Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-16-Speech-3-134"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000216.9.3-134"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I am very grateful for the two announcements and statements that Commissioner Verheugen has already made on the proposal for a Council Regulation on the implementation of measures within the framework of the pre-accession strategy.
Mr President-in-Office of the Council, I know that you are still full of good intentions regarding cooperation with the European Parliament. I hope that the Council as a whole will be of the same mind and that you will be able to give us the right answers to these questions.
There is no doubt that we must treat Malta and Cyprus as two candidates that must be accorded the same rights, politically, and also in terms of the pre-accession strategy, as the ten other States with whom we have commenced bilateral negotiations. I am sure that no one in this House doubts that it would be extraordinarily helpful in the process, if it were to prove possible to find a solution to the Cyprus question, and it is also clear that the European Union must play its part here. If the outcome of these negotiations were to be a united Cyprus of the kind outlined by the Commissioner, which was in a position to join the European Union, then we could count this a huge achievement.
On the other hand, we must also make it clear, of course, that there are other options, so as to avoid the possibility of creating something awkward that will ultimately land us in difficulties of the kind that will have us running into obstacles and remove our power to act in the overall enlargement process.
It is already clear from the various options that, in the context of the overall enlargement process, this will be one of the most delicate issues if not, ultimately, the most delicate issue, which we can perhaps expect to produce the most serious political difficulties.
I also consider it to be extremely important that this pre-accession strategy is being pursued in such a way that both communities in Cyprus are already being brought closer together. In comparison with the other applicant countries, Cyprus, like Malta, is a relatively rich country overall, but it must still be treated equally in some respects. We should turn this equal treatment of Cyprus to good account, so as to prevent the economic and social disparities between the Greek and the Turkish sectors becoming greater still and ultimately reducing the likelihood of unification even further. To my mind, that is why this pre-accession strategy has a special significance.
Therefore permit me very briefly to raise those points that Parliament deems important. I would like to thank the Commission for having adopted a clear stance with regard to categorisation within Category B7, insofar as it was able to in the previous decision-making process.
I hope that the Council will also take the necessary leap and submit these statements, for the European Parliament is well aware that this is a political issue. It follows from this that the pre-accession strategy will be homogeneous and even-handed in its approach, and we should also ensure that it is possible to quote total figures up until 2004, so as to guarantee a budget’s reliability, clarity and veracity in this respect as well. Owing to the manner in which this was handled hitherto, it cannot be brought into line with a normal budgetary process. I believe it is important that the European Parliament has made a positive contribution for this year nonetheless, because we do not want these countries to be disadvantaged in any way, and that is why we were prepared to make the necessary decisions for Budget 2000, but this can really only apply to this year. That is why it is important for the Council Presidency to draw up an appropriate statement, in the course of the deliberations over this report, which will enable us to transfer this issue to an orderly process, so as to end what to my mind is an unnecessary row.
I fully understand that problems of a mathematical nature may arise on account of Agenda 2000 and the funding that might be at our disposal. I would also like to state quite clearly that we could perhaps even discuss the figure of 130 million that was mentioned in my report. Parliament has also tabled an amendment for tomorrow based on a different amount, particularly as these countries are at a relatively advanced stage of development, as I said. However, these countries must be able to feel secure for the foreseeable future; they must know what is actually in store for them, and this must also be reflected in the European Parliament’s planning ability, as part of the budgetary authority."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples