One-minute speeches on matters of political importance
The next item is one-minute speeches on matters of political importance.
(ES) Mr President, as some of you will know from the media, a Spanish freezer vessel, the Playa de Bakio, based in Bermeo, carrying 26 crew aboard, 13 Spanish nationals and 13 crew of African origin, was seized yesterday when fishing for tuna in international waters 250 miles off the coast of Somalia.
For some time now, the fisheries sector has been very concerned at the absence of security in that part of the Indian Ocean where piracy has become rife and where a French yacht was seized recently on 11 April.
In view of this situation, Mr President, I would like to ask Parliament and the Community institutions as a whole to take whatever steps are necessary to expedite the immediate release of the crew and the vessel, and to protect the Community fleet fishing those waters, now considered to be the most dangerous in the world.
Mr President, a few weeks ago, together with Mr von Wogau, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence, I visited the EUBAM Mission in Odessa, Ukraine. Its mandate is to help Ukraine and Moldova manage their common border better, by providing both expertise and support.
Once there, we could see that the Mission, through the quality and professionalism of its people, has managed to build a solid reputation of professional authority useful not only in passing on expertise to its counterparts, but also in mediating between them on important questions of mutual interest. Moreover, by flying the EU flag as the only embodiment of our Union in that large and important area, the EUBAM Mission is a very efficient ambassador for our institutions, thus contributing to the concrete implementation of both our security strategy and our neighbourhood policy there. It has most certainly set an example worthy of being applied in other areas of interest to us.
Mr President, your speech at our recent part-session in Brussels on the events in Tibet was extremely well received by the House, and I think it enjoyed the support of all the Members present. It quite clearly reflected the public opinion in the European Union about the recent repression in Tibet.
Considerable concern was also expressed by the Commission and by a number of Member States in Council. It is surprising, therefore - and to my group disappointing - that the Presidency-in-Office of the Council has decided not to invite the Dalai Lama to come to Brussels to meet ministers. It therefore seems to me all the more important that this House pursue your suggestion that the Dalai Lama should come, and I wonder whether I might ask you to get in touch with the Dalai Lama's office to see whether he could advance the visit from the current schedule foreseen for December to an earlier date, since clearly the interest in this House and in Europe in discussing the events in Tibet before December is very great.
(Applause)
(PL) Mr President, I wish to speak on the same issue. The Olympic flame has been extinguished with the blood of the Tibetans, blood spilled in Tibet every day. The closer we get to the opening of the Olympics, the greater the Chinese reprisals against their own citizens and against the inhabitants of Tibet.
At the last part-session in Brussels, we adopted a resolution criticising human rights violations by the Chinese authorities. We also called for the Chinese to resume negotiations with the Dalai Lama. Unfortunately these calls were ignored by the Slovenian Presidency. I think that Parliament should react decisively to the fact that the Dalai Lama has not been invited to any official meeting with the European Union by the Slovenian Foreign Minister, Dimitrij Rupel.
Parliament is the conscience of Europe and this conscience must not be silenced by any pronouncements by any minister holding office in the European Union.
(ES) Mr President, piracy has now become one of the worldwide threats to maritime safety.
According to statistics compiled by the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks have tripled over the last decade: whereas there were 90 incidents of piracy in 1995, in 2007 the figure had risen to 263.
As we speak, 26 crew members of the fishing vessel Playa de Bakio have been seized off Somalia and perhaps, as my fellow Member said earlier in this House, we should not only show solidarity with their families, but also request the European Union to take action in this matter and to make every effort to free these fishermen.
It is not enough for us to sign agreements with various African States. We also have to ensure the safety of these vessels.
The problem is European in scope and must be tackled as such.
Mr President, as you are aware, there will be a referendum in Ireland on 12 June on the Lisbon Treaty.
I want to raise with you a matter of very deep concern in Ireland. It has emerged through the media that the Commission, and committees of this Parliament, are actively colluding to suppress information. Let me quote Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström, that the Commission is willing to tone down or delay messages that might be unhelpful in advance of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty; reports have been carried in the press of a letter that was sent to parliamentary committees urging them not to deal with sensitive political issues that might arise from Lisbon until the Treaty has been ratified.
I want to say to you that these types of tactics are unacceptable. The Irish people should have their debate with full information. They deserve the full and unvarnished facts, whether in relation to corporation tax or the outworkings of the defence and security provisions of the Treaty. As a minimum - I am sure you will agree - the people deserve the full facts.
So I call on you today to clarify publicly that committees will not delay or suppress debate on these sensitive matters, and I would equally urge the Commission to do likewise.
(EL) Mr President, I apologise for the delay, but I have just arrived in Parliament.
I believe that it would be unrealistic for anyone to talk about cross-border cooperation in the case of Greece, which is the country that receives the fourth highest number of illegal immigrants, after Spain, France and Sweden.
Now what talk can there be of cross-border cooperation when, on the other hand - is this not the case, Mr President? - we have to deal with a country engaged in just that: Turkey, which is doing that job; in other words, Turkey has men who are professionally engaged in transporting illegal immigrants from Asia to Europe.
In addition, the financial assistance received by Greece is minimal - I am sorry that I do not have enough time to go into the relevant details - and I must tell you that if Europe does not help, I believe that it is Europe that will have to foot the bill for the people who today are pouring into Europe, via Greece and the Aegean sea, with its 2 000 islands.
(BG) I take the floor in order to draw your attention to a canker affecting the rights of over a million citizens in Bulgaria's capital city. This is a problem which illustrates clearly the corruption schemes which, regrettably, have crept into all areas of life in Bulgaria over the past several years. For eight years in a row now, with the obvious blessing of both the town hall and the government, the Sofiyska Voda company has been amassing huge profits at the expense of ordinary citizens without delivering even at a minimum level on its obligations undertaken under the concession agreement. Instead of having the agreement terminated, however, the concession holder receives additional loans amounting to millions of euro. The government authorities in Bulgaria, both central and municipal, keep turning a blind eye to the numerous protests by citizens' groups which have finally had to approach Mr. Barroso, the European Commission representative, both through official and unofficial channels during his recent visit to our country. Since Bulgaria and its institutions do not have the will to protect the rights of the civil society, I trust that the authorities of the European Union will do so.
(RO) In April, for the first time Bucharest was present on all media channels only in a favourable light, on the occasion of the NATO Summit that took place in Romania.
Many did not think that our country could organize a summit of this size: 3,000 officials from 49 countries and 3,500 journalists, since the Bucharest Summit had the greatest participation and the most complex agenda in NATO's history.
I would like to point out three major Summit conclusions: Croatia and Albania were invited to join NATO; NATO will install an anti-missile shield complementary to the American one - this shield will protect NATO countries that are not covered by the American shield; the NATO leaders undertook to increase their troops in Afghanistan in order to fight the Taliban, to share the difficulties of military operations and limit restrictions in using their troops.
(EL) Mr President, let us pay tribute to the memory of Nikos Aslamazidis, of the Saint-Nazaire dockyard, who went on hunger strike. We must once again raise the issue of protecting workers from modern-day slave trading.
Let us talk about unemployment, under-employment, and job insecurity, and also about agencies which hire out workers, or, perhaps I should say, exploit them. These employment agencies treat workers like modern-day slaves: they use them until they are worn out, pay them peanuts, move them around at will and arbitrarily get rid of them. How are we protecting the workers? The Bolkestein Directive makes ambiguity an art form and allows them to be thrown onto the social slag heap. The increasingly popular flexicurity policy is a new way of deregulating employment relations resulting in less stable employment and greater insecurity job. As a result, we now have disposable workers, who struggle daily to survive with dignity.
The creation of different kind of Europe whose priorities are full employment, improved working conditions and a fairer redistribution of wealth, is not only feasible but imperative. The sacrifices of the workers are essentially a struggle against the new imposition of medieval terms of employment against which all progressive forces must really fight as one.
