Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-12-13-Speech-3-341"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech⁶
dcterms:Date	"2006-12-13"^^xsd:date⁶
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Euroopa Ülemkogu ettevalmistamine (14.-15. detsember 2006) (arutelu jätkamine)⁶
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language⁶
lpv:document identification number	"en.20061213.37.3-341"⁶
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2006-12-13-Speech-3-342⁶
lpv:speaker	lp:Timothy Kirkhope⁶
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@en⁴
lpv:spokenAs	member; LIBE (2004-07-21--2007-01-14)²² unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)²² substitute; Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners (2006-01-19--2007-02-14)²² substitute; AFCO (2004-07-22--2007-01-14)²² substitute; Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)²² member_of_the_bureau; EPP-ED (2005-03-09--2008-01-07)²² member; Delegation for relations with the People's Republic of China (2004-09-15--2007-03-13)²²
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@cs¹ "Hr. formand! Rådet mødes i denne uge for at drøfte en række vigtige spørgsmål, der vil fortsætte ind i det næste formandskab. For det første vil det finske formandskab rapportere om sine uformelle samtaler med medlemsstaterne om den europæiske forfatnings fremtid. Jeg håber, at diskussionen om dette spørgsmål bliver åben og gennemsigtig, og at det samme vil gælde for Rådet. Vi ved, at der findes meget store forbehold over for at gå videre med forfatningen i en række lande. Den britiske regering har udsendt blandede signaler og virker dybt splittet, den afgående nederlandske regering ønsker ikke endnu en folkeafstemning, mens den tyske regering ønsker at bevare mest mulig af den nuværende forfatning. Derfor føler jeg med formandskabet, når det skal i gang med at arbejde med denne sag. Men en ting er helt klar: Der er virkelig meget begrænset entusiasme for den. Medlemmerne af ALDE-Gruppen bedes bemærke udtalelsen fra lederen af de Liberale Demokrater i Storbritannien, som i går beskrev det som et "torteret dokument". Gad vide, om hr. Duff er enig i det. Jeg beder om, at vi nu går videre og begynder at fokusere på en virkelig reformdagsorden, hvor vi virkelig gør Den Europæiske Union mere udadskuende, fleksibel og konkurrencedygtig. Jeg mener, at dette også er vejen til at genoprette tilliden til Europa - og vi skal bestemt ikke basere os på PSE-brochurerne, som snart vil blive glemt. Rådet drøftede også idéerne til fremtidige retlige og indre anliggender. Det er klart, at vi ikke i tilstrækkelig grad har udforsket mulighederne for at forbedre det mellemstatslige samarbejde. Vi må nu komme videre med dette her og finde nye metoder til at få denne vej til at fungere bedre. Jeg håber, at vi også vil tage hr. Barrosos bemærkninger til os, hvor han sagde, at han gerne ser en fremskyndelse af strukturreformerne i Europa. Han har ret. Det er den form for praktisk initiativ, der vil forbedre Europas status i befolkningens øjne, og jeg er bestemt tilhænger af det."