Women's immigration (debate)
The next item is the report by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, on behalf of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, on women's immigration: the role and place of immigrant women in the European Union.
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the report which I had the honour of drafting on behalf of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality is designed to help broaden the debate and our political action on the question of immigration by introducing the parameter of women's immigration.
This parameter is becoming more and more important given that, in the enlarged European Union, there is a constant increase in women from various areas of the world who are immigrating either in isolation, as independent economic migrants, or within the framework of the migration of their families or for other reasons, accounting for approximately 54% of all immigrants, although this is not an exact figure.
We all realise today that our objectives for development and social cohesion are directly linked to the management of migration flows, by ensuring that immigrants are valued and integrated into our communities. As such, the 'femalisation' - if you will permit the phrase - of immigration is a new challenge which must be studied and taken into account in all our policies. Female immigrants, either at a personal level or as members of their families, can constitute added value both for our communities and for their communities of origin.
In our report, reference is made to the problems faced by female immigrants. These problems have to do with the discrimination which they suffer on the labour market and in education and, more specifically, with the recognition of their qualifications and vocational skills and they are problems which result in unemployment and poverty. Reference is also made to cases of violation of human rights, such as violence and sexual exploitation, which are matters which we have repeatedly debated and condemned in the European Parliament.
We also wish to shed light on the problems faced by women in certain immigrant communities, in which they are the victims of cultural and religious stereotypes, resulting in their marginalisation. Even worse are the cases of forced marriages and crimes of honour.
The basic thrust of our report and the resolution which we propose is, on the one hand, the protection of the rights of immigrants and, on the other hand, their improved integration into the labour market and social life. This means, first of all, the application of the acquis communautaire in order to remove discrimination, prevent trafficking and make provision for family reunification and the rights of women as accompanying family members.
The report recognises the right of the Member States to decide on the numbers and rules under which they accept immigrants into their country. Within this framework of national legislation, therefore, we support respect for the rights of women, their family rights and, more importantly, the rights of children, in accordance with international conventions and protocols.
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we recognise that integration is a complex and two-way process. Therefore, alongside this framework of reception and respect for the rights of immigrants, which we must apply with proper coordination and use of all our policies, we must cooperate seriously with the countries of origin and the immigrant communities in our countries so that we can prepare the proper integration of immigrants and, more importantly, of female immigrants, because they are the ones who know least of all about their rights and about the benefits and obligations which derive from those rights. These have to do with language, with the authorities, with our values, with the potential for vocational careers and with the potential to participate in the educational system of their children. Thus our objectives for development and prosperity and our fight for solidarity, justice throughout the world and the protection of human rights will be better achieved.
My warmest thanks to all the political groups whose participation enriched my work and helped us to prepare a text which is cohesive, respects subsidiarity and the Community and international legal acquis and includes a courageous and in-depth approach to the real problems and the real challenges.
Mr President, I must truly congratulate the rapporteur on this report.
I broadly agree with her remarks, firstly as regards access to the labour market. I believe that the role of women can represent one of the factors contributing to the creation, in Europe, of a genuinely balanced and comprehensive development and employment policy. As you will know, this is one of the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy and it is primarily a means of guaranteeing women a full role within society and a genuine life of independence, and I therefore fully support the emphasis laid on the theme of employment.
I also support the emphasis laid on the theme of the integration of immigrant women, firstly as regards language learning. Learning the language of one's country of residence must be a fundamental part of everyone's integration, be they men, women, children or babies. In particular, as regards women immigrants, we note that there has been a delay in guaranteeing them genuine access to the languages spoken in their host countries, and that is a factor that slows down and hinders integration.
As the rapporteur rightly points out, the theme of integration is connected to the crucial dialogue between cultures and religions. I believe that the European Union is based on absolute values in terms of respect for the dignity of every woman and every man, and that it is therefore impossible to accept, under any circumstances, acts that demean human dignity, in this case women's dignity, as they are the polar opposite of symbols of integration.
I am concerned about cases in which, for example, women are made, against their own will, to wear submissive symbols of their female status, such as veils that completely cover their faces and do not allow them to be seen. Unfortunately, these are symbols that sit uncomfortably with integration and suggest the subjection of women.
I also think it absurd that, in some European countries, so-called honour crimes, or, as I would instead call them, 'dishonour crimes' take place, and I will, of course, be doing even more to promote initiatives aimed at abolishing these crimes. In my view, they must be treated harshly, not lightly, because, with motives like these, they attack absolute values such as human life, physical integrity and dignity.
When applying the European directive on family reunification, we intend to pay special attention to the prevention of forced marriages. This is another theme on which I shall be working. As you know, this is a binding directive for the Member States. When applying the directive at national level, I shall pay special attention to forms of violence within the family, such as forced and polygamous marriages - which are not permitted by the laws of the European Union and of the Member States - and to the guarantees made to women in the event of separation or divorce, so that they cannot be singled out as second-class citizens when their marriages break down.
With regard to the directives on asylum seekers and refugees, I believe that one aspect needs to be highlighted. For the first time, discrimination against women must be made to count as sufficient grounds for obtaining refugee status. I believe that being subjected to violence within the family and to female genital mutilation, or being at risk of being subjected to a forced marriage, is enough of a reason for women who demonstrate that they are exposed to such risks to be granted 'refugee' status.
Finally, in all sincerity, once again, I should like to point out to the rapporteur an aspect on which I harbour some doubts, namely granting illegal woman immigrants exactly the same status as legal women immigrants. I believe that there is an area in which absolute rights must be guaranteed to everyone, without any difference in status. It is clear that people cannot be denied rights to health care, emergency medical treatment and a minimum level of subsistence just because, for a given period of time - perhaps while they are waiting to be repatriated - they reside in a country illegally.
There is certainly a basis of rights that they have in common, but I believe that we should not go beyond that and mix up the two levels. There is illegal immigrant status, which is regulated and dealt with in one way. Legal immigrant status is different. To put them both on exactly the same footing sends out a dangerous message, and it is obviously on this point that we are working, in order to achieve a balanced European policy both on illegal immigration and on legal immigration.
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I gladly take the floor to endorse Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou's report, even though I do so with a touch of sadness, since, last weekend, we received a further tragic piece of news in relation to women, namely the stoning to death of a woman in Baghdad, on Saturday 21 October.