(RO) Deforestation has reached an alarming rate at a global level, namely 13 million hectares a year. The phenomenon is closely related to the illegal cutting of trees and illicit trade in wood products.
We could continue to shut our eyes to the massacre of the forests, believing that we, Europeans, have advanced systems of biodiversity and consumer protection.
In EU, approximately 50 per cent of wood imports from tropical countries and 20% of wood imports from Europe and the Russian Federation come from illegal sources.
Therefore, we contribute fully to illegal deforestations in the Amazon and what's more, the phenomenon is also widespread in EU Member States such as Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria.
We need to have a consistent and honest approach toward the issue of illegal deforestation and illicit trade in third countries, but particularly on European Union territory.
Therefore, I request the European Commission to submit as soon as possible a legislative proposal by which only wood and wood products coming from legal sources could be traded on the European market.
For this purpose, I have launched a written statement in the EP and I encourage my colleagues to join us in the fight against illegal deforestation.
(EL) Mr President, the increase in prices and the impending food shortages are assuming worrying dimensions. I draw your attention to justifiable concerns over recent developments during the agricultural negotiations at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The European Commission is conducting the negotiations. It must act strictly within the negotiating mandate of the Council and within the framework of the revised common agricultural policy (CAP). The Commission must ensure the viability, competitiveness and multifunctional nature of European agriculture. The need for a quality food supply to Europe now appears pressing; it must guide the negotiating position of the EU.
(ES) Mr President, on Wednesday 23 April UNESCO is celebrating World Book Day. That is also the day on which Miguel de Cervantes died and William Shakespeare was born.
Miguel de Cervantes, the greatest figure in Spanish literature, is universally known for his Don Quixote; it is generally agreed that this book is the first modern novel and one of the finest works of literature in the world.
The English playwright, poet and actor William Shakespeare was born on a different 23 April, according to the Julian calendar, and is regarded as the most important writer in the English language and also one of the giants of world literature.
This is the day chosen by many countries of the European Union as the feast day of their patron saint. This is the case in Catalonia, where it is traditionally the feast day of San Jordi, St George, a day for celebrating the Catalan language and culture. I think it would be recognition of European cultures and literature for this Parliament to agree to join in these celebrations on a cultural and literary day which is so widely celebrated in the European Union.
(CS) Mr President, allow me to point out that our decisions sometimes lead to quite unexpected results. Today the enthusiasm for biofuels and their use in the fuel mix is subsiding somewhat. Not only are biofuels driving up the price of agricultural commodities; they are also contributing to faster devastation of the rainforests. We should learn a lesson from this for future legislation. Some of our other laws may have similar adverse effects, such as the recent trend towards voluntary regulation of the automobile industry. We must not therefore be too hasty to legislate and we must take time to consider the laws and adopt a more responsible approach. We would do well to remember the old adage 'look before you leap'.
(PL) Mr President, I would like to say a few more words about freedom of expression in Russia. The Moskovsky Korrespondent daily newspaper has disappeared from news stands because it showed an interest in Vladimir Putin's supposed divorce. What takes place in the full glare of publicity in France is covered with secrecy in Russia. Clearly any information concerning the marital status of a Head of State should be in the public domain. Moreover, people are not even allowed to ask questions about such matters, as was shown by the recent attack by Vladimir Putin on a female journalist from Niezavisima Gazieta, which reduced the woman to tears.
The rules governing standards of behaviour in the relationship between the authorities and the media recognised in the civilised world still do not apply in Russia. There, the media are a tool controlled by the authorities and if they do not conduct themselves in accordance with the authorities' wishes they are closed down. Journalists are intimidated, and in extreme cases physically liquidated, as was the case with Anna Politkovskaja.
Freedom of expression is the foundation of democracy. Once again we can see that the foundations of Russian democracy are very weak.
(HU) Mr President, in recent years Hungarians have been beaten up in the streets of Slovakia, Serbia and Romania, simply because they have been speaking in their native language - Hungarian. This very weekend aggression has been renewed and blood spilt in Kolozsvár, in Transylvania. The victims were journalists, Tibor Zágy, István Ambrus and János Fancsali, who were attacked from behind on the street at night by three young Romanians and brutally beaten. They were jeered at and insulted, called filthy foreigners and told to go back home where they belonged. In a similar incident on Saturday, another Hungarian, Mr Attila, was knifed in the main square in Szabadka/Subotica, in the Vojvodina in Serbia. This is the place where, on 15 March 2008 - Hungarian Revolution Day - there was an anti-Hungarian demonstration, organised by a neo-fascist Romanian group, the New Right, in Kolozsvár, where, the same day, a young Hungarian was assaulted. It is a matter of urgency that we join forces with our Romanian cousins to suppress aggressive nationalism. We look forward to legislation being adopted by the Romanian authorities and the culprits being punished in an exemplary fashion.
(CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take this opportunity to mention a serious issue: the constant attempts to revise the history of World War II. These are repeated attempts, which take different forms and which sometimes take place in the European Parliament. Most often, in fact in the overwhelming majority of cases, they manifest themselves as attacks on the Czech, or rather Czechoslovakian, so-called Presidential Decrees. In the former Czechoslovakia, these Decrees, based on international law, were used to regulate legal issues relating to the defeat of Nazi Germany. I know for a fact that some German and Hungarian Members of the European Parliament are planning further action this year in opposition to these Presidential Decrees. Consequently, I would ask the Members of the European Parliament not to support such activities and to strongly condemn them. I am sure that we agree that any revision of the history of World War II is entirely unacceptable.
- (EL) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, let me call your attention to the fact that from today Written Declaration No 33 is open for signature. It concerns where young people stand in the EU's policies. Everyone knows that young people are affected by unemployment. This is what we must focus on for both the present and the future of the EU.
We therefore call on the Member States to take young people into account in all relevant policy sectors. They must enter with them into a structured dialogue. They must plan policies in education and life-long learning; and also employment, social inclusion, health, the independence of young people, mobility, fundamental rights and non-discrimination. This will give us hope for better prospects in the matter of young people, who are difficult to find, owing to the problem of demographics.
(FI) Mr President, one in three fatal road accidents in Europe is caused by drunk driving. On the sunny shores of Spain last Saturday evening at least nine Finnish tourists lost their lives and 19 were seriously injured when a drunken driver with one per mil alcohol in his system crashed his sport utility vehicle into the bus which was carrying them. The accident was made even more serious by the fact that several passengers were not wearing the safety belts fitted in the bus.
There should be some serious thought given at European Union level to how these sorts of appalling incidents and such completely unnecessary loss of life can be avoided in the future. At present the per mil limits vary in the EU between zero and 0.8. They should be made uniform and as close as possible to zero throughout all the EU countries. Furthermore, there needs to be compliance with the rules on safety belts and drivers should be made sufficiently aware of these. We also need to take sufficient account of the consequences of people ignoring them.
Thank you, Mrs Myller. We all offer our deep sympathy to the victims' families.
(BG) European citizens are concerned about the rise in food prices. The overall jump in prices which is felt in Western Europe is more painful in Eastern Europe because of low income levels. A new leap in prices in expected, as a result of financial markets instability and the anticipation of a global economic crisis. The International Monetary Fund called for decisive action to control food prices. The general rise in prices is linked to energy costs, and the European Union is energy-dependent. Hence, discussions on food prices ought to address not only rational farmland use and exploring alternative energy sources. In addition, soaring food prices can be placed under control by regulating prices of traditional energy sources. This demands, once again, a reconsideration of the use of nuclear power as part of the EU energy mix. If nuclear power facilities which are available in Member States are switched on at full capacity, the shortage of energy could be overcome and this would influence prices of goods in the consumer basket.
(PL) Mr President, the Polish Parliament was one of the first legislatures to consider the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and passed a bill giving its consent for the President of Polish Republic to sign the instrument of ratification.