@da² "Herr Präsident! Der Rat kommt diese Woche zusammen, um einige bedeutende Fragen zu erörtern, die während des kommenden Ratsvorsitzes noch nachklingen werden. Zunächst wird der finnische Ratsvorsitz über seine informellen Anhörungen der Mitgliedstaaten über die Zukunft der europäischen Verfassung berichten. Hoffentlich wird diese Diskussion offen und transparent geführt – so wie auch der Rat sein sollte. Wir wissen, dass in einigen Ländern sehr ernste Bedenken hinsichtlich des weiteren Vorgehens bei der Verfassung herrschen. Die britische Regierung hat ganz unterschiedliche Signale ausgesendet und scheint tief gespalten zu sein, die scheidende niederländische Regierung lehnt ein weiteres Referendum ab, während die deutsche Regierung so viel wie möglich von der derzeitigen Verfassung beibehalten will. Daher kann ich den Ratsvorsitz verstehen, was die Arbeit betrifft, die er in dieser Angelegenheit in Angriff nehmen muss. Eines ist jedoch völlig klar: Die Begeisterung für den Verfassungsvertrag hält sich sehr in Grenzen. Die Mitglieder der ALDE-Fraktion interessieren vielleicht die Worte des Vorsitzenden der britischen Liberaldemokraten, der die Verfassung gestern als „gefoltertes Dokument“ beschrieb. Ich frage mich, ob Herr Duff dem zustimmen würde. Ich bitte darum, dass wir jetzt weitermachen und damit beginnen, uns auf eine echte Reformagenda zu konzentrieren, die dafür sorgt, dass die Europäische Union sich wirklich mehr nach außen richtet und flexibler und wettbewerbsfähiger wird. Ich bin davon überzeugt, dass so auch das Vertrauen in Europa wiederhergestellt werden kann – das sicher nicht dadurch geschaffen wird, dass wir uns auf PSE-Broschüren verlassen, die noch früh genug in Vergessenheit geraten werden. Der Rat hat sich auch mit Ideen für die Zukunft des Bereichs Justiz und Inneres befasst. Es ist klar, dass wir die Möglichkeiten für eine bessere Zusammenarbeit der Regierungen nicht ausreichend untersucht haben. Wir sollten dies nun tun und nach innovativen Möglichkeiten suchen, mit denen dies besser funktioniert. Ich hoffe, dass wir uns auch mit den Äußerungen von Herrn Barroso beschäftigen werden, der sagte, dass er eine Beschleunigung der Strukturreformen in Europa befürworten würde. Damit hat er Recht. Durch eine praktische Initiative dieser Art wird sich das Ansehen Europas bei den Menschen verbessern, was ich natürlich begrüße."@de⁹ "Κύριε Πρόεδρε, το Συμβούλιο θα συνεδριάσει αυτήν την εβδομάδα για να συζητήσει μια σειρά σημαντικών θεμάτων τα οποία θα απασχολήσουν και την προσεχή Προεδρία. Πρώτον, η φινλανδική Προεδρία θα ενημερώσει σχετικά με τις άτυπες διαβουλεύσεις της με τα κράτη μέλη όσον αφορά το μέλλον του Ευρωπαϊκού Συντάγματος. Ευελπιστώ ότι η συζήτηση αυτού του θέματος θα διεξαχθεί κατά τρόπο ανοικτό και διαφανή, όπως οφείλει το Συμβούλιο. Γνωρίζουμε ότι εκφράζονται πολύ σοβαρές επιφυλάξεις ως προς την προώθηση του Συντάγματος σε ορισμένες χώρες. Η βρετανική κυβέρνηση εκπέμπει ανάμικτα μηνύματα και εμφανίζεται βαθύτατα διχασμένη, η απερχόμενη ολλανδική κυβέρνηση δεν επιθυμεί νέο δημοψήφισμα, ενώ η γερμανική κυβέρνηση επιθυμεί να διατηρήσει όσο το δυνατόν περισσότερα από τα στοιχεία του σημερινού Συντάγματος. Κατανοώ, συνεπώς, τη θέση της Προεδρίας όσον αφορά το έργο που καλείται να επιτελέσει σε αυτόν τον τομέα. Ένα πράγμα, όμως, είναι σαφές: υπάρχει ελάχιστος ενθουσιασμός για το Σύνταγμα. Τα μέλη της Ομάδας των Φιλελευθέρων πρέπει ίσως να λάβουν υπόψη τη δήλωση του βρετανού ηγέτη των Φιλελευθέρων Δημοκρατών, ο οποίος το χαρακτήρισε εχθές «βασανισμένο έγγραφο». Αναρωτιέμαι αν συμφωνεί με αυτό ο κ. Duff. Απηύθηνα έκκληση να αφήσουμε πίσω μας αυτό το θέμα και να εστιάσουμε την προσοχή μας σε μια πραγματική ατζέντα μεταρρυθμίσεων, η οποία θα καθιστά όντως την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση πιο εξωστρεφή, ευέλικτη και ανταγωνιστική. Κατά τη γνώμη μου, με αυτόν επίσης τον τρόπο θα μπορέσουμε να αποκαταστήσουμε την εμπιστοσύνη στην Ευρώπη – και όχι ασφαλώς αν στηριζόμαστε στα φυλλάδια του Κόμματος των Ευρωπαίων Σοσιαλιστών, τα οποία θα έχουν ξεχαστεί πολύ σύντομα. Το Συμβούλιο συζήτησε επίσης ιδέες σχετικά με το μέλλον του τομέα δικαιοσύνης και εσωτερικών υποθέσεων. Είναι σαφές ότι δεν έχουμε εξετάσει επαρκώς τρόπους βελτίωσης της διακυβερνητικής συνεργασίας. Πρέπει τώρα να προχωρήσουμε προς αυτήν την κατεύθυνση και να αναζητήσουμε καινοτόμους τρόπους βελτίωσης της λειτουργικότητας ενός τέτοιου συστήματος. Ευελπιστώ ότι θα λάβουμε επίσης σοβαρά υπόψη τα σχόλια του κ. Barroso, ο οποίος δήλωσε ότι επιθυμεί την επιτάχυνση των διαρθρωτικών μεταρρυθμίσεων στην Ευρώπη. Έχει δίκιο. Μόνο τέτοιες πρακτικές πρωτοβουλίες θα βελτιώσουν την εικόνα που έχουν οι πολίτες για την Ευρώπη, και εγώ τουλάχιστον την επικροτώ."