A European strategy on the Roma (debate)
The next item is the debate on:
the oral question to the Commission by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda, Katalin Lévai, Adrian Severin and Jan Andersson, on behalf of the PSE Group, on a European Roma strategy (O-0081/2007/rev. 1 - B6-0389/2007)
the oral question to the Commission by Viktória Mohácsi, on behalf of the ALDE Group, on a European Roma strategy - B6-0003/2008)
the oral question to the Commission by Lívia Járóka, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group, on a European Community Action Plan on Roma - B6-0004/2008)
the oral question to the Commission by Roberta Angelilli, on behalf of the UEN Group, on a European Roma strategy - B6-0005/2008)
author. - (HU) Thank you, Mr President. Ladies and gentlemen, President-in-Office, many documents, including the 2005 Decision of the European Parliament on the Roma, the 2004 study by the European Commission, the report on Roma women by the European Parliament Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and the EUROSTAT action plan of 2003 were clearly drafted in order to solve the untenable situation of European Roma.
Nonetheless, neither the Member States nor the European institutions have really moved forward in promoting the inclusion of the Roma, although it is in the interests of both the European labour market and European societies successfully to integrate Europe's most populous and fastest-growing minority.
The recommendation of the report presented last December by the high-level advisory group set up by Commissioner Špidla was that a Community action plan should be created. This action plan must be created, although much stronger and more genuine commitment is needed from the Commission in order to take effective, immediate measures. This also applies to the European Parliament and civil society in many areas affecting the Roma.
The European Commission and Member States must instigate, fund, monitor and implement aid directly from Union sources for the most disadvantaged groups. If the financial instruments of the European Union are drawn down, it must show the impact on equal opportunities of the given investment as a material and accountable criterion, that is to say, if development is funded from Union sources, it should be compulsory for bidders to carry out or implement an equal opportunities analysis and measures plan.
If the measures plan becomes a compulsory element of competitions in different development sectors and certain regions, this would contribute greatly to ensuring and encouraging equal opportunities for disadvantaged social groups and those that are falling behind.
It is also essential to create a pan-European crisis map, on the basis of which those areas of the European Union can be assessed where abject poverty and social exclusion most seriously afflict the Roma and non-Roma communities, and through which the European Commission, supporting the Member States, can start the work of desegregation, which the governments have been putting off for decades as a result of different political commitments.
It is important that the Commissioners who are directly or indirectly responsible for the integration and inclusion of minorities coordinate their activities through their education, employment, equal opportunities, regional and development portfolios and, developing into a technical working group, prepare the 2008 action plan for Roma affairs in cooperation with Parliament and civil society, and they must start implementing that plan as soon as possible.
Apart from the fact that we adopted a resolution in 2005 which we now see has in fact had a negligible impact, I also consider it important that dialogue should start between the parties as soon as possible, with the involvement of the Commission and civil society.
I also feel in any case that in 2008 we ought to see action and talks relating to the Roma that are organised by all parties. I feel it is important and I undertake on behalf of the People's Party to instigate this during 2008. Thank you.
author. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this morning the report on an EU strategy on the rights of the child was adopted. One of its priorities is combating poverty and discrimination. On this point, we decided to devote a special paragraph to Roma children, who are often excluded from health and social provision and from schooling.
It is a well-known fact that a very high percentage of Roma children do not go to school, or attend only occasionally. Many Roma children are actually forced to attend special schools, if not institutions for the disabled. Available data show that in some Member States early school leaving by Roma children exceeds 60%. It is clear that children who do not go to school, who are illiterate or in any case have an inadequate level of education or vocational training, are children who have no future, but are forced to beg or to work on the black market. In any case, their fate is sealed: in the best-case scenario they will be condemned to poverty and social exclusion, while in the worst-case scenario they will be victims of organised crime.
It is worth bearing in mind, by the way, that the Roma population is very young, with approximately 45% of individuals aged under 16; for this very reason it would be extremely useful and important for the Commission to lay down specific, concrete actions for Roma children, particularly with reference to combating early school leaving and the promotion of appropriate, high-quality schooling. Without a right to education there is no guarantee of equal treatment and, above all, no right to a future.
author. - (NL) Mr President, we too have put questions to the Commission, and I expect the Commissioner to answer them. This evening, we are mainly discussing the efforts of the European Union - the European Commission - to tackle the problems of the Roma, a large group of whom became EU citizens a few years ago, and another last year. These citizens are living in conditions that are in most cases unacceptable. We are pleased that we are to receive a response from the European Commission in this House today.
We are also pleased that the European Council devoted attention to the situation of the Roma at the Brussels Summit, and asked the Commission to present more specific proposals for what the European Union itself can do to supplement the policy of Member States with large Roma communities, what we can do in the way of coordination and exchange of best practices, and how the available EU resources can be better deployed in those countries via the funds in order to do something about the situation of the Roma.
I say this particularly because, upon the accession of a number of countries - last year, and also in 2004 - we said, 'All right, come on in; one of the things we must do together is tackle the problems of the Roma.' I myself was rapporteur for Slovakia, and I remember the Slovak Government making all kinds of promises, but I have some doubts about the effectiveness of the implementation of those promises. This remains an important point.
We would also say that the Roma cannot be regarded as a typical national minority, such as the Hungarians in Slovakia or the Russians in the Baltic States. They are a typical European minority, for which a special European policy could be developed, together with the Member States concerned, with a separate responsibility for the European Union - as, indeed, was recognised in the pronouncements of the Brussels European Council.
We would ask the Commission, in particular, to ensure greater coordination within the Commission itself. How can we improve cooperation? How can we give someone, possibly from the ranks of the Commissioners, central responsibility for Roma policy? Maybe we should also look at the possibility of recognising the Roma as a kind of European minority in order to get around, to some extent, the principle of subsidiarity currently applicable to Member States' minority policy.
To conclude, I believe that everyone's intentions are good, but that better coordination and more action are required.
author. - (HU) Thank you very much. Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to remind you that this Parliament drew attention to the lack of integration of the Roma back in 1983. It also asked the Commission, the Council and the governments of the Member States in a Resolution of 1994 to do everything in the interests of the social, economic and political integration of the Roma.
As you will remember, in the Resolution adopted by Parliament in April 2005 we asked the Commission to adopt an action plan containing clear recommendations for the Member States and candidate countries relating to the economic, social and political integration of the Roma.
Again in November 2007 the matter of the social integration of the Roma was incorporated into the text of the Parliament's Resolution on freedom of movement, upon my recommendation, as a European-level Roma strategy. We asked the Commission again to prepare immediately a European strategy for the social inclusion of the Roma, using the integration fund and structural funds.
