Earthquake in the Abruzzo Region of Italy (debate)
President
The next item is the Commission statement on the earthquake in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Siim Kallas
Vice-President of the Commission. - Mr President, the Commission sends its condolences to all families who have lost their loved ones in the recent earthquake in Italy.
The Commission has been in close contact with the Italian civil protection authorities since the first hours after the earthquake. Member States started offering their help through the Community Civil Protection Mechanism at a very early stage of the disaster.
While this earthquake was very powerful and brought a lot of destruction, national resources were able to cope with the immediate disaster response.
However, on 10 April Italy made a request for technical experts who could support the country in analysing the stability of buildings damaged by the earthquake. A team of eight national and Commission experts was selected. The team was despatched to the site of the earthquake on 18 April. In addition to the assessment of the stability of the buildings, the team will propose solutions with regard to damaged buildings.
The Commission is currently cooperating with the Italian authorities in order to identify options for other EU support. Possibilities may include the EU Solidarity Fund and the reprogramming of the Structural and Rural Development Funds.
This earthquake is a tragic reminder that natural disasters are a continual threat for all Member States. Over the last decade earthquakes, heat waves, forest fires, floods and storms have killed many people in Europe and destroyed costly infrastructure and precious natural spaces.
The Member States and the Community need to combine their strength to prevent disasters and their impacts and to ensure a rapid and effective European response to major disasters. Experience has shown that an integrated and multi-hazard approach should be taken to develop effective measures in both in prevention and in direct response to disasters, as outlined in the Commission communication of March 2008 on reinforcing the Union's disaster-response capacity.
Furthermore, in February 2009 the Commission adopted a Community approach on the prevention of natural and man-made disasters that represents the state of the art and paves a way for future Commission initiatives. It suggests improving the consistency of existing prevention instruments and complementing them, thus reinforcing the added value of EU action.
The Commission would welcome feedback from the European Parliament on the approach proposed in this important communication. Furthermore, thanks to the preparatory action on an EU rapid response capability introduced by the European Parliament in the 2008 and 2009 budgets, the Commission is currently testing, with the Member States, ways to improve the overall immediate response capacity of the EU. Together, these initiatives are contributing to shaping a genuine European disaster management policy for all types of disaster.
President
Thank you, Mr Kallas. May I take this opportunity to welcome Vice-President of the Commission, Mr Tajani, and so that I am not reproached for being careless or insensitive, I would remind you that we have already observed a minute's silence, yesterday, in commemoration of the victims of this disaster.
Gabriele Albertini
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, between 2002 and 2007 earthquakes were the fourth most frequent natural disaster in the European Union. After this latest and sadly most serious tragedy in the Abruzzo region, we must join together to face these terrible events, common to many states of the Union.
To date, we have the European Solidarity Fund and the Community Mechanism for Civil Protection: two instruments that are very important yet still insufficient for an area, like Europe, that is at risk from earthquakes. In the case of the Abruzzo earthquakes, an application is being processed for access to the Solidarity Fund for the reconstruction of the areas destroyed. The figure could amount to EUR 500 million, as Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani told the press. It has not yet been possible to quantify the extent of this earthquake and the damage caused: the Abruzzo region is in need of urgent and substantial intervention, which the Italian Government has been managing in a prompt and thorough manner from just a few minutes after the earthquake.
This action does however require European coordination, while respecting national and local competences. On 14 November 2007, Parliament itself unanimously adopted a resolution on the regional impact of earthquakes, concerning prevention and the management of the damage caused by tragic events of this kind. This document should serve as the starting point for a coordinated European policy in this matter, as stated in the written question by Mr Vakalis, co-signed by 50 or so Members of this House. We therefore hope that the European Commission will take on the ideas expressed in this resolution and apply them to create a European agenda for the prevention and management of earthquakes.
Gianni Pittella
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my condolences once again, on behalf of the members of the Italian parliament and all the members of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, to the families of the victims, to the Abruzzo region and its citizens and to Italy. I would also like to say that our Group, which from the outset has been close to the people so tragically hit, will be sending a delegation to the Abruzzo region, led by our chairman, Mr Schulz. The numbers are frightening: it is true, as Mr Albertini said, there is no final count as yet, but we can nonetheless say that there have been around 300 deaths. It is a tragedy: 50 000 evacuees, thousands of houses destroyed, hundreds of public buildings devastated, including schools, and a prestigious cultural, architectural and artistic heritage in ruins.
As the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, said, the response to the events was immediate and effective. This response came from the state, but also from non-state actors; from the world, from volunteers, from communities in Italy and elsewhere, from the provinces, from the regions, from the Red Cross and from the fire service: a truly extraordinary display of solidarity. Perhaps the Italian Government - in fact never mind the 'perhaps' - the Italian Government would have done well to take up the suggestion to amalgamate the referendum with the European elections and administrative elections, in order to save some hundreds of millions that could have been spent helping those affected by the earthquake.
There are certain responses Europe must make: firstly, it must activate the Solidarity Fund; we spoke to Vice-President Tajani about this just hours after the tragic events. Secondly, it must re-programme the Structural Funds, and thirdly, Commissioners, it must utilise the unused funds from the previous and new programming periods. Fourthly, it must amend the rules on the Cohesion Policy and the Structural Funds as regards the possibility of reinstating under Objective I, that is to say in the disadvantaged, underdeveloped regions, those regions which, due to exceptionally serious natural events, have seen their GDP, or wealth, drop below 75% of the Community average. So then, we do not want an ad hoc law for the Abruzzo region, but a law applicable to any region that may find itself in this position. Fifthly, we must investigate with the Commission the possibility of tax breaks for the economic activities and construction work which should, we all hope, pick up again in the Abruzzo region. Finally, I call for the implementation of the directive on building materials, which was recently updated and improved by Parliament.
To conclude, a tragedy such as this does not require rhetoric, rather it requires effective, tangible responses, as well as a close eye to ensure that the earthquake rubble does not become the site for further profiteering and illicit practices that line the pockets of the big criminal groups. We must be vigilant and give our best efforts: we must all work so that, with our help, our friends in the Abruzzo region can smile again.
Patrizia Toia
on behalf of the ALDE Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a terrible tragedy in my country has hit the important central region of the Abruzzo and the city of Aquila. It has been a disaster that has affected human lives, including young lives; it has struck houses, our homes; churches, our places of worship; monuments, our culture; companies, our workplaces; universities, our centres of learning; and has left great devastation in its wake.
We have all rallied round these people and we can now say this: firstly, that they have responded with great dignity, despite being so intimately and so practically affected, losing their most valuable possessions such as their homes - and, as we know, the home is central to Italian culture - yet these people have reacted with dignity and want to start living again, rebuilding what they had, their own communities, within the places that represent that community and in keeping with tradition and continuity. I am reminded of the importance of the university and of small and medium-sized enterprises for that region, which is at present suffering from severe economic hardship and lack of recovery.
I should also say that there has been an extraordinary mobilisation on the part of the institutions: the government, Parliament, all the opposition forces, as well as the majority who, with great wisdom and responsibility, regard the work to be done in a spirit of unanimity: local institutions, volunteers, civil protection, the thousands upon thousands of young people and adults who went to Abruzzo and who represent social groups, associations and the Catholic community; everyone has made a contribution. Even those who did not travel there have done something: economically, culturally, our country's entire cultural, social and economic spheres are being mobilised, which is very important.
It will, however, be important to remember this, as Mr Pitella said, when it comes to reconstruction, because in addition to these positive aspects of the tragedy, the structural weakness of our building methods has come to light, and I believe that here, alongside calls for justice, there should be a commitment to identifying liabilities and to reconstruction.
A word about Europe, Mr President: when disaster struck, Europe was there, as it will be in the future through the funds and other actions that have been mentioned. I would wish for there to be a visible presence, too, so that Europe is recognised not only in the money that arrives, but also in the faces and in the institutions. I propose that a joint delegation from this Parliament visit the region, without pomp, without publicity, but in order to say that Europe is made up of institutions and people, and that these institutions and people want to support and go on supporting Aquila, the Abruzzo and my country, also, which has been so severely damaged.
Roberta Angelilli
on behalf of the UEN Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I too would like to thank the Community institutions for the support they have shown for Italy and the people hit by the earthquake. These have been difficult days, further aggravated by the weather conditions of the last 48 hours.