@el¹⁰ "Señor Presidente, el Consejo se reúne esta semana para deliberar sobre una serie de temas importantes que tendrán eco en la siguiente Presidencia. En primer lugar, la Presidencia finlandesa informará sobre las consultas informales que ha evacuado con los Estados miembros sobre el futuro de la Constitución europea. Espero que el debate sobre este tema sea franco y transparente, como deberían ser siempre los Consejos. Sabemos que la Constitución despierta reservas muy serias en varios países. El Gobierno británico ha emitido señales contradictorias y parece profundamente dividido, el Gobierno neerlandés saliente no desea celebrar otro referendo, mientras que el Gobierno alemán desea mantener todo lo que sea posible de la actual Constitución. Por ello, compadezco a la Presidencia por la labor que deberá desarrollar a este respecto. Sin embargo, una cosa no deja lugar a dudas: la Constitución realmente despierta muy poco entusiasmo. Los miembros del Grupo ALDE deberían tomar nota de las palabras del dirigente liberal demócrata británico, que ayer la calificó de «documento atormentado». Me pregunto si el señor Duff estaría de acuerdo con ello. Pido que sigamos adelante y comencemos a centrarnos en el programa de reformas, un programa que haga que la Unión Europea mire más al exterior y sea más flexible y competitiva. Creo igualmente que ese es el camino para restaurar la confianza en Europa, y no basarnos en los panfletos del PSE que pronto caerán en el olvido. El Consejo debatió igualmente ideas sobre el futuro de la justicia y los asuntos de interior. Es evidente que no hemos explorado todas las formas de mejorar la cooperación intergubernamental. Ahora debemos ponernos a hacerlo y buscar maneras innovadoras para que esta vía funcione mejor. Espero que también tengamos en cuenta las observaciones del señor Barroso, que ha dicho que le gustaría que se aceleraran las reformas estructurales en Europa. Y tiene razón. Esas son las iniciativas prácticas que mejorarán la imagen de Europa ante los ciudadanos, y yo, por mi parte, sin duda las acojo con agrado."@es²⁰ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@et⁵ "Arvoisa puhemies, neuvosto kokoontuu tällä viikolla keskustellakseen useista tärkeistä kysymyksistä, jotka vaikuttavat seuraavaan puheenjohtajuuskauteen. Ensinnäkin puheenjohtajavaltio Suomi raportoi epämuodollisista kuulemisistaan, jotka koskevat EU:n perustuslain tulevaisuutta. Toivon, että tästä aiheesta käydään avointa keskustelua – aivan kuten neuvostonkin pitäisi toimia avoimesti. Tiedämme, että perustuslakiprosessin jatkamiseen suhtaudutaan monissa jäsenvaltioissa hyvin varauksellisesti. Yhdistyneen kuningaskunnan hallitus on antanut asiasta ristiriitaisia viestejä ja näyttää olevan hyvin erimielinen sen suhteen. Toimikautensa pian päättävä Hollannin hallitus ei halua järjestää uutta kansanäänestystä, ja Saksan hallitus haluaa pitää perustuslain mahdollisimman pitkälti nykyisessä muodossaan. Tunnen siis myötätuntoa puheenjohtajavaltiota kohtaan, sillä sen on jatkettava työskentelyä asian parissa. Yksi asia on kuitenkin varsin selvä: perustuslakiin