishment of a peace and reconciliation commission as a confidence-building measure. The European Union must support such an initiative financially and logistically.
It is in this context, and especially considering, as has been said, that the European Union has chosen Burundi as a pilot country for the implementation of a priority Action Plan aimed at increasing the speed and efficiency of assistance, that I think this resolution deserves special consideration. Not only by the European Commission, but also, and fundamentally, by Member States, and especially two of its proposals.
First, the proposal to increase the financial resources that the European Union grants to Burundi, notably on the occasion of the mid-term review of the tenth EDF.
Second, that within the framework of the much-needed action plan, priority support should be given to programmes for better governance and democratic state management; health policies, through the creation of health centres and the renewal of the hospital network; the decision by the government of Burundi to provide free primary education; and the continuing efforts to renew the country's infrastructure.
author. - (NL) Mr President, just like Sudan, which we were discussing earlier this afternoon, Burundi is an ethnically divided land, with long-standing disharmony between the various population groups.
The resulting problems are much harder to solve in Burundi than in other African countries. It is difficult to draw a geographical border between areas that are typically the territory of different ethnic groups. It is more akin to the caste system that traditionally existed in India. Even before the German and Belgian colonisation, the Hutus were in the majority in Burundi and Rwanda and the Tutsis were in the minority. The Tutsis, who are also recognisably different in appearance from the Hutus, were the rulers. The Hutus were under their control.
In the European colonial period attempts were made to change that situation, but not with a view to equality and equal rights for the Hutus. At the time the main aim was to play the two ethnic groups off against each other in order to make the Dutch or Belgian administration stronger. Even after independence, a lasting solution was never found to the old differences. Burundi was spared the massive campaign by the Hutu majority in neighbouring Rwanda to the north to wipe out the troublesome Tutsi minority. However, that might also be due to the fact that emancipation amongst the Hutus was less widespread
When we speak in the resolution about 14 years of civil war, peace negotiations, the opposition movement FNL, the disarming of rebels and the fighting that broke out again on 17 April, we have to be aware of the background and the unresolved problems. The main purpose of the resolution is that the violence should stop and that agreement must be reached. I agree with that, but on that point in particular I see little cause for optimism. The resolution also calls for European support for democratic government, education and health care. We can contribute to that ourselves.
author. - (PL) Madam President, Commissioner, we are very pleased to hear of the reopening of negotiations and peace talks between the National Liberation Forces and the government in Burundi. This is not the first attempt by the rebels and the government to come to an agreement. We are hopeful that the agreement will bring an end to the bloody conflict.
This conflict has not just resulted in innocent victims, but, first and foremost, is destabilising the delicate balance and is increasing tensions in the country, which saw positive results following the peace accord in 2003. After many years of conflict in Burundi, the country is trying to rebuild itself and to return to the international arena and has been achieving some success.
What is even more of a paradox is the fact that the problem being experienced by Burundi at present is not caused by Hutu-Tutsi tribal conflict, but has been brought about by a single, very radical, Hutu-FNL wing, which did not accept the peace accord and is still trying to fight the coalition government, which also includes the Hutu. The international community should give its support to the peace agreement and bring about an end to the conflict.
author. - (PL) We are once again discussing crimes committed in various countries around the world and we will continue these discussions endlessly, until the European Union has a common foreign policy. What is more, a joint foreign policy can only be effective if the European Union has a military force. The Lisbon Treaty, which creates something like a foreign ministry, will not resolve the problem, since there will be no military force.
In his time, President Lech Kaczyński said that the European Union should have its own army. Recently, President Sarkozy also spoke about this. I believe that this issue should be on the agenda for public debate in the European Union. There should be specific proposals for political solutions and, consequently, legal solutions. Without military force there can be no foreign policy. If the integrity and the strength of the EU are important to us, then the European Union has to have its own army in order to be able to intervene in situations such as the one in Burundi.
author. - Madam President, Burundi has been in a precarious state for a number of years. The scenes of barbarism that took place in the 1990s between the Hutus and the Tutsis will always remain deeply embedded in our minds and will always seriously disturb our conscience. Numerous attempts by the international community, as well as by regional players, have not yet resulted in the much desired long-lasting peace and stability in the area, although it has to be said that much progress has been achieved.
