Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-11-16-Speech-2-023"
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"en.20041116.7.2-023"2
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"Mr President – I was about to say Minister – Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Parliament has to react to a situation where half a million people die each year from violence related to light weapons, both in armed conflicts and in connection with criminal activity. This debate is part of our reaction.
The European Union exports death, although it must be said that it exports it mainly out of Europe, as during the past five years as much as 80% of EU arms exports went to countries outside Europe. We should not let ourselves be carried away by the wishful thinking of pacifists who would like to rid the world of wars and arms, as such fancies lack any basis in reality. We can and must control the production and sale of arms in the EU, however. We must also be firm in demanding this of the future EU Member States. The Committee on Foreign Affairs has adopted amendments I tabled to this effect. The countries involved are of course Romania and Bulgaria, and also Croatia and Turkey.
As a Polish citizen, I should like to draw your attention to an initiative taken by the Polish Government. Together with the Swedish Government, it has already organised five informal meetings of COARM, the Working Group on Conventional Arms Exports, with the participation of both old and new Member States. I should also like to lend my wholehearted support to item 28 of the motion for a resolution, concerning an export ban on all equipment used for the death penalty and torture. At the same time, however, I have my doubts as to whether the proposal in item 40, concerning a special tax on the arms trade, is realistic. I do not believe that a further tax would help bring about peace in Europe and the world, although it might appease the consciences of bureaucrats."@en1
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