Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-11-Speech-2-022"
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"en.20030211.1.2-022"2
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"Madam President, I agree with the Commissioner that this is about citizenship of the European Union and it is crucial for the facilitation of the free movement of our citizens. As you rightly say, Commissioner, everything else being equal, EU citizens should be able to move between Member States and the administrative burden should be reduced to that which is absolutely necessary.
I welcome in this report the wider definition of 'family' and the importance given to the consideration of humanitarian grounds in the application of this directive. However, the wider definition of family will not be welcomed by all, and I do not share the UK Government's - my own Labour Government's - analysis of this directive.
On the wider definition, we must examine our prejudice and our firmly held beliefs. This is about national citizenship and EU citizenship. We must move forward at a pace which must not be dictated by the Member State least likely to reform. The definition of 'spouse' may be clear according to the European Court of Justice, but it is up to us as legislators to redefine and to revisit definitions, especially in the light of modern family life and the diversity of durable and lasting relationships.
On that point, I stand here in a same-sex relationship of 20 years, yet my partner of 20 years would not be given the definition of family if he were to move with me to Brussels so I can do my work in the Parliament. I am asked to pay the same taxes, to live by the same laws, but both I and my relationship - which cannot be recognised in the United Kingdom - are denied equality. So, we encourage people either to enter into honest, durable relationships, or we encourage them to enter into marriages of convenience which would drive a coach and horses through this directive and all of its intentions.
This is either about the free movement of all of our citizens or it is not. Baroness Ludford is absolutely right. There should be a principle of mutual recognition here. I ask the PPE-DE Group to join with us, to explore the possibilities and reach a sensible compromise with the Council, recognising the modern world and affording equal rights to all of our citizens, not equal rights for some."@en1
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