Many EU Member States have not yet taken any decision on this question. The Constitutional Treaty was blocked following the vote taken by the citizens of France and the Netherlands. I do not propose to refer to the substance of the two treaties. We are all entitled to our own opinion on this.
I want to draw attention to the fact that here in the Chamber, and elsewhere, critical remarks have been made about Poland and the ratification process by representatives of countries which have made no progress at all on this up to now. I regard those remarks as unjustified and ill-intentioned.
(DE) Mr President, according to Amnesty International's annual report, more than one third of all death sentences worldwide are carried out in China. The exact number is probably much higher and therefore a state secret. Sixty-two states apply the death penalty, sometimes for non-violent crimes such as adultery, tax evasion, prostitution or homosexuality. Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen also execute young people under the age of 18.
The European Union must therefore do all in its power to uphold the elementary human right to life and seek a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty. It should address China in particular, heading up these sad statistics, in an endeavour to bring it closer to applying these universal human rights, in accordance with the Olympic motto 'One World, One Dream'.
(PT) Mr President, the Portuguese company Cerâmica Torriense has taken disciplinary action against Pedro Jorge, a worker and trade union leader at the company, with a view to his dismissal, after he participated in a Portuguese radio-television programme where all he did was tell the truth.
In this television programme, he used himself as an example of the situation in which workers in many companies find themselves, that is, they have had no pay rise since 2003. We would like to demonstrate our solidarity with workers and trade unionists who are the targets of repression. We think that the company's behaviour is unacceptable. Its persecution and intimidation of this worker and active trade unionist is contrary to democracy and freedom and deserves our strongest condemnation.
Mr President, last Monday the Commission launched its task force report on Northern Ireland by Commissioner Hübner, and I am very pleased to see her in the Chamber here this evening, so she can at last hear what I have to say on this subject. Unfortunately, though this report contains some good points, it did not go far enough to cover this destructural deficit we experienced by lagging so far behind the rest of Europe after over 30 years of terrorist violence. It is also most unfortunate that the Members of this Parliament were not properly consulted or kept informed; this has never happened before - a major opportunity has been missed by the Commission and the First and the Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland, and not one extra euro has been given. Unfortunately, this has now been seen as a long exercise that did not in the end give any real positive result.
Mr President, the peace in Northern Ireland is still fragile. It has come a long way, and it has taken a long time. But it is still fragile, and the difficulties that still lie ahead should not be underestimated. I believe more can be done, more could have been done and more should be done to ensure we provide a very strong base to this peace process that many of us have worked so hard to achieve over such a long period of time.
(HU) Mr President, on 11 May Serbia will go to the polls. We all know that the Western Balkans will not be stable unless there is stability in Serbia. However, all the indications are exceptionally negative. There is Kosovo, with the loss of 16% of the country's territory. Nationalism casts a shadow over everything and it is conceivable that the nationalists, the Radical Party, Koštunica and the Socialist Party, and Milošević's party will form a coalition. Serbia is not moving towards Europe. At the same time, the European Union is making every mistake it could make. I pray that Javier Solana will not make a statement, as with every one of his statements Javier Solana damages the prospects for Tadić's pro-European party. It was a huge mistake to allow Haradinaj, the Albanian guerrilla, to leave The Hague. It was a huge mistake to announce a trade agreement with Kosovo at this point in time. It was a huge mistake to keep talking about the Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) (which The Netherlands thwarted in January) and saying that the European Union is doing good, that it is helping, that it is making visas easier, and trying to retrieve the irretrievable, the Union is attempting at last to help the democrats, the pro-Europe parties. Thank you.
Mr President, the protests that disrupted the Olympic torch relay in Europe have backfired on us, as there are now several anti-Western demonstrations going on in China.
In principle, everyone has a right to feel betrayed that the Chinese authorities have not fulfilled their commitment to improving the human rights situation in that country, and the ongoing violence in Tibet continues to cast a shadow over the Olympics in Beijing.
However, I cannot go along with the idea that aggressive protests such as those that took place in London and Paris addressed this issue in a proper manner. Our inclination to take advantage of the Olympics to introduce some democratic values for the people of China is going to be met with extreme reluctance, as they feel insulted by those protests.
An internal change inspired by the will of the Chinese people is needed to bring about the fall of the Communist regime in China. Anti-Western demonstrations are quite vivid proof that our recent acts have led to the opposite of what we had hoped for.
(EL) Mr President, according to the European Commission's data, in order to protect fisheries stocks, we are reducing the Community fleet annually by 2%. Thus from 2003 to 2006 the reduction is of the order of 10%. Despite this, the reduction in the fleet does not correspond to smaller catches, because of the improvement in fishing technology.
On the other hand, while the EU is reducing its fishing fleet, countries in Africa and the Pacific, such as Australia, New Zealand and China, are building more and more boats and increasing their fishing fleets. The Community fleet is thus shrinking, while at the same time the fleets of third countries are growing. This means that we are not achieving anything!
Although it imports 40% of the fish it consumes, the EU is sufficiently aware to make an effort. It is therefore vital for us to include this subject in international talks. We must ensure that others also reduce their fishing fleets.
(RO) In order to best use the opportunities provided by globalization, the European Union should modernize its social policies and invest mainly in human resources.
Starting in the '90s, expenses of social protection have remained around 28% of the gross domestic product.
During 2000-2007, the number of jobs increased by 13 million, while the unemployment rate decreased from 9% to 7%.
At the same time, approximately 80 million European citizens are below the poverty threshold. The poverty risk among children is 19% in the European Union.
The Lisbon Treaty emphasizes the importance for the European Union to have a social market economy.
Social changes that take place in the context of globalization refer to unemployment, the reform of the pension system, the reform of taxation systems, fighting poverty and invetsments in education and the child care system.
Education could play a vital role in compensating for the socio-economic disadvantage and for opening the way for children's succesful development.
Member States should also improve their health systems and fight poverty among the elderly as well.
(FR) Mr President, I just wanted to remind Members that on Wednesday we will be celebrating the first World Malaria Day. Until now it was called Africa Malaria Day. This year, for the first time, it will be commemorated as World Malaria Day.
I wanted to remind Members that this global problem, which, by its nature, is associated with poverty, affects 107 countries in the world, and that in 90 of those countries it constitutes a major public health problem, since 40% of the world's population lives in malaria-stricken regions. The number of reported malaria cases worldwide is somewhere in the region of 350 to 500 million per year, with more than 60% of cases being reported in Africa, leading to 90% of malaria deaths. Every 30 seconds a child dies in Africa from malaria. This means that, by the end of my speech, Mr President, two children will have died from malaria.
The disease is also believed to inhibit growth, as malaria reduces GDP by USD 12 billion per year. On Wednesday, a working lunch will be held on the subject at 1 p.m. in Room C 2.1.
(RO) In relation to the report on volunteering, I would like to emphasize the importance of these actions in the countries newly integrated into the European Union, namely the role of volunteering for improving the economic situation and social cohesion.
Romania, as well as other countries in the European areas, has taken shy actions in the field of promoting volunteering, although the European policies on recycling waste, reducing carbon emissions and environmental protection could be implemented and motivated by the involvement of politicians, together with young people, in volunteer actions.
The impact is so strong that it could trigger a favourable reaction of the state institutions and contribute to changing the mentality of a generation.
I propose the inclusion of volunteering into the education system and interregional programmes based on projects for establishing connections between Member State citizens.
I propose criteria of symbolic stimulation for people participating in volunteer actions and I request the help of the European Commission and the European Parliament.
(SK) The European Foundation for Democracy was launched in Brussels last week. I welcome the creation of this pan-European initiative, whose fundamental task is to promote freedom and democracy beyond the European Union's borders and to support the opposition in countries that are not free.
Many of us spent part of our lives under totalitarian regimes. I believe that today, now that are free, we have to help those courageous women and men who strive for freedom and democracy in their countries. I have personal experience of giving financial support to the families of Cuban dissidents.