The recent military confrontations between the national defence forces and the National Liberation Front have resulted in the loss of innocent lives and are most disturbing. Both sides must realise that they must resolve their differences at the negotiating table and not on the battlefields. Both must realise that violence will only bring more violence. The rebel group must denounce violence and lay down their arms, but at the same time the Government of Burundi must cease to provide impunity and to cover up for criminals within the security forces who carry out torture and illegal detention.
Let us hope that common sense will prevail at last and that the main sides involved in this brutal internal fighting in Burundi will manage to resolve their differences peacefully for the sake of the safety and well-being of the people of their country.
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - Madam President, in my mind's eye I see a beautiful country. I see people struggling to emerge from the aftermath of the civil war atrocities. I see those memorials to the violence. I see poor people struggling to cope. I see Bujumbura closed at night, as one tries to get back in before the curfew because of the violence. I see the health problems, the malaria, the respiratory and hygiene problems. I see the refugee camps - people returning, not quite knowing where their homes were, people coming back from Tanzania and people coming across from Kivu in the Congo.
And now again of course we see the violence, the FNL breaking their agreements. We again see the allegations of torture and rough treatment. Burundi needs our help. It also needs self-restraint if it is never again to slip down that slope of intolerance and inhumanity.
on behalf of the PSE Group. - Madam President, we regret the recent clashes between the national defence forces and the National Liberation Front in Burundi. We call on both sides to respect the ceasefire of 7 September last year and particularly demand that the leader of the FNL, Agathon Rwasa, should fully engage in the peace process. We ask the Commission to provide resources to facilitate the reintegration of FNL troops into society, to help provide assistance to the refugees and in particular to demobilise child soldiers that we find in this country.
We have to demand that the Government of Burundi respect the rule of law, end the climate of impunity and ensure that those guilty are swiftly brought to justice. That is what we expect from the Commission and the Government.
(FI) Madam President, as we have heard, the war in Burundi, which has gone on for 14 years, has resulted in a huge number of refugees inside the country, food shortages and dreadful violence, even on the part of those who are supposed to be protecting the people.
Although the latest armed clashes have once again frustrated the quest for harmony and made one wonder if there is sufficient faith and political will among both parties for peace talks, important steps in the right direction also appear to have been taken. As a result of long and hard negotiations among several parties, the rebel troops have agreed to release a considerable number of child soldiers by the beginning of May.
Burundi urgently needs the help of the EU Member States regarding its humanitarian crisis, as called for in the resolution, and I therefore urge everyone to support it.
(PL) Madam President, the heightened tension in Burundi, the civil war between ethnic groups and the violence there should immediately be stopped. Hundreds killed and injured is the price paid by unarmed civilians for this conflict. It is essential that the cease-fire be respected, it is essential that peacekeepers be involved. The financial support that the European Union is to give to Burundi must be carefully monitored and directed primarily for humanitarian purposes, particularly for healthcare, security and education for children.
Member of the Commission. - (FR) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen: firstly, the European Union called for the resumption of dialogue between the parties as the sole means of making progress towards peace and reconciliation, which is a fundamental expectation of the Burundian people. The European Commission is therefore delighted that, on 16 May 2008, a delegation from the Palipehutu-FNL - that is, the Party for the Liberation of the Hutu People-National Liberation Forces - returned to Bujumbura, and I hope that it will be possible for both sides to resume active talks.
I prefer to leave to one side the reply that I had prepared, for I have listened to a number of comments, and I feel that it is my duty to state a few facts.
I should like to say to you - to be brief and to avoid repeating the excellent speeches that I have heard, especially those made by Mr Hutchinson, Mr Kaczmarek and Mr Bowis - first of all, that the situation in Burundi today has nothing to do with ethnic problems and to suggest that it is an ethnic crisis is to look at it from a different and extremely dangerous perspective. Therefore, I am inclined to share Mr Hutchinson's view, although I do regret somewhat that this debate is taking place here and now. It comes at rather an inopportune moment, for I feel that we must now give political dialogue a chance. Speaking as you have done, Mr Meijer, of an ethnic cause, is extremely dangerous guesswork.
Secondly, Mr Hutchinson pinpointed the following fact: the international community, caught up as we are, and this applies to the World Bank - I have spoken on the subject with Bob Zoellick - and to the Commission, caught up in our procedures that prevent us, when a country is plunged into formal democracy, from releasing funds to show that there is a dividend to peace; this is one of the reasons why Burundi is finding it difficult to get moving again, as is the case, for example, in Liberia, as is the case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as is the case in any country that is categorised as a post-conflict country. We are caught up in our procedures, we have no flexibility and so we cannot offer a rapid response to these countries' reconstruction needs, for this is where the real problem lies for Burundi.