In amongst all this, we know for certain that Roma children are still forced to study in segregated classes and in segregated institutions in at least ten Member States of the Union, and we, the Roma, are unjustifiably classed as disabled, put into a determined profession and labelled for all time.
Unfortunately it is well known in every Member State what slums and what terrible conditions the Roma live in. I regret to state that we also know very well that the average life expectancy of Roma in every Member State is 15 years lower than the life expectancy of Union citizens. We should repeat that the Roma are over-represented among the unemployed in every single Member State.
In amongst all this, unfortunately, not a single month goes by when there is not a racist attack against Roma in any Member State. We know from the news - or we would not particularly have heard about it - that on the night of 4 January 2008, a slum in the Marconi district of Rome, with approximately 250 Roma living there, was set on fire, and then, three days later, also in Italy, Molotov cocktails were thrown at the local gipsy settlement in Aprilia, directly threatening the lives of several hundred people. Racist motives were behind the attack in both cases.
There is no room for doubt, the calling to account is justified, there must be a proposal for a Resolution, there must be a European-level strategy, and every Member State must prepare an action plan for integrating the Roma. Nobody is an exception, nobody can act as if there were no Roma in their own country - whether or not they recognise them - and then what has been said would not be true of any of the Member States of the Union, without exception. Thank you.
Member of the Commission. - (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all I would like to thank Mrs Járóka, Mrs Angelilli, Mr Wiersma and Mrs Mohácsi for raising these issues, which I am dealing with on behalf of my colleague, Vladimír Špidla, because he is currently in China, and this gives us the opportunity to talk things through on this extremely important subject.
The past year has really shown that both the bodies of the European Union and the Member States themselves are intensifying their efforts to improve the situation of the Roma in the European Union permanently. We have heard that this is necessary and I agree. A few important steps have already been taken in this regard. These range from the European Parliament's decision in 2005 to introduce the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All to the work of the high-ranking group of experts on the integration of ethnic minorities and the European Economic and Social Committee as well as the conclusions accepted just recently by December's European Council, to which reference has just been made.
I should say that we cannot really shrug off the difficult issue of discrimination, as members of the Roma experience it, and their exclusion from society and from the labour market. We have therefore taken the firm decision to use every instrument available to us, such as legislation, structural funds and information and awareness-raising campaigns, in order to improve this situation. It is obvious that employment and social policy programmes and measures are not being adequately used to promote the social integration of the Roma. We therefore need to concentrate all our efforts primarily on improving access to these measures with a targeted plan. It goes without saying that a plan of this kind must be based on an authoritative and long-term commitment by the Member States and the efficient use of Community instruments and policies.
Allow me, therefore, to deal briefly and practically with your questions and outline our proposals for 2008. The Commission will adopt guidelines this summer on the revised strategy for combating discrimination - follow-up action as it were, to the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. According to the European Council's conclusions of December 2007, these guidelines will for the most part deal with the Roma problem and the recommendations of the high-ranking group of experts on the integration of ethnic minorities. These guidelines will be supplemented by a working paper by the Commission's services, which analyses the progress and effectiveness of these measures achieved for the benefit of the Roma, both at political and at legislative level, and also when planning programmes for the structural funds.
At the same time we are offering to organise a high-level Roma forum, aimed at bringing together representatives of national governments and parliaments, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions as well as leading figures from Roma civil society and other important players. We are convinced that the rights of the Roma can be strengthened by high-level open discussion and that much more targeted use of resources can be achieved for their benefit.
The staff of my colleague Vladimír Špidla will prepare the initiatives referred to and then focus on the Roma problem in the areas of non-discrimination, the European Social Fund, employment and social integration. Since the situation of the Roma relates to several of the Commission's areas of activity, such as regional policy, education, public health and justice, the specialist inter-agency group for Roma issues, which came into existence in 2004, will be providing the information exchange. Finally, a few weeks ago, the Commission concluded a partnership framework agreement with the European Roma Information Office, the ERIO. This partnership will establish permanent, direct contact between the European bodies and Roma civil society.
As for the rest, it should be remembered that several initiatives are being implemented both at national and at European level as part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, which has just begun. These aim to highlight, and therefore make people even more aware of, the importance of dialogue between cultures and above all the advantages that cultural diversity brings to our society.
In the spring of 2008, the Commission will publish a Green Paper on educational issues in conjunction with pupils who have a migrant background or belong to a disadvantaged minority. It will also address the major aspects affecting the Roma, such as educational segregation, for instance. This Green Paper should trigger wide-ranging debate on the subject and maybe lead to a plan of action at European level.
I should also add - to respond directly to a question from Mrs Mohácsi - that the Commission intends to submit the proposal in 2008 for a directive on the application of the principle of equal treatment beyond employment, i.e. a horizontal directive, as we announced in our work programme.
These are currently the fundamental items we are preparing and I now await the debate with interest, at the end of which I shall perhaps need to add a few comments.
on behalf of PPE-DE. - (RO) I think that the organisation of this debate in plenary session is extremely important as it is necessary to draw up a balance sheet of the European actions on Roma population and to analyse the methods of enhancing the efficiency thereof.
Several recent events proved us that there are still important gaps at European policy level in this field and an update and readjustment thereof is necessary for the current challenges.
Mutual tollerance and multi-ethnical integration are fundamental principles of the European Union and Roma is an important community at European level, having a significant impact on the social and political as well as economic life in several Member States of the European Union.. Therefore, it is mandatory to develop a coherent vision at European level regarding Roma, focussed on their integration and ensuring a common basis of rights and responsibilities.
Although in November I asked the European Commission a question regarding this issue and the answer was that new proposals intending Roma integration would be launched, I hereby ask the Commission to come up with clarifications on these intentions. Firstly, I would be interested in the way the Commission would approach this issue from institutional point of view so that to ensure an efficient coordination and monitoring of European action for Roma protection and integration.
The role of education, and I would say, the education for tollerance, is not less important as it was pointed out by my colleagues. From this education all the EU citizens would benefit, it would be an education for tollerance as stimulating factor of Roma integration, interaction and social relation in the European Union. Their development would make Roma social integration easier and on the other hand it would limit the stigmatization and discrimination against them. Consequently, I ask the Commission to inform us on the existence of such programmes and the implementation thereof, but especially on wether it intends to consider this issue when drawing up further European policies on Roma.
Thank you and I hope that this debate would result into firm and concrete decisions to improve the European policies on Roma.
