Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-12-Speech-2-015"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050412.6.2-015"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, I wish firstly to thank everyone involved for the work they have helped us with and the desire for cooperation that has existed among the bodies concerned.
Discharge is not only an issue concerning the correct use of money. It is also about the way in which the objectives of the programmes are achieved and about the way in which efficiency in general is to be obtained. I therefore wish to emphasise the aspect of gender equality. We have an obligation to achieve the goals we have set in terms of equality. I have to say that it is a scandal that only half of the agencies have plans regarding equality. That is something they must correct before next year. Otherwise, I shall not be giving them discharge.
The reforms will proceed more quickly if we introduce thoroughgoing gender equality. Old hierarchical and patriarchal decision-making systems and working methods will be broken down. In the case of almost all organisations, four fifths of the people at the top are at present men and four fifths or more in the lowest positions are women. I have to say that we in the European Parliament are no better. What is more, we now have a situation in many countries in which more women than men embark upon university studies. There needs to be a sound recruiting basis for the purpose of changing the employment situation.
Another issue I wish to address is that of the European Agency for Reconstruction. As is well known, it was one of this agency’s officials that was suspected of helping a company purchase energy infrastructure. This is an example of how a scandal should, in actual fact, be dealt with. The director immediately suspended the official and lost no time in passing the document concerned on to OLAF, which began its investigation quickly and had completed it within ten months. The legal authorities were given the information, and it was possible for the proceedings to begin quickly. Now, we are also waiting for the Commission to complete the disciplinary procedure. If we could deal with scandals in this way and stop keeping things secret or trying to conceal them, our institutions would operate better. This shows how important public scrutiny is. However efficient the Court of Auditors may be, it can never discover everything. If, however, we were to have a principle of transparency, we should have 450 million inhabitants able to monitor what everyone did. That is the best method of preventing fraud and corruption."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples