2. Yemen: death penalty against juvenile offenders, notably the case of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum
President
The next item is the debate on six motions for a resolution on Yemen - death penalty against juvenile offenders, notably the case of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum.
Marietje Schaake
author. - Mr President, I look with great admiration at the courage of citizens who defy the repression and violence of their governments. We have seen this happening in popular uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, Algeria, Bahrain and also in Yemen. The young generation wants hope to replace cynicism, opportunities to replace poverty, justice to replace impunity and internet freedom to replace repression and censorship.
We have a long list of serious concerns about developments in Yemen in relation to democracy, human rights and the independence of the judiciary, as well as to the persecution of journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders. In particular, we are concerned about the climate of fear that is created by the execution of juveniles, despite Yemen's commitment to the international community not to execute juvenile offenders and the reflection of that commitment in its own penal code.
There is a lack of adequate means to determine the age of defendants, so it is difficult for people to defend themselves. We call on the President of Yemen and the authorities to at least respect Yemen's own laws and commitments to the international community and halt the execution of juveniles. We also stress the need for reforms in Yemen, as called for by so many demonstrators in the streets, and we want their living conditions and their rights to be improved.
Marie-Christine Vergiat
Mr President, the Arab countries are being rocked by a wave of popular uprisings that are spreading to them all, one by one, and I hope that this will continue.
An unprecedented wave of protest against the dictatorships in power in those countries is gaining ground. These dictatorships are in place more often than not with the support and, at best, amid the silence of all of the Western regimes. No country seems immune to popular uprisings, and that is all to the good. We took too long - you took too long - to realise what was happening in those countries, and you are still delaying now. It took until 2 February for the European Parliament to adopt a resolution on Tunisia, and it is only now, at this part-session, that we have adopted one on Egypt.
We had requested, in connection with these emergency situations, a resolution on Algeria. Our request was refused once again, just as, for months, you - or at least the vast majority of you - refused to see what was happening in Tunisia.
Today, protest movements are being formed, as we speak, in Iran, in Libya, with regard to which you have just given your support - your conditional support, but your support nonetheless - to a partnership agreement, and also in Bahrain and in Yemen, to mention only those that we know the most about. Yes, that is right, in Yemen, where President Ali Abdullah Saleh has been in power for no fewer than 33 years. Talk about a managed democracy! Of course, it is much better than the situation in Libya, since Mr Gaddafi has been in power for 42 years!
We were among the few who said that we could not vote today on a resolution on Yemen without taking account of what was happening in that country. Men and women there are fighting for their freedom. Violence is erupting between supporters and opponents of the regime.
Since the rallies began at the end of January, hundreds of people have been injured. Yesterday in Aden, a young demonstrator was shot dead during clashes with the police, who opened fire to disperse a gathering. Right now, students in Saada are barricaded inside their campus, where they are still surrounded by the police, and we remain silent.
When we think of Yemen, we think only of the problem of capital punishment for minors. I am by no means suggesting that the abolition of the death penalty should be abandoned - I have always been a staunch supporter of its abolition, and I believe that any supposedly democratic country that is incapable of abolishing such a punishment is criminal and should not lecture others on democracy and human rights, even if it is the world's leading power.
Yes, this capital punishment is even more unacceptable when it is applied to minors, especially in a country where it is impossible to know for sure when a person was born and where this impossibility is used to sentence people to death, the benefit of the doubt being given, dare I say it, because of the failure to establish their date of birth and so prove that they were minors at the time of the offence.
And you would like us to adopt a resolution focusing on just one issue, a resolution that merely emphasises, in paragraph seven, the need for reforms, as called for by, I quote, 'so many demonstrators'? That is a bit weak.
Therefore, I and my fellow Members from the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance have tabled three amendments to update this resolution, and I hope that, together, we will be able to adopt a resolution worthy of the name.
Cristian Dan Preda
author. - (RO) Mr President, I want to assure Mrs Vergiat that, as anyone can see, we are debating not only the death penalty, but also the events taking place recently on the streets of Yemen. I believe that when it comes to the vote, she will also be able to see what stance our group adopts on these issues.
However, we must not forget that the subject of the emergency resolution which was adopted to be discussed today is the persecution of juvenile criminals and the imposition of the death penalty in this case. As you are aware, if we Europeans find the death penalty unacceptable and barbaric, it is even more awful and terrible when juveniles are involved. The bottom line is that the use of the death penalty for crimes committed by an offender under the age of 18 even violates Yemeni legislation, although the authorities in this country continue to carry out such executions.
Raül Romeva i Rueda
author. - Mr President, the topic of the urgent resolution is important in itself. I too want to call on the President of Yemen to halt the execution of Thabet Samoum, as well as to call on him and the authorities to commute the death sentence passed on him and other juveniles such as Ali Abdulla.
However, as has been said, it would be unfortunate to miss this opportunity and not raise some of the basic and more important issues that are emerging now in that country.
That is why I would also like to see Parliament add, at the end of the resolution on which we will be voting, that it notes that in Yemen as in other Arab countries, notably Tunisia and Egypt, demonstrators have taken to the streets in recent weeks to demand more democracy and reforms of the state.
'Whereas many protestors have been attacked or taken into custody by the security forces': that is our first amendment. Secondly: 'expresses its deep concern about the long-standing political and socio-economic problems in Yemen and calls for considerable efforts by the international community to prevent the escalation of the current crisis'. Finally, our third amendment: 'expresses its solidarity with the demonstrators who demand democratic reforms and improved living conditions; welcomes in this context President Saleh's announcement that he will step down in 2013 and calls on the authorities to stop violence against peaceful protestors and to release all demonstrators who express their dissent peacefully'.
If all three of these amendments are included, the resolution would be really very good.
Corina Creţu
author. - (RO) Mr President, the death penalty is truly the most inhumane punishment possible and I have appealed against it on countless occasions. Indeed, the European Parliament has made appeals for its abolition in the countries which still retain this barbaric practice.
However, the executions in Yemen referred to in our resolution are especially outrageous as juveniles are involved. Even before a crime has been committed, the victims are children. This therefore violates the fundamental right to life, as well as the international conventions which Yemen is party to and, last but not least, even the penal code in this country, which explicitly forbids the use of capital punishment against juvenile offenders. The difficulty in determining the exact age of those convicted due to the lack of birth certificates is a circumstance which increases the discretionary nature of this type of punishment.
