Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-06-11-Speech-2-161"
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"en.20020611.9.2-161"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, Mr de Miguel, the outcome of the preparatory meeting held in Bali has been a disappointment. The fact that the various nations proved incapable of overcoming their national self-interest makes us extremely apprehensive about the outcome of the Johannesburg Conference. There is even a definite feeling in the air, it could be said, that failure is a real possibility. Given the degradation of the environment and of social conditions that we have been seeing, the Johannesburg Summit is crucial to producing a blueprint for a more harmonious planet. Failure would not only be unacceptable but also an outrage. We must build bridges in order to save this Conference, but, and let me state this clearly, in the run-up to Johannesburg many countries are adopting a blocking approach, others a more passive approach and I do not believe I am far off the mark in saying that, objectively, only the European Union is setting off for Johannesburg with the desire to give an ambitious worldwide commitment to sustainable development.
Against this backdrop, and because we cannot waste the kind of opportunity we have not had for ten years and which is unlikely to be repeated in the next ten, the European Union must play a leading role. This applied to the Kyoto Protocol, and must apply to the Johannesburg Summit. The EU must demonstrate leadership that results in the definition of concrete policies, timetables and targets in fields such as biodiversity, the ‘greening’ of the economy, financing for developing countries, energy, water and trade.
This leadership cannot be underpinned, however, by institutional imbalance, with the Commission and the Council on one side and the European Parliament on the other. We must learn from the mistakes, but also from the successes of the past. The role of the European Parliament delegations such as, for example, at the decisive conferences for the Kyoto Protocol, in The Hague, Bonn and in Marrakech, a role, as a matter of fact highlighted by the Commission and the Council, leads us to think that we need to give the European Parliament a more fitting role for this Johannesburg Summit.
Consequently, out of respect for the citizens that we represent here, I believe it is crucial that the European Parliament has the right not only to send a delegation of 25 Members of this House, but also and above all the right to have its representatives participate in the daily European Union coordinating meetings. The European Parliament does not want to negotiate – we are familiar with the Treaties. It is not the European Parliament’s task to negotiate, but we do want Parliament, the Commission and the Council to maintain unity in Johannesburg and in order for this to help make the Conference a success, it is essential that Parliament has the right to participate in these European Union coordinating meetings."@en1
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