Strategic goals and recommendations for the EU's maritime transport policy until 2018 (debate)
President
The next item is the report by Mr van Dalen, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, on strategic goals and recommendations for the EU's maritime transport policy until 2018 -.
Peter van Dalen
rapporteur. - (NL) Madam President, one could talk at length about the European maritime transport policy. I am not going to do that and will concentrate instead on a couple of key points and core themes.
The first key point is the importance of the sector. Eighty per cent of world trade takes place via the sea and the European fleet accounts for 41% of that global market. Within the European market, 40% of all goods are transported by seagoing ships. This makes shipping a crucial economic sector and one that has to compete in the global market. When you understand this, the second key point follows automatically, and that is competition.
We know that many countries the world over support their maritime fleets in very diverse ways. If we were to allow this in Europe, then it would only take a few years before all our ships flagged out to countries such as Hong Kong or Singapore. That would not only be to the detriment of the fleet, but more than that, it would deal a blow to the entire maritime cluster. On-shore employment, in banks, shipyards, insurance companies, logistics companies, training and education institutions and in companies actively working on innovations and improvements to the fleets' environmental performance, would be dealt an insurmountable blow if our fleet were to leave us.
Because of these two key points, my report calls on Member States to continue to boost their flags. We are talking here about providing tax breaks, such as the tonnage tax system for ships and tax breaks for seafarers and shipowners. That is the only way we will be able to ensure that both the sector and the maritime clusters remain relevant in Europe in the long term.
I have a question in this connection for the Commissioner: when is the European Commission going to come up with rules for State aid to sea ports? That proposal is supposed to come in the autumn, but I do not know in the autumn of which year. What is important for me is that State aid is granted transparently and that there is good accountability. We should not embark on this by supporting stationary terminals any more than ports which are geographically very close to third countries. In both cases, that would be tantamount to flogging a dead horse.
In this connection, I have a comment on paragraph 5 of the draft resolution, the English-language version of which talks about 'flags of convenience'. For me, that is a misnomer and I would have preferred something like 'substandard' ships. After all, what we do not want are flags and ships that circumvent minimum requirements for safety and social standards. We are talking about the quality of the flag and what we in Dutch call 'goedkope vlag' is certainly not automatically synonymous with a 'flag of convenience'.
To conclude, I would like to mention another key point and that is making the maritime sector attractive to young people. The population of Europe is increasingly an ageing one and so we need to do a lot more for our youth. It is never too early to start informing them about the maritime sector and sea shipping and I was pleased to hear that shipowners are even visiting primary schools to inform young people about working at sea.
Those were some of the key points I wanted to make thus far and I will be happy to respond to any comments by members and the Commissioner when I wrap up the debate.
Andris Piebalgs
Member of the Commission. - Mr President, first of all, I would like to thank the rapporteur for his excellent work on this politically very important issue.
The Maritime Transport Strategy until 2018 has been very much used in preparing the Commission's Europe 2020 strategy, and the process for a new White Paper on Transport is on its way. We can see that this transport strategy is at the forefront of major strategic developments in Europe.
Shipping is one of Europe's strengths, and it is only natural that we should capitalise on what we have built in the past, but it is important to also look into the future. Our main aim is to ensure and further increase the long-term sustainability and performance of European shipping. This means efficient, safe, secure and environmentally friendly maritime transport services. Maritime transport provides for high-quality jobs in Europe and fuels research and European industrial innovation.
We also have ambitious environmental goals, and the Commission has always emphasised the need for global solutions, especially on the reduction of greenhouse gases.
The main work on the strategy was carried out before the economic crisis. In view of the economic downturn, the strategy is still valid. In this context, an emphasis must lie on the maintenance and improvement of the international order. We are faced with threats like protectionism, unfair competition, substandard shipping or piracy. We must find better responses to these issues, namely through dialogue with major trading partners.