I believe that everyone is aware of the fact that it is only by women having equal dignity throughout the world that a change can occur, too, in the major problems facing the world today. It was in this frame of mind and with this firm belief, that is to say with a firm belief in the value and the role that women can have now and in the future in enabling this world to move towards a solution of peaceful coexistence, that I welcomed the work done by Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, in which consideration is given above all to the fact that women migrants are a somewhat special case.
We would prefer it if this were not the case, but it is. In a world in which the division is still so clear-cut - and for a large part of the world there is still a division in terms of rights and duties - I believe that treating women and men migrants in the same way would probably be a mistake, just as it is always a mistake to treat different circumstances identically.
The Union therefore needs to pay special attention to women's immigration, also taking account of implications that do not, in contrast, characterise men's immigration. I believe that we can find this focus in Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou's report, which I accordingly intend to support.
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (FR) Mr President, I should like sincerely to thank Mrs Kratsa for her commitment and her sense of cooperation. This own-initiative report is, in my view, one of the most important reports dealing with women's rights that we have had to express an opinion on since the start of the Parliamentary term.
The situation of women migrants has been overlooked for too long by our governments, despite the fact that they are growing in number and that they now account for the majority of the people arriving on EU soil. They are the ones who forge the first links between their families and nationals in terms of society and integration. Indeed, this report offers many guidelines aimed at putting a stop to the two forms of discrimination - racial and sexual discrimination - that these women often suffer.
I am particularly delighted that a number of provisions have been included in this report that concern illegal women immigrants, because they represent a sub-category that is deprived of its rights and thus made all the more vulnerable. It is therefore vital that these women can benefit, in whichever Member State they are resident, from basic rights such as access to emergency health care, legal aid and schools for their children, as is the case in my country.
Finally, I am delighted that this report features another point to which I am particularly attached, namely the status of women who arrive on EU territory within the context of the family reunification process. These women often only exist in law through their husbands and are therefore placed in a situation of complete dependence. This report calls for them to be granted an independent and autonomous status as quickly as possible and, above all, for this status to be automatically preserved in the event of the couple separating.
I therefore hope that this report will be adopted by a large majority within our Parliament and that the ambitious proposals that it contains will not go unheeded.
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this report by Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou - for which I am grateful - puts plenty wind in the sails of women's rights, particularly the rights of women immigrants, and that was long overdue.
We have for too long taken an attitude of cultural relativism towards women immigrants for granted. I am glad to see that the report incorporates many of the things we have been pressing for, such as the requirement that instances of genital mutilation be reported and that there be penalties, if necessary under criminal law for forced marriages, which have been long overdue. I hope we will also be able to get language courses for migrant women made compulsory, for language is an important component in integration and, without them, they will be unable to avail themselves of their rights.
We must put a stop to the situation in which girls from families that have migrated to Europe are exempted sex education classes and sports, which are mandatory for others, and in which some of them are even taken out of school or forbidden to go there. We need to be very determined about this and speak out about it loud and clear.
We also see it as very important that women should acquire a legal status independent of that of their husbands, and it is on this point that I would like to address Commissioner Frattini personally, for I recently, in a written question, asked to be informed as to whether he shared my concern about the series of court rulings in various Member States that, in the way in which they accord state benefits, effectively endorse polygamy.
I was quite horrified to be told, by a Commissioner with responsibility for justice matters, that the object of polygamy was the protection of women. Bigamy is prohibited in Europe, and I would welcome an answer from the Commissioner, for I cannot imagine that he would knowingly allow it to be stated that polygamy was intended to protect women, whilst certain forms of same-sex partnership are outlawed.
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. - (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I really am very grateful to Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou for her wide-ranging report, which we in the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left fully endorse, and adds a great deal to the information available on the rights of women migrants in the EU.
Knowing as we do that women now constitute 54% of all immigrants, it is quite utterly incomprehensible and shocking that the attitude of European governments towards them should betray such ignorance and that they should be doing so little to meet the specific needs that women immigrants have.
My particular concern is that we should take this opportunity to note the flagrant deficiencies in the Member States' integration policies, with women immigrants being expected to adapt to the system in silence and without difficulty, not making any demands and allowing the national labour market to make the maximum possible profit out of them. When countries spend decades averting their eyes from the challenges that immigrants present and then make them carry the can for their inadequate integration, I see that as no more than further evidence of ignorance and political blindness.
I want to see gender-specific migration management that will be consistent in taking seriously immigrant women's rights to education, health, safety and independence and in ensuring that those things are available to more and more of them. If that is not done, we risk a further increase in the trafficking of women, in the exploitation of female domestic staff, in the social isolation of women and in domestic violence.
on behalf of the UEN Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to begin by congratulating the rapporteur on the excellent work she has done, and in particular on the fact that she has highlighted some important priorities enabling us to ensure that immigration is primarily understood as two-way integration - therefore involving social, linguistic and cultural aspects - that is to say integration based on mutual respect for rights and duties.
Among the main rights that must be guaranteed to women migrants is that of preventing and combating honour crimes, forced marriages, genital mutilation or any other form of violent constraint and exploitation. In this regard, I, on behalf of my group, have tabled an amendment highlighting the need to carry out extensive information campaigns aimed precisely at women migrants, so that they can be informed of their rights and of the bodies that they can turn in times of need.
Finally, the European Union needs at last to adopt specific provisions to encourage the Member States, too, to draft laws explicitly prohibiting some of the crimes and issues about which we have already spoken. To conclude, I should like to thank Mr Frattini for the commitment that he has emphasised this evening, too, a commitment that the Commission intends to put to use in addressing these problems.
on behalf of the IND/DEM Group. - (PL) Mr President, the very serious problem of emigration, particularly by women, due to increasing globalisation and the complexities of contemporary life should also be considered from the point of view of the irreparable damage to their countries of origin. In addition I must mention the problem of increasing poverty in countries exploited by rich and highly developed ones. There are certainly ways in which the opportunity to leave one's homeland can prove positive. Nonetheless, emigrants are cut off from a community bound together by its history, traditions and culture. An individual who could have contributed to increasing the common good leaves. When that person starts life all over again in a foreign culture and language, he or she is working for the benefit of another society. Such people are often exploited because of their circumstances. That is why it is vital to have the relevant legislation in place, particularly regarding social protection and the individual's right to work. The document under debate goes some way towards emphasising this. An appropriate scale of values is also important, where moral values are also given a place alongside purely material gain, and human labour is considered in the broader sense of the word, although the latter should not mean interference in the personal lives of women who want to have children and bring up families.
