Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-03-08-Speech-2-333"
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"en.20050308.26.2-333"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pity that today’s debate on this report is being held so late in the evening. It may well be the case that not all Members of the House need to hear what we have to say, but I believe it is important that the public should have the chance to do so, even though there is unfortunately no one at all in the public gallery. The reason for this is that our committee differs from all the others. It was set up with the express aim of making contact with people and with society. The fact that people nowadays often feel bewildered and further removed than ever from the European institutions makes it all the more important that this committee allows them to feel part of the European Union’s workings and its legislation, and provides them with an opportunity to resolve their problems. I would therefore repeat that I think it is a great pity that we are holding this debate so late, in an entirely empty Chamber, and that so few people are present to hear the debate on Mr Wieland’s excellent report. I should also like to thank him for this report.
Ladies and gentlemen, one point I should like to emphasise is that the number of petitions submitted to our committee has risen for the first time in the committee’s ten-year history, or in other words since 1995. After staying at more or less the same level during this ten-year period, there has recently been a sharp increase in petitions submitted. Yet despite this fact, our committee is doing a good job. This can be seen by comparing the length of time previously taken to deal with petitions with the length of time taken today. There are a number of bodies whose work helps the committee to do such a good job. These include the Bureau, comprising a chairman, a position I have the honour of occupying, and the vice-chairmen. I should like to highlight the role played Mr Cashman as the committee’s first vice-chairman, and the very positive contribution he makes to its work. Other bodies involved in the committee’s work include the coordinators, who play a key statutory role, and who perform their task very competently. The committee also has a secretariat, which does an extremely good job. I believe that this arrangement, namely a Bureau, comprising a chairman and vice-chairmen, together with coordinators and a secretariat, allows the committee to discharge adequately the duties incumbent upon it. Proof of this can be seen in the ever shorter amount of time we require to carry out our work, as well as in the fact that the length of time citizens have to wait is constantly being reduced.
The only other point I have to make is that we are delighted at the excellent cooperation that exists between the committee and the European Commission. I should like to inform the Commissioner, however, that if at all possible we would welcome more rapid responses in certain cases. It sometimes takes a relatively long time to receive an answer on matters that are quite straightforward. Furthermore, Commission officials sometimes provide oral answers and tell us that written answers will follow, yet we cannot give a full and binding answer to petitioners on the basis of an oral answer.
Many thanks, Mr President, and I should also like to thank all those who contribute to the work of our committee. I should like to thank Mr Wieland, who is an outstanding and active member of the committee, and I should also like to thank Mrs Wallström for being present. Many thanks."@en1
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