Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-12-18-Speech-3-013"
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"en.20021218.3.3-013"2
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"Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the European Council, Mr President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my unreserved approval, appreciation and profound gratitude to the Danes for their presidency, which has been a truly excellent one. I would also like to name some names and thank first the President of the European Council, Mr Fogh Rasmussen, and also his Minister for Europe, Bertel Haarder, who was formerly a Member of this House, the deputy prime minister, Ben Bendtsen, who has achieved much for the energy market, and, of course, also the Foreign Minister, Per Stig Møller.
Let me make a comment on Turkey. We would greatly welcome it if Turkey were enabled to meet the political criteria by the autumn of 2004. That would be a gigantic success for both Turkey and Europe, but we are both unequivocal and determined in saying that there must be no political opportunism when deciding whether Turkey fulfils the political criteria, but that decision must be guided by the law. If, following the European elections, we have that responsibility, we will insist that the Commission, represented by its President and by Commissioner Verheugen, shall be strict in ensuring that evaluation is not founded on what is politically desirable, but in fact on the law and the criteria – and I have no doubt that they will do so, this being indeed the greatest challenge to face the present Commission. We will be with them as they go down this road.
We in the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats are not lacking in solidarity, and I will be quite frank in saying to our American friends that we will always stand alongside the United States of America, but will of course not do it unthinkingly or in ways that are not justifiable. For that reason, though, we will also declare our refusal to be amenable to any pressure from the United States or anywhere else as far as the law is concerned, since the law is the foundation of our European community of values.
Mr President of the European Council, let me make a final comment. Whilst this is not to diminish your work, we would have liked there also to have been a comment on Chechnya in the Copenhagen conclusions. You referred to human rights, and I think it a real duty and obligation upon us not merely to concern ourselves with our own affairs but also to defend human rights in the European Union's geographical environment and around the world. With this in mind, it is my plea that we should respect human rights rather than grovel to anybody. This is a task for us all in the future. Congratulations on what you have done at Copenhagen! You can be proud of what you have achieved, and we have been happy to be your companions on the road.
I would also like to mention something that is not immediately apparent, namely that my counterpart in the
Mr Knud
Kirkegaard, working in close consultation with Mr Christian Rovsing and myself, masterminded a conference in Brussels of the group presidents and the national party leaders, at which we too did preparatory work on these Copenhagen issues. It is important that we should build up a network of contacts in the national parliaments, and for this I would particularly like to extend warm thanks to our counterparts in the Danish parliament.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that the Danish people, as represented by their government, can take pride in what they have done for Europe over the past six months. I hope that the Danish people will demonstrate the same determination when it comes to joining the common European currency, in which respect I wish you, Mr Fogh Rasmussen, much success.
I am no longer speaking for myself alone when I say that your presidency also demonstrates that countries that are not that large – this presidency's great achievements make me disinclined to describe Denmark as a small country – can also do great things. In the current discussions in the Convention, however, where the issue is what we might replace the six-month presidency with, we must be very careful in bearing in mind that the arguments in favour of any change would have to be very good ones, as your presidency is proof – as others have been – that, when a country has the presidency, what it has to contribute is not only ambition, but also commitment to Europe.
Again, if we want any future Secretary-General of the Council to no longer be, at the same time, High Representative – and this is no criticism of Mr Solana, my appreciation for whom I would like to put on the record – but a visible Secretary-General, then I recommend to our colleagues in the Convention that they should give very earnest consideration to these questions.
Mr President of the European Council, you spoke about a dream coming true, and we cannot but agree with you entirely. A dream has come true, but this great and historic decision in Copenhagen has also made it clear that the countries that are to join the European Union have already almost achieved normal EU standards. Taking that into consideration – and when it was financial issues that were at stake, we urged you to be flexible – the Poles and the others have almost reached the state of debate with which we are familiar in the European Union of today. One major European newspaper has talked in terms of a terribly nice European family, and that is what Europe is like. We look forward to the day when the treaties are signed, when we will have observers here in Parliament, and when, above all else – in accordance with our group's proposal, which has thankfully been accepted – the 2004 European elections will be the guidance framework for the enlargement process as a whole, and that is how things will now work out.
Mr Prodi and Mr Verheugen, I would also, however, like to say a word of heartfelt thanks to the Commission. Rather than everything the Commission does being spectacular, every day is an effort. Copenhagen's success, and its great commitment, was possible only because the Commission, and we in this House, had been supporting the process for many years, and hence we are passionate advocates of the necessity of the Community method being at the heart of the Convention's work, so that the new Europe follows the right method, not only as regards its geographical expansion, but also in core areas."@en1
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