Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-25-Speech-3-172"
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"en.20020925.7.3-172"2
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"Madam President, the crisis affecting certain countries in Latin America and, specifically, in Mercosur is clear for all to see. We must, therefore, devote our full attention to these difficulties, and by ‘we’ I mean not only Parliament, but also the Council and the Commission. These countries are facing political, economic and social challenges that require permanent international cooperation underpinned by a spirit of solidarity and mutual respect. Most of us share this objective, although it is felt particularly strongly, as you would expect, by those Member States, such as my own, Portugal, that have special cultural, historical and linguistic links with these countries. We believe that relations between the European Union and the Mercosur countries are strategic relations, comparable, incidentally, to those that Mercosur is developing with other parts of the world and to which we usually give priority status. I say this not only in light of the already-mentioned principles of solidarity or of the region’s defence of the rule of law and of the economic model based on free initiative and on improving working conditions, but also because of the opportunity that a revitalised and concrete EU-Mercosur partnership would represent for a more balanced political and economic profile of the Union and its Member States in that region of the American continent.
In this context, we ask the Council – in the wake of the recent Madrid Summit – to prioritise cooperation with the Mercosur countries, with this cooperation being translated into practical measures that go beyond rhetorical gestures of solidarity with their peoples. Strong political signals that reaffirm European Union confidence in that region must be given, ensuring that cooperation policy is based on the principle of association to the benefit of both parties.
I should like to make another observation: we cannot combat the phenomenon of the unilateralism being demonstrated by the United States – visible mainly in its external and defence policy, admittedly – only with the criticism that we have been hearing in certain circles of European thought. This criticism, which on top of everything is not accompanied by proposals for political and financial measures that would allow us to overcome the causes of an apparent European inferiority complex, could easily be redirected into stepping up strategic actions of this type. These would prove more useful in balancing relations between the two continents in an atmosphere of cooperation and of sharing values common to both.
Finally, Mr President, the problems that we are seeing in the region must not affect the course of the negotiations currently taking place between the European Union and Mercosur. Instead, the crisis – which we know is complex and problematic – must act as a stimulus for an agreement that is satisfactory to both parties to be concluded as rapidly as possible. Lastly, we are in no doubt that everyone would gain by taking advantage of the opportunities that these closer ties would normally provide to encourage the rapid recovery of the economies of the Mercosur countries and closer relations with the European Union."@en1
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