(ES) Mr President, emigration is necessary and it also enriches our society in cultural, economic and social terms, and we are not going to deny that today. It is the case, however, that it can cause us problems if we do not manage it properly.
It should never be a problem, because we must ensure that it is not one when we draw up these laws in all of the parliaments of the European Union. If the parliaments are not careful, however, they may cause problems that turn into xenophobia and racism in our societies, and that is precisely what we must prevent.
A mistake has been made in drawing up this report, since it has not just dealt with legal emigration, but has treated legal and illegal emigration on the same footing. This is a dangerous message, because some of the things that this report says may have certain mafia gangs rubbing their hands with glee.
Democracy, which is the system that fortunately governs all of us, is based on the freedom of the individual, and that is guaranteed through respect for the law, both the laws of the Member States - because this problem is subject to subsidiarity - and the Regulations and Directives that we have now and in the future.
The important thing is respect for the law. I fear that some of the amendments presented by the radical left do not respect the law of the Member States and run counter to equality, democracy and the freedom of the individual.
I would therefore ask the House to think hard about these amendments, which are designed to attract mafias, to confuse emigrants and to attract more illegal immigration. They are going to be of little use to emigrants and European citizens as a whole, given the draw effects, given the comings and goings and dealings of mafias and given the fact that the criteria for granting residents' permits are not clear.
I would like to make an appeal to this House and the Commission with regard to cases of mutilation or forced marriage. When it comes to talking to third countries and giving them money for cooperation, we must - if we genuinely want to protect women and women's equality - demand of those countries, before giving them that money, that they respect minimum fundamental rights.
(PT) I should like to begin by congratulating Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou. We agree that European immigration policy must encompass the gender dimension and the situation of women in the Member States, because they suffer from twofold discrimination: sexual and ethnic, as has been mentioned by previous speakers. What is more, they suffer from discrimination both in the host society and within their own community.
The involvement of immigrant women in all areas of the host country's social life is a vital factor in making them less isolated and in enabling them to help the younger generations to integrate. For this to happen, a number of barriers need to come down, beginning with the linguistic barrier. In some immigrant communities, not only are women marginalised, they are also forced into marriages and subjected to humiliating and cruel practices, such as genital mutilation. They also fall victim to honour crimes, as Mr Frattini mentioned. The Member States have a duty to do all they can to put an end to these criminal practices, victims of which have justifiable grounds for being granted asylum.
(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am grateful to Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou for her characteristic sensitivity and for the positive proposals on the role and status of both legal and illegal immigrant women in the European Union.
We are concerned here with women migrants who are discriminated against in the workplace, physically and mentally violated, used as commodities for sex trafficking, deprived of their freedom and passports, held to ransom by patriarchal customs and killed in honour crimes. I should, however, like to point out to us all that, in reality, these women are used and exploited by European families and European businessmen. They are very often alone, with the pain of having left behind their children in their countries of origin. They work as carers, alleviating the suffering and the loneliness of the elderly and the sick, and they do not have any security. I believe that we need to do a great deal in relation to this issue.
These women represent a high percentage of the immigrant base and a major resource for the countries of Europe. They are not just victims; these women are all different and, in recent years, they have organised themselves into associations, sought to establish relations and put themselves in touch with women from their host countries. These women are requesting access to information, health care and housing. They want to have control over their lives, and we must help them. That is why we must mainstream the fight against discrimination and apply in every Member State the directives that the European Union has provided itself with - and about which Mr Frattini was also speaking - from the reception of migrants up to and including active citizenship. The experiences of women migrants and their criticism of inequality are helping to pave the way for establishing democracy in relation to the few differences that exist.
(PL) Mr President, we are currently witnessing mass migration which has a variety of causes. There is economic migration, where the aim is to earn more and improve one's standard of living. That is the most common type of migration. Then there is migration to reunify a family or to escape from persecution in the country of origin.
Technological development has meant that it is becoming ever easier and cheaper to travel in today's world, so the problem of immigration can only increase. It is therefore incumbent on us to take appropriate measures to deal with the growing number of new arrivals, particularly in Europe. The sensible long-term solution would be to avoid discriminating against foreigners, especially against women who are in the majority. Too many immigrants are being consigned to the margins of society at present. The Member States should create better conditions for immigrants to integrate into our societies, whilst still retaining a pride in their origins. This would allow us to pre-empt the problem of alienating immigrants, which leads to frustration and sometimes to violent disturbances, and very often results in a life of poverty.
- (SK) The Commission's communication about the demographic future of Europe notes that over the next five decades the working-age population of the Member States will decline dramatically, by an estimated 48 million people.
Even an optimistic scenario involving a resumption of demographic growth and the discovery of new sources of productivity would still leave Europe needing a major inflow of new migrants, estimated at 40 million people. This may be the most serious challenge facing the European Union.
The report we have before us, for which I would like to thank Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, indicates that the position of migrant women plays a crucial role in the process. This group of women deserves special attention, not only because they are frequent targets of discrimination but also because they have a key mission in facilitating the integration of the first and second generations of migrants; therefore, the access of such women to education is of fundamental importance. Against the backdrop of these challenges, the need to develop common procedures for integrating migrants, and to devise common procedures over immigration policy appears both urgent and unavoidable. The diverging approaches adopted by the individual states give rise to unnecessary confusion.
Developments in the area of human trafficking and human smuggling also point to a pressing need for clear immigration policies, for transparency, for unequivocal rules and for access to the common labour market. A lack of legitimate opportunities clearly encourages illegal activities, with illegal migrants being greatly exposed to all sorts of human rights violations and left without the assistance to which they would otherwise be entitled as victims.
In our future deliberations, however, it is essential to make a clear distinction between asylum policy, legitimate migration and illegal migration. Confusing these notions would generate new and unnecessary misunderstandings.
(DA) Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur for this very important and highly relevant report. The nature of immigration into Europe has undergone a change. Today, more women than men come to Europe, as there is a great demand for workers in the operational service and healthcare sector. However, the labour market in question is also characterised by a large grey economy in which the normal rules for pay, working hours and the working environment do not apply. Women therefore find themselves in a very vulnerable situation without social and economic protection, and many of them perform jobs that do not provide the opportunity of becoming legal.