But after the grief and destruction comes the time for practical proposals and reconstruction, the time to restore a future for the Abruzzo region. We are asking the European institutions to do their bit; in fact the Commission has already given its guarantee through Vice-President Tajani, who was very prompt to assure us of his commitment in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
As the Commission itself today confirmed, first of all we must verify all available financial resources, guarantee the swift activation of the European Solidarity Fund for natural disasters, and then look at the possibility of making full use of and reprogramming the European Social Fund and other Community programmes to support employment and businesses. However, we are calling in particular for the possibility of introducing extraordinary legislative measures, tax breaks, incentives and aid possibly as an exception to current de minimis provisions. These would be measures authorised by the European Union and valid for two or three years, that is to say for the time needed until the end of the emergency and reconstruction.
On these subjects and on these objectives, as today's debate has also shown, we are all in agreement, there are no divisions. I too would like to conclude with heartfelt thoughts for the victims, their families and the people affected, but I am especially proud, as an Italian woman from that area, to extend special thanks once more for the efforts made by the institutions, all the political parties and above all the rescue teams, civil protection and the Red Cross. I also thank all the voluntary organisations and individual citizens who did what they could and made a personal contribution or gave money to express their solidarity and provide real help; they are a truly outstanding example of efficiency and humanity.
Monica Frassoni
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance joins with all the Members who have spoken before me in expressing our condolences, our strong sense of solidarity and our support for those who have suffered as a result of this great tragedy, this disaster, this natural event, which was, however, caused by a whole host of things, and I do hope that the European Union, in a visible way, will be able to make a positive contribution to this situation.
There is one thing that cannot be denied: the impact of this earthquake could have been much less severe, the tragedy should not have been this great, because it is clear that a whole series of buildings and houses have collapsed and they should not have done. There has been negligence, there has been fraud and there has been deception, and we must establish who is liable, because this, too, is an essential part of reconstruction, which is also the moral reconstruction of the Abruzzo, its people and our country as a whole. Reconstruction should be an opportunity for huge innovation in sustainable development for those people who have shown us all that they not only have great dignity, but also great courage and an overwhelming desire to start afresh.
At this point, the least demagogical, most practical approach that will allow Europe to take swift action to support the emergency efforts and reconstruction in the Abruzzo is to review the region's 2007-2013 operative programme, that is to say the Structural Funds. The Abruzzo operative programme currently provides for EUR 140 million in European cofinancing, for a total programme cost of EUR 345 million, with the difference made up by national cofinancing.
We are well aware that one of the problems we must face is that of Italy's organisation in cofinancing the funds that the European Union is sure to grant, and on this point we Members must be extremely vigilant.
As I was saying, first and foremost, we must ask for the other European funds already planned for the Abruzzo, such as the Social Fund, to be reviewed and redirected towards measures and priorities that serve reconstruction. In this context, the Abruzzo operative programme could involve a reallocation of structural fund resources earmarked for other Italian regions that are now more competitive. We know that the European Commission is willing to evaluate grants, and this same mechanism can be used for other Member States.
Following this, the Italian authorities, primarily the government, with the cooperation of all local bodies concerned, must move quickly to calculate the cost of the direct damage sustained, in order to meet the deadline of 15 June 2009 for submitting an application for funds within the framework of the European Solidarity Fund. The amount of support granted will depend on the damage sustained, but will not in any case be more than a few million euros. This fund exists precisely in order to provide fast, effective and flexible economic assistance, therefore it is important that the Italian authorities quantify this damage, otherwise it will be difficult to get funding.
The national authorities also need to get to work on the loan application to the European Investment Bank, so that adequate sums can be granted for fast and sustainable reconstruction in this region.
Roberto Musacchio
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, first comes grief for so many innocent victims, then a commitment to rescue efforts, overcoming the emergency and reconstruction, in which Italy gives of its best.
European assistance in this is important, but we also need a European framework to help to prevent these disasters, which often have more than just natural causes; we therefore need a prevention framework, a natural disaster warning system on which to build a civil protection and prevention network. In addition to this, we need a land policy that provides guaranteed standards on land use that respect its balance, as well as safe building standards.
The Abruzzo earthquake also involves this, and, without wishing to be controversial, we must investigate all the liabilities, so that we can avoid a repetition of these serious events, and above all we must focus on land reclamation rather than on new demolition works. For this reason also it is vitally important that the Soil Framework Directive be adopted, which will provide structural support for appropriate management of European land, and European funds should be reformulated in line with prudent land policy, thereby creating a healthy environment and good jobs.
Reinhard Rack
(DE) Mr President, Vice-President of the Commission, our Italian fellow Members have rightly viewed this debate as a very important one for their country and requested the floor, yet it is also a debate for all Europeans. After all, we are a European community. We are pleased to have the opportunities presented by the Solidarity Fund, and we should like its use to be as targeted as possible - including by the Italian Government and the regional bodies. We wish to express once more our condolences to the numerous victims, and we hope that Europe is able to help bring relief as soon as possible.
Armando Veneto
(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would simply like to draw attention to the sympathetic response to this tragic event throughout Italy and also in Europe. When things like this happen, they allow us to observe the cohesion of the country and the Community, which can only nourish the hope of general solidarity and peace, including inner peace, that we enjoy within Europe.
I would also say that we must undoubtedly, openly and urgently tackle those responsible for the poor construction work that caused neighbouring buildings to react differently. Finally, on the sidelines there has been some dispute over the predictability of earthquakes; I will not go into it now, but simply say that studies on radon indicate that earthquakes are preceded by an increase in this gas. I therefore think, as is right for any scientific research, that Europe can and should use all its structures to encourage further studies on this, because, as is the nature of science, it may yet contribute to the purely hypothetical possibility of predicting such devastating events.
Siim Kallas
Vice-President of the Commission. - Mr President, there is no doubt that there is a strong feeling of solidarity in all Member States, and in the Commission as well, concerning this terrible earthquake. There are mechanisms for providing help, and the Commission services acted immediately. Everything must be done in close collaboration with the Italian authorities. Last year we had the huge disaster of the forest fires in Greece and before that we had forest fires in Portugal and the floods in Germany and the Czech Republic. In all these cases the European Union expressed solidarity and helped as much as it could. It will do so in this case as well.
First of all, we are awaiting calculations of the scale of the damage and then we can decide how best to use the Solidarity Fund. The Commission itself cannot launch Solidarity Fund money; this can only be done after receiving the request from the Member State and after the calculation of the scale of the damage.
Many Members raised the question of the reprogramming of the Structural Funds, and DG REGIO is discussing this. My colleague Danuta Hübner will visit the area soon and discuss concrete possibilities. We are in permanent contact with the civil protection department in Rome to help, and also to help prepare the Solidarity Fund application, so there is no doubt that the Commission will do whatever it can to help the victims of this disaster.
Concerning safe building standards, these standards exist but the question is how closely these standards are followed in Member States. The standards definitely exist: they exist in directives and they exist in national legislation as well.
Our civil protection mechanism, at the heart of which is a monitoring and information centre working 24 hours a day, will collaborate with Member States in disaster prevention and also in addressing the consequences of disasters.
Once more on behalf of the Commission I express our condolences. We will do whatever is possible to help people in this disaster area.
President
To conclude this debate, on a personal note and also on behalf of the Bureau of the European Parliament, I take this opportunity to express my condolences and sympathy once again for the victims and the families affected, and of course to pledge every possible support for the people of the region so badly hit.
The debate is closed.


Natural disaster in China (debate)
President
The next item is the statements of the Council and the Commission on the natural disaster in China.
Janez Lenarčič
President-in-Office. - (SL) We are following with great concern developments in China following the disastrous earthquake, which destroyed a large area of the country, and the Province of Sichuan in particular.
There are estimates that the earthquake affected around 10 million people. The death toll is growing by the hour, whilst the hope of rescuing the survivors from under the rubble is ebbing away. The current estimate of fatalities has grown to almost 50 000 people. This truly is a disaster. Perhaps it would be possible to save more lives if the rescuers could reach the affected area, but they are prevented by objective difficulties, as well as due to a shortage of adequate equipment.
An additional difficulty is the damage that the earthquake has caused to a number of dams. Because of that, survivors in the Sichuan Province are under a great threat of being flooded. The Chinese government has asked for the basic equipment they need during the rescue operations.
The Chinese Health Ministry also expects a greater need for medication and up-to-date medical equipment, because the survivors need to be provided with the necessary treatment for injuries.
The scope of aid activities currently under way is exceptionally large. Twelve tonnes of goods have already been dropped from the air to alleviate the difficulties in the affected area. Numerous helicopters are flying in rescuers and help. Representatives of the local authorities stated that at this point they mostly need blankets, tents, food and satellite telephones.
As you know, and as has already been mentioned earlier today, last Tuesday the Council convened an extraordinary Council meeting. We have extended our deepest condolences to the Chinese people for the terrible numbers of fatalities and destruction in this area. In our message we also expressed our deepest sympathy with those who have lost their closest relatives in this disaster, to those who have been injured themselves, or those who suffered serious damage to property.
