Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-03-Speech-2-042"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-06-03"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:EU-USA judicial cooperation agreements2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030603.2.2-042"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-06-03-Speech-2-0432
lpv:speaker	lp:Baroness Sarah Ludford2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, it obviously makes sense to smooth out the difficulties involved in making two sets of legal systems work together to catch criminals and terrorists. Often in the field of law enforcement and intelligence different agencies are jealous of their patches and prerogatives, reluctant to share information because knowledge is power, and bureaucratic requirements must be examined critically. However, it is another matter altogether to justify brushing aside legal safeguards, defendants' rights and privacy concerns in the name of the war against terrorism. We have objections to these agreements on grounds of both procedure and content. As others have said, the degree of unwarranted secrecy imposed by the Council has been utterly scandalous. I am sorry to see that the Council is not here today. No adequate explanation has been given. The only possible explanation is the wish to avoid accountability to Parliament. The failure to consult the European Parliament formerly is a disgrace, and the justification for this democratic deficit – that the agreements fall under foreign rather than justice policy – is thin in the extreme. I very much hope the new EU Constitution will stop this ever happening again because we will have future agreements of this kind. I wish the European public could understand – and one day they will – that the real threat to their rights comes not from this Parliament or the Commission – the Community institutions – but from the arrogant, executive powers wielded in intergovernmental cabal by the Council. I just hope Commissioner Vitorino is right that the preamble and the text will ensure that no extradited European citizen or resident will face the death penalty, and that no European will end up in Guantánamo Bay without charge or without trial or will face a military tribunal which has the power to impose a death penalty without appeal. I also hope time will prove that the Member States' obligations to the International Court are not compromised, because otherwise there really will be outrage in the European public. We must solve the disgrace of Europeans in Guantánamo Bay before ratifying this agreement. I do not have the confidence in the Council that I have in Commissioner Vitorino. I am sorry the Council is not here today to hear our objections."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Liberal Democrat Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Delegation for relations with the countries of south-east Europe (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; ELDR (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee (2002-02-07--2004-04-30)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Ludford (ELDR )."1

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