Their vulnerability puts these illegal women immigrants at greater risk of being abused, both physically and mentally, while their illegal status in itself makes them easy prey for those who wish to abuse them and sexually exploit them in the workplace. They are also particularly at risk of being denied their fundamental rights, and they become victims of violence and discrimination in their everyday lives. Many do not dare report assaults for fear of deportation.
It is absolutely imperative to place the conditions in which immigrant women find themselves more firmly in the spotlight. We need to ensure that the Member States take account, through their legislation, of the problems facing immigrant women. Those women who are victims of people-trafficking or who are exposed to violence should be given the opportunity of being granted temporary residence permits and have the right to legal aid and access to healthcare and social services, irrespective of whether or not they have a legal right to stay in the country in question.
(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I concur with Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou's report, and in this regard I would like to point out, in agreement with her, that the implementation in the Union of the directive on family reunification is unsatisfactory and that there is a need to amend the directive with the aim of reducing the time it takes to obtain autonomous status for spouses, almost always wives, and of guaranteeing that spouses' status will be maintained in the event of separation, divorce or widowhood.
In addition, I would like to emphasise the importance of several instruments of Community intervention, in particular the Daphne programme, since these instruments fill in the gaps in national policies, which are all too often lacking with regard to the gender dimension in both policy content and data collection. Finally, the report calls for the risk of female genital mutilation to be included as grounds for requesting asylum.
I agree with this, but I believe that now is the time to include as grounds for requesting asylum other factors involving the repression of female sexuality, such as homosexuality and so-called adulterous behaviour, for countries in which these acts carry violent punishments. I am thinking, in this regard, of stoning to death in Iran.
(NL) Mr President, migrant women as a group, vulnerable though it is, are not so much a problem as an opportunity. They are vulnerable because they may be exposed to discrimination, not only for being women, but also on the basis of their being Muslim, Somali or Moroccan. They are also vulnerable to domestic violence, or because they do not speak the local language, or are financially dependent on their spouses or fathers. We must therefore support them by not letting domestic violence and honour crimes go unpunished, but that cannot be done by imposing stricter rules alone. Rights on paper are not sufficient for women; they must also be able to assert them in practice, because a woman who is dependent on the perpetrator of domestic violence will, in practice, not benefit a great deal from her rights on paper.
That is why we must promote the financial independence of migrant women by, for example, counteracting discrimination within the labour market. The economy benefits when more migrant women participate in the labour market. Another opportunity we cannot afford to miss is the positive impact migrant women can have on the integration of their children in the new society. That is why, as a host community, we must be open to support of, and contact with, migrant women, for they, too, belong here. I am pleased that Mrs Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou deals with these aspects at great length in her excellent report, and I should therefore like to thank her for it.
(ES) Mr President, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur and emphasise one consideration. Any immigration policy must surely take account of specific gender issues, but also the differences between immigrant communities, since the causes of the double discrimination suffered by immigrant women and the problems resulting from it differ according to their reasons for emigrating.
If women emigrating alone for economic reasons find work, it is usually low-level work, sometimes in undeclared jobs, which gives them neither the independence nor the security they were seeking, though it allows them to relate to people and to integrate further. Nevertheless, women emigrating for the purposes of family reunification usually stay at home, with no opportunity to familiarise themselves with the host society or to learn the language, and that hinders their integration and increases their isolation.
The designation of 2007 as 'European year of equal opportunities for all' and of 2008 as 'European year of intercultural dialogue' must help to increase citizens' awareness of the situation of immigrant women, one that is always tough but which varies in nature, and to implement policies to promote equality and integration in accordance with each different situation.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to make just a brief observation after having listened to many speeches which I endorse. First, Mrs Breyer, I would like to tell you that I have always considered and will always consider polygamous marriage to be against the law and a serious violation of the right of women to choose freely. I can therefore confirm to you that I will continue to move in this direction.
Some of the Members who have spoken - Mrs Angelilli and Mrs Morgantini - have raised the issue of communication. I believe - if I may say so - that giving a voice to immigrant women in a more direct and stronger way can be of great help, even in drawing up stronger European defence policies. 'Giving a voice' means allowing these people to have effective means at their disposal to be able to speak and to be listened to. Otherwise, there is a risk - if I may say so - that the voices of these women may also be subject to a filter operated by the communities in which they reside.
In many European countries cases of personal segregation and submission of immigrant women have been observed. This is the group, among the many with which I work, from which I receive the lowest number of individual complaints. When compared with other sectors connected with the protection of people's fundamental rights, individual violence against women in immigrant communities is the area in which the fewest complaints about specific cases are received. Why? Because there is a fear of reporting such cases, because they are never communicated, because the women themselves are subjected to violence so that they do not disclose the abuses that they are suffering within the free and democratic territory of the Member States. Communication is therefore an absolutely central issue.
Finally, precisely to help this integration effort, I would like to point out that in Spring 2007 I will be publishing a European manual on integration, which will be issued in all the languages spoken in the countries of the European Union, containing descriptions of cases of successful integration in the cities, provinces and regions where they have been found. By distributing millions of copies of this practical manual, we will publicise positive examples so that they can be imitated. These are examples coming from the world of local bodies. I can inform you that up to now the sector for which I have the least information is precisely that of the integration of immigrant women.
I am therefore appealing to you, so that in the coming months I may receive specific examples, both positive and negative, on which I can take action. Otherwise, we will carry on making important statements of principle without being able to translate them into practical action, something that I, however, intend to do.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place tomorrow at 12.00.
Written statement (Rule 142)
Large number of immigrants, with special emphasis on women, face multiple discrimination and vulnerability to social exclusion. This is the highest challenge for us how to integrate them into the society, to help them getting access to proper education which helps them to wider employment facilities and to contribution to the development of the European Project.
Proper legal framework is just one side of the coin. Implementation of legal commitments by the relevant national authorities, willingness of immigrants to respect fundamental European norms, values and to become the integral part of the society is the other.
Huge potential lies in successful integration policies since wider employment of immigrants could help with getting forward with Lisbon employment targets.
No actions can gain success without proper and regular dialogue with immigrant communities. The dialogues are perfect tools for monitoring integration processes, learning about mutual interests, intentions, request as well as obligations, determining and if necessary, altering methods and of inclusion programs.
The forthcoming European year of equal opportunities 2007 and the year of intercultural dialogue 2008 will be a useful and potential framework opportunity to provide immigrant societies with a wide range of information on their rights, opportunities as well as informing them what Europe is expecting from them.