I shall naturally refrain from commenting on the speech which called for the deployment of European military forces - I am not saying that this is a separate issue - but it is clearly an issue that is somewhat beyond the scope of this discussion. We continue actively to support Burundi, both politically and financially, in its peace-building and socio-economic recovery efforts. I should like to point out that our cooperation commitments for the period 2008-2013 currently amount to EUR 188 million, and it has been suggested that this funding might be further increased during the mid-term review. In this connection, I must tell you that the rule is that it will be possible to increase this level of funding only if Burundi has properly taken up all the funds allocated under the initial aid package. This is the rule, and I hope that the country will be in a position to benefit from this mid-term review.
The strategy adopted for this new period involves an increase in our budgetary support and identifies two areas on which attention should be focused: firstly, rehabilitation and rural development, which is clearly crucial for ensuring the survival of the populace; and, secondly, the healthcare sector. Our efforts to assist this country in its socio-economic recovery seek to demonstrate to the Burundian people what they can expect from the peace dividends as a stimulus to improve their situation. Burundi has been selected as a pilot country with a view to implementing the Council conclusions of November 2007, this has been mentioned, and I am delighted that is has been so selected. We have also agreed, together with the United Nations World Food Programme, to implement a pilot operation in Burundi, particularly in the area of education and the provision of canteens for schoolchildren, for it is clear that when children are provided with free meals, they will naturally want to go back to school. We shall also carry out a pilot case study that will include Burundi.
Moreover, I shall be visiting Burundi in the near future, as the Commission is very closely involved in all these mediation efforts. I should like to add that, when I was Foreign Minister, I participated directly in the Arusha negotiations with President Mandela, so it is a subject that I know rather well, and I can tell you, Mr Meijer, that the Burundian Constitution, the Burundian legislative system and the Burundian Parliament - the National Assembly and Senate - provide all the institutional solutions that are needed to bring the ethnic problem firmly under control. Therefore, it is not an ethnic issue, it is an issue of unease within the one ethnic group, rather than with the other group, and it is clearly a different problem from the one concerning the FNL. The FNL must now come to the negotiating table, turn itself into a genuine political party and participate in the country's recovery and reconstruction.
(Applause)
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place at the end of the debates.


One-minute speeches on matters of political importance
The next item is the one-minute speeches on matters of political importance.
(RO) Romania and many other European Union Member States have seen so-called 'dream stores' open up where chemically processed substances are sold as a substitute for drugs. The Romanian Government has issued an emergency ordinance banning dozens of such substances.
However, due to the way in which these stores operate, this has failed to stem the threat of lethal drugs. In fact, it will not be possible to avert it without a general response from Europe's institutions and all Member State governments. Many deaths have been recorded, while the health of thousands of people is at risk.
Numerous NGOs in Romania are warning of the existence of a huge number of chemically processed substances capable of causing similar effects. Imposing a gradual ban on them cannot be a realistic solution for tackling the problem. Romania is fortunate because it has noticed the rise in this phenomenon in good time. However, it could be just as active in other European countries as well.
This is why I believe that the European Union's institutions need to adopt initiatives to ensure that we are waging a constant battle not only against drugs, but against lethal surrogate drugs as well.
(RO) In Romania, the succession of abusive measures demonstrated by the right-wing government attacking the right to free expression continues. A bill is being debated in the Romanian Parliament about the organisation and operation of the public radio and television service. The proposal from the government is a direct attack on freedom of expression in Romania and seriously infringes the constitution, the rights of minorities, as well as international regulations in this area.
European, as well as Romanian organisations working in this sector have already voiced their criticism. All mass-media regulations in Europe stipulate respect for the right to freedom of expression and information, guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.
I ask the European Commission and the Romanian authorities to come up with a proper, democratic solution to provide a mechanism allowing the public radio and television service to operate on impartial, ethical and European principles.
(IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, please allow me a moment.
(The speaker pretends to gag herself for a few seconds, to show that she cannot speak)
This is what would happen in Italy if a law tabled and approved last week in the Italian Senate, the 'draft law on wiretapping', were also to be approved in the Chamber.
This decree-law more or less bans journalists, bloggers - everyone - from publishing wiretaps. This is clearly unconstitutional, and is also against the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights which states, in Article 11, that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, as well as to receive and impart information.