I also believe that we need to find ways of supporting the activities of the European Foundation for Democracy from the European Union budget. In this way we can join the struggle to promote freedom and stand alongside figures such as Václav Havel, Richard von Weizsäcker, Jacques Delors and other politicians who have agreed to become patrons of this Foundation.
(EL) Mr President, the Council has decided to wage a war of nerves with the UN by dealing with the situation in Kosovo through unilateral initiatives irrespective of the rule of law or international law. Thus the decision to send the EULEX peace-keeping force to Kosovo to take over the role that until recently had been played by UNMIK is a tactical error. In Article 5 the Council decision notes that there will be a transfer of mission from the UN to the EU force once the formers mission has ended.
Fortunately, there are countries, such as Spain, which oppose such initiatives. According to Mr Moratinos, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the initiatives contravene international law.
Finally, Slovenia and France warned Serbia that it had to accept EULEX, or else risk not joining the EU. I consider this to be unacceptable, to say the least.
(SK) The blank front pages of Slovakia's daily papers - a protest against the approval of the media law that will introduce non-democratic press standards in Slovakia from June 2008 - remind me of Belarus, where the government does not respect the opposition and where there is no freedom of speech or freedom of the press.
I believe that a Member State that is celebrating on 1 May 2008 the fourth anniversary of its accession to the European Union should not adopt laws that are contradict the basic democratic principles of the European Union.
Mr Pöttering, I greatly appreciate your words and your clear stance in favour of press freedom in Slovakia. I would also like to thank my colleagues Mr Joseph Daul and Mr Michael Gahler for their support. I trust that the representatives of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament will not adopt a passive approach to this matter either.
I also appeal to all European politicians of a democratic persuasion to make every effort to ensure that the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is not awarded to Slovakia.
Mr President, I should like to say a few words about the position of agriculture in the current WTO negotiations. I am deeply concerned about the direction being taken by Commissioner Mandelson in the negotiations with regard to concessions on agriculture. On a number of occasions, I have put the question to Commissioner Fischer Boel in this House, and each time she has reassured me that Commissioner Mandelson is staying within his remit.
However, with the ministerial meeting scheduled for 20 May in Geneva, and Commissioner Mandelson's willingness to sacrifice agriculture to get a deal - with, I might add, nothing in return on non-agricultural market access and services - I am very concerned.
At our last part-session in Strasbourg we discussed the CAP, and many Members spoke of the need for food security and on the issue of air miles on food products and the growing of food for fuel. All of this will have serious implications for European food supply.
If Commissioner Mandelson gets his way and reduces import tariffs beyond what he was mandated to do, he will flood the European markets with imported food. The outcome of his actions will be to severely damage and, in some cases, destroy European food production. We can only do this once and then it is done permanently. As parliamentarians, we have a responsibility to ensure not just sustainable quality and traceable food, but also food security.
(SK) I would like to point out that Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, died in Rome yesterday at the age of 72 .
Throughout his life he promoted traditional family values and opposed abortion. As the head of the influential Latin American Bishops Conference, he was considered a possible papal candidate after the death of John Paul II in 2005. In 2006 he criticised scientists involved in embryonic stem cell research. In his view, the destruction of embryos was comparable to abortion.
Cardinal Trujillo always responded to today's world events in a clear and timely manner. I had several meetings with him, which demonstrated how we, as Christian politicians, could benefit from his opinions. We will miss his voice. May he rest in peace.
Mr President, freedom of the press is a fundamental principle of democracy and we rightly expect the Turkish penal code to be amended so as to respect this principle. However, in order to be persuasive, we have to make sure that this principle is properly applied in the EU Member States too. I would ask colleagues to consider, objectively, whether the press in Europe is really democratic and free. The answer is 'not really'. The press in the EU is to a large extent manipulated and directed by non-journalistic economic and political interests. The media, in many cases, present the truth not as it really is, but as certain media barons wish the public to perceive it as being. The time has come for us to look critically at how the press functions in the EU and take urgent corrective action. We should be firm with Turkey on freedom of the press, but at the same time we should take action in our own countries against press corruption.
(CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, trade and cooperation help to bring countries and individuals closer together, as does sport. In 2008 we have an anniversary that is particularly important for European countries: it is the 100th anniversary of the International Ice Hockey Federation. To commemorate this event, a group of Members from European hockey-playing countries, led by the Slovak Member of the European Parliament, Mr Peter Šťastný, organised an exhibition in the European Parliament in Brussels, reminding us of both the successes as well as the difficult times when athletes were oppressed in some countries under the communist regime. Thanks to Mr Šťastný's contacts, the Stanley Cup was brought over from Canada especially for this occasion and was put on display, for the first time, in Belgium and in the European Parliament.
In conclusion, I would like to express my thanks to you, Mr President, and to Commissioner Mr Ján Figeľ, for launching and sponsoring the exhibition, whose motto is 'Uniting people through the passion for a sport', and of course to all those who visited this exhibition and will pass the message on to others.
Thank you. It was an impressive event. I would be interested to know whether you are aware of any media reports.
That brings us to the end of the list of speakers. All those who asked to speak, in writing or by raising their hand, have taken the floor.
(EL) Mr President, this is the third time I have taken part in the one-minute speech procedure. I am asking the Presidency for permission to speak, but you are not giving it to me. Why do you not let me have my say?
Mr Toussas, I have just heard that you may have asked to speak. Normally, Members put requests to speak in writing to ensure that they appear on the list. You are not entered in my list. But I will give you the floor as the last speaker. I would ask you to put your request in writing next time. Then you will not be overlooked if there is any speaking time left.
(EL) Mr President, for some days now, economic migrants employed on farms have been suffering in appalling working and living conditions. Employed in the strawberry fields of Nea Manolada, in the Prefecture of Ilia, Greece, they have been on strike, asking for their daily wage to be increased from the humiliating amount of EUR 23 to EUR 30.
Large-scale strawberry growers and their hired thugs attempted to intimidate the foreign workers. In an attempt to forestall a large rally planned by the workers for yesterday in the square of Pyrgos, Ilia Prefecture, the workers' camps were attacked, shots were fired in the air, and many workers were savagely beaten. We condemn this barbaric attack, to which the police and the legal authorities turned a blind eye. We ask for measures to be taken immediately to protect economic migrants.
That concludes this item.


Mental health (short presentation)
The next item is a short presentation of the report by Mrs Tzampazi, on behalf of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on Mental Health.
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, there is now an ever-increasing awareness that there is no health without mental health. We realise that mental health problems frequently have an impact, from a humanitarian and financial point of view, both on the personal, family, professional and social lives of the individuals and their families and on society as a whole.
The figures speak for themselves: one in four people will experience some form of mental disorder. Depression is one of the most common disorders and, by 2020, will be the most common illness in the developed world. Some 59 000 suicides are committed in the European Union every year, 90% of which are attributable to mental disorder. Vulnerable and marginalised groups, such as disabled people, are more likely to suffer mental health problems.
Also, in an ageing Europe, neurodegenerative disorders are becoming ever more common. We will therefore all agree that there is a need to take a concerted approach to the challenges posed by mental health and that it concerns us all. We all have an obligation to defend mental health and safeguarding the rights of mental patients and their families is an ideological and political position whereby the state provides social support and protection to those who need it. The first step was the Commission's Green Paper; the next step was the European Conference 'Together for Mental Health and Wellbeing', which also established the European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
In keeping with this, the report on mental health, which was approved unanimously by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, includes a series of recommendations to promote the mental health and wellbeing of the populace, to combat the stigma of discrimination and social exclusion, to strengthen preventive action and self-help, and to provide support and adequate treatment to people with mental health problems and to their families and carers.
