Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-14-Speech-3-049"
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"en.20051214.6.3-049"2
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"Mr President, Mr Barroso, Mr Alexander, Europeans deserve more than the game of cat and mouse being played by the Presidency of the Union with its 24 partners on the eve of a European Council that is crucial for the future of Europe.
The proposals put forward over the last few days by the UK Presidency on the 2007-2013 financial perspective are unacceptable for two reasons. They sacrifice the new Member States, they erect a new wall between old and new Member States and they seem designed to preserve the British rebate, which now has no reason to exist. With regard to agricultural spending, there is, furthermore, a hidden meaning to the proposals, which verges on a threat and which we cannot tolerate within our Union. If the common agricultural policy is not reformed in 2008, then the United Kingdom will hold on to its rebate as it stands.
There should be no taboo subjects whatsoever in our democracy, and this is the case whether it is a question of Europe’s overall budget, the apportionment of European expenditure, regional aid, the CAP, aid for research and innovation or any other Community policy. Any subject can be debated, be looked into and form the subject of a compromise in our interests, and this is something that we all understand.
What we cannot accept, however, is one country retaining benefits that no longer correspond at all to today’s economic and political context. This is all the more unacceptable when it is to the detriment of countries requiring aid to overcome the handicaps created by 50 years of Communist regime. Nor can we accept the extensive efforts already made by the European Union in the area of agriculture being repudiated, particularly in the context of the WTO negotiations. Europe has already done its duty on this matter and is looking forward to other agricultural powers, such as the United States, making similar efforts before Europe pursues, if necessary, its reforms.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, formally declared to us in this very Chamber his desire to work for the common good of Europe, to go beyond national self-interests and to take European integration forward during his Presidency. We are waiting for him finally to turn his words into deeds if he is to deserve the applause that a number of my fellow Members might have been slightly too quick to offer him back in June."@en1
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