The international community has responded quickly, and has offered to provide China with assistance. China has officially welcomed this in letters dispatched by the Foreign Trade Ministry. Numerous foreign teams including those from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Australia are already there, or are about to set out for China.
The European Union wishes to provide the affected population with help. The European Commission, as well as most of the Member States, has massively responded to the needs of the affected population, and are prepared to provide help also in the future.
Thank you.
Louis Michel
Member of the Commission. - (FR) Madam President, I also wish to thank you for placing a debate on the agenda on the humanitarian situation in the Chinese province of Sichuan following the earthquake on 12 May. President Barroso, Mrs Ferrero-Waldner and I have expressed our condolences and stressed the desire of the European people to help the Chinese people.
Mobilisation by the Chinese authorities and the army in particular was swift and large-scale. It must be said that the crisis management was efficient, and the authorities deserve our congratulations. In view of the extent of the damage and its needs, the Chinese Government appealed for international assistance on 13 May and the EU was quick to respond to the call. The Commission sent an ECHO humanitarian aid expert on a one-week mission to the area affected. Following a report by the expert on 16 May, the Commission adopted an emergency relief decision to disburse two million euros. This will allow the Red Cross to supply tents, blankets, drinking water and basic essentials.
The coordination and assessment team of the Commission's civil protection mechanism is also at Chengdu. It is in contact with the local authorities to bring in European aid more rapidly for those in need. The Member States also responded swiftly to the emergency call from the Red Cross Federation by sending emergency equipment and providing search and rescue teams. The total EU contribution is already over ten million euros. The European Commission, the Monitoring Information Centre and the Crisis Platform are working together and are keeping the Member States and China up to date with EU assistance. It should be noted that the Chinese authorities exercise strict control over local access permits for international teams.
On the basis of our evaluations, the main needs are water and sanitation, temporary shelters, essential products, medicines and medical equipment. Many major after-shocks are hampering rescue operations, unfortunately. The main concern is that vital infrastructure such as dams, dykes or electrical power stations will break down or collapse, thereby creating a second humanitarian disaster.
Georg Jarzembowski
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - (DE) Madam President, Mr President-in-Office, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, my Group endorses the expressions of sorrow and sympathy made to the Chinese people by the Council and the Commission following the horrific earthquake of 12 May. We offer our sincere condolences to all those who have been left bereaved or injured as a result of the earthquake.
We also welcome the fact that the Chinese authorities have initiated rapid rescue measures, and we welcome the Chinese Government's willingness to accept foreign aid. Let me also voice our hope that it will continue to do so in future, enabling aid to be dispensed effectively at the point of need.
In addition, we are pleased that in this case the Chinese Government has also allowed the foreign media to report in detail on the earthquake, and we hope that it will permit foreign reporting on the reconstruction effort in the affected areas too.
We particularly regret that so many pupils died when buildings in state schools collapsed, and we support the declared intention of the Chinese authorities to investigate the reasons why schools might not have been built to withstand earthquakes and to hold those responsible to account.
Above all, we are willing to give the Chinese people the assistance they need. They do not need large sums of money, for they possess the world's largest currency reserves. What they need is practical help, and we Europeans and our Member States can provide that help, and we thank the Commissioner for the aid measures he has already initiated.
We shall support every action designed to help the people in the disaster areas and to assist them in the reconstruction of their villages. Some may have to be resettled in other areas. We shall provide the aid that is required for that purpose. It is truly a great human tragedy, and we empathise with the population of the stricken areas and with the entire Chinese nation.
Libor Rouček
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (CS) Madam President, Commissioner, Mr Lenarčič, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, on behalf of the Socialist Group, I want to join with all those who have expressed their deepest sympathies with the bereaved families of the tens of thousands of victims of the terrible earthquake that hit Sichuan province. I also want to express my full solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people who lost the roof over their head or were forced to leave their homes as a result of this disaster.
A short while ago we debated the situation in Burma and criticised the completely unacceptable behaviour of the Burmese junta. China, in complete contrast with Burma, must be praised. China immediately asked the international community for help and opened its borders to foreign aid. I also approve, just like my fellow Member, the openness of the Chinese authorities, both at national level and in Sichuan province. I welcome the way they dealt with organising the rescue work and informing the public, both at home and abroad, on the events of the disaster. For example, this up-front information provided also included the confession that, apart from tens of thousands of victims, thirty-two sources of radioactive emissions were also buried in the rubble.
Both the Commissioner and Mr Lenarčič informed us of the extent of the humanitarian aid that the European Union has offered and provided to China. I am thanking them both for the speed with which the Commission and the Council have acted, and I am also calling on them to ensure that the European Union is prepared to respond quickly to potential requests for further help by our Chinese partners, not only in regard to humanitarian aid but also with rebuilding affected areas, if help is asked for.
Dirk Sterckx
on behalf of the ALDE Group. - (NL) First of all, I should like to express my sympathy with all the victims on behalf of our Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. I also endorse the period of mourning that the Chinese Government has announced. On Monday, before coming to Strasbourg, I went to sign the book of condolence at the Representation to the EU in Brussels, on behalf of the Delegation for Relations with China and I assume also on behalf of Parliament as a whole. Last week the bureau of the Delegation met the Chinese ambassador and he told me how much he appreciated the European Parliament support.
We are facing an enormous and serious disaster. Tens of thousands of people are dead or still missing, millions homeless, property damage on a scale that is barely calculable at the moment. We have not seen in China what we saw in Burma, as discussed in the previous debate. Here we see a country where everyone, from the highest to the lowest level, is doing everything possible to help and to see that anything that can still be saved is saved. I also see a country that has very openly communicated, and continues to communicate, the pain and despair of the people in Sichuan and the problems the rescue teams are facing, rescue teams that have even lost a couple of lives. I see a country that is even open to the criticism the victims of the disaster had of the aid effort, a picture that we are also very familiar with whenever something similar happens here.
Madam President, we have to look to the future. I think China has asked us for very specific types of aid. I see that we are showing solidarity and I am grateful to the Commission and the Council for what they have done. I urge them to provide further help when the Chinese ask for it.
When the rescue effort is over, rebuilding will have to begin, and there again we have to be able to help as much as possible. In the longer term, I would ask that we look into how we can provide technical assistance, with building regulations and techniques that make buildings more resistant to this kind of occurrence. It might also be a task for the international community to look at what we can do to set up a sort of early warning system, a system that warns people before these disasters. We have to at least try to develop that. I think there are quite a number of regions in the world that might benefit from that. At any rate, I think it is important that we in the European Parliament have shown our solidarity with the Chinese in this debate.
Hélène Flautre
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - (FR) Madam President, following this terrible earthquake that has plunged China and the entire world into mourning, the authorities have played the game of transparency for the first time and responded to the drama with large-scale emergency deployment, which the EU and the entire international community are doing their best to sustain.
However, we have all heard sharp criticism in China of the poor quality of buildings, especially the most recent structures and public locations such as schools, which have led to the disappearance of thousands of schoolchildren, with very few rescued. This disaster is showing up the poor quality of building work in the country, a sensitive issue in China where millions of people have been expropriated in the larger cities in the run-up to decisive events such as the Olympic Games.
Other worrying matters, already mentioned, loom over this drama: the strength of hydroelectric facilities such as the concrete dam at Zipingpu makes us fear the worst for the 600 000 people living downstream. The earthquake also caused damage to 391 reservoirs. As yet there is little information available on the plutonium-enrichment facilities in the north-east of Sichuan province, despite their close proximity to the epicentre, and this is likewise extremely disturbing.
Would it not be a good idea to carry out an independent international assessment on such vital issues, since the Chinese are still showing a certain amount of opacity and any official statements are all reassurance?
Konrad Szymański
on behalf of the UEN Group. - (PL) Europe should offer China as much support as possible, for both humanitarian and political reasons. I am one of the very many Members of this House who are strongly opposed to China's barbaric policy towards Tibet and towards Christians. I believe we should react very forcefully indeed to any instance of aggression towards Taiwan.
On the other hand, however, we must take advantage of every opportunity to show the Chinese people that the demands we are making of their leaders are not motivated by any feeling of enmity towards their country and its traditions. We must prove that friendly partnership is possible, and an excellent opportunity to do so has now arisen. We should offer extensive assistance to the victims and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to reconstruction work following the recent disaster. It would be a great mistake to miss this opportunity of building trust between Europe and China.
