Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-06-14-Speech-3-359"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-06-14"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Crime victims in the EU2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000614.14.3-359"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-06-14-Speech-3-3602
lpv:speaker	lp:Sir Graham Watson2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, on behalf of the Liberal Group, I should like to welcome this report and to thank Mrs Sörensen for her excellent work in drawing up such an important document. I welcome the underlying Commission communication, but I would say, on behalf of my Group, that we regret that this communication was not much stronger. It is quite clear that the Treaties provide the Union with the instruments that are necessary to strengthen protection of the victims of crime. I think, for example, of some of the conclusions of the Wergens report, and we would have expected more from the Commission than proposals for greater dialogue and the exchange of best practice. We need clear measures to help victims with access to assistance, justice and compensation. However, it must be said that if we feel the Commission could do more, the biggest problem is by far the Member States. It seems to us incredible that seven Member States have still not ratified the 1983 Convention on compensation for victims of violent crime and that standards of justice are still so low in so many Member States. Let me give just one brief example from my own constituency. Mr Pike, a lorry driver in my constituency, was recently assaulted by his employer in the Netherlands. Mr Pike is not a wealthy man and the cost of legal redress is high. He does not have access to legal aid in Britain because he has to employ a lawyer in the Netherlands to help him. He does not have access to legal aid in the Netherlands. He is unable to secure any compensation or, indeed, any justice for the injuries he has suffered. Unless we are able as a Union to help in relatively clear and simple situations like this, our citizens will not have confidence in the single market and will not feel part of the European Union. I hope that we can take up some of the ideas put forward in this report to improve their situation."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Liberal Democrat Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 chair; Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; Conference of Committee Chairs (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; Delegation for relations with Japan (1999-09-29--2002-01-14)3 member_of_the_bureau; ELDR (1999-07-20--2002-01-15)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Watson (ELDR )."1

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