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (DE) Mr President, Commissioner, many thanks for your reply, which met us half-way in at least some points. You have to understand that we are impatient with regard to these issues because the latest incidents have again shown how pressing the problem is.
Firstly, with regard to the Roma forum: approval from our side. I believe it is a good idea, particularly with the involvement of the Roma themselves. It is important, however, to act quickly because I am afraid that, now that the proposal has been made, it will simply be discussed to death and there will be too much dithering. I believe the Roma forum should be set up as quickly as possible, within the current year. Parliament will certainly provide assistance.
Secondly, it is also important, of course, to engage the local authorities, because governments are often well-intentioned and make promises, but then the problem ends up with the Mayor or somewhere else in the region and is not actually dealt with.
Thirdly, many thanks for your undertaking regarding the proposals for equal treatment beyond the workplace. This is an important subject generally, which my Group very much supports.
But for all that, Commissioner, I should like to say on behalf of my Group that these interdisciplinary groups - we are all familiar with them from our own administrations - are all arduous and helpful. In our view it would be important for there to be one Commissioner responsible for coordinating the subject area, or for there to be at least one authorised representative among the Commissioners whose task it is to carry it through.
I still do not know why the Romanian Commissioner has the job that he has. If he were at least able to attend to it, this would help. I don't know.
But we would like to see these matters given great priority. Things are moving in the right direction. Thank you, Commissioner, for your report, but a bit more force and a bit more pace would be of great value in the interest of the Roma.
on behalf of the ALDE Group. - (IT) Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, although this debate has been prompted by oral questions to the Commission, in substance it is the natural continuation of an initiative that Parliament undertook some time ago and which it has recently been emphasising. It is clear that we need an action plan to improve the situation of the Roma, given this minority's poor integration into the social and civil framework of the countries of the European Union.
The transnational nature of the Roma, which is one of their special characteristics, gives rise to a requirement, which I personally support, to prepare a European strategy so that they can escape from the worrying degrading conditions in which they live, in many cases bordering on the inhuman, which without doubt is the effect of social exclusion and the trigger for resulting, varied adverse consequences: from alienation from the host country to degeneration into violence, either as a perpetrator or a victim.
As well as guidelines that may help local and national authorities to stem the numbers of Member State minorities descending into social hardship, it is necessary to have adequate funds to back up the actions to be taken. It is not, however, just a funding problem. The true goal is to bring about equal access to work, education, housing, health, social services and the environment needed to exercise civil rights, starting with decision-making processes. All this involves an integrated approach to combining actions to achieve these goals. This is why I am personally opposed to giving responsibility for the Roma issue to a single European Commissioner.
Two years after the launch of the Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005-2015) there are still a great many commitments that the governments who supported them have yet to get started and fulfil. What initiatives is the Commission intending to take on this issue? I hope that they will begin as soon as possible, straight after the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, in this European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - Mr President, the current situation of the Roma forces me to begin with a criticism, which is that the European Commission has been slow and lazy in dealing with Roma issues in Europe.
Just look at the Council of Europe and the OSCE, which for the past two decades have had offices fully dedicated to Roma issues. The Council of Europe has produced many specific recommendations on the Roma, and the OSCE has developed its action plan on improving the situation of the Roma in the OSCE area. I wonder how much attention the Commission and EU Member States has devoted to those documents, and whether they took seriously the joint EP resolution on the Roma, or the Decade of Roma Inclusion action plans.
However, simply criticising is not my political style, and Ms Ferrero-Waldner has given me some cause for optimism. I would therefore ask the Commissioner to please share the following message with President Barroso and the college when you meet.
First, a European Roma strategy should be created as soon as possible and should primarily focus on improving the living conditions of the Roma in Europe, creating jobs for the almost 90% of Roma who are jobless, combating anti-gypsyism, supporting the education of Roma, bringing health into Roma houses and promoting Roma political inclusion.
Second, to facilitate such a strategy, the European Commission needs a permanent Roma unit, hiring Roma staff to serve that body. I sincerely hope that the Commission will hire Roma staff on the basis of their skills, rather than their skin, as some Member States have done in the past.
Third, a special European fund for Roma projects should be a priority for the European Commission. The European Parliament should, of course, also make a contribution towards the joint European 'union of works' to improve the situation of the Roma. I would like at this juncture to raise again the proposal to have a permanent EP rapporteur on Roma issues, who could give a good overview and make recommendations to this House, other EU institutions and the Member States.
Furthermore, I would like to hear the voice of the Roma more loudly in this House. Their interests should be represented by their MEPs.
Finally, I would underline that the European Roma strategy should express common political values when it comes to the future enlargement process and the fight against ultra-nationalism and the extreme right in Europe.
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the Commissioner for what she has said and for the commitments she has made, which also seem to me to be in line with what the European Parliament has said on many occasions in its resolutions, but these promises to act are not enough in themselves.
I would like to ask what tools the Commission uses and what it can tell us about the use of the funds which, under various expenditure headings, have to date been made available to Member States for Roma inclusion. Secondly, what checks is it making on the concrete implementation at national level of the directives adopted? Thirdly, I join with those asking that there be a single figure within the Commission handling all issues relating to the Roma.
To turn to my country, I must stress that we face a very strong wave of racism and stigmatisation, chiefly towards the Roma, particularly since Italy has not fully transposed Directive 43/2000/EC against ethnic discrimination. What measures does the Commission intend to take with regard to this? Italian law has not transposed the concept of racial harassment, the issue of the sharing of the burden of proof or protection from abuse suffered as a result of racial discrimination.
Further, I ask the Commission if it knows that in one major Italian municipality - namely Milan - migrant children, who in this case are mainly Roma, whose parents are not in a regular position with the law and do not have a residence permit, cannot attend state schools. This seems to me to run completely counter to all the EU's documents, to contradict the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and also the resolution we adopted this morning on the rights of the child.
Finally, I would like to point out that the Italian Government is discussing the nth decree-law on an issue which is in fact really to do with the Roma, and that is whether it is possible to include a reference to economic ends among the grounds that may be given to justify the removal of a citizen of another Member State from the country, in this case from Italy. Behind the general issue of immigration, this decree is in fact directed specifically at the Roma. I would like to know your views.
(BG) Distinguished colleagues, I, too, take the floor so that it can be heard, finally, in this Chamber, how things really stand and so that the hypocritical statements can stop, at least for a while.
