Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-15-Speech-3-021"
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"en.20060215.2.3-021"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is not my place, of course, to comment on a debate in this House, but I should like to express my most sincere thanks on behalf of the Council for the strong message that has been sent out today: one of commitment to our values, but also to tolerant dialogue with other civilisations and religions.
I should also like to emphasise that the Council naturally considers it very important that all the institutions of the EU – the Commission and Parliament as well as the Council – agree on this and speak the same language; I consider that most important. The debate that we have held here today will also make the Council’s job easier in future.
On behalf of the Council, I wish to reiterate what I said in my introductory statement – which has also been said by the President of the Commission and also very many speakers: any attack on a Member State of the EU, any boycott against a Member State of the EU, is an attack on the EU, and we of course stand in solidarity with Denmark. This I say also on behalf of the Council.
A number of very interesting ideas have been put forward here, which the Council will be happy to take up. I agree with Mr Poettering that it is important to reach out also – or particularly – to the young people: in schools, and also at home, as their education naturally begins at home. I also agree with Mr Poettering that it is important to avoid stereotypes and clichés in school books, too, and so I think that the idea of examining these is a good one.
I could not agree more with Mr Rasmussen on the importance of dialogue between civilisations and on the need for the dialogue to be open, critical and respectful: that seems to me to be most important. Indeed, extremists must not be allowed to triumph: this is a fundamental statement that must be made here. It goes without saying that no benefit should induce us to bow down to extremists: we must show solidarity and unity on this. I could not agree more with Mr Cohn-Bendit, and I also said in my statement that I, too, am of the opinion that the responsibility of the press is a personal one, and that governments should not tell it what it can or cannot do.
I am aware that, over the years and decades, institutions such as the Council of Europe have made repeated attempts to draw up a code of conduct; all of which have failed. I believe that this is a personal responsibility; that is very important.
In the same spirit shown by today’s debate, the Council will continue to work on improving understanding between civilisations and between religious communities, but will also speak in plain terms when it comes to rejecting violence, and when it comes to condemning the use of violence or boycotts against Member States of the EU. We must show solidarity on this."@en1
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