We cannot discuss this specific issue without taking into account the state of affairs in Yemen. The Yemeni authorities are violating human rights. Journalists and activists are being imprisoned illegally. Women are discriminated against regarding their participation in public life and access to education, while the judicial system is anything but independent. The recent riots are not only motivated by economic and social concerns, but they also express the strong desire to make Yemeni society democratic.
Charles Tannock
author. - Mr President, Yemen is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which expressly prohibit the execution of juvenile offenders - those convicted of crimes committed when the perpetrators were under the age of 18.
The impending execution of Muhammed Samoum, and indeed the detention on death row of several other juvenile offenders, is an affront to international law. By pursuing such policies, on the bizarre excuses of the accused not having proper birth certificates or of uncertainty about their age, Yemen is aligning itself with the brutal theocracy of Iran. However, the difference between the two countries is that Yemen receives massive aid from the West, including the EU, in order to root out al-Qaeda terrorists, whereas Iran is an international pariah.
Therefore, we have considerable leverage here in the EU over President Ali Abdullah Saleh. I urge the High Representative to take all possible steps to persuade him to grant clemency in this case. Having announced that he will shortly relinquish his post, President Saleh has a real chance now to leave a positive and enlightened legacy in his country, which has been brutalised by conflict and terrorism for so long and now dreams of a democratic future.
Filip Kaczmarek
Mr President, the use of capital punishment on juveniles under the age of 15 was prohibited in Yemen in 1991. Since 1994, this ban has applied to people below the age of 18. Unfortunately, this prohibition is not always respected in practice, for example in the case of people who do not have any documents which confirm their age, as has already been mentioned in this Chamber. Other dangerous things are also happening in Yemen. It is a country where the number of weapons has long ago exceeded the number of people, where brutal tribal battles are a daily occurrence and where teenagers with weapons do not cause a stir. There is even a saying in Yemen that 'if you are old enough to use a knife, you are old enough to fight for your tribe'. Besides, everyone who has been to Yemen knows that almost everyone carries a knife, and a teenager with a Kalashnikov is nothing unusual. Yemeni society is also a very young society - almost half of Yemenis are still under 14. The different militias recruit young soldiers, and we should also fight against this.
Anneli Jäätteenmäki
on behalf of the ALDE Group. - Mr President, the death penalty is still in use in 58 countries and one of these countries is Yemen. My Group condemns the death penalty in general and the planned execution of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum in particular.
We want to remind the Yemeni Government of its international commitments regarding the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Both conventions prohibit the executions of people under the age of 18.
On Monday, Amnesty International reported on the actions of Yemeni security forces. According to Amnesty, the security forces beat protestors with sticks and shocked them with electric batons during peaceful protests in Sana'a. My Group condemns these violent actions and urges the Yemeni Government to cease all violence against its own people.
Ryszard Czarnecki
Mr President, I promise I will not read quickly, because I am going to speak slowly. It is an honour for me to speak straight after the former Prime Minister of Finland. I would like to say that the call for Yemen not to carry out the death sentence on juveniles is an example of the European Union's characteristic minimalist approach. I am opposed to capital punishment, though I know that in this Chamber there are people who support it, although they do not say so publically. I am opposed to capital punishment, irrespective of whether it concerns a juvenile person or an adult. However, on this particular question I hope we are going to rise above our national and political divisions to demand unequivocally from the authorities in Yemen that on this matter the President of Yemen should make use, after all, of his right to grant a pardon. This really is a question of a truly united fight.
Jaroslav Paška
Mr President, the Yemeni administration has made a commitment to accept the application of both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Both of the cases of condemned juvenile offenders are subject to the regime of these documents, and it should therefore not be possible for a judicial body in Yemen to issue a legal decision denying the rights and protection arising from these documents.
Penalties imposed in violation of the valid commitments of a country, and hence the applicable law, cannot be accepted. If the Yemeni Government claims that its power is based on civilized democratic principles, then it cannot use barbaric forms of governance based on arbitrariness and injustice. In my opinion, we should make this fact clear to the Yemeni Government today.
Csanád Szegedi
(HU) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, naturally I believe that it is important that here in the European Parliament we condemn dictatorial means, that we condemn dictators and dictatorships, but I also believe that it is important that we urge Yemen in general towards democratic structures. However, I think that, although this Yemen affair has been raised in the European Parliament, it is not the European Union's job to adopt a position on this. This affair is totally confused. There are totally unclarified circumstances in it. Even the particulars of the crime cannot be made out satisfactorily. For one thing, we do not even know how old the young man accused and convicted of the crime was at the time the offence was committed. It is possible that he was not a minor. We do not see clearly in this case. Nothing illustrates Yemen's astonishing backwardness better than the fact that not even the birth certificate of Mohammed Taher Thabet Samoum has surfaced. Neither has it been proven to this day whether his school papers presented by his lawyer are genuine or whether these are false school papers. Moreover, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that this is not about stealing a hen but this is a case of murder, and so here I prefer to be a little restrained and more measured than the speakers so far.
The European Union must consider, similarly to the world's other democratic countries such as the United States of America, the option of the death penalty for certain exceptionally serious crimes proven beyond doubt.
Sari Essayah
(FI) Mr President, the Samoum case is not a oneoff event in Yemen: at least eight other juvenile offenders are in custody awaiting a death sentence. This is especially challenging in a country where there are no birth records, so it is impossible to say with any certainty whether someone was underage in a situation when a crime was committed.
It is nevertheless important to remember that the state of Yemen is party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which expressly prohibit the death sentence against juvenile offenders and harsh sentences in general for such people. The execution of juvenile offenders is, furthermore, forbidden in Yemen's own penal code.
In contrast to the previous speaker, I would like to say that the death penalty is always cruel, inhuman, and a punishment that strips a person of human dignity. For that reason, the EU will fight against the death penalty in all situations, and we too in this House will appeal in favour of that.
Elena Băsescu
(RO) Mr President, sentencing a child to death is unacceptable in the world we live in. Turning this practice into a habit is a crime in itself. This is why I want to express my disagreement with the decision made by the Yemeni authorities to continue such actions. The government is violating both the international treaties on this matter and the penal code which prohibits the use of the death penalty for juveniles. In addition, the way in which the justice system tries to find out the age of those brought before it remains unclear. This case is a sad example of what is going on in Yemen.
As an MEP and citizen of the EU, I believe in the fundamental importance of a person's right to life, and children must be the first to be protected. I appeal to the EU's High Representative to halt the succession of these bloody executions.
Monica Luisa Macovei
(RO) Mr President, Thabet Samoum and Fuad Ahmed Ali Abdulla were probably minors, as they maintain, when they committed the offences for which they were sentenced to death. They received their sentence years ago and it may be carried out at any time. They are being subjected to huge psychological strain, which is inhumane and degrading treatment in itself. We call on the authorities to refrain from carrying out these punishments.
In addition, neither offender can prove that they were under the age of 18 because they do not have birth certificates. Obtaining a birth certificate is a serious problem in Yemen where only 22% of births are officially registered, according to UNICEF. Some of the funds we use to help this country will perhaps resolve this problem. Public discussion about these cases must lead to the abolition of capital punishment in Yemen and to the sentences of hundreds of people condemned to death being commuted. I call on the European Commission and Council to insist on achieving this objective in the dialogue with this government.
Róża, Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein
(PL) Mr President, adult or juvenile - capital punishment is a subject to which we ought to devote a lot of time. After managing to develop our ethical code in the wake of the nightmares which have affected Europe, we should be promoting it in other countries - in countries with which we have any kind of economic contact, but I am also thinking here of countries in Europe. In Belarus, sentences of capital punishment are still imposed and the death sentence is still in use.
What is happening in Yemen must attract our attention and we must make the loudest appeals to the Yemeni Government to put an immediate stop to these awful practices, and also to look into the fact that - as my fellow Member said a moment ago - there are still a number of juveniles in prison awaiting execution. I appeal, too, to all of us: we should be working more closely together with organisations such as Amnesty International and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, so that our voice will be heard better and have greater force throughout the world.
Franz Obermayr
(DE) Mr President, the decision in Yemen to impose the death penalty on someone who was a minor at the time of the offence is shocking. Yemen has clearly acted unlawfully here, since like nearly every country in the world Yemen is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under Article 37 of the Convention, neither the death penalty nor life imprisonment may be imposed for crimes committed by persons before their 18th birthday. This decision has been justified by the claim that the age of the accused is uncertain.
However, death sentences are also passed against minors in other parts of the Islamic world. Sharia courts are imposing capital punishment on youths in Somalia, for example. Together with the UN, the EU must act more resolutely and more speedily here to prevent breaches of international law with such serious consequences. Dialogue is good, but Realpolitik and economic pressure are better ways to advance our argument. At any rate, they tend to get things moving much faster.
Sergio Paolo Francesco Silvestris
(IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, while we are speaking, hundreds of prisoners packed into Yemeni gaols are waiting for their death sentences to be carried out. I think this debate should call for greater attention and a swifter commitment from the European institutions.
The ongoing violation of the International Convention on Human Rights is a topic on which Europe must be neither silent nor absent, least of all with regard to a country such as Yemen, with which we maintain economic relations. Inevitably, therefore, we must also pay great attention to issues of this kind.
In Europe and the Western world, rehabilitation is clearly an important, basic aspect of a sentence. A death sentence has absolutely no rehabilitation purpose, which is why we need to intervene with the utmost firmness and determination and to make our voice heard in this respect.
Siim Kallas
Vice-President of the Commission. - Mr President, the European Union, in implementing its well-established Death Penalty Guidelines, has long been active in fighting the death penalty in Yemen, both generally and by targeting individual cases.
The capital punishment of juvenile offenders has always taken place in Yemen. In earlier times, however, cases were largely unknown and civil society was not as active. The EU-funded and UNICEF-implemented Juvenile Justice Programme has contributed significantly to raising awareness, both in Yemen and within the international community. This programme was carried out together with a coalition of civil society organisations and the Higher Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
However, awareness-raising is not enough. We need to follow up with actions. As a last resort, the EU delegation actively carries out démarches to halt executions. The two most recent cases were in December 2010 for Fuad Ahmed Ali Abdulla, and in January 2011 for Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum. In both cases, the execution was halted - after EU intervention - to allow for presentation of evidence of age. The issue of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum was taken up again last week. It seems now as if a presidential pardon is the only hope for a formal reversal of the sentence. The EU and UNICEF have again contacted President Saleh and now, according to our own feedback from Sana'a, the execution is on hold again.
Yemen is bound by international obligations, and by its own juvenile justice legislation and penal code, not to execute juveniles. The reasons for having juveniles on death row are mainly attributed to a lack of capacity in age determination. We are therefore, together with UNICEF, looking into how to assist Yemen in building up such expertise, so as to arrest the issue at its roots. In the immediate term, the EU will encourage the setting up of an independent body to re-examine the age of juvenile offenders. We will also aim to support the capacities of lawyers to provide legal assistance to juveniles. In the medium-term, we are looking to develop EU support for an effective civil registry authority.
We are thus taking this extremely grave issue very seriously and using all available means. The Government of Yemen has shown receptiveness to our démarches. The EU remains prepared to assist them, now and in the future, to achieve our goal of eradicating the death penalty totally.
President
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place at the end of the final debate.
Written Statements (Rule 149)
Eija-Riitta Korhola
in writing. - (FI) We have frequently addressed the subject of the death penalty in our resolutions. Condemning minors to death is rare, but Yemen is one of those countries in which it has happened. Although Yemen has made progress in its efforts to prohibit death sentences against minors, courts have continued to pass them. The case of Muhammed Taher Thabet Samoum is not the only one.
Generally speaking, and in connection with intercultural dialogue, it is worth giving serious consideration to what radicalises young people, prompting them to commit crime, even murder, and how best to prevent them from going down the road of crime. As is known, the death sentence does not reduce crime.
The prodemocracy demonstrations that began in Tunisia and Egypt have received much support from the local youth. The lack of prospects and opportunities, in addition to a desire for democracy, has provoked resistance. This wave of resistance also spread to Yemen last week.
I share my fellow Members' concerns and demands with respect to Samoum and others who have received the death sentence. Although we are now waiting with interest and hope to see what political changes the demonstrations in the Arab countries will lead to, we cannot for a moment close our eyes to outrages which contravene international human rights agreements, such as the death sentence for minors.


One-minute speeches (Rule 150)
President
Τhe next item is one-minute speeches.