What can we gather from the discussion so far? We gather that you are concerned for the gypsy population in Europe, which includes also my homeland, Bulgaria. I can't even venture to imagine that right now you are concerned by the extremely low pensions of retirees in Bulgaria or for the honest, hard-working Bulgarians who become victims of gypsy crime on a daily basis.
Distinguished MEPs, do show some concern for the fact that the Bulgarian Socialist Party buys gypsy votes on a regular basis during elections in Bulgaria. Do care that the coalition partner of Bulgarian Socialists, the Movement for Rights and Liberties, represented here in the ALDE group, buys all the remaining votes. Also cast by gypsies. Do care that the chairman of the Movement for Rights and Liberties, Ahmed Doghan, calls the buying of votes, of gypsy votes, 'a normal European practice'.
Do show some concern for the fact that, in Bulgaria, the gypsy population stands at 3-4%, while the crimes committed by them account for 30-40% of all criminal offences. And these are not only crimes of poverty, committed because of poverty. These are extremely shameless and brutal crimes. Because the rape and murder of a 79-year old woman is not a crime of poverty. You do agree, don't you?
The huge amounts of money allocated, it is obvious, do not work. This funding does not work because this money disappears in dubious foundations and non-government organisations. In our opinion, that of the patriots from Ataka, the solution of this problem is in abiding by the all the laws in each single country. Abiding by the law, with no tolerance for a specific minority, will bring success. Because in Bulgaria crimes committed by gypsies are not investigated in detail. That is a fact. A fact, and you can see it for yourselves.
The murder of the teenage Belneyski sisters was not investigated. It was covered up. These issues should cause our concern. Because tolerating a particular minority at the expense of the majority will not bring any success but the opposite of success. Thank you for your attention.
(HU) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I was delighted to listen to the words of Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, and I was delighted by the initiatives that can be expected to take place in future. I feel that this really will help the situation of the Roma substantially, but I must agree with my Dutch fellow Member, who has expressed her impatience. I am impatient too, along with many others, because the situation really is changing very slowly.
There are 7-9 million Roma living in Europe, most of them in poor social circumstances, and they fight the same problems as they have for years: the problems of exclusion and inclusion, the lack of employment, the question of school segregation and multiple discrimination against Roma women.
The majority of Member States do not regard the Roma as a minority of their country, they do not want to make substantial changes to their situation, and indeed the experiences of the past few years have shown instead a reinforcement of radicalism and anti-gipsyism in both the new and old Member States.
I therefore feel that there is no more time to waste, and we need real changes and a harmonised European Roma policy. Without a European Roma policy there is no national Roma policy; we have to understand and confront this. It would be good if we took steps so that the transnational minority status of the Roma is recognised, since it really is a special status.
The European Parliament and, within this, the Socialist Group, has already launched the action plan, and in March we will be doing a tour of Europe and arranging conferences, workshops and visits with the involvement of local Roma, NGOs and governments in order to expose cases of discrimination, and we will draw the attention of European public opinion to the unhappy situation of the Roma and try to remedy it. Thank you very much.
Mr President, Roma are neither the successors of the ancient Roman Empire, nor the contemporary inhabitants of Rome. They are neither a nation without a state nor a national minority. They are an ethnocultural community, still cherishing its tribal tradition, and a pan-European community which was kept in slavery in pre-modern and early modern Europe, which was sent to extermination camps by the Fascist regimes and enclosed in the states turned into prisons by the Communist dictatorship. They became free European citizens after the end of the Cold War and the first post-bipolar European Union enlargement.
Being marginalised and excluded over the centuries, the Roma community found itself excluded from European wealth and tried to protect itself by challenging the European order. Today, now that Europe is reconciled with itself, should it be reconciled with the Roma population as well, or should it declare and treat the Roma as second-class citizens who are again to be concentrated in some Member States transformed into Roma ghettos? To these questions there is a single answer: the Roma issue is a European issue. It is not a simple issue but a huge challenge - a common challenge which we must cope with jointly. Otherwise we will be unable to integrate the Roma community into European society and bring it into the European order.
This is a cultural and social matter. The European Union should mobilise funds, develop programmes and organise specific institutional structures in order to assist the national authorities of the countries where the Roma choose to settle in order to offer this community a decent material life, a proper education, a fair opportunity to compete with others, free of any discrimination, and a cohesive sense of their existence within European civilisation. We expect the European Commission to take the right steps in that direction and to keep the European Parliament fully informed on the progress achieved.
(SV) Mr President, Commissioner, when we discuss the Lisbon Strategy in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, we talk about high growth, a high level of employment, good social conditions, good health care, and one of the things we also say is that the education system and development of skills must be a driving force in achieving these goals. When we transpose this, all these aims, to the Roma minority in Europe, we find astonishingly high unemployment. We find social conditions which are not particularly good, health care which is not particularly good, poor housing conditions, a segregated society for them, and even an education system which is segregated. There are special education provisions for Roma people which do not give them the right to an adequate education. Yet the Lisbon Strategy is there for everyone.
You had a number of good proposals. We support them, but it is important that the strategy is followed up by a plan of action. It is important that we have mainstreaming, but at the same time there must be coordination within the Commission. It is important that we review our funds so that they take account of the Roma minority. It is important, when we draw up strategies in the fields of employment and education and in other fields, that we always consider the situation of the Roma so that they are integrated in different strategies.
(HU) Mr President, the European Union does not have a minority policy for Roma, nor for traditional national minorities, nor for migrant minorities. I include the Roma among traditional national minorities, but at the same time, because of their specific socially disadvantaged situation, they must still be treated as a separate category.
I am delighted that, as the living conscience of the European Parliament, the two Hungarian Members of Roma descent, Mrs Járóka and Mrs Mohácsi, amongst others, have raised this question, because we rightly condemned the events in Italy in November. It is right that we should continuously return to this question.
What is the duty of the European Union? I am delighted with what Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner has said. The European Union also has a duty, but it must make a distinction between what is the competence of a Member State and what is the competence of the European Union. I also agree fully with Mr Swoboda, who is no longer here, not because of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, but because he is right, namely in that it is decided at local level whether or not something will succeed. Specifically, the Member State must be given a national action programme. I am proud that we prepared Europe's first medium-term Roma programme under my government department. Money must be given to the Member State, but everything be decided at local level.
What can the EU do? It should monitor what the Member States are doing and it should provide a 'best practice' method for the best solution. It is not only a matter of money, but also of whether there are any qualified experts from the majority and Roma society who want to take this matter further. The future of Europe depends on minorities.
- (DE) Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first of all I would like to reject the criticism that Commissioner Špidla is too lazy to attend to this problem. I do not think this is the right way to conduct discussions in the House.