One-minute speeches on matters of political importance
The next item is the one-minute speeches on matters of political importance in accordance with Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure.
(RO) I wish to draw your attention to the political situation in Romania and to the impact this is having on Romania's relations with the Community's institutions.
In October 2009, the Social Democratic Party quit the government. The newly created opposition brought down the government with a motion of censure, rejected the first new government proposed and refused to take part in negotiations on the formation of a government. As a result, Romania cannot fulfil the obligations it has to the European Commission, the World Bank and the IMF, in terms of the credit it has borrowed. This is the reason why we are in the situation where some of the commitments undertaken with regard to reforming the state cannot be fulfilled in time.
The political instability in Romania was mainly triggered by the political actions of the Social Democratic Party. The reasons behind this are not only electoral. The aim in the medium term is to halt the reforms concerning administration, the rule of law, justice and anti-corruption.
(PT) Last month, the regions of Europe were in the spotlight. The European Week of Regions and Cities consolidated the position of the regions as a fundamental part of the solution in the European response to global challenges. Such was the conclusion of President Barroso, Commissioner Samecki and the hundreds of debates that took place, leaving no room for doubt.
In more specific terms, holding the important meeting of the Conference of Presidents of the Outermost Regions of Europe, which saw Members of the European Parliament attend for the first time, also represented a milestone in regional policy in favour of European integration. Global challenges and European responses represent a perfect opportunity for a new strategy for the outermost regions. These regions, such as the Azores, beyond the permanent difficulties that we are all used to hearing about, offer a range of possibilities that provide clear opportunities for us to make progress and to give Europe a distinct advantage in new areas that are vital to our responses to global challenges.
The President of the Commission therefore needs to put a definitive end to the palace coup that the Commission's 'non-paper' suggests was being prepared while we, MEPs and European citizens, were supporting ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon and its importance in defending territorial cohesion ...
(The President cut off the speaker)
Madam President, EUR 465 million has been allocated to the LEADER funding programme in Ireland for the period 2007 to 2013. However, just two years into the five-year programme, only 18% of project funding has been spent because the local development companies who manage the projects have found themselves caught up in red tape and excessive bureaucracy.
There are reams of pages of rules, accompanied by an extensive inspection procedure. Part of the problem is that interpretation of the myriad rules can vary from one inspector to another. The other part of the problem is that some of the rules are mindless in the first place. One project worker said that he spent 50% of his time recording what he was doing in the other 50%.
Of course we need accountability, but it has reached a stage where there is now a disincentive for local groups to apply for funding. Millions will go unspent, which would be criminal given the need to kick-start our economies with whatever funding is available. We need common sense in Dublin, and we need to ensure that the European Commission ensures that this happens.
(FR) Madam President, President Václav Havel's speech to our House highlighted one of the fundamental principles of the European Union: solidarity among human beings.
We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, that wall of shame. Following 9 November 1989, we were told that humanity would finally be set free. Democracy and human rights were supposed to extend to the entire planet, knocking down walls, removing barriers between peoples.
However, for one fallen wall, how many others have been erected on our continent?
The walls erected in Ceuta and Melilla, for example, to ward off the arrival of men and women fleeing war, poverty and global warming, the walls stretching from the detention centres, the gates of our cities as far as the Libyan desert, via Lampedusa, where even children are locked up in the name of the Return Directive.
Let us knock down the walls of fortress Europe, let us build bridges, not walls ...
(The President cut off the speaker)
(CS) Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we view some of the events taking place in the world today with greater sensitivity. Today we are quite able to make a realistic assessment of events in Russia. In earlier times, we experienced any events in Soviet Union as ideological pressure but now we discuss trade under conditions of absolute individual freedom. With the approach of winter, there is mounting anxiety, of course, over what will happen with supplies of gas from Russia via Ukraine. Studies of the January crisis clearly show how different the situation was in the western and eastern parts of Europe. They will lead to a more careful approach to the preparation of crisis scenarios. It is important to find the best possible solution to contractual relationships at the international level and, at the same time, to provide more information in situations of this kind. The high costs of technical measures also oblige us to consider carefully whether to finance them from the public purse or on the basis of European directives. The question is how much gas we actually need to store and how to finance it. It is important to distinguish between a real crisis and a business matter in relation to gas and at what point senior political figures should enter the negotiations and what the market should control. We must avoid being drawn into excessive bureaucratic interference.
Madam President, today the EU Commission is demanding of the Irish Government savage cuts in Ireland's budget, involving the slashing of public services and the living standards of working people, possibly even for pensioners and the unemployed.
The Commission should know, however, that it is conspiring with the Irish Government in a lie to pretend that the money given to bail out the banks is not State aid while, at the same time, hammering the public sector.
However, Irish workers and community activists are fighting back. Tens of thousands marched in protest last Friday; thousands of workers marched in Dublin today; and on 24 November, a public sector workers' strike is scheduled, in order to stop these attacks.
In view of the seriousness of the situation, that should now be upgraded to a 24-hour general strike to bring down this appalling government, which has no mandate for these policies, and to halt the policy of the Commission and of the Irish Government to slash and burn the living standards and services of working people.
Madam President, I would like to draw this assembly's attention to the disastrous effect that the Biocides Directive is having across the UK. This punitive and non-sensical directive bans the use of strychnine, which has been used to control the mole population in the UK for the past 70 years. This was the case until the EU got itself involved. As a result, mole catchers are only allowed to use aluminium phosphate, which costs twice as much as strychnine and is putting many of them out of business.
But it gets worse. While strychnine kills a mole in up to 15 minutes, aluminium phosphate takes up to three days, ensuring that the mole has a slow and painful death.
This crazy directive is not only causing job losses across the UK, but it is also cruel and inhumane and it is another small reason why the UK is better off out.
(RO) The President of the Atra Kadisha World Organisation, Grand Rabbi David Schmidl, asked me to be, and I quote, 'their spokesman in the European Union' where they would like a committee to be set up to deal with any complaints concerning the desecration of the grounds in cemeteries. The Geneva Treaty should also be updated and improved.
I do not wish to give specific examples and make accusations against anyone, but I have seen with my own eyes photographs depicting Jewish cemeteries where horses and cattle graze on graves. I have also seen images of tombstones turned into basic toilets, as well as old Jewish catacombs dating back 2 000 years where the sacred human remains are in an appalling state. The remaining cemeteries have been invaded by bulldozers with excavators digging up relics.