I welcome the conclusions reached by the Committee on Transport and Tourism and the report presented and can assure you that many of the issues are already being addressed by the Commission in various activities to implement the strategy, such as the proposal on reporting formalities for ships, an important element of the Common maritime transport space without barriers.
The Commission services have also started working on a Social Agenda for maritime transport as well as on the EU e-Maritime initiative, both of which the Commission intends to present in 2011.
I would also like to answer the point on State aid guidelines for shipping in 2010. On the one hand, the 2004 guidelines will not 'expire' in 2011, even if the Commission said that they 'will be reviewed within seven years'. On the other hand, the current crisis, with its severe consequences for shipping, calls for a very cautious approach.
With regard to the specific measures, we are currently preparing a detailed roadmap for implementation of this strategy, which we plan to publish this summer.
Georgios Koumoutsakos
Mr President, the Commissioner's statement evinced a very positive response from me and I listened to it with a great deal of interest, because shipping is indeed a very important - I would say vital - sector for the European economy.
The European Union has every reason to safeguard the leading role which it plays in this economic sector and to maintain a high standard of maritime transport. This is the challenge: to maintain our leading role in the global shipping market, which is why we need an effective and coordinated maritime transport strategy.
The report we are debating today, which was adopted by an overwhelming majority in the competent committee, is a detailed report which moves in the right direction, and I consider that, even as it now stands, without changes and amendments, the text responds fully to the need for us to move along a specific fixed line in the direction I referred to earlier.
Of course, European shipping faces huge challenges at present, as well as an exogenous challenge. The first challenge is the need to increase competition. It is a fact that free competition is the life blood of shipping. At the same time, however, State aid is often needed, because we frequently have to cope with unfair competition from third countries.
So the conclusion is this: State aid must be kept, because it has helped to maintain the competitiveness of European shipping and of the economy of the Member States. The second challenge we face is the need to strengthen and improve vocational training of human resources in the shipping sector, because there has been a spectacular reduction in the number of young people entering the profession and there is a lack of trained seafarers.
We therefore need a dynamic policy. We must, without fail, address these two sectors and I believe that the report moves in the right direction.
Knut Fleckenstein
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, we very much welcome the fact that, in future, we will have a maritime strategy in the EU, even if we will have to wait a little longer for the vote. We assume that this report will be incorporated into the Future of Transport report and then into the White Paper.
Through the European Maritime Transport Strategy 2018, we are creating the framework to make the European maritime economy more competitive at international level, and in this strategy we have determined, firstly, that we want this framework to be set up on the basis of ecological standards and, secondly, that we want sensible global social standards for high quality shipping.
Let me briefly address three points. Firstly, shipping is an environmentally friendly transport sector and therefore, one of our aims was for this branch of the economy to play its part in combating climate change in future, too. I am very much in favour of us creating incentives like the green ports, even if we do not make any decisions today but rather assign the Commission and the Council the task of finding out what is possible in this regard.
I believe it is just as important to maintain international competitiveness - including in respect of other modes of transport. It is therefore also right for the Commission, on the basis of our proposal, to once again carry out an impact assessment in respect of the sulphur emission control areas in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea because, if we want higher requirements here than elsewhere, we need to take international competition into account and ensure that, if possible, we do not cause the transport of containers to move back to the roads, which would be counterproductive.
Allow me to mention one last thing that I feel is particularly important, namely the inclusion of the major European ports in the planning of the TEN networks. This is of such enormous importance to us because the ports are important intersections in the transport chains and they can only perform their role effectively if intermodality is facilitated and reinforced.
There are numerous other points that I could mention here. Mr van Dalen, congratulations on this excellent report. We have all contributed a little to it and I would ask for your understanding for the fact that we do not want to spoil this excellent report by accepting your amendments.
Jean-Paul Besset
Mr President, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance fully supports Mr van Dalen's report and recommendations. He offers us a balanced text which is the result of the close collaboration he managed to establish with the other political groups.