It is important that we concentrate on improving educational provision for young Roma people. We are all familiar with the system of compulsory education and I believe that language and literacy, and numeracy skills - quite simply, things that are necessary for a good life - should be made compulsory.
On the other hand, I do understand that not everyone wants to be integrated, of course. Of course we do have to offer initiatives to all those who do not wish to integrate into our society. I believe the concept of an open approach to these problems is the main solution for the future.
Mr President, this debate has highlighted a number of the problems which the subject we are debating raises. It seems to me, Commissioner, that rather than us devising a strategy and telling others what to do, it would perhaps be wise to ask representatives of the Roma community.
We currently have two Roma MEPs. I remember, too, a very famous Spanish Socialist Member of this House, elected in 1989, who was particularly engaging and informative on the whole question of Roma culture. That culture is part of our culture and part of European civilisation, and reflects what kind of a people we are.
It would perhaps be wise to look at the history of the Roma people, to speak with representatives of the Roma culture and to ask them how we can best further their prospects, rather than telling them how they can integrate into our society and how we can best accommodate their social needs.
Member of the Commission. - (DE) Mr President, may I sum up once again: it was an extremely interesting debate and we all very clearly see the need to respond to this. I understand, of course, that you all want the fastest possible response.
I should tell you that there is also a directive, Directive 2000/43/EC, which already guarantees the application of the principle of equal treatment, with no differentiation between race or ethnic origin in the employment, social, and educational sectors and in access to and supply of goods and services, which also applies to the Roma. I believe this is also fundamental here. This directive also makes positive measures possible in the Member States. However, it is true that the Member States are not obliged to incorporate these measures into their national legislative provisions.
The European regulations do have to be applied, however, and I should say that we at the Commission have made the firm decision to ensure that they are implemented. The Commission has in fact initiated infringement procedures in the past year against 22 Member States that have not implemented the European regulations properly, including Italy, Mr Agnoletto.
As regards the integration of people in the job market, the European Social Fund is also our most important instrument for this. A substantial proportion of the measures targeted to improving the employability of the Roma can be co-financed by the European Social Fund. Between 2000 and 2006, approximately 275 million euros, for example, were earmarked for projects targeted specifically at integrating the Roma.
The high-level group of experts on the integration of ethnic minorities has pointed out that certain projects supported by the ESF, such as the Acceder programme in Spain, for instance, are excellent models of active integration of the Roma. I should therefore like to renew an urgent appeal to the individual states to make use of this opportunity. I agree with Mr Swoboda that it is not just the bodies of the nation states, of course, that play an important role here, but also often local organisations, of course.
As we all know, the social exclusion of the Roma is a complex phenomenon and a consistent approach covering all the important aspects of their lives is therefore needed to tackle it. This includes education, employment, health, housing and infrastructure. This approach requires efficient coordination at the level of the European institutions. I am convinced that real progress will be made over the next year with the help of these measures.
I have, of course, heard that many of you - not all - would like a certain Commissioner to take on this subject and I shall, of course, convey this to my colleague, Mr Špidla. But there is a wide variety of different subjects involved here and the most important thing, therefore, is effective coordination. You can certainly talk to Mr Špidla once again about the other issue.
I should like very briefly to single out a few items that were raised specifically during the debate. These included the question of how dialogue with civil society and also with the Roma themselves is going. I believe that dialogue such as this - and specifically on the course of action for the Roma and their children - is very important for guaranteeing the principle of non-discrimination on the one hand, and combating unemployment and promoting the social development of the regions in which the Roma live on the other hand, as well as toppling the barriers found mainly in the heads of the majority so that the Roma are recognised as a genuine part of this European culture.
I am in agreement here with all those who have raised this issue.
I myself - and all those who know me know that this is perhaps a kind of hobby of mine outside politics - have always advocated human rights education. It is an education in tolerance. I can only say that I shall therefore certainly be including the issue of human rights education, which I regard as hugely important, in these guidelines.
Mrs de Groen-Kouwenhoven, I have to say here that the Commission is perhaps slow, but certainly not lazy. When you see that the European Council and in particular the OSCE have set up numerous programmes, mainly with the support of the European Commission, then you become aware that to all intents and purposes there are some very positive approaches to this.
My final comment applies to the issue of the trans-national minority. Here I would simply like to say that consideration should be given to the fact that the European Union does not have the authority to define minorities in the Member States themselves. You also know that it should be borne in mind in this context that social policy measures are not geared to ethnic origin, but always to individual needs. But as you know, the Member States in particular have a very different idea of what a minority is and how a minority is defined. This issue can therefore still not be resolved very quickly. In other respects, I am happy to pass on your comments. You will certainly be receiving guidelines on this soon.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place on Thursday, 31 January 2008.
Written statements (Rule 142)
in writing. - It is clear the Roma is a neglected minority in the European Union; we cannot allow this to continue. I fully support my colleagues in calling for the Commission to take more action on this issue. We have a situation whereby there exists a group that is considered the largest ethnic minority group in the EU, living in less than substandard conditions, that we have difficulty in protecting and aiding. Concrete and swift action from the Commission to assist the integration of the Roma community in all aspects of society, be it economic, social or political, is desperately needed. The EU needs to take the lead on this problem.


Dates for next sittings: see Minutes


5. Rules for the operation of air services in the Community (recast) (


5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, 16-22 March 2009 (debate)
The next item is the debate on the oral question to the Commission on the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul, 16-22 March 2009, by Mr Borrell Fontelles, on behalf of the Committee on Development - B6-0015/2009).
Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, in a few days' time a delegation from this Parliament will travel to Istanbul to take part in the 5th World Water Forum, an event which will bring together all the global players with an interest in water: UN agencies, development banks, States, professional organisations, NGOs and local authorities.
At a time when water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource and the pace of climate change leads us to expect more and more conflicts in relation to access to water, I wanted to prepare for this meeting by putting a strong text to the vote within our institution in order to lay the foundations for European action in this field.
The situation is serious, as you know. Water shortages have spread beyond the traditionally arid areas. Access to water, the quality of which is constantly deteriorating, has become a concern for all of us. The UN figures speak for themselves. One billion people do not have access to safe drinking water; two and a half billion people do not have access to sanitation; five thousand children under the age of six die every day from diseases caused by lack of clean drinking water or sanitation, or by their poor quality.
The scandal is that the first victims are always the poorest. Access to water, which will be one of the main challenges in the years to come, could further delay the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The next World Water Forum must be an opportunity to find solutions together to respond to this enormous challenge.
