Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-25-Speech-3-200"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-10-25"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Cooperation with ACP countries involved in armed conflicts2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20001025.8.3-200"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-10-25-Speech-3-2012
lpv:speaker	lp:Nelly Maes2
lpv:spokenAs	substitute; Committee on Development and Cooperation (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (1999-09-14--2002-01-14)3 unknown; Volksunie (1999-07-20--2002-01-07)3 vice-chair; G/EFA (1999-07-20--2002-01-07)3 member; Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committee (1999-10-19--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	". Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Committee on Development and Cooperation, I would like to add a few considerations to the valid points already made by rapporteur Van Hecke. I, and the rest of my Committee in fact, can concur with him in every respect, and I also want to thank him for the constructive cooperation which resulted in all amendments tabled by my Committee being incorporated in the text. This will please the President as he will not have to sit through many votes. The considerations which I would like to bring to you today for consideration, Commissioner, are mainly of a practical nature. As recently as today, we read in our newspapers that the situation in the Ivory Coast has taken a turn for the worse once again, and that our own people who are there to report on the elections are running the risk of being involved in a new armed internal conflict. We question the coherence of the policy of the Commission and the Council, whose absence in this Chamber I once again regret. Although in September 1998, it was agreed not to provide any budgetary aid to countries at war, in March 2000 the Commission provided Rwanda with EUR 110 million, while this country is occupying considerable parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in defiance of the peace agreements. I know that many who are involved in this conflict are themselves open to criticism. But do we then not apply stricter rules to Kabila’s DRC than to Uganda? Are we not stricter with Zimbabwe than with Rwanda? I have the impression that that is clearly the case because, in practice, countries which are even involved in one and the same armed conflict are being treated differently. Some are supported almost unconditionally by the European Union, the IMF and others. Other countries are given aid under strict conditions. This sometimes directly affects the power relations between countries involved in one and the same conflict. Let me make myself abundantly clear: I am against any form of budgetary aid given to warring countries, for this aid is invariably used to buy weapons, directly or indirectly. This is another weak area in our European policy. Arms exports deserve a mention as they are without a doubt implicated in the various conflicts. Not only is the illegal arms trade flourishing, but the controlled arms trade is also more interested in “fair competition” among arms traders than in the peace we are promoting."@en1

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