Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-21-Speech-4-051"
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"en.20000921.2.4-051"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, what is this debate actually about? Quite simply, it is about the difficult task of finding a position which the European Union, i.e. the European Parliament, can agree on as regards a strategy for dealing with racism, and then representing this position at the world conference. The Commissioner has made constructive proposals on a sensitive issue, as has the author of the motion for a resolution, Mrs Ludford, and we will support them in this. But this debate should never be misused for other purposes. I am sorry to say that certain delegates have repeatedly done exactly that; for example there is one who only makes reference to one region in the fight against racism, thereby giving an exaggerated impression of the problems which exist on a European and worldwide scale.
Mr Ford defamed my country, Austria, in his statement. He told me he had not read the Wise Men’s report, but that did not stop him from writing in his statement, with reference to the report of the Three Wise Men, that the problems of racism and xenophobia would endure. Had he read the report, he would have found that that is patently untrue. There are no problems there of the kind he describes. On the contrary, the report registers a very positive response to the government, because it is pursuing successful counter-strategies, some of which go beyond the standards set by other EU countries. I have here motions for resolutions that call, in general terms, for budgetary lines to be increased, without saying to what end, and without specifying which activities are to be the beneficiaries of this funding. Some of the demands are excessive, such as those calling for the level of immigration to be increased, and for illegal entrants to the Union to be placed on an equal legal footing. These are all things that work people into a state of panic, given the sensitivity of the issue. What we really need is a plan for tackling the root causes, immigration policy strategies that take account of integration capacity, and of an individual Member State’s absorption capacity, also strategies leading to a common asylum policy which help refugees whilst tackling abuse, and measures promoting integration.
We ought not to be so superficial and submissive in our dealings with this issue. The matter is far too serious for that. As I see it, there is a great deal to be done, and those who want to work constructively on this issue are invited to take the proposals put forward by Commissioner Diamantopoulou and Mrs Ludford as their true example, and to disregard, or give a wide berth to unsuitable debates in plenary session, with a view to making progress in this area."@en1
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