My first priority was to emphasise that water is a shared resource of mankind that should be a universal right. That is the first paragraph of the proposed resolution, and it is vital, because the policies we are implementing depend upon it. Remembering this basic principle means saying 'no' to making water a commodity, since, unfortunately, we know only too well the disastrous consequences of that.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report of 2006 shows there has been flagrant injustice. The lack of distribution systems has often resulted in a lack of safe drinking water for the most disadvantaged people. Consequently, millions of people have to resort to unofficial sources which, taking into account the intermediaries, charge prices that are five or ten times higher.
We are fighting for access to safe drinking water and sanitation for all. This means that water has to remain under public control, which alone can assert the common interest. It is this principle that should guide our policies, and I am pleased that the resolution makes reference to it.
Public intervention is indeed able to resolve this problem of access. A pricing system that is fair and sustainable for all would be both less costly for poor people than having to resort to the unofficial sector and would allow investment in the necessary infrastructures.
This goal can be achieved only if we all contribute to it. Public development aid must therefore be used together with the resources of local authorities, bank loans, private capital and innovative partnerships.
I should like, in particular, to stress the importance of financing based on solidarity, such as that made possible under the Oudin law in France. The latter allows local authorities to collect one cent per cubic metre from their users' water bills to finance international cooperative actions dedicated exclusively to water.
Is the Commission prepared, Commissioner, to encourage the development of this kind of instrument? Such development has to be done in accordance with the notion of the public good, and that is why I am pleased that the text of the resolution points out that public-private partnerships must be strictly defined and subject to regulation.
Since the last World Forum, the role of local authorities has been recognised by all the stakeholders, including members of Parliament and ministers. The next forum, in Istanbul, will stand out because of two major advances: the signing of an agreement by local authorities on water and the organisation of two days wholly devoted to the role of the local authorities.
Are you prepared, Commissioner, to make use of the enormous reserves of expertise and of human and financial resources of the local authorities to encourage the North-South Partnership? With their successful experience and their technical skills behind them, the cities of the North are keen to help their counterparts in the developing world.
Finally, the UN has today published a report on water that makes some frightening projections for the future. Under the double pressure of demographic growth and climate change, the water crisis has been made worse by the inadequacy of the political reaction. While water is the priority for all development policy, only 6% of international aid is devoted to it.
That is why I want Europe, our Parliament and the Commission to send a strong message to the people of the South, because this inequality of access to water cannot continue.
I should like to make a brief personal comment: I sincerely hope that water will not cease to be a common resource and that it will be a right for all.
Member of the Commission. - Madam President, first of all I would like to convey the apologies of my colleague, Louis Michel, for not being able to be here in person, as he is in the Congo. However, it is with great pleasure that I will take up the points, because they are so important.
The Commission fully agrees that water and sanitation service provision is naturally addressed at the local level, through local government, municipalities and communities. We have to recognise, however, that weaknesses exist between those different levels, most notably in weaker countries where the provision of basic services is not a strong priority.
Last year, the European Development Days here in Strasbourg focused on the role of local authorities, who are at the heart of access to essential services, as well as on the importance of local governance and the participation of citizens. This is obviously a central issue for the water sector and the Commission, through its different instruments, is working to increase support to local authorities and reinforce partnerships between local actors from the North and the South.
At EU level, European water policy is also based on the principle of good governance, encouraging the involvement and participation of citizens, local communities, NGOs and stakeholders. This is reflected not only in the Water Framework Directive but also in initiatives such as the EU Water Initiative launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, which contains the reinforcement of the role of local actors among its objectives.
In Africa, where the Millennium Development Goals linked to water and sanitation are still not on track, investments need to increase, and the Commission has demonstrated its political commitment by creating a financial mechanism.
The Water Facility of half a billion euros has enabled mobilisation of double that amount through cofinancing of a large number of programmes to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene situation of millions of people. It has also improved water governance and management in ACP countries. The focus on the involvement of local actors has been one of the added values of this facility.
The EU will be represented at the Ministerial Segment of the World Water Forum by the current Czech Presidency. The statement that is being prepared includes references to the need for good governance through capacity development and institutional reform at all levels.
The Commission's policy, approved in 2002, promotes integrated water resources management in developing countries. It is in this framework that the different uses of water - such as drinking water, sanitation, irrigation etc. - have to be addressed, in order to reach an optimal allocation of benefits among all users.
Moreover, the best practices of different experiences of green belts around cities, particularly in Africa, are currently being analysed in the context of the 'Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel' initiative as part of a feasibility study supported by the European Commission. Further support to this initiative will be considered within the framework of the Africa-EU Partnership on Climate Change.
I am pleased to announce that the Water Facility will continue under the 10th European Development Fund and that EUR 200 million has been set aside for that purpose. Member States are invited to participate with additional funding.
The Commission's strategy is based on an integrated framework for collaboration with partner governments, EU Member States and all the stakeholders concerned.
The Water Facility complements the national programmes with its capacity to work with decentralised actors and develop innovative solutions. The ongoing preparation of the 10th EDF Water Facility identifies in particular the potential offered by public water operators, who provide over 90% of water and sanitation services globally.
Therefore, public-public partnerships potentially constitute a very cost-effective approach in terms of promoting the relevant 'good governance' principle in the ACP water sector, with potentially long-term and sustainable impacts on institutional and organisational change. Such 'twinning' partnerships - for instance through training and technical assistance - can be efficient ways to promote the principles of good governance in the water sector in ACP countries.
Finally, let me confirm that aid effectiveness and the division of labour are discussed with relevant partners within the mechanisms of the EU Water Initiative. A mapping of EU Development Assistance in the water sector has been carried out to improve that ongoing dialogue. The question of donor orphans is an important one in the water sector and the Commission intends to take this into account in the conception of the new Water Facility under the 10th EDF.
Madam President, Commissioner, I would repeat the words spoken in this House several years ago, on 13 March 2006, by Eija-Riitta Korhola. She described the situation with regard to access to clean water as follows: 'The figures are alarming: 3 900 children die every day because of a lack of clean water. One fifth of the world's population, some 1.1 billion people, suffer from a lack of clean water. More than 40%, meanwhile, are without proper water and sewage services.'