This is a great affront to God. The Holocaust is a tragic scar on the face of mankind and it must never be repeated, not even on a miniature scale. I myself made a pilgrimage to Auschwitz with my children and believe me, I know very well what I am talking about.
These people are asking us in the European Parliament to defend all vestiges of all religions, not only Jewish vestiges, but also Romanian vestiges in Europe.
(The President cut off the speaker)
(HU) Madam President, our dear neighbours, the Austrians, have been polluting one of Hungary's most beautiful rivers, the Rába, for years. Two weeks ago, we could see a layer of foam half a metre thick on the river, clearly highlighting this fact. However, not content with polluting our river, our dear neighbours now want to pollute our air as well with the incinerator planned for construction in Heiligenkreuz. They want to build an incinerator in Heiligenkreuz 300 metres from the Hungarian border, which could incinerate almost ten times the volume of refuse produced in Burgenland annually, and all of this with the European Union's assistance. This planned investment infringes Directive 2008/98/EC. This is why I am calling on the European Commission not to approve any EU assistance for the construction of the incinerator in Heiligenkreuz.
(EL) Madam President, the major challenge facing mankind in terms of climate change is how we can stop building up more carbon in the atmosphere and start storing it in the ground.
Given that it is impossible for us to stop emitting carbon gases over the next 50 years, increasing carbon storage in the ground is our only hope and should be the priority of policies to combat this problem. In order to achieve this, we need to increase plant cover. As part of this effort, China has planted 54 million hectares of trees, with impressive repercussions on the availability of drinking water and agricultural productivity. Similarly, tree-planting programmes in Rwanda have resulted in such an increase in the flow of rivers towards the capital that it can now be powered solely by a hydroelectric plant.
In the same direction, the US House of Representatives has passed legislation under which the USA will pay USD 5 billion to deal with deforestation.
For these reasons, the stand taken by the Council, which not only has failed to commit to a specific amount in financing for developing countries, but also has failed to say anything about financing to maintain the world's forests, is unacceptable at a time when there is no uniform policy or coordination at European Union level on the protection of forest eco-systems at risk in southern Europe.
Nonetheless, I trust that the European Union's negotiations in Copenhagen will pro-actively support global efforts to put an end to deforestation and to increase tree-planting.
(IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, our debate on neurodegenerative diseases permits me to introduce the problem of sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to bring to Parliament's knowledge the fact that 150 people throughout Italy have begun a hunger strike as a show of support for Salvatore Usala, an ALS sufferer who has stopped eating in order to protest against the Italian Government's indifference to the problems experienced by patients and their family members who are living with this terrible disease. This campaign is also being supported by members of the Italian Parliament, such as Antonietta Farina, and by our colleague from the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Mr Rinaldi.
Above all, however, this is a struggle that ALS patients and their families face every day, in a dignified and quiet way, as part of the tragedy of having a terrible disease. ALS affects young people but there is no cure for it; and yet, the Italian state is very attentive to everything bar patients and their families. Carrying out research is a challenge for Europe but it is up to the Member States to guarantee patients a dignified existence.
(FR) Madam President, I, for my part, would like to put some questions to you regarding the problem of the AH1N1 flu vaccine.
Currently, the MEPs and their assistants are being asked to have the inoculation, and I would like to share a number of concerns with you.
Firstly, what is the relationship between the risks and benefits? At the moment, the benefits are few, since this is not a flu that causes a huge number of deaths - nowhere near as many as seasonal flu, in any case.
With regard to the risks, on the other hand, we have enough time to consider this aspect, and I would like, in particular, to address the problem of adjuvants. I would like to point something out to you that is rather odd: in the United States, the use of squalene in adjuvants has been prohibited, but the European Medicines Agency has authorised it since most vaccines contain squalene.
The second point is that the European Medicines Agency has confirmed to us that a clinical trial was not performed on children and pregnant women and that it did not have access to an extrapolation from the prototype. I therefore think that more harmonisation may be required.
(PL) Madam President, the scandalous judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, which orders a cross to be removed from the wall of an Italian school and EUR 5 000 compensation to be paid to one of its pupils for so-called moral damages, has aroused concern not only in Italy, but also in other countries of the European Union. The cross is a symbol both of the Christian religion and of the history and tradition of Europe. Removal of the cross by administrators is the first step to the cultural 'harakiri' of Europe.
Unfortunately, pragmatism of this kind is turning into a consistent plan to combat European values. It is only necessary to recall the removal of references to Christianity in the most important documents of the European Union. We need to return to the original ideas and concepts of the founding fathers of the European Union, who were Christian democrats. Therefore, I appeal to the President of the European Parliament to organise a suitable debate, which will end with a resolution on the subject of the freedom of religious practice in Europe and on the fundamental values on which the European Union is based.
(PT) In Portugal, and particularly in the north, the economic and social crisis is getting worse and unemployment continues to rise, making this region one of the poorest in the European Union, as recent Eurostat documents show. Large companies continue to announce that they are scaling back their activities and cutting jobs. One of the most serious examples is that of Qimonda, in Vila do Conde, which is in the process of making 600 workers redundant, in addition to around 1 000 that were already made redundant last year. This effectively represents the destruction of one of the largest and most important companies in a strategic industrial sector for technological development.
We cannot accept this situation. It is unacceptable that neither the European Commission nor the Council has found an alternative to the dismantling of this microchip and nanotechnology industry. It is appalling that they remain apathetic in the face of the worsening unemployment and increasing suffering in vast regions of the European Union.
Madam President, I was due to talk about the pressures unlimited EU migration is putting on the UK. Forgive me for raising a pressing matter recently brought to my attention. As a coordinator on the Regional Development Committee and an MEP for Wales, it was with great concern that I received a leaked copy of a draft communication of the European Commission entitled A Reform Agenda for a Global Europe: reforming the budget, changing Europe.
The document proposes a major refocusing of the EU's spending priorities, placing greater emphasis on - and I paraphrase - a global Europe, and less on agriculture and transfers towards well-off regions. This will have a huge impact on British agriculture and structural fund programmes in this current cycle. As a net contributor, the United Kingdom will be forced to give up much more of the rebate, whilst other countries will be the main beneficiaries.
