Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-06-Speech-3-337"
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"en.20000906.12.3-337"2
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".
Mr President, I believe that today we are witnessing an important act. We are coming to the end of a long road on which there has been a long battle, long discussions, but in the end, some positive agreements and constructive positions on the part of the three institutions, the Council, Parliament and the Commission, which have made this agreement possible. As with any agreement, some will think it too little, others too much, but there is a middle point, a balance that is acceptable for the diverging points of view of those who have worked all this time.
Furthermore, they have carried out serious work on a highly complex subject. On behalf of my colleague, Mrs Wallström, I would like thank Mrs Lienemann for her kind words. As rapporteur for all this work, she has played a leading part and carried out a colossal task, with the persistence and tenacity of her principles which, combined with a dose of realism, have enabled this agreement to be reached.
As she herself points out, and this is no minor issue, a subject such as water demonstrates the diversity of Europe, with its radically differing characteristics between countries. In some countries, vast expanses have under 400 millimetres per year, that is, semi-arid zones, while in others the average far exceeds 2 500 or 3 000 millimetres. The focal point of this directive, in which water is considered as a whole, a total flow, with no distinction between surface and groundwater, which is the mistake that was made for a long time, is the right focal point and implies a step forward. The effort to keep our aquifers in the European Union as clean as possible, or as unpolluted as possible, is a key effort if we want to guarantee balanced development, sustainable development and a habitable Europe for future generations.
On this subject, I have to say that a moment ago one of the Members referred to conversations between two European leaders. Yes, some may still pollute their aquifers, but some have been polluting them for some time, for example with huge pig farms. I do not want to go into detail, but people in glass houses should not throw stones.
Mr President, I would like to point out that monitoring and follow-up are essential to this directive. Monitoring and follow-up that, subsequent to the flexibility and realistic approach that abound in all the articles of the directive, will undoubtedly allow us to guarantee the cleanliness of our water. This is absolutely essential as, in short, there is no life without clean water."@en1
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