Three years have passed since that statement and what has happened? What has happened is that the global scenario is worryingly exactly the same, which cannot fail to be cause for concern. We are now facing a serious crisis in basic sanitation that involves us all. I would point out that this problem particularly affects the poorest and least developed regions of the world, not least sub-Saharan Africa. This continues to be the area most affected by a lack of water quality, particularly in rural areas and in the slums that surround the major cities. However, the problem is vast. I have here with me a UNICEF brochure which dates from 2001. However, in the main, its statements still hold true and are striking. What does it tell us? It tells us that these 1 billion people are spread throughout virtually the whole world. These 1 billion people have no access to clean water: 4% in the Middle East and North Africa, 4% in Central and Eastern Europe, 19% in South Asia, 25% in sub-Saharan Africa, and 42% in East Africa and the Pacific. If we look at the figures within each of these areas, it is the regions of East Africa and the Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa which present alarming numbers, with 24% and 43% of the respective populations still not having, at the beginning of the decade in 2000, any access to clean and safe water.
It is vital to remember the health complications, some of them fatal, which stem from this lack of water, and how these impact on the development and progress of the populations deprived of this essential good in terms of both quality and quantity, and also the border tensions caused by access to water and how these risk becoming more acute if nothing is done to prevent them.
The European Union, as a global player and as a contributor par excellence to the world effort to tackle this problem, cannot excuse itself from taking part in the major debates on this issue. I welcome the reports that the Commissioner has made to us in this House. I therefore also welcome the holding of and the European participation in this 5th World Water Forum. This will provide another opportunity for all the main players to debate the issue objectively and to prepare a clear approach to this problem. I cannot do other than support this effort, as the whole Committee on Development has also done in the sense of promoting subsidiarity. Furthermore, as there are many responsibilities in this respect at local level, I also support the other concerns of our committee. Ladies and gentlemen, water is a good which is essential to life, to the life of each one of us and to the life of humankind.
Madam President, I am, on the whole, pleased that this 5th World Water Forum is to be held in Istanbul and, above all, that the European Union is to participate with a delegation from the Commission, and also one from the European Parliament. I also understand and endorse the need to support the local public authorities in their attempts to establish democratic, participative systems and improvements or innovations in water management, and also to support decentralisation processes.
The primary and fundamental aim of all this is to protect the fundamental right to water and sanitary services but, clearly, this must be within a rigorous framework of respect for sustainable development which, in the European Union, is set out in the Framework Directive on water as a reference point, with the Millennium Development Goals as the basis for development.
I must say that all this - and I will set this out tomorrow in an amendment which I hope this House will adopt - was the subject of debate last autumn at the Zaragoza International Expo 2008 which, in addition, was the first time that the European Parliament participated alongside the Commission on equal terms. At the Expo, over 2 000 experts, in the Water Tribune, and NGOs, in the forum named the Agora, as well as the delegations from the Commission and Parliament, debated and generated an enormous volume of debate and very interesting, creative proposals on water management.
This took on a permanent form in the '2008 Zaragoza Charter', adopted on 14 September 2008. This contains 17 points, some of which I would like to highlight. The Charter states:
'that access to drinking water and sanitation is a human right that must be guaranteed by all public authorities';
'that access to water has an enormous influence on development';
'that forecasts show that climate change is capable of modifying the availability and demand for water all over the planet';
'that the sustainable production of food is directly linked to the efficient use of water'.
'that river basins are the best suited environments for harnessing water and their good management makes it possible to resolve conflicts between countries, regions and users'; and, finally,
'that the public authorities must take the initiative in promoting the legislation and arrangements required to ensure access to water by all'.
I call upon the Commissioner to take into account the conclusions of the Zaragoza Charter, in the drafting of which we, the Commission and Parliament, participated, alongside experts, NGOs and associations, and that, in fact, it constituted a forum for preliminary debate in view of the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul.
I believe that it is worthwhile incorporating the conclusions of the Charter and also of the Water Tribune into the European discussion and debate materials that we, as the European Union, are displaying at the pavilion at this international expo.
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. - (IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, two years ago, we held a debate in this House and adopted an exacting resolution on the subject of water on the occasion of the Fourth World Forum held in Mexico City. We wrote then that water must be considered a human right and that active policies must be developed to realise this right through forms of public-private cooperation, focusing, in particular, on local communities.
Unfortunately, that resolution was not supported by the European Commission, which was present in Mexico City - I would remind the Commissioner of this today - despite the fact that it was widely praised by many countries, especially in Latin America. The very nature of this kind of forum, a private structure, unfortunately prevailed. We now have the opportunity to send a parliamentary delegation to Istanbul, and it would be advantageous if our presence there were supported by an equally strong resolution as that of 2006: we are not quite there yet, which is why I am tabling these amendments.
We need to reach a real turning point on the water issue. The terrible statistics on water shortages are well known, and they are destined to get worse as a result of climate change. Indeed, it is in the area of climate change that new action is needed. Climate change is making access to water more difficult, and poor water access in turn aggravates climate change. So, as well as the rights issue, and that of public-private collaboration, we also have to look at building a strong relationship with the Kyoto Protocol. It is the UN that must be involved at the heart of matters concerning water. A dedicated UN body could be entrusted with global water governance, removing it from the private philosophy still present in the current forum. This would encourage connection with the important conventions on climate change and desertification that form part of the UN framework.
Appropriate finances will then, of course, be required. These could come from general taxes and charges, for example, on mineral water which - I would like to point out to my fellow Members - we use to excess even in this Parliament. The privatisation of water must be opposed: it would make access to a vital resource no longer a right but a market. I believe that the whole history of Europe teaches us that it is the public that has guaranteed the right to water in our homes, which does not happen on other continents increasingly prone to infiltration by the private sector.
These are practical matters, but they also have enormous moral importance. It is not by chance that the right to water is championed by large secular but also religious movements and celebrities. Recently, and many times over the last few years, the European Parliament Chamber has been made available - rightly, and I thank the presidents for this - for important meetings of global activist organisations. At the latest of these, the idea was put forward of a true protocol on the right to water, which I am convinced we should all support.
(PL) Madam President, the majority of us can take free access to water for granted. We use large amounts of water every day. It is worth remembering, however, that according to estimates of the World Health Organisation, one sixth of the Earth's population, that is to say, over one billion people, do not have access to water which meets basic, minimal standards of cleanliness. This means that in the civilisation of the 21st century, millions of people are suffering thirst and dying as a result of diseases caused by drinking contaminated water. Recently I was in Lagos, the largest city in Africa, where barely 1% of the people have access to running water.
Statistics of this type are horrifying, but nonetheless the problem of water does not make the front pages of newspapers, does not excite the general interest of the media, and is not the subject of discussions and disputes, as is the case, for example, with AIDS, the fight against malaria or global warming. This surely results from the fact that the problem concerns only 2% of Europeans, whereas it concerns 27% of people in Africa. It is estimated that in Africa alone, more people die each year from diseases caused by drinking dirty water than from AIDS and malaria put together.
It can, therefore, be said that lack of access to drinking water does not kill in a spectacular way likely to be given prominence in the media, and does not generate as broad interest as a disaster like an earthquake, a tsunami, flooding or armed conflicts. As Mr Ribeiro e Castro has already said, however, the facts are that, on average, every day 6 000 children die from diseases caused by a lack of water. This means that one child dies every 15 seconds. Can you imagine the reaction of the world, the response, the degree of mobilisation and determination, if this were happening in Europe, and not in Sub-Saharan Africa or Asia?
Consequently, the problem of access to water is not only a problem for developing countries, but also for developed countries. Universal access to drinking water is an essential condition for the development of countries and the fight against poverty. Unless this need is met, there is no point in talking about improving healthcare or developing education. Unless water for the needs of farming or simple industry can be guaranteed, whole societies are condemned to a battle for daily existence. This leads to armed conflicts, migration and destabilisation. In other words, it hinders development and increases developmental inequalities.
Politicians will also be present at the Forum we are debating. They will discuss matters of current importance. One of these matters is the situation in Darfur, where President al-Bashir is expelling organisations which, among other things, have been helping to ensure that the people of Darfur have access to water. There will therefore be an opportunity to persuade, amongst others, President al-Bashir, to allow international organisations to supply water to the people of Darfur.
(IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I, too, would like to remind you as Mr Musacchio did, that in February, this Parliament, together with Mikhail Gorbachev's World Political Forum, hosted a conference with a meaningful title: 'Peace with Water', a conference that produced a memorandum for a world water protocol that deserves serious consideration and was, moreover, supported by all the major political groups in this Parliament, but which seems to have been ignored by the Committee on Development, which drew up this document.
I do not think this was by accident: the text we are debating today in fact appears weak and vague on all the crucial points that will be on the agenda in Istanbul. Take the example of water as a fundamental human right. If it is a right - and it is absurd to deny it - then it cannot also be a commodity. A right cannot be bought or sold in a free society. A right is only bought in a society of slaves. We are well aware, however, that the giant private interests want to take possession of this right. So what will Europe say at Istanbul? Who, as it says for example in recital J, needs to increase the financial priority of water? That is a prime example of ambiguous wording. Furthermore, is the state, or public ownership, the sole player in water policy? Or, as it says in paragraph 12 of the resolution, is it the 'major player'? What does this phrase really mean? For the rest, it contradicts paragraph 2 of the same document, where it is rightly stated that water is a 'public good' to be kept 'under public control'.
In short, we are in the midst of a general crisis in our society's model of development yet we are still clinging to an idea of the market that appropriates nature itself for private gain. Lastly, there is another very weak point: the document contains no organisational proposal for world water management. The aforesaid memorandum did, however, outline a proposal for a world agency, which is repeated in one of the amendments that I will support with my vote.
(PL) Madam President, the 5th World Water Forum is an event which should be an opportunity to work on systems of public water management which will be effective, transparent, regulated and in keeping with the objectives of sustainable development for meeting the needs of society. A special role and special tasks in this area await local authorities. In addition, the food crisis has shown a need for the development of new techniques, such as for the irrigation of farming areas. At the same time, it is important to ensure that natural fertilisers are used, or fertilisers which are rapidly broken down in the soil and do not pass into underground waters.
Finally, how does the Commission intend to act upon the will of the European Parliament expressed in its resolution of 15 March on the Fourth World Water Forum, concerning support for and ways of jointly financing water management? The problem of water is the most important challenge faced by the world and by Europe.
(IT) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, my fellow Members are right, the figures are alarming and warrant serious reflection. Many, too many, people in the world are still denied their fundamental right to water. In recent years, regulation in this field has been significantly extended. At Istanbul, I would, however, like to see attention drawn to the need to rationalise the many international bodies that play a part in the governance, direction and control of world dynamics associated with water, whose activities and competences often overlap at present. This reform can be deferred no longer.
I also hope that the 5th World Water Forum will recognise the concept of water as a global public resource and that this idea will gain support, with consequent appropriate policies on its protection, on public ownership and on usage and distribution procedures.
(FR) Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I think that, together in this House, we have been repeating the same things for years.
I think everything has already been said about water, about this shared resource of mankind, and, unfortunately, it has to be said again because the situation is far from improving, rather the opposite. The latest United Nations report shows that, in fact, the situation seems to be getting worse. I therefore think that, despite the proposals that have been made and the policies that have been conducted by the European Union, which are a first step forward, we really need to go further than that because, without water, there is no life. We must also be aware that many populations, particularly countries we trade with and have dialogue with, have had their water supplies cut off or still do not have access to drinking water.
This is absolutely inadmissible and unacceptable. In my opinion, we really must support - and I think that the European Union must provide support at international level and at Istanbul - the status of water as a shared resource of mankind. It is not a commodity which can be sold or which could be sold by our multinational companies. That is really what we must fight for at Istanbul, and I think that our fellow Members will fight for it.
Madam President, I have listened to my colleagues quite rightly highlighting the shortage of water, lack of access to water, the diseases that come from that. All that is fundamentally important for this water forum.
I just wanted to raise the other side of that coin because those of us who were recently in Guyana with the ACP regional conference were made very aware of those countries which have too much water because of climate change. Mr Musacchio was talking about the climate change impact on water; how it can contaminate, how it can dry it up, lose the access, but here we have too much and we have to bear in mind what that does in terms of polluting water supplies and causing damage to crops and all the rest of it.
So we have, I believe, to add to this list for the water forum the issue of forestation/deforestation, because, unless we get that right, we will go on having floods as well as droughts.
Member of the Commission. - Madam President, nobody can underestimate the importance of water and the need to manage our water sources well. However, as I said in my introductory remarks, we also need to assist the poorer parts of the world in gaining access to clean drinking water. The Commission will continue to assist these countries.
Water is a primary human need, as was recognised and reaffirmed during the Fourth Water Forum in Mexico in 2006. Of course, as I said before, the EU will be represented and will put forward a strong case on all the points I have made at the forthcoming Forum in Istanbul.
Mr Bowis referred to another very important question - and I agree with him - namely that, because of climate change, we see other parts of the world being flooded with water. We really have to take action about that. As he said very clearly, forestation is one of the solutions to the problem.
I have received one motion for a resolutiontabled in accordance with Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place on Thursday, 12 March 2009.