Patrick Louis
on behalf of the IND/DEM Group. - (FR) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, natural disasters sadden us all the more because they create so many victims, as recently in China or Burma. They remind us of the value of any human life, and also the fact that we cannot control nature. We wish to send a message of compassion to those suffering natural and political disasters.
One of the aims of politicians is to prevent public misfortune from befalling their people. Thus, if they cannot prevent natural disasters, they can attempt to anticipate them and alert the people, and above all they must minimise risk through responsible prevention policies. By way of example, China's Promethean infrastructure, such as its huge power dams and nuclear power plants, has held out. Yet how long can it hold out? Is it not better to use a larger number of smaller structures to spread the risk, and increase public information on the risks involved?
The most tragic situation for the Chinese people, however, is in relation to political disasters. Although we acknowledge the admirable character of this hard-working skilful people and its sensitive culture, we can judge political acts without delving too far into domestic policies. Its calamitous single-child policy is a major disaster. It affects children, the large numbers of peasant families obliged to dispose of daughters, a poor source of revenue that does nothing to ensure the continuity of farms and retirement, or the second child who has no right to exist on the orders of Creon. Such is the disdain for human rights when a political order does not allow parents to have as many children as they want. Here again, life is not considered at its true value, but as a mere utilitarian function. Natural disaster and political disaster merge, however, when a school's roof falls in, crushing the only child and leaving the parents distraught.
When the 30 000 journalists expected in Beijing for the Olympic Games arrive there, they should take time out to investigate, beyond mere appearances, the reality of this country which, through overriding power and efficiency, risks losing all respect for human beings, the real basis of the political order.
Karsten Friedrich Hoppenstedt
(DE) Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, during the public minutes of silence ordered by the Chinese authorities, people stood still - people in the streets, on buses and in shops - and their facial expressions left no doubt of the sincerity of their feelings. It was quite different from the normal compulsory collective demonstrations of solidarity. Why was that? Because state television was able to report round the clock, evoking a profound sense of shock at the unimaginable suffering of the people in the stricken areas. That inspired a new sense of solidarity in China. Respect for the individual has become apparent again, even among political leaders.
The only great national focal points had hitherto been China's economic growth and, more recently, the Olympic Games, but in the light of the present disaster, these things almost fail to register any more with many people. What should the international community do? This question has already been answered to some extent: besides sending aid materials, disaster plans and, of course, technical equipment, there is a need to pool the experience gathered in the aftermath of the major earthquakes in Armenia, where more than 100 000 lives were lost and a nuclear power plant was damaged, in Turkey, where tens of thousands lost their lives, and in China in 1976, where several hundred thousand people died, and to use that collective experience to develop principles of good practice for the international community and apply them for the benefit of China.
I know it has been mentioned that what could happen to dams in particular should make us examine the earthquake resistance of public buildings, hospitals and schools. There is much that can be done in this respect, and appropriate indications can be given as to which rules should apply to the building of earthquake-proof structures.
As a member of the Delegation for Relations with China, I naturally subscribe to the messages of condolence conveyed by the previous speakers.
Edite Estrela
(PT) Madam President, Commissioner, we all regret the disaster that has devastated southern China. Over 50 000 people have died and 4.8 million have been left homeless. We all stand as one with the affected families.
The European Union has acted as it should: it has activated the civil protection mechanism and it has supported the Chinese authorities. The international community as a whole has also lent its support. Never before has China received so many expressions of solidarity and offers of tangible support because, this time, the Chinese authorities have not tried to hide the scale of the tragedy. On the contrary, they have provided the necessary information, allowed access to the international media and, overall, acted transparently and efficiently, unlike what has happened in Burma.
Climate change is at the root of the rise in natural disasters. Preventing the planet from overheating is all our responsibility. China must therefore also contribute to reducing CO2 emissions by supporting the European Union's efforts to reach an international agreement by the time of the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009.
Bastiaan Belder
(NL) With unprecedented openness, the Chinese mass media have reported on the terrible consequences of the serious earthquake that struck Sichuan province over a week ago. Within the country, this openness on the part of the authorities led to an unprecedented solidarity with the victims. The harmonious society came to the fore. Tens of thousands of volunteers presented themselves. Rescue teams flocked to the disaster areas from every province. Practical help has reached a record high in China. In short, openness by the authorities pays off.
The European institutions therefore need to hold the Chinese authorities to this unprecedented openness in the future. This is certainly the case with the critical question already raised in China as to why so many school buildings collapsed. China has been equally open with the rest of the world. For instance, the Chinese Government accepted the Japanese offer to send a rescue team. In the meantime, Taiwan has pledged EUR 42 million of relief for the earthquake victims. I sincerely hope that this sympathy will lead to the normalisation that is needed in relations between China and Taiwan.
I can wholeheartedly join those Members who have expressed their deep sympathy for the inexpressible suffering of the Chinese people and I particularly appreciate Mr Sterckx signing the book of condolence at the Chinese Representation in Brussels on behalf of us all. I can fully endorse that.
Cornelis Visser
(NL) First of all, I should like to express my sympathy for the relatives of the many victims of the natural disaster in Sichuan province on 12 May. The Chinese authorities fortunately acted promptly after the disaster. I also welcome the European Union response. I therefore wish to support the European institutions, the Commission and the Council, in the approach they have opted for so far. After initially refusing foreign help, China has opened its borders. The Chinese authorities themselves have said that they can use every possible assistance to deal with this widespread disaster. Japanese, South Korean and Russian rescue teams are already in the stricken area. I find that and the fact that the neighbouring countries of Singapore and Taiwan are providing aid very encouraging. Political relations with neighbouring countries are not always good and this might improve them.
A great deal of attention has been devoted to the disaster in the national and international media. I am pleased that the press is being allowed access to the affected area and being given the opportunity to write what it wants and inform the rest of the country and the world. Transparency is important in obtaining a clear picture of the disaster and also in ensuring that the right aid is provided on the ground. That allows greater involvement by the rest of the population. A free press and good governance usually go hand in hand. A free press can report policy failings in good time and policies can be adjusted.
Building and government supervision in that area also need to be discussed. Conclusions can be drawn for future building projects and recommendations can be made for better management and better official organisation.
Natural disaster prevention and preparation are primary government responsibilities. It is only in recent years that these have been properly organised in many European countries too. Finally, I should like to ask the European Commission and the Council to offer China help if necessary to train the authorities and the civil service in drawing up plans for dealing with crises and disasters.
Alexandra Dobolyi
(HU) Thank you very much, Madam President. Every decent person was shocked by last week's natural disaster in the Far East. It is natural that the attention of the world should be centred on these countries.
China is very much in the focus of public attention at present: the Olympic Games this summer, the Chinese Premier's visit to Taiwan, events in Tibet, the Dalai Lama's tour of Europe and how it was received, the visit to China by the European Commission; all these things have contributed to focusing attention on China. Now is not the time, however, to speak about boycotts or about Tibet.
The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 8.0 and left the Sichuan plateau in ruins, caused the deaths of 50 000 people and rendered millions of survivors homeless, not to mention the economic damage caused. This is why I am asking every European Union institution to make sure that we give all the human assistance we can and make humanitarian aid available to those affected by the disaster for as long as it is needed.
Let us thank the rescue teams and aid organisations for their help; they worked around the clock to improve the situation of the people living in the region, and let us assure the Chinese people of our unconditional solidarity and sympathy. Thank you very much.
Glyn Ford
Madam President, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 and an epicentre near Chengdu in Sichuan killed over 100 000 people on 12 May. We can only offer our condolences to all those who have lost family members, and in particular parents who have lost children. However, unlike the parallel tragedy in Burma, where some have suggested responsibility to protect should lead to direct international intervention, the Chinese have employed exceptional emergency resources, along with soldiers and medical staff. China has welcomed foreign assistance, including Japanese rescue workers who are currently working in the area, as well as allowing the Chinese and foreign media to follow the disaster in its aftermath.
The European Union has already contributed EUR 10 million in aid, as Commissioner Michel has said. We urge the Council and Commission to provide further emergency aid, technical assistance and reconstruction aid to the region concerned in the coming months and years.
Józef Pinior
Madam President, this is the time when we show solidarity and sympathy to China. In these tragic days we have seen victims; we have seen a great tragedy of society in China.
I have been impressed by the way in which the Chinese authorities have behaved - state leaders, administrative, provincial and party leaders - the behaviour of the Chinese state has been rational, something good at this time.
But at the same time, as a human rights politician, I have to report to Parliament that, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, 55 nuns were arrested on 14 May. That is a reality too in these days in China. The earthquake cannot become a pretext for human rights abuses.
Csaba Sándor Tabajdi
(HU) Madam President, the terrible tragedies of the Chinese earthquake and the cyclone that preceded it in Burma shocked the public around the world. The response by countries around the globe was exemplary, with countries from Japan to the United States, from Russia to Jordan providing aid to the tune of more than two billion dollars.
The European Union and its Member States reacted at once, and the Commission too took decisive action, sending EUR 2 million in emergency aid to China and assisting relief efforts by dispatching mobile hospital units, drugs, rescue equipment, and rubble-clearing gear. It was particularly laudable on the part of the Tibetan government-in-exile in India to ask its followers to halt their demonstrations against China temporarily and make donations to help the earthquake victims.
Aid funds from Hungary originally intended for Burma were redirected to China due to the isolationist attitude of the Burmese military dictatorship. The Chinese leadership, unlike the Myanmar regime, was wise to accept foreign aid. The responsible manner in which China handled the publicity was also very positive, and it shows that there has been significant progress in terms of developing democracy. Thank you for your attention.
Genowefa Grabowska
(PL) Nature has once again proved how defenceless humankind is against major natural disasters and calamities. China is the most populated country on earth, its economy is booming, and it is enthusiastically preparing for the forthcoming Olympic Games. It was, however, devastated by the recent tragic earthquake.
The people of China liken this disaster to earlier cataclysms accompanying major historical changes in that country. I am not sure if that is the way to interpret this dreadful event. Nonetheless, I am certain that at such a time we must express our solidarity with the tens of thousands of ordinary men, women and children who are heroically enduring this personal and national tragedy. That is why the European Parliament is right to send a clear signal to the Chinese people today, indicating that the Members of this House stand shoulder to shoulder with them, that we understand their suffering and want to help. After all, the principle of solidarity is one of the Union's most important fundamental values.
Colm Burke
Madam President, China must be congratulated for the way in which it has reacted to this disaster. I would also like to thank the European Commission and Council for the way they have acted in dealing with this tragedy. It is a welcome development in China that they have opened up the area to all of those who can give assistance; hopefully it is something they will do in the future in relation to other areas. Allowing the necessary information out to the world media is the correct step forward. I should also like to congratulate the media for highlighting the scale of the disaster and the assistance that is required.
May it also be a lesson to China in seeing how they can use their power to put pressure on other regimes, in particular in Burma, to try to get them to see that they also need assistance from the world community. Saving lives is the priority in China; let others like the junta in Burma learn from this experience.
Bogdan Golik
(PL) Madam President, I should like to express my very sincere condolences to all those who have suffered and lost loved ones in China. I wish to express my heartfelt sympathy to all those who have lost their children, wives or husbands. I was myself in China last week when this dreadful disaster occurred. I was in Beijing and Shanghai, and I represented Parliament at the opening of the Shanghai Food Fair. The disaster happened on the Monday, just as I was arriving. I sent letters of condolence to the Chinese ambassadors in Poland and Brussels straight away. I was able to see reports on the tragedy for myself on television, and realised the extent of human suffering caused. I also saw the immediate large-scale help provided to the victims by ordinary people, the government and the army. The scale of the effort was unprecedented.
I should like to take advantage of this opportunity to thank the Union and all the Member States for the aid provided. I should also like to thank the House for its gesture of solidarity in holding this debate today. I am sure aid will continue to be needed.
Zbigniew Zaleski
(PL) I believe there are two different approaches to China. One is to provide assistance following the misfortune that has recently befallen it. We cannot react otherwise. It is our moral duty to help. The fact that we enjoy a better financial and economic situation is a further reason to offer aid. We simply have to do so.
The second approach involves remaining constantly aware that in normal times we should help the Chinese. By this I mean that, when the country is not afflicted by disaster, we ought to help the people of China by reminding their leaders about their citizens' rights. We should do so most emphatically. We need to respond appropriately to both situations. This will make things very clear. I believe the people of China will recognise our effort and thank us for it.
Janez Lenarčič
President-in-Office. - (SL) I think that it is very important that the European Parliament has decided to dedicate today's debate to the natural disaster in China. Primarily in order to be able to give China a message, on the one hand expressing the European Union's condolences, and, as Mrs Grabowska expressed it, to convey to China and its people the European Union's solidarity with them.
The difference is also obvious in the tone of the debate held on this, and that on the immediately preceding item. And of course, part of the reason for this is also the way the Chinese leaders have acted, and we can truly say that its response to this terrible disaster was quick and efficient, that it has used considerable national resources, that it has named or appointed the Prime Minister personally as the aid coordinator. To successfully overcome such difficulties there must be good coordination, and this was obviously achieved.
The media also regularly kept the public informed, both nationally and internationally, as to the developments. Foreign journalists were allowed access to the affected areas, and also some foreign experts, according to our information, amongst others from Japan.
Therefore I believe that we can be satisfied that in facing this huge disaster and in providing help to its population, the Chinese authorities have been well organised, and above all, that that they are willing to accept foreign aid, including ours. And I can assure you that the Council will continue to be prepared to provide help.
Louis Michel
Member of the Commission. - (FR) Very briefly, Madam President, you may be sure that I take due note of your remarks, and I wish to reply by saying that we will naturally still be willing to add to the aid we have already committed, aid based on analysis of needs.
Moreover, I feel that everyone welcomes China's reaction, and the way in which the authorities have been open in terms of access and transparency. I mean this with particular reference to access to the press.
I should like to take up an idea mooted by Mrs Flautre - the suggestion of providing a team of international experts to assess collateral risk and damage, particularly in relation to nuclear facilities. I feel it would be a good idea to pass on this message. There is no obligation to do so, of course, but I still think it would be good to initiate discussions with the Chinese authorities to this end.
President
I have received six motions for a resolution tabled in accordance with Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place on Thursday at 12 noon.


Question Time (Council)
President
The next item is questions to the Council (B6-0382/2007).
The following questions were presented.
Subject: 'Revolving door' immigration policy
Some political figures and specialists have raised the possibility of achieving an agreement between the Member States which would combine the monitoring of the Union's external borders with a new 'revolving door' immigration policy to allow legally established immigrants in the Union to return to their countries of origin without fear of encountering a closed door when returning to the EU.
Does the Council consider this approach feasible, and would it be possible to set up this policy using straightforward intergovernmental cooperation, or would it be necessary to establish new institutional mechanisms to achieve this end?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) As the honourable Member will know, in May 2007 the Commission presented to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Committee of the Regions a communication on circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries. In its communication the Commission considers circular migration to be a useful means to be developed at Community level to ensure more effective management of migration flows. In the June 2007 conclusions on extending and enhancing the global approach to migration, the Council in turn stressed that legal migration opportunities, including well-managed circular migration, could potentially benefit all partners involved.
The Council believes that all well-managed circular migration opportunities should therefore be explored in close cooperation with all the relevant parties, with a view to the adoption of Council Conclusions not later than the end of 2007. The need to examine these circular migration opportunities, based on the Communication from the Commission of 16 May 2007, was also reiterated in the conclusions of the June 2007 European Council. The Council is currently examining the issue of the adoption of specific instruments and measures to facilitate circular migration, and the issue of finding out how such measures may be implemented.
The Commission has not as yet proposed any specific measures.
Manuel Medina Ortega
(ES) Mr President, I believe the Portuguese Presidency is devoting a fair amount of attention to this matter, I believe the reply was accurate.
I am aware that the Portuguese Presidency is coming to an end because this half-year is fairly short, but I do not know whether you think it will be possible for a specific proposal to be formulated before 31 December, or whether you will encourage the Commission to submit more specific proposals, especially with regard to the institutional aspects, whether the mechanisms we have today are sufficient or whether it would be appropriate to establish an institution of some kind to facilitate circular migration of this nature.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Mr President, I would like to thank the honourable Member for his kind words. The presidencies are indeed always a little shorter in the second half-year, whether fortunately or unfortunately I am not sure, because of the summer holidays. We would in fact like to make further significant progress on this matter by the end of the year, but we are also obviously dependent to some extent on the initiatives the Commission wishes to present to allow us to do so. That would be our intention and our desire. At this time I cannot guarantee that, however, but if possible and if we have the opportunity, we will certainly take it.
Josu Ortuondo Larrea
(ES) Mr President, I share the view of the Presidency of the Council on the revolving door policy for immigration and the new ideas on blue cards to attract immigrants of high calibre.
I would, however, like to ask the Presidency of the Council if it is convinced that we will be able to contain the huge inflow of immigrants to the European Union we have each year, in view of the fact that there are countries in the world whose level of development is so poor and so low.
