Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-09-03-Speech-1-054"
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"en.20070903.16.1-054"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner Špidla has described in detail the major disaster suffered by my country. The President of the European Commission, Mr Barroso, and Commissioner Hübner have visited Greece and the other regions affected by the disaster.
Secondly, a special rapid-response mechanism should be set up for major natural disasters; in fact some preliminary work has already been carried out in this area. We also believe – Mr Špidla mentioned this, but please allow me to highlight this point – that the Commission should consider the creation of an independent supplementary force consisting of private fire-fighting aircraft or of European countries which do not face a serious fire risk during the summer months. This support force could be located in high-risk countries and be ready for action from the summer of 2008.
I am sure that the EU will stand alongside my country and show in practice that solidarity is the basic principle governing relations between us.
To conclude, I should like to thank you once again for all the support you have hitherto given.
On behalf of all Greeks, I should like to take this opportunity to thank the European Union, the Member States and other countries for immediately sending specially trained firemen and air support, thereby providing my country with vital assistance in fighting the catastrophic fires.
I should also like to point out that similar catastrophic fires (although not on the scale suffered in Greece) have afflicted all the southern European countries that have experienced similar conditions.
Our primary concern now is to look ahead to the next stage, which is already in progress. The first economic support measures for victims are already proving effective. Within a few days, most of those entitled to money to meet their immediate needs and to replace their household belongings have received it. Many homeless people have access to temporary accommodation in mobile homes.
After the conclusion of an agreement between the Greek Government and the European Commission, affected farmers and stockbreeders (the latter, I hasten to add, having lost more than 73 000 head of cattle in the fires) are receiving advance payments to compensate for the loss of their crops, livestock capital and equipment.
I should also like to inform the Commissioner that what he has mentioned is already being done: a study and a draft reconstruction plan for all fire-stricken areas are already in progress. The plan aims rapidly and effectively to cover the immediate human and economic needs of the victims, and also to repair the environmental damage as quickly as possible.
A special part of the plan concerns landscape regeneration at the Olympia archaeological site, which, together with the ancient stadium, museum and other buildings, has been saved through the superhuman efforts of the fire-fighters.
We must acknowledge that the Community Civil Protection Mechanism has granted Greece the single largest amount of assistance it has given out since it was set up in 2001. This assistance has shown that the principles of cooperation and solidarity are at the very heart of the European Union.
With the resolution on which we will be voting tomorrow, our aim is for the European Commission to rapidly mobilise the EU Solidarity Fund and secure all the envisaged financial resources to combat the medium- and long-term consequences."@en1
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