Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-03-Speech-3-137"
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"en.20081203.15.3-137"2
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"Mr President, Mr Verheugen, Mrs De Keyser, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to begin by thanking Mrs De Keyser for this excellent report. Like her, I too observed that, earlier, a majority in Parliament voted to defer the vote for the reasons she raised.
I hope that, when the time comes, in view of the vote taken just now, you will follow the recommendation proposed by your rapporteur and that, in the resolution you wish to adopt in the same connection on the positions set out on this subject on the fringes of the Association Council, you will support the positions that, the Presidency is convinced, reflect a wise balance that has been a long time in the making between the governments of the Member States and that serves the cause of peace and stability in the region.
From the Council’s point of view, Israel’s participation in the Community programme needs to be seen from the perspective of the upgrading of the Union’s bilateral relations with Israel, in which regard the Council sent a signal on 16 June at the 8th Association Council with Israel. This upgrading fits in with the strengthening of the European Neighbourhood Policy.
The Council is convinced that this upgrading benefits both parties, and is not only in the interests of the country that we are bringing closer to the European family. It also serves Europe’s interests, in that it allows us to forge closer links and greater trust with new sections of the Israeli population, be it its students, its researchers, its businesses or its technicians.
Europe will thus be in a position to provide concrete proof of the benefits of multilateral cooperation in the form of peace and prosperity. I would say to Mrs De Keyser that such lessons come at a price in a region such as the Middle East. Europe will thus be able to speak the truth more forcefully and more credibly, which will engender greater trust.
I have listened closely, in this respect, to the expectations expressed, according to Mrs De Keyser, within the Committee on Foreign Affairs. I am referring, of course, to the message she mentioned on the complete and immediate freezing of settlement, on the need for progress on the peace process with the Palestinian Authority, on lifting the restrictions on the people of Gaza and the West Bank, and on the vital need to improve the lot of the people of Gaza affected by the blockade, as the European Parliament’s delegation saw recently.
Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, that these expectations are shared by the Council and, I am sure, the Commission. In this respect, the declaration of 16 June 2008 includes some very clear statements both on the political context surrounding the upgrading and on the messages that Europe intends to send to Israel on this occasion.
It is true that Israel has been aware of these messages for years, as you know. I am among those who find it regrettable that these messages have not been listened to properly, but the Council’s gamble in June was to make use of the upgrading of bilateral relations to send the messages with greater force, at a higher level, and to a greater variety of contacts. That is what the Council is doing.
You also raised the point that Europe’s invitation to join certain Community programmes has been extended not only to Israel but to all countries in the neighbourhood policy, including in that region.
Mr President, Mr Verheugen, ladies and gentlemen, the European Parliament has the opportunity today to make a contribution to the process of regional cooperation that Europe has launched in a region critical to its own security and prosperity."@en1
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