Emanuel Jardim Fernandes
(PT) The question I would ask on circular immigration is whether there should not be a special mechanism to provide for such immigration, particularly in terms of providing training in the countries affected. I am thinking of doctors and nurses from Malawi who are in the UK, for example.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) This question of circular immigration has been or is being discussed and was rapidly raised by the Commission during a broader debate on the question of immigration in Europe, particularly illegal and legal immigration, and was one of the mechanisms referred to in this debate on immigration-related issues. The Commission has reflected on the matter, and invited the Council to do so and to discuss it. In my opinion circular immigration mechanisms alone will not resolve all the issues arising in this area and in this debate. It is a measure that could be a proposal and that could be a way of easing our burden and resolving issues related to immigration, and in this case even to legal immigration, but it will certainly not resolve all the problems involved. That will naturally require a broader range of policies, which as you know the Council is in fact discussing, on a proposal from the Commission.
You will also naturally be aware that the Portuguese Presidency's programme prioritises all questions related to immigration, whether illegal or legal. At next month's December Council marking the end of our Presidency, we would like to be able to present a set of conclusions on the general question of legal immigration and on combating illegal immigration, which signals real progress in these two areas.
As regards the concrete technical questions addressed to specific groups, the reflection the Council is and must be engaged in is not concluded, and I am sure the honourable Member will appreciate that I cannot tell you at the moment what the results of that reflection are, particularly on very ad hoc and very specific questions.
Subject: Burden-sharing regarding asylum and immigration
In the context of the framework programme Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows 2007-2013, what progress has there been with regard to the concept of 'burden-sharing'?
What practical steps are being undertaken by Member States to achieve a fair sharing of responsibilities with regard to asylum and immigration between themselves?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) In May 2007 the European Parliament and the Council approved three decisions: the decision creating the European Refugee Fund 2008-2013, the decision creating the External Borders Fund 2007-2013, and the decision creating the European Return Fund 2008-2013. In June 2007 the Council also approved the decision creating the European Fund for the integration of third country nationals 2007-2013. These four decisions are an integral part of the general programme 'Solidarity and Management of Migration Flows'.
In line with the objectives laid down by the European Council, the objective of this programme is the fair sharing of responsibilities among Member States with regard to the financial burden arising from the introduction of the integrated management of the EU's external borders and the implementation of common asylum and immigration policies.
The European Refugee Fund complies with the obligations set down in Article 63(2)(b) of the EC Treaty on the adoption of measures promoting a balance of effort between Member States in receiving and bearing the consequences of receiving refugees and displaced persons.
The Council also seeks to promote solidarity by other means. The Council Conclusions of 18 September 2007 on reinforcing the EU's southern maritime borders, for example, encouraged Member States to provide support on a bilateral basis to Member States facing particular pressure, stating that such support can be provided at the level of return operations, reception conditions, case working expertise or voluntarily undertaking to take responsibility for asylum seekers, refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or unaccompanied minors.
Claude Moraes
That was a comprehensive statement of the theoretical position on burden-sharing. We know what the instruments are, but I have to ask you candidly, when it comes to Malta, Lampedusa and the Canaries, what is the implementation? Do you feel that, over the last six months, Council members, including those in Western Europe, have taken seriously their burden-sharing commitment regarding these places, which are in an emergency situation? Some of our colleagues here know it and see it every day.
Nobody is identifying Portugal as being in any way apathetic on this issue, but what about the Council actively carrying out burden-sharing? Is it being implemented? Please give us your candid response.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) I am very pleased to answer the honourable Member, and obviously I am speaking on behalf of the Portuguese Presidency in accordance with its thinking on this issue. The honourable Member knows that migration and migration flows, especially illegal migration flows, particularly from regions to the south of Europe, represent a new problem that we did not have to face just a few years ago.
We must obviously, therefore, react to this new and unfamiliar phenomenon and must take appropriate measures. As is always the case, however, those measures, that reaction and the instruments referred to are taking shape gradually, just as our awareness of the importance and gravity of this problem is taking shape gradually. I have to say in this regard that the keyword in this issue for the Portuguese Presidency and for Portugal as a Member State is solidarity. Just as we all understand that when other issues affect one or two Member States they must be seen as a problem for everyone, so too in connection with illegal migration the appropriate word is also solidarity, since we are aware that these phenomena often affect individual States in particular.
It is true that quite often all we do is talk, and it is true that we must and should do more than just talk. However, the current awareness that the issue concerned is a global problem that affects everyone and that is everyone's responsibility is a first step. Naturally we are confident that gradually and realistically, but also with the necessary urgency, we can continue to refer to 'solidarity' while turning it into concrete actions and measures. That is the Presidency's role, and that is what Portugal must do as a Member State. You will also understand that it is not up to a single Member State or a single Presidency to influence all events and all measures, as might perhaps be desired. But I can assure you that there is a heightened and increasingly strong awareness that we must share that responsibility and give effect to that solidarity.
Simon Busuttil
(MT) With all due respect, President-in-Office, I am not convinced by your reply, as while the Council of Ministers are thinking about it, there are people drowning in the Mediterranean and there are Mediterranean countries that cannot cope with the emergency; that is why I am not convinced. I am going to ask you something specific: Malta made a proposal in the Council on the division of the burden, on burden sharing. It asked that any immigrants saved from the sea outside EU waters - in Libya's waters, for example - should be divided among all the EU countries. What was the Council's reply, I would like to know.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) I am very familiar with that situation and I am very familiar with the issue the Government of Malta has raised in that regard, and your question is covered by the answer I have already given to a fellow Member: the Presidency is aware, and Portugal as a Member State is aware, that Portugal is also a country of the South, and we too will therefore do our utmost to ensure that the word 'solidarity' is actually put into practice while bearing in mind the difficulties and problems, which do exist, though like many cases this one also requires perseverance and persistence.
Subject: Measures to ensure decent living conditions for illegal immigrants, particularly women and children
Which measures does the Council intend to take to ensure that illegal immigrants, particularly women and children, enjoy decent temporary living conditions, so that Member States uniformly respect their international commitments?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Mr President, I do not know if this is possible or within the regulations, but when the question is introduced I would like to know exactly which of the honourable Members is the author, because obviously my answer will be addressed firstly to them.
As I am sure you know, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals lays down specific rules for the treatment of such nationals. Article 13 of the proposal for a directive provides for safeguards as to the conditions of stay pending the return of all persons covered by the directive. Article 15, which establishes the conditions of temporary custody, defines the treatment to be afforded to third-country nationals pending their return. Article 15(3) states that particular attention must be paid to the situation of vulnerable persons, and specific provision is made for minors. As you also know, the European Parliament and the Council are currently examining this proposal for a directive.
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou
- (EL) Thank you, Mr President; allow me to repeat Mr Moraes's comments: you are theoretically answering our questions very well and in detail. However, what is the responsibility of the Member States when we do not yet have your analyses? Are there any international treaties and are they being applied equally to all Member States, or do some Member States, for special reasons, provide more or less? What is the responsibility of the accession countries that serve as transit routes for illegal immigrants, mainly women and children? During yesterday's sitting I mentioned to the Commissioner that even a 14-year-old illegal transporter of clandestine immigrants had been arrested.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) I have just said that a proposal for a directive is currently under discussion between the Council and the European Parliament in which this issue is addressed. Since the proposal for a directive has not yet been approved, I cannot say exactly what measures the directive will propose for defending and protecting the weakest individuals who need the most protection. We shall see. This proposal for a directive now addresses that concern to protect the weakest.
I can also clearly tell you that when we, the Portuguese Presidency, refer to the question of illegal immigration, we always say that the fight against it is based on two fundamental principles: solidarity and respect for people and respect for the humanitarian tragedy underlying the phenomenon. We should not treat people as objects, and neither the Presidency nor Portugal accepts or has ever accepted that the humanitarian dimension should not be considered or should be considered to be secondary in these situations. This is our position in principle as the Presidency, it is our position in principle as an EU Member State, and it is a position that we will not abandon under any circumstances.
Subject: European Security Strategy
What are the results to date of implementing the European Security Strategy? In particular, what are the results of extending the security zone to include Europe's periphery? Is the Council satisfied with the strategies 'Peace through regional integration' and 'Regional integration through peace' on the EU's geopolitical perimeter?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Mr President, honourable Member, in the four years that have elapsed since the European Security Strategy was adopted in December 2003, the European Union's foreign and security policy has developed dynamically.
We have reacted successfully to the threats identified in the European strategy, following the main thread that informed our approach. We have had to be more active, more coherent and also more competent. The new threats of terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, degeneration of the state and organised crime have been met by many concrete actions that reflect the range of instruments currently available to the European Union. These include diplomatic action, civilian and military missions and trade and development activities.