In the report, we stress the need to provide high-quality, accessible, effective and universal mental health services and up-to-date legislation. We call for emphasis to be placed on the training of everyone in key positions. We call for access to appropriate education, training and employment and for the creation of a supportive environment, with particular emphasis on vulnerable groups. We call for emphasis to be placed on the prevention of mental ill-health through social intervention. We call for the Member States to empower organisations which represent people with mental health problems. We propose the adoption of a platform to monitor the implementation of the Pact. We call on the Commission to present the conclusions of the thematic conferences. We stress the need to produce appropriate indicators with a view to improving the assessment of needs at national and European level.
At the same time, we are formulating proposals within the framework of the five priority areas of the Pact. Within this framework, we stress that, in order to prevent depression and suicide, we need to implement multi-sectoral programmes and set up networks, to develop a healthy climate in schools, to improve working conditions, to adopt measures to improve the quality of life and, finally, as regards combating stigma and social exclusion, we stress that public information and awareness campaigns are needed. For this, I should like to thank the members who contributed with their proposals and I hope that we shall send out a message that mental health is a valuable social commodity and that we all need to work to promote it.
Member of the Commission. - Mr President, I congratulate the European Parliament and its rapporteur, Ms Tzampazi, on this own-initiative report on mental health. The report quite rightly underlines the great impact mental health has on general wellbeing, on education, on learning, and on social cohesion in the European Union.
The fact that Parliament is adopting this report only two years after a resolution responding to the Commission's Green Paper on mental health signals the urgent need for more action in this field.
In my view, there is some reason for optimism. There is more awareness of the importance of mental health and wellbeing across all sectors, compared to a few years ago. This was evident from the great support for the Commission's high-level conference 'Together for mental health and wellbeing' and the European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing, both of which were mentioned by the rapporteur.
Further positive developments include the fact that many Member States have revised their mental health strategies or are setting up action plans, for example, in Finland and Hungary. Socio-economic learning has been included in school curricula. In the United Kingdom, life issues are now a subject in their own right in many schools.
Employers are increasingly aware of the links between wellbeing and productivity. CSR Europe has even created a toolkit for wellbeing in the workplace. However, let us be clear. There can certainly be no reason for complacency, and much more remains to be done. There could be new risks for mental health as a result of the current financial and economic crisis. Member States could be tempted to reduce budgets for mental health or to reduce their efforts to build up modern mental health systems with community-based services instead of outdated asylums.
The economic downturn worsens the future prospects of young people, especially school leavers. Job insecurity in the workplace, and its ensuing concerns over the stability of incomes and rising levels of unemployment, create new major threats for mental health.
Over the next two years, the Commission will organise a series of thematic conferences on the five priorities of the mental health pact. These will be joint events with Council Presidencies and Member States. A first international conference on stigma and psychiatric care will be organised by the Czech Presidency on 29 May this year. The first thematic conference on mental health in youth and education will take place in Stockholm on 29-30 September, in cooperation with the Swedish Presidency. The second thematic conference on the prevention of depression and suicide will be organised with Hungary in December. In the first semester of 2010, the Spanish Presidency will host a thematic conference on the mental health of older people. Furthermore, we are in contact with Member States regarding two further conferences on mental health in workplace settings and on combating stigma and social exclusion.
Parliament's report includes many concrete suggestions which constitute a valuable contribution to future debates in these conferences. The report not only highlights the relevance of mental health in the European Union, but also demonstrates that there are many opportunities to act in the area of mental health at European Union level.
One of the suggestions in the report is to set up a structure to oversee the implementation of the European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing. I agree that there would be significant added value in periodically reviewing progress against the objectives of the pact.
We will seriously consider how we can best put such an idea into practice. Once again, I would like to thank Parliament and its rapporteur for this very supportive report and its very important recommendations.
The item is closed.
The vote will take place on Thursday, 19 February 2009.
Written statements (Rule 142)
in writing. - Mental health is a key factor in people's lives and there is increasing evidence of its impact on our social, economic and legal systems. I support this report since it entails a comprehensive approach to the challenges we face in the mental health sector, such as combating stigma, discrimination and social exclusion, but also recognising the need for preventive programs, public support and adequate treatment of people.
As a relatively new science, mental health is not widely recognised as a priority, but recent technological developments have allowed us to explore more of the human brain, showing the way to new, life-changing treatments for individuals. I believe we should strongly support further research in this area, with special attention to the growing elderly population in Europe, which is hoping for a healthy, dignified and active ageing.
We need accessible structures for care and treatment of mental illnesses, but it is also very important to have a supportive environment such as labour market integration programmes. Mental health is also very relevant in workplace settings where it can severely hamper performance, so we need to promote good practices among employers that reduce unnecessary stress and preserve the mental wellbeing of their employees.
I would like to thank Mrs Tzampazi for her report on mental health, which I voted in favour of.
One in four people suffer from mental health problems at least once in their life. It is estimated that by the year 2020, depression will have become the most common illness in the developed world and the second main reason for incapacity for work. External factors, such as the consequences of the present financial crisis, will tend to make people vulnerable to these problems. Not only does mental ill-health entail an expense that is a burden on the healthcare sector and the entire social and economic system; it also detracts from the quality of life of sufferers and their families to an unnecessary degree.
Although there have been dramatic leaps forward as regards standards of care and general attitude, people who suffer from mental health problems and their families are being marginalised more and more often. The differences in standards that apply to prevention and the guarantee of first-rate care are too great, both among the EU countries and regionally within countries.
I am pleased that special mention was made of the matter of mental health in young people in Mrs Tzampazi's report, which proposes that there should be cross-sectoral programmes to address it. We should not forget, however, that the most important preventive mental health work is always the responsibility of educators and agencies outside the family and home. This entails promoting healthy lifestyles, and listening to children and young people and paying attention to them.
I consider the high quality, easy accessibility and effectiveness of universal mental health services called for in Mrs Tzampazi's report to be especially important, as I do greater investment in top quality research. There should be more funding in particular for medical research into the links between prevention and mental and physical health problems.
Mental health disorders are national health problems in many countries, as they have a significant influence on the people involved, their families and society in general. Mental health disorders also often lead to disability and can thus cause a significant economic burden on society.
In accordance with the World Bank's 1993 development report, four of the ten most common causes of disability were mental health and/or neurological disorders. Whereas in 1993, depression was in fourth place among illnesses causing disability, if present tendencies continue, by 2020, depression may become the second most significant cause among the total population, and even the most significant cause of disability for women.
Despite the extent and seriousness of the consequences of mental health disorders, there are still countries in the world and in Europe today where insufficient attention is devoted to the problem. Such a situation is often caused by the prevalent partly negative public and political attitude in society and the stigmatisation of the mentally ill. This, in turn, leads to insufficient attention being devoted to mental health, limited availability of services, the shortage of alternative treatment methods and insufficient information about treatment possibilities.
Regardless of the fact that the solution of mental health problems falls within the competence of the Member States, it is important that the volume of financial assistance and knowledge-based assistance provided to Member States by the EU be further increased, in order to help them develop and improve the necessary health, social, care and educational services and preventive measures.
I believe that the promotion of individuals' mental health and welfare must become a high-priority objective in all Member States of the European Union, because individuals' mental health has the most direct effect on Member States' economic productivity and employment.
As we know, mental health is a fundamental value for every person, and we, the representatives of the nations of Europe, must not forget this fact. I think it is a good thing that, today, we have turned to this issue in the forum of the European Parliament. Mental illnesses, a flood of suicides and depression have become a threat to contemporary society. These problems do not only affect people who live under constant stress, but also children, young people and the elderly. I think that we should take far-reaching steps to defeat these diseases of civilisation. This is also why I support research and free access to the results of this research, as well as specialists.
In expressing my thanks for the Report on Mental Health, I would, at the same time, like to express my concern regarding whether it is possible, in addition to providing assistance to the elderly, and action to combat stigmatisation and social exclusion, to also include projects aimed at reaching people who are socially marginalised. Such people very often display antipathy towards others, feel alienated, and have a fear of the censure of society. In my opinion, the first problem we should focus on is an extensive education programme so that everyone who is in need will know where to turn, what kind of help can be obtained and, most importantly, that it is possible to return to a normal life.
