Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-09-16-Speech-4-112"
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"en.19990916.7.4-112"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, at a time when we are declaring that, together with the new Commission, we must give a central role to the European Parliament, it is only natural that we should consider relaunching Parliament’s foreign policy at the same time.
The crisis in Russia gives us that opportunity. Indeed, at a time when the international community and the world press are emphasising the importance of the scandal taking place in Russia, we must take the initiatives necessary for understanding the gravity of this scandal, the explanations of the Russian Government regarding these accusations and our position with regard to the Community’s financial aid for Russia.
Of course, Commissioner Kinnock’s report is studied and significant, but above all we need to consider the political aspect of what is happening in Russia at the moment. In the near future, all this could destabilise international politics and also the Community’s trade relations with Russia itself, not to mention the serious consequences for the Community’s entrepreneurs who have invested in this country.
We must remember that the current scandals are rocking the Russian Nomenclature and institutional representatives. Moreover, the United States decided in Congress to launch an inquiry to ascertain the use of money given as financial aid to Russia and whether it has been used instead in an illegal way.
Having said this, the Community’s Institutions must, in my opinion, ask the competent Russian authorities to clarify how funds intended for the development of the country and for its food crisis were used.
The services of the Commission, which oversaw the aid to Russia, are drawing up a report on the way the funds were used. In short, they are requesting a committee of inquiry, made up of the Council, the Commission, the European Parliament, the EIB and the EBRD which will verify how much aid was sent to Russia, which funds were used and if it was spent in the planned way. Take the TACIS programme for example. Just yesterday, President Prodi referred to the concept of transparency in his Commission and at the same time, co-operation with the European Parliament.
If this is the first commitment, we must immediately clarify our relations with Russia and clarify the bilateral relations between the Community and the Russian Government. If we do all this, we will give our institution political significance and we will regain credibility in the eyes of the world."@en1
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