I would like to use a single example to focus the attention of the European institutions, because this really is an incredible form of censorship. I would like to use an example that is striking, evident and real. My father was a journalist killed by the Mafia and over the last seven years the true circumstances surrounding that Mafia murder have come to light through wiretaps. Through wiretaps, we were able to discover that he died because a fugitive was hiding in the area where we lived. I therefore call the attention of the European institutions to this matter.
Madam President, I would like to draw the attention of the House to the current situation facing the regional government in Northern Ireland, which is confronted with a fine in excess of EUR 60 million filed by the Commission in relation to so-called errors on how subsidies have been allocated to farmers.
I want to make it very clear that, whilst I fully understand that proper procedures must be adhered to, the misallocated monies amount to around EUR 3 million over a five-year period, so I would argue that this decision is a grossly unfair one and imposes a flat-rate fine rather than being proportional.
We are all acutely aware of the budgetary constraints faced by government departments all over Europe and, by any stretch of the imagination, public finances in Northern Ireland will undoubtedly suffer because of this.
I do not know where the ultimate blame lies, but I know it is not necessarily with the farmers who did not do it deliberately, or with the department or whoever, but it is the Northern Ireland budget that is having to pay for this at a time when they cannot afford it.
(DA) Madam President, I would like to thank President Buzek for mentioning the situation in Iran in his introduction. He referred to the situation as 'worrying'. That has to be a diplomatic understatement. The situation in Iran is appalling! People fighting for democracy are locked up and tortured, trade unions are suppressed, religious minorities like the Baha'is are imprisoned for years on absurd charges and every day there are new executions. What is more, many of these are carried out in public in order to frighten the opposition and any critics of the government. However, the President did not mention the fact that, since the last past-session, Parliament has had a visit from the Iranian foreign minister. I would therefore like to call on the Bureau to discuss the position we should take in respect of official visits by representatives of the murderous Iranian regime.
(RO) A few weeks ago, a film which was shot using a hidden camera was distributed around the world. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the British queen's ex-daughter-in-law, was asking for a bribe amounting to GBP 500 000 for offering access in a trice to her ex-husband Prince Andrew for him to help sort out a problem. Her subsequent excuses that she was drunk did not manage to fool anyone, as this is her normal state.
What a wonder of technology this hidden camera is! We should erect a monument to it in every country. Without it, we might not find out about the hidden side of things, about the secret behaviour of so many public figures.
Two hundred years ago Napoleon took from the bureau of Frederick the Great in the castle of Sans Souci a silver alarm clock which, when he made his will on the island of Saint Helena, he left to a close friend. This was the spoils of war.
Nowadays, the spoils of war go by the name of commission, attention or sponsorship. If Eastern Europe is on the brink of bankruptcy, this is due not only to corruption in our countries, but also to the corruption and blackmail practised by certain public figures and institutions in the west, especially banks. It is time for us to combine our efforts and destroy the mafia, these ever-resourceful parasites ...
(The President cut off the speaker)
(ES) Madam President, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Spanish rotating Presidency for the efforts that it has made during this six-month period to overcome the common position on Cuba and create a new type of relationship between the European Union and Cuba, which of course prioritises defending human rights.
The policy has not been crowned with success, basically due to the intransigence of the Cuban dictatorship. This January, the Cuban Government began the Spanish Presidency with the expulsion of the Member of Parliament who spoke to them when they tried to visit the island - entirely legally with all the required visas - to focus on human rights.
This new policy undertaken by the Spanish Government will, however, produce results sooner rather than later.
(SK) The new right-wing Hungarian Government of Prime Minister Orbán, which has a constitutional majority in the Hungarian Parliament, is playing on crude nationalism. The very first legal act of the new Hungarian Parliament was an act on dual citizenship. This makes it possible for members of Hungarian minorities in neighbouring countries to acquire Hungarian citizenship exclusively on the basis of ethnic identity.
The Hungarian Government has refused to discuss this act, which has dramatic cross-border consequences, with neighbouring countries. This is a gross violation of the European principle of friendly coexistence of nations. In Hungary's highest political circles, doubt is also being cast completely openly on the conclusions of the Treaty of Trianon and the post-war arrangement of Europe. This should ring alarm bells in Europe, to say the very least. All military conflicts on our continent have been preceded by such comments.