ei suhtauduta kovinkaan suurella innolla. ALDE-ryhmän jäseniä saattaisi kiinnostaa Britannian liberaalidemokraattien johtajan sanat – hän kuvaili eilen perustuslakia sanoilla "kidutettu asiakirja". Haluaisinpa tietää, onko jäsen Duff asiasta samaa mieltä. Pyydän, että etenisimme asiassa ja keskittyisimme todelliseen uudistusohjelmaan, jolla Euroopan unionista tehtäisiin aidosti ulospäin suuntautuneempi, joustavampi ja kilpailukykyisempi. Katson, että tämä on myös hyvä tapa palauttaa luottamus Euroopan unioniin – sen sijaan, että tukeutuisimme PSE:n kirjasiin, jotka jäävät pian jo unohduksiin. Neuvosto keskusteli myös oikeus- ja sisäasioiden tulevaisuutta koskevista ajatuksista. On selvää, ettemme ole tarkastelleet riittävästi tapoja, joilla voisimme tehostaa hallitustenvälistä yhteistyötä. Meidän on nyt edettävä tässä asiassa ja etsittävä innovatiivisia tapoja tehostaa tätä yhteistyömuotoa. Toivon, että otamme huomioon myös komission puheenjohtajan Barroson huomautukset siitä, että hän haluaisi nähdä EU:n rakennemuutosten nopeutuvan. Hän on oikeassa. Tämä on juuri sellainen käytännön aloite, joka nostaa EU:n arvoa kansalaisten silmissä, ja ainakin minä omalta osaltani kannatan sitä varmasti."@fi⁷ "Monsieur le Président, le Conseil se réunit cette semaine pour discuter de plusieurs questions importantes qui auront des implications pour la prochaine présidence. Premièrement, la présidence finlandaise a prévu de rendre compte de ses consultations informelles avec les États membres sur l’avenir de la Constitution européenne. J’espère que la discussion à ce sujet sera ouverte et transparente, tout comme le Conseil devrait l’être. Nous sommes au courant des réserves considérables que l’on observe dans plusieurs pays européens en ce qui concerne les suites à donner à la Constitution. Le gouvernement britannique a envoyé des signaux mitigés et apparaît profondément divisé, le gouvernement néerlandais sortant s’oppose à tout autre référendum, tandis que le gouvernement allemand souhaite conserver au maximum le texte actuel de la Constitution. Je souhaite dès lors bon courage à la présidence au regard du travail qu’elle devra entreprendre dans ce domaine. Toutefois, une chose est sûre: on ne peut guère parler d’enthousiasme pour la Constitution. Les membres du groupe ALDE feraient bien d’écouter les propos tenus par le chef de file des démocrates libéraux britanniques, qui, hier, l’a qualifiée de «document massacré». Je me demande si M. Duff acquiescera en entendant cela. Je plaide pour que nous commencions immédiatement à mettre sur pied un véritable programme de réformes, qui rendra réellement l’Union européenne plus ouverte sur l’extérieur, flexible et compétitive. Je pense que c’est également de cette manière que nous pourrons restaurer la confiance dans l’Europe, et certainement pas en comptant sur les brochures du PSE, dont on ne se souviendra plus d’ici peu. Le Conseil a également débattu d’idées relatives à l’avenir de la justice et des affaires intérieures. Il est incontestable que nous n’avons pas suffisamment étudié les différentes options qui se présentent pour améliorer la coopération intergouvernementale. Il est temps de nous y atteler et de chercher des manières innovantes pour rendre cette voie plus efficace. J’espère que nous tiendrons également compte des remarques de M. Barroso, qui s’est dit favorable à une accélération des réformes structurelles en Europe. Il a raison. Tel est le genre d’initiative pratique qui redorera le blason de l’Europe aux yeux des citoyens et que je ne peux qu’applaudir des deux mains."