Anna Záborská
- (SK) Madam President, free Sundays should become part of a European standard in the area of employment rights. This was agreed on by representatives of trade unions, civic bodies and Christian groups and churches, which founded the European Sunday Alliance this week in Brussels. A free Sunday is important from the perspective of decent employment conditions, but it also creates an opportunity to build up family relationships, particularly between parents and children. I am pleased that I was present at the birth of this initiative, just like the two civic associations from Slovakia - the Large Families Club and the Alliance for Sunday. The Commission, in its revision of the Working Time Directive, should take account of the view of the hundreds of organisations from across Europe federated in the newly established alliance, because such a large association cannot be ignored when creating laws.
László Tőkés
(HU) Madam President, in the last few weeks the founders of Szeklerland's Representative Office in Brussels, and the Hungarian community in Romania in general, have had to endure a long chain of attacks and a hostile hysteria campaign from the Romanian political elite. Meanwhile, attempts have been made to force a territorial and administrative reorganisation plan in Romania, which would create eight majority megaregions, forcing the Hungarian majority living in Szeklerland and Partium into absolute minority. Pursuant to the explicit provisions set out in the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the Transylvanian Hungarian MEPs from Romania firmly reject this antidemocratic and discriminative method of regional reorganisation of their country. We ask for your effective help in the name of the common democratic values of the governing Popular Parties of Romania and Hungary, and we ask for Parliament's active support for the protection of the Transylvanian Hungarian community.
Alexander Mirsky
(LV) Madam President, what do you think the word 'perversion' means? In the dictionary this word means complete distortion. Political perversion means nothing but lies and cynical deception of voters. It appears that in Latvia, there has appeared a group of members of parliament who are political perverts. The issue is that during the last elections to the Latvian parliament, members of the Saskaņas centrs (Harmony Centre) group promised their Russian-speaking constituents, who in Latvia comprise more than 40% of the population, that they would protect their native language. Last week, however, this group voted for increased penalties for those people who fail to use the official state language in the private sector. It turns out that they promise one thing, and do another. I believe you will agree that that is perversion. It is possible that Latvia will become the birthplace of a new political movement, the 'Perversion Centre'. Thank you for your attention.
Nikolaos Salavrakos
(EL) Madam President, certainly no European, and hence no Greek, likes to go round with a begging bowl. We Greeks need to understand that we have turned our standard of living back at least 10 years. I fear that, unfortunately, the same will happen in other countries too.
However, we see that we are being blamed for things which go beyond our responsibilities. Seventeen captains in Europe, plus as many mates, seventeen budgets, seventeen bond markets and one common currency. The common currency cannot go on like this. We need a common economic policy, a single bond market and joint coordination. Without doubt, fiscal prudence implies a shake-up in the consumer climate. I do not see anything happening in that direction. We need to safeguard the major achievements of the last 65 years, culminating in the single currency, by being more disciplined with ourselves.
Nicole Sinclaire
Madam President, less than a year ago I set up a cross-party petition for a referendum in the UK in respect of membership of the European Union. The campaign has attracted high-profile support from across the political spectrum.
What these people have railed against is the EU obsession of creating a European federal state, ignoring the will of the people and democracy. One cannot ignore the will of people forever. My constituents constantly come to me and say, 'When are we going to get a say on our membership of the European Union?' The will of the people across Europe has been ignored, a single currency has been created, against the will of the people of Europe, and look what problems have been created. There have been referenda in Member States and they have been ignored.
The people from my constituency, the people across the UK and the people across the European Union are saying, 'Let the people decide'. The professional politicians have made a mess. Let the people decide.
Mariya Nedelcheva
(BG) Madam President, between January and now I have been organising round table discussions in Bulgaria about the reform of the common agricultural policy. They have helped establish a strong Bulgarian position, which has its worthy place in the debate on Mr Dess's report.
I must say that I am pleased with some key aspects of Bulgaria's position in the CAP debate:
first and foremost, a strong, fair and well-financed CAP;
new, neutral, clear and fair criteria for calculating the direct payments, providing the basis for future distribution among Member States, their regions and the various sectors;
providing direct payments for active, small and medium-sized producers and for those actually responsible for the CAP is another of our aims.
I have three other points to mention:
more opportunities for our livestock farmers;
greater flexibility in the second pillar;
and finally, simple, clear procedures so that we can provide our farmers with decent incomes and make young people want to invest in agriculture. We also want Europe to continue to ensure the safety of deliveries and prices, and worthily defend its position in the world.
Czesław Adam Siekierski
(PL) Madam President, a Treaty of Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation was signed between Poland and Germany as long ago as 11 June 1991, forming a basis for current relations between the two countries. Yesterday, on the 20th anniversary of this momentous event, a joint consultation between the Polish and German governments took place in Warsaw, chaired by Mr Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, and Mrs Merkel, the German Chancellor. Over 20 ministers and deputy ministers from the individual departments of both states took part in the consultation. The outcome of the joint meeting is the statement by the governments of the Republic of Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany entitled 'Neighbours and Partners', together with an attached programme of cooperation for the coming years.
On the occasion of this anniversary, I should like to remind the House of the commitment shown by successive German governments to supporting Polish attempts to join the European Union. Relations between Poland and Germany are constantly improving, one example of which is the growing volume of trade between the two countries. Our economies are among the most dynamic in Europe. We hope that relations between Poland and Germany will continue to develop, for the good of our citizens and of Europe as a whole.
Elisabeth Köstinger
(DE) Madam President, the European Union needs an effective common agricultural policy to enable it to meet society's demands for high standards and, most importantly, to allow it to play a strong, independent role.
Businesses in Europe must remain competitive. They are faced with major challenges, including fluctuations in the price of raw materials, high production costs and low income levels. Downward pressure is being exerted on prices by the low production costs and low social, environmental and quality standards in third countries, which cannot be compared with the standards in the EU. When new trading relationships are established, it is essential for us to protect European production levels by including safeguard clauses. Clauses of this kind which are used in an industrial context, for example in trade agreements with South Korea concerning the car industry, must also be applied to agriculture.
This is all about establishing a level playing field and equal opportunities for all. Every country should have the right to focus on the concerns of its citizens, including food security, the environment, reservations about genetic modification and the needs of rural areas, in order to support sustainable agriculture in Europe.
Ramon Tremosa i Balcells
Madam President, last week in the Catalan Parliament some MEPs representing the main political parties of Catalonia made a common stand in defence of our language, Catalan, in the EU and in its institutions.