Mental health and wellbeing are a major challenge during this century we are living in. The World Health Organisation estimates that mental disorders will account for 15% of all illness by 2020.
I am particularly concerned about the future of adolescents and children, which is why I have proposed action to make citizens aware of the deterioration in the state of mental health in children whose parents have emigrated, along with the introduction of programmes in schools designed to help these young people face the psychological problems linked to their parents' absence.
I have insisted on this matter due to the large number of children abandoned by parents who have gone off to work abroad, a situation encountered increasingly often in Central and Eastern Europe. Still with the support of these young people in mind, I have proposed action to promote setting up counselling functions in every secondary school and offer alternative options which are confidential and which will not stigmatise these children, in order to meet their social and emotional needs.
Bearing in mind that mental health determines the quality of life of the European Union's citizens, this issue must be dealt with just as seriously as physical health matters. In fact, a European action plan for this is required in order to respond to the challenges posed by mental disorders.
When we talk about health, we are usually referring to physical wellbeing. Yet mental illness can be as much of a handicap to the daily lives of sufferers, and has extensive adverse social effects. Parliament's initiative to improve information on mental health is a very positive step, therefore. There should be more public discussion of approaches to mental disorders and, in addition, methods for preventing mental illness should be made accessible to the general public.
The workplace setting should be particularly emphasised in this connection. Since working people spend a very great deal of time at their workplace and are exposed to stress in connection with their work, it is necessary to promote mental health in that particular setting. Only motivated, balanced workers are in a position to meet the demands made of them.
Awareness of this issue should therefore be raised among businesses and public bodies. On the whole, by recognising mental disorders, Parliament is indicating a modern understanding of health and offering many sufferers a positive perspective in the long term.


3. Mobilising the Solidarity Fund of the European Union (


2. Madagascar
The next item is the debate on six motions for resolutions on Madagascar.
author. - Mr President, this is indeed a topic for decision. It is a topic we have to discuss. There is a political crisis in Madagascar and this brings us to the necessity of responding accordingly to the necessities also of the country.
The power-sharing deal has been negotiated under the auspices of the African Union between the current President Rajoelina and the former President Ravalomanana.
There is the Maputo Agreement and Addis Ababa Additional Act, which remain the only political and democratic solution to the current crisis. We must not forget this. The Maputo Agreement foresees the establishment of a national unity government with a transition period of 15 months.
Let me signal as well that, after this fact, there are some specific and local situations that are worrying in terms of the government issuing a decree legalising the export of unprocessed and endangered wood threatening the biodiversity of the country. This might cause a lot of problems in the future because they can be lost forever.
In this context, we have to remind the Commission and the Member States that to send an election observation operation to Madagascar could be a mistake. We ask not to send a delegation to this country under the current circumstances, to the elections the current government is organising in March, as these elections circumvent the Maputo Agreement. I insist: in this framework, under this consensus and on the basis of the agreement in Maputo, we should not follow this observation election mission.
This has to be accompanied as well by full respect of human rights in the country and full respect of democratic principles and the rule of law. If these conditions are fulfilled then we can talk about this, but in the current situation, in the current context, I think it would be a mistake.
Mr President, problems of instability persist in Madagascar despite the initiatives of the African Union and the UN. Mr Rajoelina refuses to share power and is removing everyone who opposes him. He recently affirmed his intention to organise general elections without taking account of the timetable provided for in the Maputo and Addis Ababa agreements.
It is no exaggeration to say that the anti-constitutional regime of Andry Rajeolina has taken over the three estates and is doing its best to take over the media as well.
Unfortunately for Madagascar, the human rights violations by the previous president's regime have continued after Andry Rajeolina declared himself president of the High Transitional Authority. The security forces which he directs have frequently intervened in a violent manner to disperse opposition demonstrations and there have been deaths and injuries.
In its report dated 4 February 2010, Amnesty International shows that parliamentarians, senators, lawyers, leaders of the opposition and journalists have been subject to arrest and arbitrary and illegal detention and that some were mistreated during their arrest, while the authorities have not conducted any enquiries.
Unfortunately, once again, the facts prove that those who take power by force reign with force.
Mr President, there is consensus on this motion for a resolution. The illegal transitional regime headed by Andry Rajoelina is in the process of plunging Madagascar into chaos. It is preparing to make free and easy with the forthcoming elections, which he has announced for March 2010, at the end of a process which has nothing democratic about it and which is taking place outside the Maputo and Addis Ababa agreements.
The illegal nominations of questionable political personalities, the widespread human rights violations and the harassment and arbitrary arrest of parliamentarians, religious leaders and civilians have upset the international community and led it to impose sanctions. Madagascar's membership of the Southern Africa Development Community and the African Union has been frozen. The United States are refusing it the advantages of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. The donors of the International Monetary Fund have reduced their budget by 50%, the UN will examine the situation of this country on 15 February and the European Union has, I believe, suspended its development aid, while maintaining its humanitarian aid.
The situation is therefore tragic, catastrophic, for a population living on less than a dollar a day. We are terribly concerned about this situation and this joint emergency motion for a resolution is proof of our concern. We support the mediation efforts being made by Joaquim Chissano, the former president of the Republic of Mozambique, and urge the four political groups to return to the negotiating table. There can be no other solution. We are also calling on the African Union and the Southern African Development Community to resume contact in order to bring the transitional process to a proper conclusion and we call on the Commission to report to us on the consultation process under way with Madagascar under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.
author. - (DE) Mr President, there is concern in some of the world's capital cities that our motion for a resolution could lead to an escalation in the situation in Madagascar. However, our aim is to bring peace to the region. I refer, in particular, to Article 14 and 15, which are quite clearly focused on dialogue.
The African Union, the European Union, the UN, neighbouring countries, the Contact Group and, last but not least, France, have all been called upon to play their part in ensuring that the four (at a minimum) different political movements that there are in Madagascar can find common ground, that Madagascar does not become a failing state, that it does not drift further towards catastrophe and that, instead, it finds a peaceful and negotiated solution. However, this will only be possible as long as nobody tries to establish a dictatorship there, nobody withdraws from the peace process and all the parties return to the negotiating table, or otherwise this wonderful, but ravaged, country will have no future.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the same is happening in Madagascar as in numerous other countries around the world, towards which the European Union has demonstrated a lack of political power. This is particularly true in Africa.
One year after Andry Rajoelina illegally seized power, the large island of Madagascar seems to be slipping deeper and deeper into a social, economic and financial crisis which its people did not need.
In fact, this country has become one of the poorest countries in the world, with the large majority of the population there living on less than a dollar a day. Human rights violations are increasing. Religious leaders, parliamentarians, journalists and leaders of civil society are subject to intimidation and harassment and are being arrested and thrown into prison.
The international community, however, has been sparing in its efforts, refusing to recognise that this is in fact a coup d'état and that the government put in place by Andry Rajoelina in Madagascar is in fact a military government.
Madagascar has been suspended from the African Union and the Southern Africa Development Community. Since 2 February 2009, numerous attempts have been made, including by the UN and the EU, resulting in the Maputo and Addis Ababa agreements. However, since November 2009, these agreements seem to have become mired down as a result of the divisions between the various protagonists and the refusal by some of them to participate in the implementation of these agreements.
We in the Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left consider that it is time to let the Malagasy people speak and that it is high time that democratic rules were respected.
Andry Rajoelina, the strongman of the regime, prefers to organise his elections unilaterally, without consulting the Malagasy people, in defiance of the aforementioned agreements. He unilaterally set an initial date for so-called democratic elections in March 2010, but now appears to be talking about a date somewhere between the end of March and the end of 2010.