@fr⁸ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@hu¹¹ "Signor Presidente, questa settimana il Consiglio si riunisce per discutere di numerose importanti questioni che riecheggeranno nel corso della prossima Presidenza. Innanzi tutto, la Presidenza finlandese riferirà circa le consultazioni informali con gli Stati membri sul futuro della Costituzione europea. Mi auguro che la discussione al riguardo sia aperta e trasparente, come dev’essere il Consiglio. Sappiamo che vi sono riserve molto forti su come procedere in merito alla Costituzione in numerosi paesi. Il governo britannico ha inviato messaggi ambigui e appare profondamente diviso, il governo olandese uscente non vuole un altro mentre il governo tedesco vuole mantenere il più possibile dell’attuale Costituzione. Pertanto sono solidale con la Presidenza nel lavoro che dovrà intraprendere al riguardo. Un fatto, tuttavia, è molto chiaro: vi è davvero scarso entusiasmo al riguardo. I deputati del gruppo ALDE noteranno forse le parole del dei democratici liberali britannici, che ieri l’ha descritto come un “documento martoriato”. Mi domando se l’onorevole Duff sarebbe d’accordo. Lancio un appello ad andare avanti e iniziare a concentrarci su un vero programma di riforma, che davvero renda l’Unione più orientata verso l’esterno, flessibile e competitiva. Credo che questo sia anche il modo di riportare la fiducia in Europa – non certo affidandosi ai libelli del PSE, che ben presto verranno dimenticati. Il Consiglio ha altresì discusso di alcune idee circa il futuro di giustizia e affari interni. E’ chiaro che non abbiamo esaminato a sufficienza il modo di migliorare la cooperazione intergovernativa. Ora dobbiamo andare avanti con questo, cerando modi innovativi per far funzionare meglio questo percorso. Mi auguro che accoglieremo anche i commenti del Presidente Barroso, che ha detto di voler vedere un’accelerazione delle riforme strutturali in Europa. Ha ragione. E’ questo il genere d’iniziativa pratica che migliorerà la posizione dell’Europa agli occhi dei cittadini, cui, per parte mia, senza dubbio accordo il mio plauso."@it¹² "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@lt¹⁴ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@lv¹³ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@mt¹⁵ "Mijnheer de Voorzitter, de Raad komt deze week bijeen om een aantal belangrijke zaken te bespreken, zaken die zullen doorklinken in het volgende voorzitterschap. Ten eerste zal het Finse voorzitterschap verslag uitbrengen over het informele overleg met de lidstaten over de toekomst van de Europese Grondwet. Ik hoop dat het debat hierover open en transparant zal zijn, zoals het de Raad betaamt. Wij weten dat er in een aantal landen ernstige voorbehouden bestaan over de vraag of men moet voortgaan met de Grondwet. De Britse regering heeft tegenstrijdige signalen afgegeven en lijkt sterk verdeeld; de uittredende Nederlandse regering wil geen tweede referendum en de Duitse regering wil zoveel mogelijk van de huidige Grondwet behouden. Het voorzitterschap zal dus geen eenvoudige taak hebben, en ik voel dan ook met hem mee. Nochtans is een zaak erg duidelijk: er is werkelijk zeer weinig enthousiasme voor de Grondwet. Misschien kunnen de leden van de ALDE-Fractie even nadenken over de woorden van de Britse leider van de Liberal Democrats, die de Grondwet gisteren beschreef als een ‘gekweld document’. Ik vraag mij af of de heer Duff het hiermee zou eens zijn. Ik pleit er dan ook voor dat wij een stap vooruit zetten en ons bezighouden met een echte hervormingsagenda, een agenda waardoor de Europese Unie in staat wordt gesteld zich meer bezig te houden met de buitenwereld en soepeler en concurrentiëler te worden. Ik