(RO) According to the 31 May 2010 issue of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, some Italian insurance companies are applying a so-called nationality risk charge. The upshot of this charge is that citizens of countries which have large migration flows, such as Romania or Bulgaria, are obliged to pay higher charges when taking out a car insurance policy.
According to Italian legal experts, Italian immigration legislation provides non-discriminatory access to services, regardless of the applicant's nationality.
The question which I am asking Parliament this evening is whether such a practice can be considered to comply with European legislation on discrimination.
(BG) I was due to speak about Schengen today, but another topic has turned out to be rather more important. The European Parliament and ministers will be giving more power to Eurostat to audit Member States' budgets. In the meantime, Commissioner Olli Rehn indicated that Bulgaria will be the destination of the team which Eurostat will send to carry out the first inspection using the new audit powers due to doubts concerning the authenticity of the data supplied by the Bulgarian Government on its budget deficit and debt. As a result of this statement, Bulgaria's positions on the global financial markets deteriorated sharply in the last few days alone.
The majority of us support Eurostat's extended powers and the increased opportunities for inspection. However, we would have wanted these powers to include mechanisms which exclude preliminary assessments for any particular Member State, which may harm its financial status. Before doing this, the Commission must carry out an analysis indicating whether data has really been falsified, intentionally or not.
It is obvious that in the case of the Bulgarian Government there has been a breakdown in communication with the Commission, which has left the impression that the data which has been supplied is non-transparent and incorrect. However, it is not right for an individual country to be singled out and to use this as an argument for the decision to grant Eurostat new audit powers.
Madam President, the mass protests that occurred as a result of the disputed presidential elections in June 2009 have been the pretext for the Iranian regime to continue its persecution of human rights activists and its denial of women's rights and religious freedom. According to several organisations, including Amnesty International, the Supreme Leader of the Revolutionary Guards intelligence services has reinforced their control over the country and intensified the perception already in place for years.
Despite a recent release of 81 prisoners, reportedly 450 other prisoners remain in jail, often convicted in shameful post-election trials. Twenty-two executions have been reported in Iran for the month of June alone. I think the European Parliament needs to send a strong signal of solidarity to the Iranian people. We cannot turn a blind eye to human rights violations, and, in line with the European Parliament resolution of 10 February 2010, I would suggest that we move strongly to support the human rights activists by granting them temporary asylum. Europe should also call one more time for Iran to introduce a moratorium on the death penalty, in accordance with the United Nations General Assembly resolutions.
Madam President, I want to bring before this House my concern at recent increasingly levels of terrorism in Northern Ireland.
Some Members may be aware of the recent murder of Bobby Moffat. Mr Moffat was gunned down by those believed to be connected with so-called Loyalist paramilitaries in mid-afternoon on Belfast's Shankhill Road while people, young and old, shopped, going about their daily business.
The perpetrators of this cowardly deed, whilst few in number, believe justice can be administered through murder, beatings and intimidation. In recent days, a senior commander in the Police Service of Northern Ireland stated that the threat from Republican terrorism was at its most severe level for many years.
I am sure Members will join with me in saying that this Parliament stands with the good people of Belfast's Shankhill Road and the vast majority of the people in Northern Ireland in expressing disgust at this murder and will stand with them in opposing terrorism in all its forms.
(PT) A free trade agreement is currently being concluded between the European Union, Colombia and Peru, which opens up our market even further to agricultural products that are absolutely crucial to our outermost regions. I am referring to bananas, rum and sugar.
The agreement provides European enterprises with easy access to the market for manufactured goods in these two countries and will benefit the Member States that export high technology and import agricultural produce. However, the agreement causes real damage to all the outermost regions, which are known to be highly vulnerable. In the first four months of this year, the Canaries alone lost about 20% of their share of the banana market.
I would like to make it clear, however, that we are not against the agreement. All we want is for an assessment to be carried out on the impact of this agreement on the regions it most affects - take, for example, the banana producers in Madeira and the Canaries - and for compensatory measures to be adopted to minimise the damage caused.
(HU) The Central European region is suffering from flooding on what is, perhaps, an unprecedented scale. Together with Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, Slovakia is also hugely affected by the flood waves. The solidarity of the European Union is thus extremely important at the moment. It is particularly crucial for aid to arrive quickly. I would like to ask the Commission to mobilise any possible resources to help mitigate the damage, since no Member State has the necessary reserves to repair such extensive damage.