That is why we want humanitarian aid to be strengthened, for judicial proceedings to be instituted and for the European Union to throw all its weight behind ensuring that civil society is involved in the steps taken.
author. - Mr President, if the African Union aspires to have anything like the authority and respect accorded to the EU in international affairs, then Madagascar is surely a case in which the AU should act decisively. Instead we have seen the usual vacillation and tepid diplomacy following the fall of President Marc Ravalomanana, which is sadly reminiscent of the situation in Zimbabwe. It is time for the African Union to accept its responsibilities with regard to Madagascar, where political tension and chaos have been endemic for some time. If the AU cannot bring itself to sort out this mess, then it is reasonably fair to ask why the EU should do so.
However, we should continue to remain engaged with Madagascar in order to facilitate a smooth return to democratic government and to promote reconciliation. It is vital that those politicians and military officers who have been cited and carried out human rights abuses should be brought to justice. Targeted sanctions against the illegitimate regime of Andry Rajoelina also offer an effective way to punish those who perpetrate the ongoing instability without harming the overwhelming majority of the Malagasy people, who must be heartedly sick of the tensions and sporadic violence in their beautiful country.
As has already been emphasised, the state of uncertainty and political instability reigning in Madagascar has been going on for well over a year. While there have been some glimmers of hope at times during the negotiation process, the actions being taken by Andry Rajoelina only serve to hamper the process, complicating the restoration of constitutional order.
I am referring here to the removal of the prime minister appointed after the Maputo Accords, the withdrawal from the negotiation process with the political groupings and the recent decision to hastily organise elections without taking into account previous agreements.
I believe that this is an attempt to create a veneer of legality and legitimise a regime which has come to power following a coup d'état, which Rajoelina cannot deny. It is obvious that the only way of ensuring that constitutional order is restored is to fully enforce the Maputo and Addis Ababa Accords.
(DE) Mr President, I would just like to draw your attention to the fact that all the groups have endorsed this motion for a resolution. That is as it should be, because this topic is very important. In contrast to the previous speakers, I would like to say that we must ensure that we do not merely promote freedom of expression and freedom of the press in this country, but that we also actively demand them, now that we are examining ways that we could help things proceed towards a, hopefully, peaceful election. We have to ensure that we, as Europeans, establish freedom of the press in all areas, with all the financial assistance that is needed to make that possible. We also have to provide full support and endeavour to act together to provide financial assistance, within the scope of the agreements which we have with this country.
(FI) Mr President, it is intolerable to follow the situation in Madagascar, where power is in the hands of a person who took over the country using violent means and who rules it in the same brutal manner, and whose position the international community has not recognised. That is why I am using the word 'person' and not 'president'.
The majority of the population in Madagascar live below the poverty line: 7 000 children are suffering from serious malnutrition, and the situation is only worsening with the political crisis. For that reason, it is important that we, along with the rest of the international community, increase the amount of humanitarian aid to Madagascar.
It is, furthermore, vitally important to investigate and solve the political murders that have taken place, and that must be left to an independent, impartial agency. Unless that happens, it will be difficult to build trust and take steps towards democracy.
It must be a priority that Madagascar's four political factions can sit down at the negotiating table to agree on what to do to enable democratic elections to take place this year. It is also crucial that Madagascar does not conclude agreements on natural resources before it has a government with a mandate from the people.
(DE) Mr President, on the subject of Madagascar, it is good that we can report that it is not just the European Union that is concerned about this country's compliance with Article 96 of The Cotonou Agreement, but that the African Union and SADC, as regional organisations, have also taken the position that another coup d'état in Africa is unacceptable. For the African Union and for the regional organisations, it is a relatively new thing, not only to make these kinds of decisions, but also to implement them and to take action.
I hope that when the International Contact Group meets again in Addis Ababa, a week today, on 18 February, all the participating parties will fulfil their tasks and powers, and ensure that any agreement reached in Maputo is also implemented. That is my appeal to all the participants.
Mr President, may I start by highlighting our very great concern about the obstacles which are preventing the Maputo agreements from being implemented.
Since the crisis started and since consultations with Madagascar were opened under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, the Commission has actively supported mediation efforts by the international community, which have translated into considerable progress but which, unfortunately, have still not resulted in an effective transition process. We are very worried because, rather than making progress, we are slipping backwards and there is a clear risk of returning to where we started in March 2009.
You will agree that this may of course result in a deterioration in the political and human rights situation and in clashes between Malagasies. We have clearly indicated, on numerous occasions, that we reject any unilateral process which results in hastily organised elections that will not bring about a lasting solution to the crisis.
Therefore, to reply to the question raised by the honourable Member, I would note that we are not prepared to support such a process either politically or financially.
The initiative currently being taken by the President of the African Union Commission is our last hope. We are prepared to evaluate, together with the international community within an international contact group, the response of Malagasy movements and, depending on the situation, to present proposals for decisions to the Council under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.
In the event of a negative decision, this should not affect projects which directly benefit the population and we shall continue and, if necessary, increase humanitarian aid for the vulnerable populations.
Finally, may I assure you, Mr President, of the Commission's active, patient and persevering commitment to finding an amicable way out of the crisis.
The debate is closed. The vote will take place at the end of the debate.


Impact of tourism in coastal regions (short presentation)
- The next item is a brief presentation of the report by Mrs Madeira on behalf of the Committee on Regional Development, on the regional development aspects of the impact of tourism in coastal regions.
rapporteur. - (PT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am very pleased to be here before you explaining the work carried out by everyone on this own-initiative report. In my view, and in the view of everyone who helped to develop this report, it is clear that we have done our work. I must thank everyone, particularly the shadow rapporteurs from the various political groups who tried so hard to achieve compromises with a future; the regional development staff, who are always ready to help, not least Miguel Tell Cremades and Elisa Daffarra; the staff of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, Lila and Petrus, and also the European Commission. The latter, represented as always by the various Directorates-General which such a wide-ranging report involves, constantly and closely monitored our work and made a major effort to ensure a successful outcome. I must also give my sincere thanks to my whole office, particularly Joana Benzinho, on behalf of a more harmonious and structured development for the coastal regions and for tourism in the European Union.
The European Union's 27 Member States account for more than 89 000 kilometres of coastline. This offers a wide variety of highly specific characteristics which, depending on the location, are marked by cosmopolitanism, such as in the cities of Lisbon, Copenhagen or Stockholm, or by the difficulties of being peripheral or outermost regions, such as the Algarve, Liguria, the Canary Islands or Madeira, which struggle to maintain a connection with the major cities or suffer from accelerated desertification. In one way or another, everyone identifies with the concept of coastline and coastal regions and experiences the advantages and disadvantages associated with them every day.
According to available data, by 2010 approximately 75% of humanity will live in coastal regions. Given the links and relations between them, we define these regions as the first 50 kilometres in a straight line inland from the coastline. These are regions, and not maritime strips. They lack the integrated view which they so desperately need and to which our ancestors also subscribed. It is here where a whole population descends, in search of opportunities and economic synergies and, in many cases, with the sole expectation that these will revolve around tourism. That is why the clear need for a pragmatic and integrated view of the impact of tourism on coastal regions took hold in our minds and led us to start work.
In the current financial crisis in which the impact on the real economy is becoming increasingly difficult to overcome, tourism seems to be a sector with huge potential to be severely affected either directly or indirectly. Those regions which are totally or heavily dependent for their development on tourism are seeing their businesses threatened and are facing the future with uncertainty, particularly as tourism is not currently one of the competences of the European Union. However, integrated measures can and must be adopted, and the spirit imbuing the Treaty of Lisbon reflects this idea. However, waiting for the Treaty to enter into force before acting would be to wait for the time when we can cry over spilt milk.
