Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-07-02-Speech-2-077"
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"en.20020702.4.2-077"2
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".
Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, today’s debate has highlighted a number of essential issues tackled by the Spanish Presidency, with regard to which I would like to make a few brief remarks.
As regards the three-year programme, the three institutions will have to reflect together on how to put this new idea to good use and how to avoid it becoming just a bureaucratic exercise. In this context, it would be useful to reflect on how the length of the programme and the length of the current term of the institutions can be reconciled and made as uniform as possible.
One last comment, in answer to another question from Mr Imbeni. I would like to take this opportunity to remember the expressions of great appreciation and esteem as well as of sorrow which were voiced in this House after the death of Professor Marco Biagi, who was barbarously murdered by terrorists.
The first point concerned further debate on the issue of terrorism. It has become clear that only close cooperation at European level can resolve the problems, and tangible progress has been made in the last six months on readmissions, on joint border control operations and on the joint visa system. Terrorism cannot be overcome through isolated measures: coordinated action is required, which it is our duty to take at European level.
Another series of problems mentioned concerned international aid and the forthcoming Johannesburg Summit. I would like to focus briefly on this point for, after today’s and tomorrow’s debates, we will not meet again before this extremely important event at the end of August. With Monterrey and Kananaskis, the trend of constantly decreasing Third World aid has, to some extent, been reversed during these six months. I say “to some extent” because although, on the one hand, I welcome the fact that there has been a reversal of the trend, on the other, I am somewhat concerned that it may not have been as decisive or as convincing as we would all have liked. This concern has then been heightened by the difficulties encountered by the meeting held in Bali to prepare for Johannesburg. To answer your questions, I would like to say that, as far as the Commission is concerned, not only will the Development Directorate-General not be abolished, it will actually be strengthened. Indeed, I intend to launch a Community initiative for Africa, developing the Nepad lines defined at the Kananaskis G8 meeting. It is absolutely essential that we devote greater energy and vigour to Africa.
In this context, I also want to touch on the issue of the Mediterranean, which has received a boost during the past six months. Here, too, however, the impetus is as yet insufficient to deal with the scale of the problems posed by this region. Everything we have said today about immigration, our security and our relations with the rest of the world is dependent upon a more effective, larger-scale Mediterranean policy.
Lastly, on the subject of enlargement, the groundwork has been done for the negotiations to be concluded in Copenhagen. This was an extremely ambitious goal, but the Presidency and the Commission have pursued it resolutely and successfully. There is, of course, a great deal of speculation – and also a question mark – over the way these negotiations will go in future, particularly where agriculture is concerned. I have to say, quite frankly, that the Commission’s proposals are our only hope of reconciling the various demands and expectations in a situation in which our budget is limited but in which we also need to do everything we can to meet the needs of the farmers of the current Member States. We have committed all our remaining resources in direct aid. We have economised heavily in recent years and succeeded in getting the figure down to below 1.27, which is our limit, and although, when a further ten countries have joined the Union, we will manage to keep within the limit of 1.27, we will use up all our resources in the process. I still feel, however, that this is the only course open to us for the future.
I will now briefly answer specific questions. Mr Bonde mentioned the famous telephone conversation between Mr Aznar and myself on the problems of the CFSP. I must say that this is a good way of working, that we have had at least 30 or 40 telephone conversations in these six months and that it is precisely because of this ongoing cooperation that we have been able to work for the common good. Indeed, I invite Mr Bonde to telephone me as well if he feels the need, so that we can coordinate our work.
On the subject of Ireland, Mrs Doyle, I made it quite clear yesterday that there is no plan relating to the Irish referendum. Not only did I say that but I also said that there are no back doors or side doors either. I was absolutely clear and I hope that this explicit statement will be recorded in today’s Minutes.
Lastly, Mr Imbeni asked some questions regarding our annual operating programme – this is a very important point – and the three-year programme laid down by the Seville European Council. I do not think I am wrong when I say that this annual programme is the only acceptable solution, within the constraints currently imposed by the length of the term of office of the Presidency of the institutions, which can provide coherent interinstitutional continuity. In other words, it will enable us to respect the term of the Presidencies of the institutions whilst facilitating long-term planning. As regards the annual programme, the Commission has started to make initial proposals within the framework of the APS procedure, which provides for an annual strategy, and these involve both Parliament and the Council. They are a practical way for us to start to work together."@en1
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