We call again for Catalan to be recognised as an official language in the European Parliament, just as many other Catalan MEPs have been doing over the last 25 years.
Now there is a new opportunity for the Catalan language, which has been prohibited for centuries in the Spanish state. In a few months Croatia will enter the Union. For Croatian to be an official language, the Treaty has to be modified. When that time comes, we will again ask the Spanish Government to allow official status for Catalan in the EU. The Spanish Government should bring the Catalan language to the EU just as the Irish Government did with the Gaelic language some years ago.
We ask for the support of the European Parliament and the Commission to achieve recognition of Catalan as an official language.
Spyros Danellis
(EL) Madam President, the problem of piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and now in the huge sea area of the Indian Ocean, is still getting worse, despite efforts by EU NAVFOR. The size of the area in which pirates operate makes it hard to deal with the problem of piracy with military resources alone. As such, measures to suppress the problem, if possible within the framework of an ambitious international strategy, must be improved in conjunction with measures to combat its root causes. Piracy is rooted in absolute poverty and lack of governance, two permanent features of Somalia over the last 20 years.
The European Union has the facility to make greater use of the European Development Fund for this purpose. Both the European Union and the United Nations have acquired experience in programmes which have produced real results in Somalia and that work must be continued and increased.
Marek Henryk Migalski
(PL) Madam President, last night Anatoly Bitkov died in Magadan, the principal town of the Kolyma region in Russia. He was the chief editor of the local television channel 'Kolyma Plyus'. Without wishing to pre-empt any findings as to whether this was murder or natural death, or whether it was a politically motivated murder or not, it is worth pointing out that this sad event is unfortunately not an exception. Journalists die in Russia, and journalists investigating political issues die even more frequently. A great many serious analyses have found that around 200 journalists have died in the Russian Federation over the past 10 years. This is the highest-risk profession in Russia today. Without freedom and safety for journalists, there can be no freedom of the media, and without freedom of the media there can be no democracy. We should always remember this in our cooperation and collaboration with the Russian Federation.
Paul Murphy
Madam President, on Saturday I will set sail for Gaza with hundreds of other activists as part of the Freedom Flotilla 2. We will be bringing medicine and reconstruction materials that are desperately needed.
As a result of Israel's illegal blockade, 300 000 people live on less than a dollar a day and there is over 40% unemployment. Catherine Ashton has said that the flotilla is not the right response to the situation in Gaza, but the EU's response is to continue to fund, through research grants, the Israeli armaments companies that make the weapons that kill Palestinian civilians. Instead of criticising the flotilla, the EU should condemn the threats of violence made against us by the Israel Defence Forces. Given the fact that they murdered nine activists on the flotilla last year, these threats have to be taken extremely seriously. The EU should also end its complicity with the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people.
Monika Smolková
- (SK) Madam President, two weeks ago in Strasbourg, there was a heated discussion on the Hungarian constitution. Today we also have the statement of the Venice Commission. I would therefore like to repeat my warning about the problematic wording of the Hungarian constitution, particularly in the formulation of Section D, which talks about the responsibility of Hungary for all Hungarians, about a single Hungarian nation, about collective rights and about the creation of collective self-governing authorities in other countries, based on the principle of ethnicity. The Venice Commission has emphasised the individual nature of human rights, as the framework agreement for the protection of ethnic minorities does not assume any collective minority rights. The Venice Commission has cast doubt on the principle of democracy by accepting a constitutional law for cultural, religious, ethical, social, economic and financial policy. I expect a rapid response from the EU institutions to the opinion of the Venice Commission on the Hungarian constitution.
Michail Tremopoulos
(EL) Madam President, I wonder if the economic crisis can be resolved with measures at the expense of the climate. The European Commission, unfortunately, says it can, given that it and Portugal have jointly endorsed a term on reduced guaranteed prices for energy from renewable sources as a lawful measure in the memorandum on the support mechanism. In Greece, investments in renewable energy are one of the few counterweights to the economic crisis and the commitment by the outgoing Minister for Environmental Affairs to safeguard guaranteed prices needs to be renewed immediately by her successor.
However, the debate on a possible exemption for countries with economic problems from the already inadequate European climate targets, the 20-20-20 targets, is a serious absurdity. These choices illustrate an unacceptable attitude endorsed by the Commission; they set entire European policies in stone and no one anywhere is held to account. All Europe will achieve with this is to cut the branch it is sitting on.
Climate targets must be increased to the levels called for by scientists and special programmes must be designed for countries with economic problems. It is our destiny to find a way out of the impasse and face the economic, social and environmental crisis. In the final analysis, fiscal restructuring is one thing and an attack on environmental sustainability is another.
Katarína Neveďalová
- (SK) Madam President, Europe and the European Union want to become the most competitive and the best, most advanced economy in the world.
In order to achieve that, however, we should not just talk about funding and various related matters, but, as the European Union, we should certainly invest more in education, science, research and innovation. The European Commission very recently published some additional results of research into Member State investments in this area. The countries were divided into four groups, and my own country, Slovakia, unfortunately obtained a very unflattering place in only the third group, investing just 0.48% of the original 2% it had committed to investing in science, education and research in Europe 2020.
I would therefore like to ask the EU, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council to try harder to support Member States, and to push harder for them to invest in this area, because it is only through the money we invest in research, innovation and education that we can really fulfil the objectives of Europe 2020.
Pat the Cope Gallagher
(GA) Madam President, for the last 20 years the Union has taken a central role in encouraging peace and reconciliation in Ireland. The Union has given more than EUR 1.3 billion to the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation since 1994 and around EUR 349 million to the International Fund for Ireland.
The violent incidents in east Belfast and the murder of Ronan Kerr show how important it is to continue with those schemes which encourage economic and social development on both sides of the border.
This week, representatives from the International Fund for Ireland and the Programme for Peace and Reconciliation were here in the European Parliament to speak to the Regional Development Committee on the importance of the support of Parliament and the Union for this programme. I believe strongly that the European Union and the other international partners should think hard about the issue and make the decision to continue with this worthwhile and effective programme.
John Bufton
Madam President, farming is the heart of the Welsh economy, yet under increasing EU legislation Welsh farmers are prevented from competing successfully, despite standards being some of the highest in Europe.
Under EID regulations, farmers are fined for inaccurate data, despite serious faults with the technology. I have presented this issue to the Commission on numerous occasions, as have representatives from many Member States. Welsh farmers feel the flawed EID system amounts to a stealth tax.