The other problem to which I would like to call attention is the discrimination arising from the amendment to the Slovak Nationality Law concerning those who, after 17 July, may adopt a second nationality besides that of Slovakia, irrespective of whether this is the nationality of another Member State or of a third country. Within the meaning of the new law, citizens applying for dual nationality will not have access to a range of jobs, for instance they will not be able to become civil servants, or even firefighters, on the grounds that they represent a security threat to the State. Such discrimination against citizens is completely unacceptable.
(RO) In the next nine months the Commission, Member States and the European Parliament will determine the future central TEN-T network and the nodes for interconnecting with the transport network in the countries neighbouring the EU. The development of the TEN-T system, including both the infrastructure and transport services, must be an important part of the EU 2020 strategy. The European Union's internal market and economic and social cohesion depend upon an efficient, safe, interoperable transport infrastructure. The EU needs a high-speed rail transport infrastructure which will serve all EU capitals and Europe's major cities. It also has to modernise the infrastructure of the sea and river ports.
I call on the Commission, as part of the future financial outlook, to increase the budget allocated to the development of the trans-European transport system from 11% of the cohesion policy budget to at least 20% and to help narrow the gap in terms of transport infrastructure development between the countries in the centre and southeast of the European Union. I also ask the Commission to increase the cofinancing rate from the TEN-T budget, especially for cross-border sections, in order to encourage Member States to invest in the TEN-T infrastructure.
Madam President, I rise to draw attention to the blockade in the Indian State of Manipur. Highway 39, which links the state to the rest of India, has been blockaded since 12 April. This has prevented food and fuel and medical supplies from reaching some two and a half million people; hospitals have been forced to stop all but emergency operations; the prices of essential goods are up by 300% on a black market; and half a million children under the age of eight are among the worst hit.
The road has been blockaded by Naga tribespeople and particularly by the All Naga Students' Association. I hope the House will join me in urging the Indian Government urgently to seek a negotiated settlement, including the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, to put an end to a humanitarian crisis which is almost as serious as that in Gaza.
(HU) Madam President, floods are causing devastation in Hungary and in neighbouring Slovakia. Almost at the same time, both countries are holding parliamentary elections. These parallel events evoke a suggestive metaphor. While we engage in a wide-ranging collaborative effort to help the territories ravaged by floods, we cannot help thinking of countries of the former Eastern bloc that were ravaged by communism. My own country, Romania, is one of those struggling with the post-communist crisis.
Expressing my empathy for those who are suffering flood damage, I urge the European Union and Parliament to bring rapid and effective material assistance. I am pleased that the Hungarian and Slovak elections have brought anti-communist victories. I ask the European Parliament to lend its aid also to our countries' efforts to overcome the legacy of its divisive communist past.
(RO) The European Commission is drafting a Green Paper on pensions, which the European executive will use in an attempt to prompt discussion on the topic of a European pensions strategy. The main lines of this strategy must aim to resolve the demographic and budgetary problems which Member States are facing. Bearing in mind the European Union's ageing population, the pressures exerted on public finances will grow significantly in the coming years.
Regardless of the political situation in Member States, the major priority of such a strategy must be to guarantee a decent standard of living for those who have retired. We must not forget that pensioners represent a 'captive' social group. They no longer have, in many instances, the chance to opt for an alternative source of income and employment due to their advanced age. This is why I urge this priority to be the main objective of this document.
(HU) This month we are commemorating the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Trianon. Under the dictates of Trianon, historic Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and more than half of its population. Millions of Hungarians found themselves under the rule of a foreign country without having left their homeland. Nevertheless, we must move beyond this injustice that is unparalleled in the history of modern Europe, and in the interest of a happy, common European future we must accept the situation with humility. We are not thinking of a change of boundaries in order to resolve the situation of the severed territories, but ask only for one thing: respect for and the free exercise of our language and culture. Unfortunately, in this area we Hungarians of Slovakia cannot be entirely satisfied. The decision of Hungary's new government with regard to granting dual nationality to Hungarians stuck beyond its borders is a symbolic gesture, one that is intended to signify the essential unity of the Hungarian nation. This does not present any threat whatsoever to neighbouring countries, and therefore we ask that they make it possible for the citizens concerned to take up this offer without any conditions.
(FR) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to highlight a success in the fight against poverty in this European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Indeed, at the Council of Ministers for Employment and Social Affairs, the quantified objective in the fight against poverty - to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty by 20 million - was established and approved by ministers.