geloof dat wij zo het vertrouwen in Europa zullen kunnen herstellen - wat beslist niet zal gebeuren als wij onze hoop vestigen op de brochures van de Europese Socialistische Partij, die trouwens toch erg snel in de vergetelheid geraken. De Raad heeft ook enkele ideeën besproken over de toekomst van justitie en binnenlandse zaken. Het is duidelijk dat wij niet voldoende onderzocht hebben hoe wij de intergouvernementele samenwerking kunnen verbeteren. Wij moeten hiervan nu werk maken en zoeken naar innovatieve oplossingen om dit beter te doen werken. Ik hoop dat wij ook rekening zullen houden met de opmerkingen van de heer Barroso, die zei dat hij graag een versnelling zou zien van de structurele hervormingen in Europa. Hij heeft gelijk. Precies dergelijke praktische initiatieven zullen het aanzien van Europa bij de bevolking doen toenemen, en ik kan deze dan ook alleen maar toejuichen."@nl³ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@pl¹⁶ "Senhor Presidente, o Conselho reúne esta semana para debater um série de importantes temas que vão repercutir-se na próxima Presidência. Em primeiro lugar, a Presidência finlandesa vai dar conta das suas consultas informais com Estados-Membros acerca do futuro da Constituição Europeia. Espero que a discussão sobre o tema seja aberta e transparente, tal como Conselho deveria ser. Sabemos que, numa série de países, existem sérias reservas sobre o prosseguimento da Constituição. O Governo britânico tem dados sinais confusos a este respeito e parece fortemente dividido, o Governo holandês cessante não quer outro referendo, enquanto o Governo alemão quer manter o máximo possível da actual Constituição. Por isso estou solidário com a Presidência, relativamente ao trabalho que vai desenvolver em relação a este tema. No entanto, um aspecto está muito claro: o entusiasmo existente é muito pouco. O Grupo ALDE talvez goste saber o que disse a este respeito o líder britânico dos liberais e democratas, que, ontem, a descrevia com um “documento torturado”. Gostava se saber se o senhor deputado Duff concorda com a descrição. O meu pedido é de que avencemos e comecemos a prestar a nossa atenção a uma agenda real de reformas, uma agenda que genuinamente torne a União Europeia mais extrovertida, mais flexível e mais competitiva. Creio que esta será igualmente a forma de restaurar a confiança na Europa – certamente sem ter de olhar para os livrinhos do PSE que dentro em breve estarão esquecidos. O Conselho debateu igualmente ideias sobre o futuro da justiça e dos assuntos internos. Está perfeitamente claro que não explorámos suficientemente as formas de desenvolver a cooperação intergovernamental. Deveríamos agora prosseguir nesse sentido, buscando modos inovadores de fazer esse desígnio funcionar melhor. Espero que tomemos em conta os comentários do Senhor Presidente Barroso, quando disse que gostaria de assistir a uma agilização das reformas estruturais na Europa. Tem razão, pois é o tipo de iniciativa que irá melhorar o posicionamento da Europa aos olhos da população e, pela minha parte, aplaudo sem quaisquer dúvidas."@pt¹⁷ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@sk¹⁸ "Mr President, the Council meets this week to discuss a number of important issues that are going to resonate into the next Presidency. Firstly, the Finnish Presidency will report on its informal consultations with Member States on the future of the European Constitution. I hope that discussion on this matter will be open and transparent, as the Council should be. We know that there are very serious reservations about proceeding with the Constitution in a number of countries. The