On another matter, Welsh cattle under 24 months of age cannot be labelled as Welsh under PGI legislation. The same is not true in Scotland, where the beef industry can label meat from any age of animal with the country stamp.
Wales is producing fantastic beef and must be able to label it as Welsh. Trade in the global market depends upon a country's produce being promoted. These are significant matters for hundreds of farmers in Wales who run high-quality businesses that in many cases have been in families for generations. I demand explanations.
Oriol Junqueras Vies
(ES) Madam President, I wish to express my support for the package of measures designed to strengthen the economic governance of the Union, as well as the measures aimed at clarifying and speeding up the disciplinary procedure for any Member States with an excessive deficit.
However, the Union should be aware that some Member States are trying to meet the budget demands that Europe makes of them at the cost of destabilising the accounts of sub-state governments.
The Spanish State is a paradigmatic example of that: it is attempting to meet requirements by passing its deficit on to the autonomous governments and local councils.
These practices must be condemned, because they do not enter into the spirit of the EU's Stability and Growth Pact and, above all, because they greatly harm the economic recovery of economically powerful nations such as Catalonia.
Csaba Sógor
(HU) Madam President, the EU does not interfere with the administrative affairs of its Member States. It is important to highlight this, because today some Romanian politicians explain the necessity of administrative reorganisation by claiming that this is the only way Romania can receive more money from the Structural Funds. The current debate in Romania is about a reform that would create eight NUTS 2 level administrative units from the current 41 counties that are NUTS 3 administrative units, while ignoring geographical, economic, social and cultural realities. The main debates concern the Romanian Hungarians in particular, because this native national community, despite the provisions enshrined in the relevant convention of the Council of Europe, would not represent a majority in any of the new administrative units and would lose its rights to set up a local government. The EU has to ensure that Member States not only expect the EU itself to observe the principle of subsidiarity, but that they, too, ensure that decision making takes place as close to the citizens as possible.
Cristian Silviu Buşoi
(RO) Madam President, as you are probably aware, the second round of voting took place this weekend in the local elections in Chişinău, in the Republic of Moldova. As was also noted by the OSCE observers, these elections, like those in other locations in the Republic of Moldova, were conducted largely in accordance with European and international standards, marking real progress compared to the parliamentary elections which took place in 2010.
I can only rejoice at the local election results in the Republic of Moldova, which have strengthened the position of the parties in the Alliance for European Integration, currently in government. The results of the elections also send a very clear signal from Moldova's citizens that their aspiration to become a prosperous, democratic society and for the Republic of Moldova to be integrated into the European Union is strong and real. They must also provide encouragement to the parties in the Alliance for European Integration to continue implementing the reforms which they have committed to undertake.
On a personal note, I welcome and am delighted that Dorin Chirtoacă won a new term of office as Mayor of Chişinău.
Zbigniew Ziobro
(PL) Madam President, public opinion in Poland was shocked recently by an event which took place at six o'clock in the morning. Eight armed officials, including six special services agents, forced their way into one of the flats in a tower block. There was nothing strange about this, since the residents of the block included an individual wanted for drug dealing, an arms trader and someone suspected of organising bank robberies. Yet the victim was none of these people. The block of flats was home to an Internet user, a student who had the courage to describe the current government's actions ironically.
It is highly alarming if those in power are so sensitive to criticism, satire and laughter that they send armed officials at six o'clock in the morning to students who use the Internet. Such practices should be opposed, particularly here in the European Parliament.
Jacek Olgierd Kurski
(PL) Madam President, in 10 days' time Poland will take over the presidency of the European Union, and therefore we should keep a close check on what is happening in Poland. The quality of democracy can be measured by the way in which the opposition is treated. In Poland, unfortunately, a witch-hunt is being conducted against the opposition, and the courts have joined in. In the case involving the former prime minister and leader of the opposition, Jarosław Kaczyński, a court has ordered that he undergo psychiatric tests. This is especially mean in view of the fact that the only reason for ordering him to undergo such tests was that he admitted that he had used sedatives after the Smolensk tragedy, in which his brother, sister-in-law and many of his friends died. There was nothing unusual in this, and it is backed up by the appropriate medical documentation.
This turn of events is deplorable since it has a European subtext, and we will see its culmination on 6 July. It is on this date that Jarosław Kaczyński will undergo psychiatric tests, while Donald Tusk is to deliver an inauguration speech in Strasbourg for his presidency of the European Union. I hope that the international community will protest against the abuse of psychiatric tests for political battles, following the model of the Soviet Union and Belarus.
President
That concludes the debate on this item.


Arctic governance in a global world (debate)
President
The next item is the debate on the oral question to the Commission, by Diana Wallis, Bilyana Ilieva Raeva and Johannes Lebech, on behalf of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, on Arctic governance in a global world - B6-0467/2008).
Diana Wallis
author. - Mr President, the Arctic has been described as the last imaginary place. It is a special place for many people. We are in the midst of International Polar Year. The last such commemoration saw the emergence of a Charter for the Antarctic.
The Arctic is different. It has peoples and nations, but it is also the focus of global climate change, with all its threats, challenges and opportunities. I have long argued that we should have an Arctic policy - perhaps through our Northern Dimension mechanism - and I was very pleased a month ago to attend a conference in Greenland on behalf of our President where I found myself for the first time surrounded by more than a dozen Commission officials from different DGs. Somebody has now got the message that this is important.
We look forward to the coming Commission communication, but this resolution is to give you, Commissioner, courage to be bold and to show you how important this House considers this issue. Yes, we have to protect the fragility of the Arctic environment. Yes, we have to look at sustainable ways of developing resources in the Arctic, specifically energy-based resources. Yes, we have to look at how we can safely use any emerging sea routes.
There is much more that I could say. I am grateful to colleagues for their cooperation on this very important resolution. When our continent emerged from the Cold War, Gorbachev said that the Arctic should be an area of peaceful international cooperation. I believe that our Union has a duty to secure that, both for our own Arctic nations and also for our Arctic neighbours - so courage with your communication.
Vladimír Špidla
member of the Commission. - (FR) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this debate comes at a particularly propitious time. The Commission announced in its Communication of October 2007 on an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union that it would review EU interests in the Arctic region by the end of 2008. It is currently in the process of putting the finishing touches to this review in the form of a communication entitled 'The European Union and the Arctic region', which we plan to adopt in mid-November. The Arctic is increasingly important for the world and the European Union is inextricably linked with this region. EU policy in areas such as climate change, energy, transport and fisheries have a direct impact on the Arctic.