We have endorsed effective multilateralism, supporting and increasing our cooperation with the United Nations in crisis management, the war against terrorism and non-proliferation. Our operations in relation to European security and defence policy are our most visible contribution to global peace and security and demonstrate our willingness to take on global responsibilities. Since 2003 we have initiated 16 crisis management operations, four military and 12 civilian, in various parts of the world. These European security and defence policy operations cover three continents and range from purely military operations, including reform of the security sector and institutional development, to police missions to ensure the rule of law. From Aceh to Ramallah, from Kinshasa to Sarajevo, the EU is putting the main catalysts for peace and stability into place.
The pressures on the Union are increasing, however. We have just decided in principle to lead a military mission to Chad and the Central African Republic to help to draw a close to the regional consequences of the Darfur crisis. We are also prepared to lead a police mission to ensure the rule of law in Kosovo. From the Western Balkans and from Eastern Europe to the Mediterranean, we have worked actively for peace and stability in our neighbourhood using all the means at our disposal. I believe that the work done by the High Representative Javier Solana, EU enlargement policy, the Barcelona process, the European Neighbourhood Policy just debated here, the EU's special representatives in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova and the Southern Caucasus and the peace process in the Middle East, as well as the EU's role as a member of the Quartet for the Middle East and the Troika for Kosovo, plus the other ESDP missions I have referred to here reflect our determination to create security in our neighbourhood.
Georgios Papastamkos
- (EL) Thank you for your answer, Mr President. I really feel that the European security strategy is proving more successful in missions outside the European continent than in meeting challenges arising within the EU. I believe that situations such as that in Kosovo, the management of an emerging crisis, the policy of conditionality in FYROM, a candidate country whose political system is seriously ailing, and the Russophobia, whether justifiable or not, that preoccupies our colleagues from the countries of the former Eastern Europe - all these challenge us to form a more coherent and effective European security strategy.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) We have just had a discussion here in this plenary session on the European Neighbourhood Policy intended precisely for our partners on this continent. I presume that a general conclusion was that, despite the difficulties that might exist and the improvements that could be introduced, this European Neighbourhood Policy that forms part of our strategy has worked well and has ensured that many of our partners and neighbours can enjoy stability, economic progress and economic and social development.
For well-known historical reasons, many of our partners are naturally now experiencing what could be called stages of transition, democratic consolidation and consolidation of the rule of law, and as is so often the case, these processes are not exempt from difficulties, upheavals or problems. And this is perhaps true of some of those countries. We recently spoke about Georgia, when I said here that I chaired the Association Council with Georgia some three weeks ago and had the opportunity to inform our Georgian colleagues that in the area of the economy, for example, we were pleased to note that significant progress had been made in terms of economic development, despite the problems that country has with Russia. We must therefore be prepared for the significant progress that we expect and want, but for well-known reasons we must also sometimes expect backward steps that we sincerely hope will only be temporary, and we hope that the States and countries will rapidly return to progress and towards reinforcing the rule of law.
I must therefore tell the honourable Member in all sincerity that, although we European Union citizens sometimes tend to be very modest with regard to the capacity of our achievements and to the achievements themselves, we must be a little more friendly towards ourselves, as it were. I think that we have achieved something despite the difficulties.
Gay Mitchell
Given what the Treaties of the Union say and the content of the Reform Treaty on the issue of security and defence, and given what the President of the French Republic said here yesterday and the fact that France will be taking on the Presidency next year, could the Council tell the House if it envisages that there will be a common defence policy within the European Union in the lifetime of this Parliament, or in the next Parliament, and when it thinks that might come about?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) As the honourable Member knows, the Council does not comment on speeches by Heads of State of European Union Member States. Naturally, however, I have noted President Sarkozy's opinion, which is that of the Head of State of a very important EU Member State. If we are to progress in that direction or not, towards a Europe with an enhanced defence, it will be the Council that will have to decide, and as you can imagine, I cannot anticipate the Council's decision. If that is the Council's decision - and as you know, defence is a specific area that requires very strong consensus - then naturally we will be able to go forward along that route, but the decision is obviously in the Council's hands. I do not have a crystal ball and therefore cannot tell you how far this idea will go. We shall see, but since it is a proposal from President Sarkozy, it will obviously be listened to very attentively, like all his proposals.
Subject: Accession negotiations with Macedonia
What is the Council's assessment of the stage reached in bringing Macedonia closer to the EU, and when does it consider that it will be possible or desirable to set a date for starting accession negotiations?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Mr President, honourable Member, the December 2005 European Council decision to grant candidate country status to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was recognition of that country's reform achievements. The European Council stated that further steps towards EU membership would have to be considered firstly in the light of the debate on the enlargement strategy, as provided for by the conclusions of the 12 December 2005 Council, which concluded with the 'renewed consensus' on enlargement that was achieved at the 14-15 December 2006 European Council; secondly, of compliance by the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with the Copenhagen criteria; thirdly, of the requirements of the Stabilisation and Association Process and the effective implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement; and finally, of the need for further significant progress to respond to the other issues and criteria for membership included in the Commission's Opinion and implementation of the priorities in the European Partnership.
In its interim reports the Commission has examined developments in detail. Following the assessment of the situation in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as set out in the Commission report of 2006, in its session of 11-12 December 2006 the Council regretted that the pace of reforms observed had slowed down in 2006. On 14-15 December 2006 the European Council reiterated that each country's progress towards the Union would continue to depend on its efforts to comply with the Copenhagen criteria and the conditionality of the Stabilisation and Association Process. The Council called for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to accelerate the pace of reforms in key areas and to implement the priorities identified in the European Partnership in order to move ahead in the accession process. The fourth meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council between the European Union and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia took place on 24 July last. Particularly important among the messages set out in the Union's common position for the Stabilisation and Association Council was its insistence that stability and the regular functioning of democratic institutions were fundamental aspects of the political criteria essential for ensuring progress towards European integration. Institutions such as the Government, Parliament and the President must function and cooperate effectively. They must also play their differentiated roles and interact as laid down in the Constitution. A constructive political climate must be established and maintained so that the country can concentrate on the reforms necessary to make progress towards the Union. Further efforts must also be made to establish confidence between the ethnic communities at all levels. The Union recalled that sustained implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement was a key element of the political criteria. Every effort must be made to achieve the broadest possible political agreement on the associated reforms, in full compliance with the letter and spirit of the agreement.
The meeting also recalled the importance of making progress in the areas of justice and internal affairs, particularly in combating organised crime and corruption. At the same time the Council also recalled that regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations were an essential part of the process of EU integration. Finally, I wish to state that the Council is examining very carefully the Commission report published on 6 November, which will be the subject of conclusions at the General Affairs and External Relations Council in December next.
Bernd Posselt
(DE) Thank you, Mr President-in-Office, for your very comprehensive reply. I have only two brief supplementary questions. Firstly, do you think it conceivable that a date for the opening of accession negotiations will be set in the course of next year? Macedonia's applicant status dates from more than two years ago, and it is surely high time to think about a date.
My second supplementary question is this: what approach is being adopted? Are attempts being made to link Macedonia's accession with that of other countries, such as Serbia, or is this country really being dealt with separately from any others?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) As the honourable Member will understand, I cannot say whether we are or are not in a position to set a date in the coming year for starting accession negotiations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Difficult and demanding conditions and criteria must be met before such negotiations can begin, so the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will be further from or closer to being informed of the date for starting negotiations according to how far it meets those criteria and conditions. What I would say, however, is that the candidate country will be better placed to answer that question than the European Union.
As regards connecting accession processes, the Presidency maintains and has always maintained that each candidate State must be judged separately on its own merits. If the candidate State is eligible because it meets the commitments and conditions for starting accession negotiations, it should be granted that status irrespective of what might happen in parallel processes involving other candidate States.
Subject: Tiger conservation
What has the EU done, and what further measures are under consideration, in order to encourage and assist India and other relevant countries in the conservation of their tiger populations in a way that involves local people and gives them a stake in the protection of those animal populations?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Mr President, honourable Member, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, provides the international legal framework for the conservation of tigers and other endangered species. The EU and its Member States are strong supporters of CITES, both politically and financially.
In recent years the EU has laid particular stress on the need for greater concentration of effort in the practical application of CITES controls in order to reduce illegal slaughter and trade and to guarantee sustainable trade of species. To underscore this need, the Commission published Recommendation No 207/425/EC of 13 July 2007, identifying a set of actions for the enforcement of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein. Meanwhile, the species 'pantera tigris' is listed in Annex A of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1332/2005 of 9 August 2005, and is also listed in Annex I of CITES, which means that specimens of that species can only be moved in exceptional circumstances, subject to rigorous criteria. If those criteria are to be met and any decision to authorise trade is to be possible, assurances must be forthcoming that the activity is not detrimental to the state of conservation of the species.
