Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-01-18-Speech-2-293"
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"en.20000118.10.2-293"2
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".
Mr President, I do not want to be misunderstood – I sincerely hope this does not happen – and I should therefore like to start by saying that I am, of course, in favour of combating fraud and firmly support the appropriate, necessary reforms.
This is not a straightforward issue and calls for a much more wide-ranging analysis, but I shall restrict myself to raising only a few points, in order to make people more aware, if possible, of what we are talking about. All the experts can provide information and news, formulate opinions and give advice, but, they have no political or elective responsibility, and rightly so. I nevertheless believe that politicians should look into what can be gleaned from an expert report and what cannot be taken
in a spirit which, on some occasions, I have felt in the past and still feel to be self-destructive.
I believe – and I shall only pick up on a few ideas
that Parliament alone, and no one else, can exert an influence over its Members. If this were not the case, the European Parliament’s authority and representativeness would be seriously undermined in the coming years, and this institution would not move forward, as it should.
It is just as important for no-one to be able to or have to refuse the European Parliament or its committees any documentation. Members of Parliament must possess the qualities of morality, discipline and discretion over delegated issues innately, and these certainly cannot be imposed on them by anyone else. I would point out that there is no European legal system, but that a different legal system exists in each Member State. We run the risk of delegating issues relating to the same offences which will then be punished in different ways. I agree that an investigation system should be introduced, but I am also absolutely convinced that we must recognise the right to equal respect for dignity and, in any case, the equal need for the right to a defence. I am opposed to European Community officials being accused of criminal acts at the drop of a hat: whistle-blowing is a method that has no place in the third millennium.
In conclusion, Mr President, Parliament must introduce a principle of democracy: we must implement reforms which allow Parliament to grow and expand its powers, not go into reverse."@en1
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