That quantified objective had been identified as one of the key objectives of the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Mrs Onkelinx, who is responsible for social affairs, and I myself supported this ambition on behalf of the European Parliament in our discussions. Working alongside other European ministers within the Council, Mrs Onkelinx made every effort to ensure that the objective was set.
The Belgian Government remains determined to make a success of the future Presidency and to fulfil the objectives of its social programme, despite our current institutional situation. Judging by our election results, I am convinced that the future Belgian Presidency of the Council will be active and committed to achieving these social objectives.
(RO) 2010 has brought us new floods along the River Danube, causing material loss to local communities and involving the use of many resources to mitigate the effects. The way in which the floods affect the businesses which have evolved in the communities along the Danube is an important consideration which must be reflected in the EU Danube Strategy.
The most recent discussions which took place in Romania, in Constanţa, spotlighted Member States' new concerns with regard to the Danube's economic and social development. These proposals must be supported simultaneously by innovative measures to help reduce material losses caused by flooding.
Otherwise, these regions are facing increased losses both in terms of existing business activity and in terms of the development potential which it generated. The regions need support so that they can respond to these challenges and help keep the losses caused by the Danube floods to a minimum.
I would like to address this Parliament on an important topic which lies at the core of democratic principles: freedom of speech.
As an MEP, I have the duty to express my democratic rights, according to law, by informing my constituents about my Parliamentary work through the media, including TV programmes. The Broadcasting Authority, as regulator, is required by law to ensure political balance across the various programmes as broadcast by the various private television stations as a whole. It does not require each individual programme to be balanced in such a way that a person, appearing on his or her own, cannot express his or her views on matters of public policy. Despite this, on three occasions I was accused of breaching the law - while the television station was fined for broadcasting reports I had drafted for the European Parliament - on the ridiculous charge that I had created imbalance in my own programme. Underlying these decisions is the mistaken notion that balance is to be sought not by promoting pluralism and/or encouraging those of differing political beliefs to come forward and express their views, but by stopping them from doing so.
Many Maltese, who had very high aspirations with regard to the European Union and its values, are disappointed that when circumstances are deemed disquieting, censorship rears its head.
Madam President, I request Parliament's protection from the infringement of my democratic rights as a European citizen, as well as an elected Member of the European Parliament.
(SL) In one of my most recent speeches, I highlighted a problem which has been confirmed by several studies. I am talking about the retrograde process which the development of democracy is undergoing both within the European Union and on a global level.
Today, I would draw your attention to the fact that media freedom has met a similar fate. Even some developed countries are experiencing this retrograde process and this is even more so the case with some new Member States, which are still in the process of establishing a stable democracy.
The only example I will mention is that of Slovenia, my home country, which has in the past year dropped seven places in the media freedom rankings of Reporters Without Borders and three places in those of Freedom House.
It is in these transitional countries that journalists are the most vulnerable and quickly fall under the influence of media owners, political power and capital. They are vulnerable because of their uncertain social status and a lack of professional competence and experience and so on.
I am of the view that these general trends should not go unnoticed. I therefore call upon the European Commission and Member States to develop an effective combat strategy to bring about more media freedom. Objectivity of information is not just a pillar of democracy, but also one of the fundamental human rights.
(HU) Madam President, in March the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on Cuba to release its political prisoners. The reason for taking this position was the tragic death of a detainee on hunger strike. The Cuban regime responded cynically and declared that it would not give in to international pressure. In the light of this precedent, it is incomprehensible that during the Spanish Presidency, we increasingly hear voices claiming that the European Union must review its Cuba strategy.
The world has changed and we must soften our approach, this is more or less the line of argument. Indeed a lot has changed in recent years, but Cuba's oppressive dictatorship has remained. Therefore the basic prerequisite for any rapprochement between the EU and Cuba must continue to be that the communist regime first make gestures and release its political prisoners as soon as possible. Ladies and gentlemen, the common EU foreign policy approach cannot be besmirched by compromises in the area of human rights. Our common foreign policy must be marked by consistency and credibility.
(HU) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, millions of European citizens expect us to take quick decisions. The victims of the Central European floods and millions of European citizens in difficulty are watching us with expectation and trust. The lives of millions of Poles, Czechs, Slovaks and Hungarians have been disrupted over recent weeks by the Central European flooding and natural disasters. A Hungarian proverb says he who gives quickly gives twice. It seems that the European Parliament is fulfilling this expectation. A proposal for a decision has been prepared on assistance, and will be tabled for adoption as early as this week. We expect the European Commission to take similarly rapid and effective measures to provide appropriate material assistance to Central European citizens to help them rebuild.