British Government has given mixed signals and appears deeply divided, the outgoing Dutch Government does not want another referendum, whilst the German Government wishes to retain as much of the current Constitution as possible. I therefore sympathise with the Presidency in the work it will have to take on in regard to this matter. However, one thing is very clear: there really is little enthusiasm for it. ALDE Group Members may care to note the words of the British Liberal Democrat leader, who yesterday described it as a ‘tortured document’. I wonder whether Mr Duff would agree with that. I make a plea that we should now move on and start focusing on a real reform agenda, one that genuinely makes the European Union more outward-looking, flexible and competitive. I believe that is also the way to restore confidence in Europe – and certainly not relying on PSE booklets, which will soon enough be forgotten. The Council also discussed ideas on the future of justice and home affairs. It is clear that we have not sufficiently explored ways of improving intergovernmental cooperation. We should now get on with this and seek innovative ways of making that route work better. I hope that we will also take on board the remarks of Mr Barroso, who said he would like to see a speeding-up of structural reforms in Europe. He is right. That is the kind of practical initiative that will improve Europe’s standing in the eyes of the people, and I for one certainly applaud it."@sl¹⁹ "Herr talman! I veckan sammanträder rådet för att diskutera ett antal viktiga frågor som kommer att påverka nästa ordförandeskap. För det första kommer det finländska ordförandeskapet att rapportera om sina informella samråd med medlemsstaterna om framtiden för EU:s konstitution. Jag hoppas att diskussionerna om den här frågan kommer att vara öppna och ärliga, vilket också rådet bör vara. Vi vet att det i ett antal medlemsstater finns allvarliga invändningar mot ett fortsatt arbete med konstitutionen. Den brittiska regeringen har gett blandade signaler och verkar djupt delad, den avgående nederländska regeringen vill inte ha en ny folkomröstning och den tyska regeringen vill behålla så mycket om möjligt av den nuvarande konstitutionen. Jag har därför förståelse för det arbete som ordförandeskapet kommer att behöva göra i den här frågan. En sak är dock väldigt tydlig: entusiasmen för detta är verkligen låg. Ledamöterna i ALDE-gruppen bör notera orden från ledaren för de brittiska liberala demokraterna som igår beskrev det som ett ”förvrängt dokument”. Jag undrar om Andrew Duff skulle hålla med om det. Min vädjan är att vi nu går vidare och börjar fokusera på en riktig reformagenda, en som på allvar gör Europeiska unionen utåtsträvande, flexibel och konkurrenskraftig. Jag tror också att vi på så vis kan återskapa förtroendet för Europa, något som verkligen inte kan göras med PSE-broschyrer som snart glöms bort. Rådet diskuterade också framtida idéer om rättsliga och inrikes frågor. Det är uppenbart att vi inte har utforskat möjligheterna för att förbättra det mellanstatliga samarbetet tillräckligt. Vi bör nu fortsätta det arbetet och försöka hitta innovativa vägar för att få samarbetet att fungera bättre. Jag hoppas också att vi kommer att beakta José Manuel Barrosos kommentarer om att han vill påskynda de strukturella reformerna i Europa. Han har rätt. Det är den typen av praktiska initiativ som kommer att förbättra EU:s anseende i folkets ögon, och jag för min del applåderar utan tvekan det."@sv²¹
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Timothy Kirkhope (PPE-DE ). –"^{5,19,15,1,18,14,16,11,13,4} "leader"¹² "referendum"¹²