Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-14-Speech-2-042"
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"en.20000314.3.2-042"2
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"Mr President, I should like to address the Commission in order to express my wish that the year 2000 should enable us to make progress in the general direction of coherence, particularly in the field of agriculture. The fact is, if the European Union intends to fight for alternative rules for international trade, if it is to defend the European farm model, then it must acknowledge that there is still a lot to be done in order to put its political decisions into practice. In the banana case, for example, we have not so far been able to reconcile the interests of our producers, those in the ACP countries, with the demands of the WTO. Why not? Quite simply because the WTO, according to the Marrakech model, does not permit this, or permits it only with extreme difficulty. So why, after so often declaring that the WTO must incorporate social and environmental regulatory mechanisms, and that the European Union intends to guarantee advantages for LDCs, does the Commission still adhere exclusively to the prospect of market liberalisation in this sector?
Since Seattle has challenged the inadequacies of existing WTO agreements, I would argue strenuously in favour of the Union handling this issue in accordance with the rules which we intend to see predominate in international trade.
I would make the same call for coherence in another area, the management of the pigmeat crisis. You will be aware that, as a result of this crisis, which has now lasted for more than two years, many independent producers find that they have been relegated to being mere casual workers for firms or other large-scale producers. This is a situation which runs totally counter to our European farm model which is based on a multiplicity of diversified and multifunctional family farms. Here too, Mr Prodi, I would like to sound the alarm, and I would call upon the Commission to put forward new measures which are properly suited to managing this type of crisis, in addition, obviously, to what you are already proposing, i.e. a solidarity fund.
My final point concerns the preparation of the budget for 2001. Admittedly, the budget lines for agriculture may be examined in order to reflect the need to show solidarity with the Balkans. This is true. We should, however, pay attention to meeting the commitments made in Berlin regarding the CAP and, more especially, to retaining adequate safety margins in order, in particular, to confront the crises which are damaging the fabric of agricultural and rural life."@en1
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