Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-11-16-Speech-4-040"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-11-16"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Public access to documents of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20001116.2.4-040"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-11-16-Speech-4-0412
lpv:speaker	lp:Margrietus van den Berg2
lpv:spokenAs	member; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico (1999-10-06--2002-01-14)3 vice-chair; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; AFCO (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Partij van de Arbeid (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Committee on Development and Cooperation (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (1999-09-14--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, there is a yawning gap between Parliament’s position and those of the Council and the Commission. This gap is symbolic of the distance between the European Union and its citizens. Our people regard Europe as being undemocratic, a place where decisions are taken behind closed doors. The gap is also becoming a democratic deficit in Europe. At the end of the day, exchange of information is an essential foundation of modern democracy, which is nurtured by public debate, media and public control and the contribution of social organisations. Parliament’s proposals bridge this gap. I would also emphasise that the vast majority of MEPs support the proposals, and that includes delegates whose own countries may be less familiar with the tradition of openness. I regard this consensus throughout Parliament as a great achievement, enabling us to demonstrate that this has become a Europe-wide fight for European democracy. I would conclude that the Council committed a serious error in July when it categorically declared all documents about military affairs secret. This decision illustrates just how far we still have to go before Europe actually has a democratically controlled security and defence policy. That is why Parliament is calling for European security and defence policy to be embedded in the structures of the European Commission in future. Firstly, we must tackle the insupportable decision taken by the Council. Naturally Parliament recognises the need to keep certain military matters secret, but only if this is done on the basis of an assessment of the content of each individual document, and with the aid of verifiable criteria and procedures. Parliamentary control of secret documents could then take place via a parliamentary select committee. Mr President, access to documents is fundamentally important to our European democracy. The Council and the Commission must deliver the goods with interest in the negotiations due to take place in the coming weeks. Otherwise, the Social Democratic Group, along with others, will endeavour to enforce this right to information by having recourse to the law."@en1

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