We endorse this report because it clearly sets out the challenges facing the EU's maritime policy, namely a significant increase in maritime traffic, both inside and outside the Union, without sacrificing the environment or social issues. This text is consistent with a rationale that we wish to see applied in all areas: a policy of sustainable development. It offers positive paths to allow maritime transport to develop between now and 2018 in the best possible conditions.
In particular, we highlight the fight against abuses of flags of convenience or substandard vessels. We also highlight protection against piracy. We highlight having a policy designed within the framework of a single European sea, and the importance ascribed to the multimodal linking of European sea ports with the hinterland. We highlight the support for simplification of the administrative rules governing entry and exit from European ports. We highlight the promotion of maritime occupations and continuous training for them. Lastly, we highlight the priority given to environmental issues.
On the whole, we will always support anything which, in our view, helps to promote a maritime transport sector which can compete with road and air transport. Mr van Dalen's report has taken full stock of the global environmental challenge, for which maritime transport is one of the solutions. In particular, it is a useful tool against global warming.
Our only regret is that the amendment that we tabled in order to integrate the maritime transport sector into the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading system has not been taken up by the rapporteur or by the Commission. From our point of view, no economic sector should depart from the general rule, and, as with the air and road sectors, maritime transport, even if it is only responsible for low gas emissions, must do its part to reduce them. We will therefore be retabling our amendment to plenary.
Jacky Hénin
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, to say that the Union needs a real maritime transport development strategy is putting it mildly, since this is a major issue for the future of our Union in terms of food, economic and political independence, as well as environmental protection.
In order to be effective, this strategy must be comprehensive and cover shipbuilding, ship repair, ports, employment and worker training, as well as safety. The rejection of the directive on the liberalisation of port services by Parliament in 2006 represents, in my view, the cornerstone of any European maritime transport strategy.
Parliament is calling on the Commission to continue its fight against abuses of flags of convenience. This is positive, but the fight has yet to really begin. Ultimately, it is not abuses of flags of convenience that we need to combat, but the very existence of this practice. Otherwise, all of our good intentions on safety, on job creation, are doomed.
It is a positive step to make State aid for this sector conditional on having to meet quality social and environmental criteria, and on promoting jobs and training for seafarers from EU Member States, since the only true distortions of competition do not result from State aid, but instead from social, wage and environmental dumping.
The best guarantee for the safety of maritime transport lies in having well-paid, well-trained crews who enjoy good social protection and good working conditions.
I am pleased to see that we are finally talking about lifelong training for seafarers and strengthening professional qualifications and skills. We must now ensure that this is recognised as a right for all seafarers and have employers finance it.
I also support the requirements for shipbuilding and steel quality. Of course, the text submitted to us takes a certain number of steps forwards, but it also still contains many contradictions. It remains imprisoned in the shackles of the dogma of free and undistorted competition. It is still too shaped by pressure from the shippers' lobby and by the worst ultraliberal utopian scenarios.
For example, how can it support employment for Europe's seafarers but also call for studies to determine to what extent the new technologies could replace them?
How can it defend a reduction in dumping practices, while seeking freedom of movement for employees who do not even have identical rights within the Union? How can it highlight safety when it is self-declaration that prevails, and when some parties, attracted by the smell of profit, have no hesitation in transporting goods which could turn out to be particularly hazardous for people and the environment, without declaring them?
There is still much work to be done, but we will do it together because a sound, high-level maritime policy must also and, above all, respect those tenacious men and women who often risk their lives to satisfy the needs of others.
Anna Rosbach
on behalf of the EFD Group. - (DA) Mr President, this is an ambitious strategy document. I have a couple of comments, however.
More freight on the EU's major rivers - great, but how do we take into account the fact that in recent years, water levels have often been too low for a fully laden barge to navigate them? If they sail only half-full, the freight costs are too high.
Risk-based controls - then how can we tell that a coal barge is smuggling people? Risk-based controls alone are not sufficient. It is naïve to expect all the maritime nations of the world to abide by the EU's high environmental standards. On the contrary, many old ships from third countries will take financial advantage of this.
Piracy - why is this problem only mentioned in an African context? The problem is far greater in the waters around Indonesia. That also affects EU shipping companies.
Mandatory discharge - mandatory discharge should be made a statutory requirement in all coastal waters navigated, to avoid environmental disasters.
I also consider it regrettable that we have closed down so many small ports. We should invest in strengthening coastal maritime transport, not weakening it.
One final point - we are often told how important the shipbuilding industry is for the EU. Yet where is the debate on the responsible, environmentally sound scrapping of ships? Do we want to continue sending our ships for irresponsible scrapping on Indian beaches when we have finished with them?
Marian-Jean Marinescu
(RO) Europe's maritime matters cannot be viewed separately from international maritime matters. Europe is a major competitor on the maritime transport market, especially in terms of transporting passengers and containers. The European Union's position in the global market in this sector must be enhanced.
Improving the quality of training given to sailors, as well as their working and living conditions, both on board and when in port and roadsteads, can go a long way to meeting this requirement. There is a shortage of highly qualified workers right across the European maritime sector, from shipbuilders right down to pleasure boats.
Companies in the US, Asia and the Middle East offer far more facilities than their European counterparts. In these conditions, European professionals in this sector prefer to be employed by maritime companies or shipowners in Dubai or China, while European ships are crewed by Filipino and Indian seafarers. This situation must be ended. Maritime institutions in Member States must work together much more closely in order to harmonise their training programmes, as well as offer opportunities for paid work placements and exchanges of experience with European maritime companies.
I also wish to raise another point relating to security, which is extremely important and continues to hamper the smooth flow of global maritime traffic. I am referring to the situation in the Horn of Africa. I welcome the actions of the NAVFOR Atalanta operation, which is completely fulfilling its duty in the region. However, we must recognise that specific investment is required in the defence industry in order to be able to supply the military with ships and other intervention resources which are much more effective than those which the European navy currently deploys.
Saïd El Khadraoui
(NL) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, I agree to a large extent with the comments made by my colleague Fleckenstein and would, first of all, like to thank the rapporteur, Mr van Dalen, for his excellent report. He hones in on a number of important issues, the importance of shipping for our economy, to begin with. He also points to the fact that we have to compete in a global market, and that we therefore have to pay attention to the competitiveness of our maritime sector while, at the same time, strive for more sustainable transport. In other words, we must counteract the risk of deflagging. At the same time, we must also play on a level playing field. It is therefore important that the State aid rules which have been in the pipeline for quite some time actually begin to apply to our ports. I am sure we will have to come back to this at a later stage.
There are three important areas for consideration. First of all, employment and working conditions. The shipping profession has to be made attractive to young people again, and these days, that is an extremely difficult thing to achieve. We have to make more effort to spread information about career opportunities, whether on shore or elsewhere. These are the things we need to build on. Working conditions also need to be improved by ratifying International Labour Organisation legislation and by performing checks at a global level, not just within Europe, obviously.
The second important point - and many of you have already mentioned it - is the impact of shipping on the environment. In itself, shipping is a sustainable mode of transportation, but there is still a lot of room for progress. On that score, Europe must play a pioneering role, including in the negotiations within the International Maritime Organisation.
Finally, it goes without saying that safety is essential. You can only create a thriving profession if it can be undertaken safely. We have to make the extended Third Maritime Safety Package a reality and continue to give support to the Atalanta mission off the coast of Somalia.
Gesine Meissner
(DE) Mr President, since I am the first speaker from the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, I would like to start by offering my sincere thanks to Mr van Dalen. We have all seen that he is wholeheartedly committed to maritime transport. That has become abundantly clear.