Three Member States have territories situated in the Arctic. The maritime and terrestrial areas of this region are vulnerable and represent the essential components of the terrestrial ecosystem. The effects of climate change are appearing more quickly and on a larger scale in the Arctic region than anywhere else in the world. Since the turn of the century, our external action in favour of the North has been successfully guided by our Northern Dimension policy. The Arctic, including the Barents Sea region, was recognised as a key area in the 2006 guidance document on the Northern Dimension, adopted in consultation with Russia, Norway and Iceland.
Nevertheless, the Northern Dimension policy has always been more focused on Europe, and particularly on north-west Russia. The future communication, which will be extensive, will propose that the European Union plays a more dynamic and coordinated role in the Arctic and that its action should be structured around three main objectives: to protect and preserve the Arctic in cooperation with its inhabitants; to promote the sustainable use of Arctic resources; and to improve multilateral governance of the Arctic.
Climate change is the result of a planetary process and the European Union must continue to play a leading role in tackling this phenomenon. The communication will make the protection and preservation of the environment an absolute priority, although this should not necessarily rule out the sustainable use of the Arctic's resources.
The Commission also plans to increase, in close cooperation with countries in this region, our contribution to the Arctic and particularly its governance, as indicated by the Ilulissat declaration of the five Arctic States, from May 2008. It seems that the conditions are not yet in place for a binding legal framework specifically designed for this region. We should use the extended legal basis established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other interventional conventions.
Nevertheless, we can clearly see the need to fully implement the existing legal framework and to ensure that this is respected while fleshing it out and adapting it to new realities. Our aim is to help establish a system founded on cooperation, which will ensure the viability of this region, as well as freedom and fairness in terms of access. We recognise that it is essential to improve coordination and to provide more strategic guidance.
The Commission will put forward a series of proposals in this respect, specifically proposing the enlargement of the 'Arctic window' of its Northern Dimension policy. We want the communication to give rise to a detailed reflection on the various issues covered, laying the foundations for a future EU Arctic policy. The communication will encourage the adoption of a more coordinated approach to the Arctic and will be followed by a more detailed reflection on various themes. It could thus establish the basis for a global EU policy on this region.
There is no doubt that a stronger policy in this area will serve as a basis during future discussions on the future of the Arctic, enabling the European Union to make a strong contribution from the outset.
Tunne Kelam
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - Mr President, I would like to thank Mrs Wallis for initiating this debate and resolution. There are several reasons to do it. First, the Arctic region still lacks multilateral norms and regulations; in particular maritime traffic is not regulated by international safety rules and this is going to pose serious risks in the near future.
Second, the region has entered a dramatic climate change we need to react to.
Third, the Arctic is of growing economic interest as it may contain about one fifth of the world's still undiscovered oil and gas reserves. In fact competition has started between different interested countries about securing access and control of these resources. The planting of the Russian flag below the North Pole last year is one signal of this interest.
Therefore we call on the Commission to come forward with a communication on the Arctic region, proposing subjects and working procedures. Especially we look forward to the Commission putting the Arctic regions' energy and security policy on its agenda.
The EU has to form its own Arctic policies, involving two countries very close to us: Iceland and Norway. The EU Northern Dimension partially covers Arctic problems but it has become clear that a comprehensive EU Arctic policy is needed to address the wide and important context of Arctic problems. Finally we suggest that the Commission should start international negotiations to finally achieve an international treaty for the protection of the Arctic.
Michel Rocard
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (FR) Mr President, Commissioner, many of us here have just had the pleasure of hearing you announce a number of positive developments that have never been mentioned before, and which will no doubt appear in the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and to the Council, which we look forward to receiving. However, your response gave the impression that there was no complete recognition of the fact that events are snowballing.
First of all, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, with a scientific consensus which is now shared, has told us that the Arctic faces greater threats than those imagined only four or five years ago. The living conditions of the Inuit people are under threat, and biological diversity is in danger. Many species, including polar bears, are also threatened.
Secondly, this summer, for the first time in several millennia, the Arctic sea route was navigable from the east and west. That has never happened before. We have also had the recent announcement of oil slicks, degasification and oil damage in the Arctic.
Thirdly, my fellow member from the PPE has just this instant reminded us that a Russian submarine planted a Russian flag at the North Pole. What was this supposed to mean? Russia is claiming the expansion of its maritime zone to include its entire continental shelf. That represents 38% of the entire surface of the Arctic. It is a terrible situation because it is the prelude to the militarisation of the Arctic. The only way, Commissioner, of blocking this procedure, which is being examined by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, is to commence negotiations for an international protection treaty. This has never been mentioned before.
With Greenland and Denmark, the European Union has one country that borders the Arctic region and two other countries that are situated in Arctic territory. We have close ties with Iceland. The European Union has the power to ask it - and I believe that there is an urgent need for this, both in the interests of security and in the interests of the policing of shipping and climate preservation - to continue initiatives which could produce surplus energy.
We need to begin negotiations now for an Arctic protection treaty, as there is for Antarctica. I know this because I was one of the sponsors of those negotiations. It is with this in mind that I propose swift action. There is no time for delay. This has to happen before the UN committee finishes examining Russia's claim.
DanutBudreikait
Only recently the Arctic region was the subject of the Arctic countries' national security and research investigations. Today, with climate change and melting glaciers, other aspects, such as environmental protection, energy resources and human health, are gaining priority. Unfortunately, the dominant interests appear to be economic, especially those concerning energy resources, as well as the introduction of new sea routes for trade and passenger transportation. According to scientific data, the Arctic harbours 30% of the world's undiscovered gas reserves, 20% of the natural liquid gas reserves and 13% of the oil resources. In recent years, through certain actions and their imperative position, the countries of the Arctic region and various others have made their wish to be the sovereign users of Arctic resources quite clear. Besides, there is division among the Arctic countries with a view to asserting spheres of influence. I welcome the ideas of the declaration to develop EU-Arctic policy, including economic and environmental issues, as well as those concerning adaptation by local people to the aspects of climate change. As far as energy is concerned, the issue of the Arctic region should be a part of the common EU energy policy; it is high time for actions to replace words.
