Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-17-Speech-2-023"
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"en.20021217.1.2-023"2
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"Mr President, first of all I should like to thank the rapporteur and also the chair of the committee, Mrs Redondo, most sincerely, since both come from countries where there has been no foot and mouth disease and yet have managed to produce this report with great involvement in the subject. The same also applies to our secretariat, since our work as a temporary committee consisted to a significant degree precisely in visiting people who had been affected. Without the enormous commitment of our secretariat we would not have been able to do that and that means that this committee occupies a special place in the work of Parliament.
Mr President, Mrs Redondo’s words are close to my heart. She said that current policy is focused too much on political and economic values, and insufficiently on human values, if one looks at foot and mouth disease, and one must try to change course in that respect. I wholeheartedly agree with her and I am able to speak on behalf of the inhabitants of the affected areas in my country: the Veluwe and Friesland, who greatly appreciated the fact that parliamentary colleagues visited these areas and listened to them. It gives them the feeling that in this instance European democracy really came into its own. That strikes me as essential, partly also with a view to the forthcoming elections in 2004.
At the same time, we must realise that we have been through a disaster in which seven million animals were destroyed, an economic loss of over EUR 10 000 million was incurred, and that in some areas, for example around Carlisle, many more people are presently taking anti-depressants than previously. Such was the impact. I will just mention the story of the school in Oene, where performance at primary level declined. That indicates the impact this crisis had on people. This means that if we are to take European citizens seriously, we must change policy. In that sense I am glad that Commissioner Byrne at least has indicated that he appreciates this. It is essential, however, that if we do not adopt general vaccination, emergency vaccination should become standard in the case of an outbreak, as the Commission has said, and that even after emergency vaccination the farms involved should receive the same treatment as if there had been a cull. That means that the area would be cut off for no longer than 3 months and that there will be free marketing of products. That is crucial if a future policy is to succeed. It also means that the Commission has a serious responsibility, as a result of which it will not be able, in the proposals it may present tomorrow, to avoid the fact that new rules on this matter must also be agreed in the OIE, in order to bring deadlines into line and to ensure that products from vaccinated animals can be marketed, since that has nothing to do with food safety and everything to do with ethical behaviour in agricultural policy.
I have already indicated that this committee tried to give European citizens a voice in European politics. As a committee we tried at least to give the crisis a face, to show what befell people, what befell animals and to demonstrate that those things are politically relevant. In that respect I look forward to the new debate on the Commission’s proposals. The Commission and the Council have a heavy responsibility. They cannot brush aside this report by Parliament. They must take this report on board in their policy, or else we shall find ourselves in new difficulties regarding democracy in Europe."@en1
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