Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-13-Speech-2-332"
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"en.20071113.32.2-332"2
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"I am not opposed to the European Union making a contribution and providing aid. I have cited as an example the very case you mentioned, namely the highway code. It is clear that this might be part of a project that the Commission could finance in the context of good governance, strengthening the rule of law and consolidating the capacity of the state authorities, for example. This is something we are doing. As far as roads are concerned, it is true that in certain locations, especially where we know that there is a lot of pedestrian traffic, we also try to upgrade the roadside verges and include accident prevention in our road safety projects.
In global terms, and as part of the political dialogue, we include all these questions, but the message that we occasionally send to our partners should state that they too need to address these political issues. When I hear this type of question I always wonder: ‘Are we going to be asked to do everything for them?’. We cannot be called upon to do everything. We can inspire and suggest, we can provide funding and aid, but we cannot govern in the place of those whose job it is to govern. It is like picking presents off a Christmas tree. People expect development cooperation to be able to do anything and everything.
You must also understand that with the budget resources available to me I must focus on the main priorities. Mr Mitchell quite rightly highlighted the Millennium Development Goals. They are the main priorities. We are ready to help and we are providing funding, but the partner countries have to ask for it. This is one of the conditions. During the dialogue process we sometimes try to suggest this kind of thing.
Mr Bowis is not here, but I can tell you, for example, that in implementing our development policies I try to instil in our partners an ever greater awareness for the situation of the disabled. The problems affecting disabled persons are not generally taken into account by the partner countries or by the partner governments. We therefore have a whole series of parallel initiatives and policies that we are trying to put forward and implement, but do not forget that we can only fund these projects if the partner country makes an approach or places a request.
Given that the European Union funds a large number of road building and road infrastructure projects, this particular aspect – and certainly the issue of road safety – obviously crops up frequently in such debates and discussions."@en1
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