11.8% of funds earmarked for the UK under the cohesion policy go to the poorest regions in Wales. I am very concerned that this leaked document may have consequences for transitional payments at the end of the current programme in 2013. It is time the people of the UK had a referendum on its relationship with this place so they can be the people who decide their destiny, not unelected bureaucrats.
(HU) As we celebrate here in the European Union so enthusiastically the collapse of the Berlin Wall and Communism with it, we might well ask what has become of the former Communist leaders. I will tell you. They are the ones who have become the most enthusiastic capitalists, neo-liberals and champions of the order of world domination. On their return to power, they have done away with everything that was good in Communism - and let us admit it, there were a few things - such as security of employment and social security. However, they have brought back the most hideous aspects, brutality and terror.
On the 50th anniversary of the 1956 revolution, which had made possible the collapse of the Berlin Wall, people were shot in the eye. At the moment in Hungary, as we speak in the Chamber and celebrate the collapse of Communism, these Communist comrades are holding 16 political prisoners in detention.
I will only celebrate when the political prisoners have been released, when the victims shot in the eye have received justice and when these Communists end this bloodshed and are consigned to the dustbin of history.
(PL) Madam President, I would like to speak about the proposition for reform of the European Union budget after 2013. Is it true that this proposition means a substantial reduction in regional funds? Does the European Commission realise that this will radically weaken EU regional and agricultural policy?
The proposition to weaken poorer regions of the EU in order to fund the battle against climate change may hardly be called rational or logical. It would affect the majority of the EU's 271 regions. It is surely possible to help poor regions of the EU while, at the same time, using good projects to tackle climate change, reduce gas emissions and introduce renewable energy and modern technological solutions.
Does the Commission intend, when introducing the proposition for budget reform, to by-pass regional and local authorities in the distribution of funds? In this way, recognition is being taken away from territorial authorities in matters which are of great significance for them.
(LT) The European Union has committed itself to establishing an effective mechanism to prevent child sex abuse. Eight months have passed since this particularly important topic was discussed in a plenary session of the European Parliament. We should welcome the fact that since then, the Council has begun to debate a draft directive that aims to improve the legislation in this area. However, time does not stand still and now and again painful events remind us that there is still insufficient protection for our children. Sadly, the consequences of these crimes are devastating and long-lasting. The sexual exploitation of children and the dissemination of pornography are often transnational in nature, and can therefore only be effectively prevented with international cooperation. We must plan for criminal responsibility of new forms of child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse that are not envisaged in current legislation. I would like to draw the attention of the new Parliament to this important problem and call on the Council to speed up the discussion of the draft proposals.
(SL) Madam President, I am pleased with the progress in relations between the governments of Croatia and Slovenia, which have taken a major political step forward, and with the increase in maturity which both governments have exhibited. The border arbitration agreement which they have signed sends out a positive message and sets an excellent example to the other countries in the region.
However, I note with regret that, only a few days after signing this agreement, the Prime Minister of Croatia also signed a unilateral statement which places a one-sided interpretation on the recently signed agreement. We should not do anything which sows the seeds of doubt or spreads uncertainty, because that is not the way to move forward. Unilateral statements and unilateral actions are never a good choice, nor do they send out the right message. Such action does not promote credibility, it does not encourage the necessary mutual trust and it raises doubts about the seriousness of our intentions and the reality and viability of the agreement. If we are to succeed on this front, we need to make major efforts and strengthen trust amongst ourselves at home, amongst our neighbours and throughout the region.
I call on the government of Croatia to refrain from fresh unilateral actions and I ask the Prime Minister to show political courage and determination instead and to help us overcome the impasses of the past.
(PL) I would like to draw attention to the fact that we were alarmed last week by the situation, or by the information, that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has asked the European Commission to settle the debt owed to Gazprom by Ukraine. In view of this, I would like to ask if such a request has been received. Does the European Commission intend to make the European Union pay this debt? If the answers to the first two questions are affirmative, then on what grounds would the Commission do this?
Madam President, I would also like you to note that I am the only Member who has not used all of his speaking time.
Madam President, I have asked for the floor today to inform you of a rather disturbing fact that has come to my knowledge whilst on a visit to Washington DC as part of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs delegation.
On the margins of the current transatlantic negotiations on data protection (SWIFT, PNR), the United States is expanding its National Security Agency data-collection facilities so as to intercept every electronic message within its territory as well as all messages coming in and out of the country.
How can the US pretend to respect the right to privacy when it is building an enormous eavesdropping agency - and how can we just sit to one side and let that happen?
It is our responsibility to raise awareness of this gross abuse of power and violation of our basic rights. I hope you will join me in informing our voters and the citizens in our countries about this through declarations and articles to the press.
Madam President, in the last two months, I have suffered victimisation by the UK Labour regime, including withdrawal of my House of Commons pass, refusal to allow me to enter the Sellafield nuclear processing plant - despite my position on a subcommittee of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety - and the refusal of the Citizens' Advice Bureau to sell me an information database openly advertised for sale to all other MEPs.
Madam President, would you agree that political discrimination is not only unlawful but is also an attack not just on me, but also on the functionality of this place and, most important of all, on the voters and the entire democratic process?
(PT) The investigation conducted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work provides some worrying conclusions, stating that generalised unemployment is having negative consequences for the safety and health of workers. According to the study, which involved 27 000 respondents in the 27 Member States, six in every 10 workers feel that the economic crisis and increased unemployment are making working conditions worse. Seventy-five per cent of respondents claimed that the worsening of their health is attributable to the work they do. This information bears out the data from a Eurostat study, which shows that 27 million workers suffer accidents or are affected by occupational diseases and that 137 million workers are exposed to risks on a daily basis. Just this week, yet another serious work-related accident killed five Portuguese workers in Andorra.
This situation requires a rapid response from the European Union and the Member States. This response should involve creating jobs with rights, promoting work and workers, and penalising employers that cut back on prevention and protection measures for workers in order to boost their profits.
There was confusion there in assigning the microphone. I should have given the floor to Mr Teixeira. I probably pronounced your name wrongly and that caused the confusion.
(PT) The European Commission recently tabled a draft communication on budgetary reform, which included references to cohesion policy that are causing anxiety and confusion, especially where the outermost regions are concerned.
A debate on the Community budget needs to be held urgently, but we believe that the financial framework after 2013 should be based on solidarity and territorial cohesion, this being vital for regions such as Madeira, which face permanent difficulties and which therefore need permanent support.
