Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-04-21-Speech-1-147"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2008-04-21"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Cost of obtaining a visa for Belarusian and Ukrainian citizens (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"pl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20080421.17.1-147"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2008-04-21-Speech-1-1482
lpv:speaker	lp:Genowefa Grabowska2
lpv:spokenAs	member; AFCO (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 member; PES (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 substitute; LIBE (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 unknown; Socjaldemokracja Polska (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 substitute; ENVI (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 substitute; DROI (2007-01-31--2009-07-13)3 member; Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, Commissioner, as a co-author of a question on the cost of visas for Belarus I wish to thank you for today’s explanations and to draw your attention to several additional matters. The point is that Belarus is not only a close neighbour of the EU. It is also the closest one of my country, Poland, hence my concern and my intervention on behalf of the interests of those who live in that country. After Schengen enlargement you said that the cost of visas for Belarusians went up. In reality the cost went up by a factor of 12, from EUR 5 to 60. In Belarus EUR 60 is the monthly salary of a medical doctor under training. EUR 60 for many Belarusians is a real barrier preventing them from obtaining a visa and from visiting EU neighbours. We can already see that after the visa price rise there has been a visible and drastic fall in the numbers of Belarusian citizens travelling to the EU. This happened at a time when the EU wishes to establish direct contact with its citizens and when the policy of good neighbourliness is enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty. It is therefore a painful paradox for this country, even if it is ruled undemocratically. Please believe me that the decision to increase visa fees is an excellent present for the Lukashenka regime which discounts this politically. The regime says to Belarusians: you see? They have introduced high, prohibitive fees. Nobody is waiting for you in Europe, nobody wants you there. This needs to be changed. I value the fact that the Commissioner mentioned Poland as the country which intends to press for lower visa fees for Belarusians. However this is not a task for Poland, Lithuania and individual countries. It is a task for the entire EU. Should we be unable to solve this, how are we to build a common foreign policy within the EU? I therefore appeal to the Commission to take all the steps necessary to lower visa fees for Belarusians."@en1

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