Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-07-02-Speech-2-309"
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"en.20020702.14.2-309"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, sexual and reproductive health and rights are an area on which we need to tread softly softly at European level. We have to take account of the diverse cultures, religions and traditions united within the European Union and give priority to ethical considerations. The European Union does not in fact have any competence when it comes to legislating on abortion or health systems. That is the job of the Member States. The principle of subsidiarity must be brought to bear to its full extent in this sensitive area and must not be ignored. Reproductive health is also a matter for the Member States. The EU's job here is to draw up carefully thought-out guidelines and foster collaboration between the Member States.
This report confines itself to other matters not mentioned in the title. Thus, to talk of emergency contraception is completely misleading. What this refers to is the morning-after pill and that is clearly not a form of prevention; it is quite simply an early abortion. Encouraging the demand for abortion and the morning-after pill as standard practice in the European Union and the accession countries without any formalities is unacceptable. The PPE-DE is also firmly against legalising abortion. Numerous European countries have already enshrined the unborn child's right to protection from the state in their constitutions. No one has the right of life or death over another person and any demands to the contrary run counter to the spirit of our humanistic culture.
The report takes no account of what needs to be done in order to guarantee effective prevention. There is no mention whatsoever of mutual responsibility in a relationship or of the indispensable role of parents and family in sex education, two decisive factors in preventing unwanted pregnancies. This report sends out a misleading message, not just to the Member States of the EU, especially Ireland, but also to the accession countries. Like all of you, I have received numerous letters and telephone calls from worried organisations and individuals in candidate countries. People there suffered for a very long time under undemocratic regimes which arbitrarily controlled all areas of their life, even the most intimate. This is one reason this report not only worries, but incites anxiety and mistrust of the European Union in the central and eastern European countries. It makes fundamental demands on the governments of the accession countries, which are completely excluded from the decision-making process. That contradicts our understanding of the word democracy. The Charter of Fundamental Rights requires us to uphold human dignity and protect life. The principles of the European Union include subsidiarity and maintaining cultural diversity. And we should not forget that when we vote on this report tomorrow."@en1
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