Tourism as it stands at the moment and the fragile situation of those regions which depend on it require us to act urgently and effectively. The fact that these regions are structurally dependent on tourism as a creator of jobs, albeit often seasonal ones, and an employer of intensive labour cannot be forgotten in a context of pressure on urban areas and unemployment. This report, which we are now putting before you here, was already very opportune and urgent when the Committee on Regional Development decided to prepare it. Now it has become what must be regarded as a priority for the European Commission and for the European Council. We must give priority to the countless initiatives included in this report, together with those already developed by other institutions, which it expressly supports, in line with the measures included in the Commission's emergency plan. Among these I must highlight the revision of the Globalisation Adjustment Fund, through which the issues associated with this sector and the impact it is suffering at the moment must clearly be tackled.
It is vital to ensure the development of new segments of the economy in these coastal regions, thus ensuring their social and environmental sustainability and promoting real integration among the various sectoral policies, such as the maritime sector, transport, energy, cohesion instruments already on the ground, the new quality product policy included in the revision of the common agricultural policy, as announced in the Health Check report, and new tourism products in these coastal regions, bearing in mind their crucial contribution to the European economy. The adoption of an appropriate holistic view with regard to this policy must become reality as quickly as possible in the European Union.
To conclude, Mr President, only the clear integration of these instruments and rapid and effective action involving all stakeholders on the ground can guarantee that we will have a sustainable coastal tourism sector, with a real future, in the European Union.
Member of the Commission. - (CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Madeira, for the report and to congratulate her on the quality and significance of her work: the coastal regions are very important for the EU since a considerable proportion of economic activity is concentrated in these areas.
The report moreover provides an all-round approach to tourism in the coastal regions as it includes issues such as the marine and coastal environments, sea transport, employment in the coastal regions, support for small and medium-sized enterprises and support for fishing. It confirms the need for a strong and integrated maritime policy for the European Union, which the European Commission has been working on since 2005 and which emphasises the connections between regional policy, territorial cohesion and maritime policy.
In order to give the policy a concrete form, the Commission adopted in October 2007 the action plan for an integrated maritime policy, which is gradually being applied. Some of the steps which the Commission is implementing at the moment are a direct reaction to the problems and demands expressed in the report, especially:
1) Based on the demands for full transparency in financing for the coastal regions a database of the projects supported from various Community funds will be created by the autumn of 2009. I would like to mention here that the quality and completeness of this database will depend on the readiness of the regions to provide information;
2) Strengthening inter-regional cooperation in tourism in the coastal regions. The programme INTERREG IVC enables the creation of a network of regions in connection with the 30 priority themes, of which 2 are related to maritime matters, including tourism. For your information, a second invitation has been issued to submit proposals within the framework of the IVC programme up to the middle of January 2009. I am inviting the coastal regions to submit projects for creating networks aimed at ensuring the submission and implementation of well-proven procedures within the framework of the coastal regions.
I am delighted to say that the report also clearly acknowledges the favourable impact of EU cohesion policy on the development of coastal regions. The 2007-2013 programme period presents many real opportunities for these regions and provides a framework for European technical and financial support for their development plans. Thanks to the current definition of the cohesion policy the coastal regions are able to invest in the development of their shoreline areas and islands, as the policy prioritises investments in harbours, maritime research, energy obtained from coastal sources, maritime heritage and of course coastal tourism. Outside the main season in particular tourism can help to make up for locally reduced levels in fishing, agriculture, heavy industry and transport.
I would like, however, to mention that it is up to the coastal regions to select the best projects for improving the competitiveness of their economy and for supporting sustainable tourism at a local level. I would like to mention that the Commission is taking very concrete steps aimed at reducing the seasonal nature of activities in the area of tourism, such as the pilot project 'European Destinations of Excellence' (EDEN). One of the aims of this initiative is to help establish a more regular flow in numbers of tourists and to direct them towards non-traditional destinations with the aim of supporting all European countries and regions.
In conclusion, allow me to thank the rapporteur for the good work she has produced in the report, and to note that tourism has a positive effect on coastal regions provided it is properly controlled from the perspective of sustainability.
In this context I am delighted to tell you that based on the interest expressed in the report of Mrs Madeira, the Commission will be able to organise discussions on topics related to tourism in coastal areas within the framework of the conference to mark European Maritime Day, which will take place on 19 and 20 May 2009. Allow me to take this opportunity to invite MEPs to participate in the decentralisation of activities connected with Maritime Day 2009 which the Commission fully supports.
- The debate is closed.
The vote will take place on Tuesday 16 December 2008.
Written statements (Rule 142)
in writing. - A significant part of the European population lives in the coastal regions. Most do not realise that the European mainland coast stretches for almost 90000 km. The development of sustainable tourism as opposed to seasonal tourism has to be encouraged. It is only through product diversification and alternative forms of tourism such as business, conference, cultural, medical, sport, agricultural, language and sea related tourism that this can be achieved.
Promoting traditional coastal tourism however remains a priority. In my country we are endeavouring to increase the size and quantity of sand beaches. Unfortunately to date this has been approached in an amateurish fashion. Dumping sand on existing beaches or creating new sandy beaches without undertaking the necessary infrastructural works is just a waste of resources. Extending or creating sandy beaches has been taking place in many other countries and territories for years. The difference is that it was approached firstly by putting into place the necessary infrastructural works to accumulate sand naturally and prevent its erosion. And in this context one additional and important aspect which appears to be lacking in relation to current proposals to Malta's largest sandy beach l-Ghadira - is respect and sensitivity to the immediate environment.
in writing. - It is a known fact that the economy in many coastal regions of the EU is highly dependent on tourism. In order to ensure that future generations can also benefit from our beautiful beaches and coastal countryside, we must however become active. The sustainability and future of our coastal areas is not self-evident, environmental degradation and wrong planning cause severe harm to coastal regions. We must avoid the excessive construction of housing and hotels and must ensure that any such construction goes hand in hand with an improvement to the infrastructure, in particular the sewage and waste management systems. Simply put, we must do our utmost to preserve and protect coastal regions. One option is to foster programmes focused on eco-tourism and to launch a better system of best practices among coastal regions. One thing that becomes obvious is that we must prevent any environmental pollution. In particular, I am very much concerned about oil plants and similar facilities which cause a severe risk to our coastal regions. I thus call upon all Member States to ensure that such facilities match the latest available technologies and do not cause any environmental danger to the fragile ecosystems of our coastal regions.
The impact of tourism on coastal regions is important from the perspective of territorial, economic and social cohesion, a fact which the mid-term review of the 2007-2013 budget will have to take into account.
Romania has a significant coastal region on the Black Sea, as do Bulgaria, Ukraine and Turkey also.
Taking this reality as a starting point, combined with the fact that the mouths of the rivers flowing into the sea should also be taken into consideration, we need the integrated national tourism plan designed specifically for this region to set as its objectives both sustainable tourism and a better quality of life at local level.
The Romanian national authorities, along with regional and local authorities, will give priority to the use of structural funds for developing sustainable tourism in the coastal region of the Black Sea. Cooperation and synergy at a regional level are absolutely vital for this, with cooperation including the application of European policy instruments.
An integrated approach is necessary as part of the Community's policies on cohesion, transport, energy, social welfare, health, agriculture, the sea and fishing, but above all on the environment, with the aim being to create synergy and avoid conflicting measures.
Tourism offers significant potential for social and economic development, as well as for social and territorial cohesion. We need to bear in mind the special geographical features of the coastal regions. Their development depends to a considerable extent on the revenues generated from the activities associated with proximity to the sea, estuary or delta areas, as well as from tourism, fishing and transport.
In general, coastal regions can only be accessible if there is an efficient, modern transport infrastructure available. I believe that it is important for Member States to devise specific strategies and initiate concrete actions for developing tourism in coastal regions, taking into account the special nature of the surrounding environment and with a view to protecting it.
Member States need to diversify their tourist services according to the specific features of each region (culture, sport, seaside resort, history) in order to reduce the negative impact of the seasonal tourism.
I would recommend that in order to develop tourism, Member States should use structural funds not only for regional development, but also for economic competitiveness and renewal.