We would also draw your attention to the need for international cooperation and in particular for capacity building to facilitate the implementation of policies for the conservation and sustainable use of wild flora and fauna in States where such species are found. The EU thus supported the decisions relating to Asian big cats, approved at the 14th meeting of the parties to CITES at the beginning of this year, with the aim of intensifying application and conservation efforts.
We are, furthermore, also prepared to provide assistance to India and to the other States of the distribution area in implementing these decisions. We recognise that the effective implementation of conservation measures requires the participation of the local population. We have stressed the need, through CITES, to ensure the support and cooperation of local and rural communities in managing wild fauna and flora resources, and consequently in combating illegal trade in them.
Sarah Ludford
I thank the Presidency very much for that, and I will read the documents mentioned.
However, the problem is that the situation regarding tigers is a crisis. There are probably only 3000 left in the wild. They could be extinct in the wild by 2020. The main problem is poaching, which is driven by the lucrative illegal trade in tiger skins and parts, said to stretch to Eastern Europe. The Indian forestry authorities say they are unable to cope with poaching gangs, due to chronic underfunding. Can the EU help with that? Have we got specific projects?
A Chinese official said recently that it is very hard to resist pressures to open the tiger trade. Surely the key is education on the one hand, but also giving local people an economic stake in maintaining higher levels. What is the EU actually doing in terms of specific projects?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) The honourable Member will note that I have referred extensively, at length and in detail to the international legal and judicial framework in which the European Union exists and operates. I have also naturally expressed the Council's willingness, readiness and commitment to do its utmost within that international framework to ensure that the measures it provides for are effectively applied.
I have also said very transparently that we also recognise that we must work together with local populations that have direct contact with those endangered species. The battle against poaching and similar illegal activities is not an easy one, as people with experience of these situations know. They are aware that it is a difficult yet necessary battle, an assessment with which I agree.
The whole of European public opinion is with you, because what has been seen recently in connection with the illegal trade in endangered species shows that people are much more aware of the need to draw attention to these issues than they used to be. The pressure of public opinion and the attention paid to it in connection with these situations is therefore now much greater than it was. You can therefore obviously count on that public awareness, which is also necessary to ensure that we, the EU, and our Member States are able to act more effectively. As I said, we must recognise that it is a difficult battle.
David Martin
Mr President-in-Office, you have made it very clear that you and the Council as a whole are committed to the protection and conservation of the tiger. The Indian Prime Minister equally has, in a number of statements, made his passionate commitment to defending the tiger clear. As we are engaged in a bilateral negotiation with India to create a new bilateral treaty between the EU and India, do you think this is a subject we could include in that treaty and that we could go beyond our current commitments under CITES to help with education, training, conservation - the sort of measures that Baroness Ludford was talking about?
Reinhard Rack
(DE) Mr President, Mr President-in-Office, my question has to do with this issue but relates to a slightly different aspect. I believe - and you rightly referred to this - that questions such as the one under discussion arouse strong feelings among the general public. On the other hand - and you also referred to the legal position - are we in the European Union really justified in arrogating legislative or contractual powers to ourselves on every issue that deeply concerns anyone in the EU? Or should we not exercise a little restraint in these matters?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Very well, I must confess, Mr President, that I did not fully understand the second question, perhaps because of delays in the interpreting.
As regards the question of the tiger and dialogue with India, I must say in all sincerity and frankness that it is a specific question, on which I have not reflected, but on which we will reflect in the future, and I therefore take note of the honourable Member's suggestion. In our bilateral dialogue with India - an EU-India Summit is to be held - we may also discuss this issue of protected species and how we can better protect endangered species.
I must confess that because of the interpreting, I believe, I could not understand your second question.
Reinhard Rack
(DE) Thank you very much, and my apologies for having spoken so quickly. I was consciously trying to avoid overrunning. I mean it is important that we deal with such concerns when they matter to the people of Europe. On the other hand, we should also be aware of the legal limits of the Union and take care to respect these limits as far as we can.
The approach you have proposed seems interesting, but we should not leave ourselves open to the accusation that the Union is claiming competence for all global matters.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) I agree with the honourable Member, the European Union cannot and should not be responsible for everything, and should not be accused of or judged for everything. According to the Treaties, many of those aspects and responsibilities lie with the Member States, and in this case may be responsibilities both of the Member States and of the States in which these situations occur.
The European Union is not and cannot be a universal panacea, particularly since there is a principle, the principle of subsidiarity, that must always be respected.
Subject: Non-EU financial services centres
Will the Council make a statement on how it engages with non-EU financial services centres on areas of mutual concern?
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) Mr President, honourable Member, in the conclusions adopted in May 2006, the Council welcomed the Commission's White Paper on financial services policy from 2005 to 2010. The Council particularly welcomed, and I quote: 'the ideas put forward with respect to the growing importance of the external dimension in financial services - namely to deepen and widen regulatory dialogues with third countries and work towards the further opening of global financial services markets'.
On the Portuguese Presidency's initiative, on 9 October last the ECOFIN Council examined the state of play regarding macroeconomic, financial and regulatory dialogues with the Union's principal partners - the United States, Japan, Russia, India and China. The importance of these strategic dialogues was stressed during the discussion. Such dialogues make it possible to reinforce convergence, cooperation and mutual understanding between global partners, thereby helping to facilitate access to the respective markets and to promote macroeconomic and financial stability, particularly in financial services. The dialogues have led to significant progress concerning convergence and equivalence of accounting standards.
The Council supports the work carried out by the Commission, and considers that financial market globalisation requires increasing effort to achieve convergence and cooperation at international level, in line with the Commission and the Council's strategic vision on the need to reinforce the Lisbon Strategy's external dimension through the promotion of and an international approach to regulatory cooperation and the convergence and equivalence of standards.
Stress was also laid on how important it is for the European Union to ensure a coherent approach in this area, and it was considered that information on the development of such dialogues should continue to be forwarded to the Council on a regular basis.
Gay Mitchell
I would like to thank the Council Presidency for its reply. Is this Council Presidency aware that there is a school of thought that says that the developing world could greatly benefit from having a financial services sector? Given Portugal's experience in Africa in particular, could I ask the Council President, if he does not have the response there in his brief, if he would cause this issue to be examined and pursued, because it may well be a way of assisting not just the developing world but in having global interchanges, which would be of great benefit to this part of the world as well.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) The honourable Member is right, I do not have a written answer in my brief to give you, but I will give you my opinion. In this respect we had a very interesting discussion this morning on globalisation, when we also discussed financial services and questions related to the turbulence on some financial markets.
One issue I consider to be fundamental in relation to Africa and which is closely linked to the Europe-Africa Summit concerns Africa's position in globalisation: should Africa be a full partner, as we believe it should, in the problems and challenges raised by globalisation, should Africa be an active partner and should it have effective instruments at its disposal so that it really can be a full partner in globalisation, or do we on the other hand want an Africa which is condemned to war, insecurity, underdevelopment and poverty?
In this context, therefore, the financial or other instruments, initiatives or mechanisms that could actually put Africa with all of us, with the European Union and with other major emerging blocs, on the agenda of the talks, debate and theme of globalisation can only be welcomed.
Mairead McGuinness
Thank you, President and President-in-Office for being on overtime as we all are; we appreciate that.
What do you think are the obstacles to greater progress in this area, and do you think that, as things stand, enough is being done? Because what we are talking about is consumer confidence in the financial services sector, both within Europe and outside.
Manuel Lobo Antunes
President-in-Office of the Council. - (PT) This issue, the conduct of these dialogues and so on in this specific area, which is part of the question I was asked, has been directed by and is the responsibility of the Commission. I also have to confess that I am not a financial specialist and therefore do not have the detailed knowledge required to give you a technical answer. You are asking for a technical answer and I cannot give you one. I can give you a political answer that will outline a new reality, a new problem and a new challenge, but also a new opportunity. This problem should be and has now been examined and has been developed to an unprecedented extent. We in the European Union too must naturally seek appropriate answers when problems arise, and the necessary instruments must also be at our disposal when it is a case of developing and making progress.
I cannot tell you specifically what obstacles may have arisen or may arise, though I can give you an idea, as I have, of what the EU's policy and the Council's responsibilities in this field have been. Finally, I can say that it gives me great pleasure to be able to extend my stay here with you, particularly since this mandate is coming to an end. I only have one more opportunity to be with you, so I must make the most of this experience.
President
Questions which have not been answered for lack of time will receive written answers (see Annex).
Question time is closed.
(The sitting was suspended at 19.45 and resumed at 21.05)