(ES) Madam President, I am speaking on behalf of the pupils of the European Schools, whose qualifications are not recognised by the Spanish Ministry for Education.
They are nearly all children of Spanish officials, and are being discriminated against and treated unfairly. The equivalence table that is being used, which was recently consolidated by the Spanish Ministry, deducts half a point or one point from pupils who have studied at the European Schools. Moreover, these are boys and girls who speak languages. This means that when they try to apply for degrees that have a high cut-off mark, they remain outside the system.
We believe that this is inherently unjust. Firstly, because Spain signed all the agreements and conventions and is not keeping to them. Secondly, because it is basic discrimination. A country cannot go on purporting to be European when really it is treating pupils from our European Schools unfairly and discriminating against them.
(PT) Madam President, I would like to lodge a complaint and an appeal. The complaint concerns an environmental crime: 320 000 tonnes of highly hazardous waste dumped in an open tip in a densely populated area of northern Portugal between 2001 and 2002, contaminating soil and water. These are products with extremely high levels of lead, zinc, cadmium, chromium and arsenic. Although the Portuguese national authorities have been alerted to it, they have taken no action.
During this term of office, in fact, the Socialist Government has issued a reply to a member of the Portuguese Parliament confirming that no such action has been taken, although in a previous term another Socialist minister of the environment gave an assurance that it would happen. Therefore, Madam President, I am also appealing to the European institutions to intervene. I have already approached the European Commission to ask for this intervention. Today I am lodging this complaint with the European Parliament, and I hope that the resolution that I intend to table can be debated and voted on, so that people's health is no longer put at risk.
(IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, gender equality can certainly not be achieved by bringing forward the date when the retirement age of women is raised to 65 years to 2012. This was initially envisaged as a gradual process that would have seen alignment between men and women only in 2018 in Italy.
Although the government acquiesced straight away, this does not mean that we should not question this hasty and largely unwarranted decision. Every welfare system has its peculiarities and flexibilities and any savings that can be guaranteed must ensure active compensatory measures in support of women.
With regard to Mrs Alfano's recent words about the law on wiretaps in Italy: as yet there is no law. Instead there is a draft law that strikes a balance between the right to press freedom, which is inviolable, and the right to privacy. All these are fundamental elements that will be taken into account by the Italian Parliament.
(SK) On 3 June, Archbishop Luigi Padovese, a representative of the Catholic Church in Turkey, was murdered. I would like to make two comments.
The tragedy has been explained in accordance with a familiar formula: the mental instability of the murderer. The same argument has also been used to explain other religious murders in Turkey. The diagnosis was made almost as soon as the investigation began. It is easiest to pigeonhole the whole affair and then classify the perpetrator as a religious extremist.
Second comment: I am surprised that no senior European politician has reacted at a political level, except for the Chair of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats). This shows how the work of the media is bearing fruit. Where a Catholic issue is involved, they react in whatever way suits them. They either remain silent, or they unleash a hate campaign.
I would like to ask the European institutions not only to monitor the investigation of this murder closely, but to make the persecution of Christians and violations of human rights in Turkey a major issue in the negotiating process.
Madam President, tonight children, women and men from three different working class communities in Dublin - Coolock, Crumlin and Sean McDermott Street in the North Inner City - protested outside Dublin City Council in a desperate effort to halt the closure of their public swimming pools, which the Council says it has no finances to run.
In these communities already hit by high unemployment, recreation facilities are already very scarce, and closing these pools would amount to a barbaric act of social vandalism. These threatened closures reflect savage cuts in public spending by the Irish Government, fully supported by the EU Commission.
The cost of running these pools would amount to perhaps EUR 1 million per year. Meanwhile, the Irish Government is pouring EUR 30 billion into recapitalising banks and developers. Incredibly, Dublin City has been selected as the European Capital of Sport 2010! I join with these communities in demanding that these pools are kept open; keep recreation facilities in working-class communities open for the people and close down the developers and the bond-holders.
That concludes the item.


Membership of committees and delegations: see Minutes


Written declarations (submission): see Minutes


6. EC-Madagascar Fisheries Partnership Agreement (vote)
- Sudre report