Satu Hassi
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - (FI) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a big thank you to Mrs Wallis and the others who have raised this issue. From outer space you can see that Planet Earth is warming up. It is conspicuous in the fact that the ice around the North Pole in summer melts more and more. This should be a warning bell for us to take more stringent action to protect the climate. Instead, it has started a race to exploit Arctic oil and gas reserves. This is a serious contradiction.
We badly need an international treaty on the management of the Arctic region, but its starting point and main goal must be conservation of the region: a similar moratorium as that for the Antarctic. If we respond to the melting of the ice in the north simply by increasing the exploitation of fossil fuel reserves, we will make the climate change problem even worse than it is.
Avril Doyle
Mr President, the Arctic plays an increasingly important geo-strategic role in the world, and we are now faced with the opening of hitherto closed seaways as a direct result of global climate change.
This should not come as any surprise to us, however, as the Arctic is warming at a much faster rate with an increase of 2°C in temperature in the last hundred years compared to an average of 0.6°C increase in the rest of the world. This highly fragile and vulnerable ecosystem is coming under increasing pressure from resource-hungry nations which wish to exploit its potential. Without any multilateral governance in place, we would have no guarantee that they would have due regard for the sustainable lifestyle of the indigenous peoples or for the Arctic's fundamental importance as a stabilising force for the world's climate.
The Arctic is critical for global climate stability, and I would urge the Commission to ensure that this is fully reflected in the forthcoming Commission communication on Arctic policy, together of course with energy and security policy matters.
And, as paragraph 9 of our resolution says, 'by virtue of its impact on the world's climate and its singular natural environment, [the Arctic] merits special consideration as the EU develops its position for the 2009 COP 15 Framework Convention on Climate Change in ... Copenhagen', and as we discuss a framework for multilateral governance for this unique area.
Libor Rouček
(CS) Ladies and gentlemen, the Arctic is the only part of the world that is not yet governed by any multilateral rules and regulations. However, interest in this area and its geopolitical as well as strategic importance have recently been growing on a surprising scale. Maritime traffic in the Arctic, both commercial and tourist, is on rising. Interest in its mineral wealth is increasing. Climate change has a negative impact on the native population's way of life and on biodiversity. For all these reasons the Arctic should be the discussed at international level with a view to the conclusion of a treaty on the protection of the Arctic, similar to the Madrid Protocol to the Antarctic Treaty of 1993. Three Arctic countries are Member States of the European Union and two further countries are members of the common European Economic Area. The European Union should therefore be a key player in future international negotiations concerning the Arctic.
As we have heard, the European Commission is currently working on a communication on its policy regarding the Arctic area. In our joint motion for a resolution we call on the Commission to consider all of the aspects above. We also feel that it is crucial to ensure that the Arctic and the Arctic Ocean is an area free of military forces and nuclear weapons, as Mrs Diana Wallis said earlier. We would also call on the Commission to think about whether it should establish a specialised section for the Arctic area, which would aim at realising these goals and addressing the problems.
Richard Seeber
Mr President, as we are all aware, surely, although we have some information about the Arctic, overall it is still terra incognita, in the truest sense of the word, as far as international law goes. My colleague Mr Kelam has mentioned the lack of legislation on maritime traffic.
In addition, when we take the natural resources into consideration - it is estimated that 22% of the world's oil and gas reserves are in the Arctic region - this is a region of enormous significance to Europe's future. It is therefore particularly important that we present this resolution, under the leadership of Mrs Wallis.
It is now very much up to the Commission to present a plan - a strategy with specific goals and measures. In my opinion, that is what is still lacking. Even though people have woken up and started to deal with the problem, there is still no strategic orientation. We do not want to come off second best here! Some countries bordering the Arctic, particularly Russia, are attempting to use the facts, and it is very difficult to use appropriate action against a major power like Russia if we take such a long time about it.
Europe as a collective must not subjugate itself to the Member States. This is a region in all our interests and it is unacceptable for us to allow certain Member States an advantage due to the fact that the CFSP is not functioning. The common interest of all of Europe is too important for that.
Hence my renewed appeal to the Commission to present a precise, specific strategy as soon as possible so that we can discuss it in Parliament. There is too much at stake for us to dither about on this.
Vladimír Špidla
Member of the Commission. - (CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I think that the debate clearly shows that this really is a problem that touches on fundamental strategic interests, whether it is viewed from the angle of environmental protection or from the geopolitical angle. It also shows that there is not much time left and that there are clear reasons for the European Union to formulate its policy. However, it is also clear that some proposals are complicated and that the general situation in the Arctic is very complicated, from the perspective of both the European Union and international law. For example, we must remember that the most important countries, such as Norway, Iceland, Greenland and the Russian Federation, are not members of the European Union and, consequently, our strategy cannot consist of exercising coastal or territorial rights.
The fact still remains, however, that a strategy must be formulated. At any rate, the Commission is now working on such a strategy and a relevant communication will be tabled very soon, in the next few weeks in fact. Ladies and gentlemen, there is not enough time for me to respond to all of your comments but I have noted them down and the Commission will take them into account. As I tried to explain briefly, some issues are extremely complicated and extremely complex.
President
I have received three draft resolutions submitted in accordance with Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place tomorrow.
Written declarations (Rule 142)
András Gyürk
in writing. - (HU) The North Pole has in recent years become one of the symbols of climate change. Due to its untapped natural resources, this region could soon become the epicentre of international conflict. This heralds a constant re-evaluation of the region, looking at whether there is a state which can give a clear-cut signal that it has a claim to the territory.
While it is not the job of the European Parliament to get mixed up in geographical debates about the proper place of this region, I would like to highlight a couple of points.
First, if there are any unsettled issues, they should be resolved by legal and diplomatic means and not by planting a flag in the area. I think the present international regulations, though by no means perfect, can give a framework of reference to settling issues by diplomatic means.
On the other hand, bearing in mind increasing European demand, the untapped energy sources of the North Pole can contribute to Europe's security of supply. We must then declare that exploitation must not upset the biological balance of the region. Environmental considerations must be met in all circumstances. It is my opinion that current international legislation offers no comfort on these points.
It is important, I feel, to note that the exploitation of the resources of the North polar region will play only a supplementary role in the provision of energy for Europe. Nor, for this reason alone, will the existence of these sources affect the wider use of renewable energy sources and continuing efforts to improve energy efficiency.