The intention to alter the focus of cohesion policy from the present regionally based approach to an approach based on value added sectors is unacceptable. Such a change could lead to the abolition of Objective 2, which currently benefits around two thirds of the European regions.
It is incomprehensible that the Commission intends to switch the allocation of funds from a regional to a national basis, or even at European level, rejecting the criterion of proximity that has always underpinned cohesion policy. It is unacceptable for a Member State's long-standing membership of the EU to be a variable in the formula for calculating structural fund allocations, dividing up Member States into new and old, which will render Article 299(2) of the EC Treaty meaningless as regards the outermost regions' access to structural funds.
(FR) Madam President, as an MEP from Normandy, I would like to draw the Commission's and Parliament's attention to the proposals on offshore Natura 2000 sites, which the French Government has just submitted to the European authorities. These proposals exclude the Antifer dyke situated near Etretat, but compensate for it by enlarging the perimeter to 12 nautical miles.
This decision eases the way for Poweo to install a methane terminal at Antifer and restricts a project to create an offshore wind farm off Fécamp, despite the support shown for this project by local elected representatives, the population and even fishermen. A scientific and consistent proposal has been drafted for the region and has the backing of local operators. Under this proposal there will be six miles of zoning along the entire coastline, including Antifer.
I have three questions: how much progress has the Commission made in examining the zoning proposals? Does it endorse them even though they go against scientific opinions and against the social, economic and cultural activities of the region? And, with the Copenhagen Summit approaching, can Europe reasonably endorse a decision that promotes gas at the expense of the development of renewable energies?
(PL) Madam President, I would like to draw attention to the health situation in Ukraine. Available data shows that over a million cases of influenza have already been reported, including several dozen cases of the AH1N1 virus. Ukraine has requested international aid and, in particular, for vaccines, medicines, disinfectants, masks, gloves and laboratory supplies.
We know that the Commission has set in motion a special mechanism for civil aid, a monitoring and information centre to coordinate the aid given to Ukraine by EU countries. What is this coordination like? What aid is being given? How is the monitoring system working? I think that public opinion would like to receive an answer to these questions.
(HU) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, two decades have elapsed since the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the 20th anniversary of which we have marked, and since the Iron Curtain was torn down. Nevertheless, there has been little to show for these 20 years as we see that in many countries liberated from Communism, we have not yet managed to free ourselves definitively from the habits of the former system.
In the autumn of 2006, the police completely disregarded the right to free assembly on Budapest's streets, as well as the right to a fair trial. The victims of this are still looking, in vain, for justice and the opportunity to exercise their rights. In March this year in Budapest, calls for the prime minister to step down were again met with detentions and inhumane, humiliating treatment. It can still happen in the European Union even today that people are not allowed to use their own language in the land of their birth - like in Slovakia, for instance - or exercise the rights granted by democracy, if the fate of a minority has been imposed on them by history. Take also Romania, where they are in the process of putting up a statue to a former general who gave the order to fire among the participants in demonstrations.
(PT) The current economic crisis leads to job insecurity. Economic difficulties lead workers to accept, sometimes blindly, job offers that eschew labour laws and the supervision of law enforcement and government authorities. Unfortunately, we have already witnessed in the European Union several cases of exploitation of labour that often genuinely constitute slavery, whether of European citizens, or non-European citizens. Moreover, we have seen an unusually high number of deaths of migrant workers, including many compatriots of mine, many Portuguese citizens, even when legally employed. These accidents have happened in the workplace and especially in the civil construction sector.
The European Union and its bodies, as well as all the Member States, are therefore urged and called upon to cooperate forcefully and effectively, so as to prevent these situations.
(FR) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to sound the alarm bell regarding the low rate of planning and payment of the ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund appropriations.
We are still very far from having planned half of the available funds. With regard to the payments, only 9.62% of the EUR 347 billion for regional policy has been paid to the project leaders. All the countries are affected, some even more so than others. Spain, Luxembourg and Sweden must do their level best to catch up with the countries that are in the lead when it comes to the payment of European funds, such as, for example, the Baltic countries, Ireland and Slovenia.
The European Union's regional policy is one of the most useful policies for our fellow citizens. Indeed, it guarantees economic, social and territorial cohesion through the cofinancing of practical, and very often crucial, projects.
I therefore appeal to the national management authorities to get involved. At the same time, I feel that it is crucial, in a period of economic crisis, for European rules to be adapted to the major problems.
(PL) Madam President, today we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe. There was a very appropriate and worthy ceremony, in which Mr Havel and Mr Buzek took part, and there are exhibitions in the European Parliament. That is how it should be, but the European institutions should not restrict themselves to such events only once in many years.
This should be present in our history - the truth about these changes should be present in our educational activities, and it should be initiated by the European institutions. We need a common history textbook of those times, which would show how Europe united, so that the children in our schools can have access to that truth and that knowledge.
On the other hand, many examples can be given of money spent unnecessarily. The British organisation Open Europe says that EUR 7 million was spent on financing a blog about a donkey travelling around the Netherlands. It is time we spent money for Europe more effectively.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid we must conclude the one-minute speeches under Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure at this point. According to Rule 150, we can conduct this type of debate for no more than 30 minutes. These speeches have now gone on for almost 40 minutes, because, unfortunately, many speakers did not keep to one minute.
I tried to give priority to those who did not have a chance to speak in either of the last two debates and I hope you felt it was fairly balanced. We still have four more debates this evening and, as you know, the sitting must close at midnight at the latest.


Oral questions and written declarations (submission): see Minutes


10. Seventh EU programme for research, technological development and demonstration (
(PL) Mr President, I have informed the Secretariat that I would like to table an oral amendment which would involve the deletion of paragraph 27, because it contains untrue information concerning an important scientific project named INDECT. I would like to inform the House that this project has been endorsed by an ethical review. It underwent this review on 15 March 2011 in Brussels, with the participation of specialists from Austria, France, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. The ethical audit concerning the work of this project produced a positive result and this has been certified. No problems have been found with the ethical aspects of the project. The ethical aspects of the report have been continuously monitored by the European Commission from the very outset. I want to stress this and to ask the House to take care that our report does not contain information which does not have a basis in fact. This is a very important scientific research project which is being conducted by the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków and a number of European institutions of research and higher education.