We all know how important this area is. In recent years, before the crisis, the maritime economy as a whole was growing considerably more than other areas of the economy. Of course, maritime transport plays a major role in this, and it is possible to say that maritime clusters will be absolutely crucial to the further development of Europe. There are also forecasts that predict that, now we are through the worst of the crisis, the transport sector will start to grow once again and that maritime transport will then gain in importance. Ninety per cent of our exports and imports are transported via the ports. Of course, in this regard it is important - as has already been said - for ports and hinterland connections to be given due consideration in connection with corridors and trans-European networks.
We need new blood. If we have more transport in the maritime sector, we will, of course, also need people who want to work in this area. For this, we need high quality training that is also harmonised throughout Europe and, at the same time, we need to advertise for this area. Young people simply need to see what future prospects they would have in maritime transport. We want good working conditions - that is also something that we can, and want to, harmonise throughout Europe.
The environmental aspect has already been mentioned. Shipping is very environmentally friendly, particularly where CO2 emissions are concerned. There is still considerable room for improvement with regard to nitrogen oxides and sulphur emissions. Work needs to be done here, both in the sector itself and also in Europe in general, because, as has already been said, this is extremely important on account of there being strong international competition in maritime transport. In Europe, we play a fairly leading role in this, but we need to ensure that we also retain this leading role. In individual cases, we may also need State aid for this. We need to ensure that we work together to develop this sector further.
To sum up, maritime transport is a definite area for the future and therefore, it is good that we are developing a long-term strategy.
Dominique Riquet
(FR) Mr President, Commissioner, it is vital that we conduct a European maritime transport policy that is ambitious and looks at the long term. It must take on board factors that are specific to this sector and address the challenges it is facing.
Maritime transport is a strategic sector for the European Union in several respects, primarily because of the role it plays in growth and employment, its international dimension and its environmental and sustainable development aspects. It has been mentioned that maritime transport is the vehicle for 80% of the world's trade. The European Commission Communication and Mr van Dalen's report show us the path we need to follow, set strategic goals and identify key action areas for the European Union's maritime transport policy.
I would personally like to stress certain points that my colleague, Mrs Vlasto, and I have been promoting within the Committee on Transport and Tourism, which are that the European Union needs to act to strengthen the competitiveness of the maritime transport sector, that this involves, in particular, improving working conditions and career opportunities within the sector, without dissociating the aim of competitiveness from those of sustainable development, fair competition and safety. As regards environmental aspects, EU policy should promote internalisation of external costs and the establishment of maritime emission control areas. Finally, in anticipation of increasing sea traffic levels, we need to promote investment aimed at modernising and increasing the capacity of our port infrastructures.
It is important for the European Parliament to share its vision for EU maritime transport policy from now until 2018. Mr van Dalen's excellent report, which has been very widely supported within the Commission, will, I hope, receive equally broad support from Parliament, which will give us a strong basis for future negotiations.
Silvia-Adriana Ţicău
(RO) Maritime transport is becoming extremely important for the European Union. Bearing in mind that the maritime sector is facing competition not only at Community level, but especially on a global scale, we should emphasise the importance of increasing the proportion of maritime transport as part of our transport activity as a whole, both within the Community and particularly outside it. However, we should highlight that there are still European Union Member States on the black or grey list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding. This is why we are calling on Member States and shipowners to make efforts to obtain a place on the white list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding.
In addition, given the maritime accidents in recent years, I believe that European maritime accident intervention centres need to be set up in every Member State with access to the sea.
Commissioner, I wish to take advantage of this opportunity and debate to reiterate my request to the Commission to capitalise to the maximum extent on the European Union's direct access to the Black Sea, a region of particular geostrategic importance. In this regard, the Commission should launch, as in the case of the other European seas, calls for proposals for developing Black Sea maritime corridors. The link between the ports of Rotterdam and Constanţa through the Rhine corridor, the Main Canal and River Danube cuts the distance between the North Sea and Black Sea by 4 000 kilometres. This is why I believe that this is vital and I am asking the Commission and Member States to speed up the implementation of priority project 18.
Although transport by ship causes less pollution, the European Parliament has asked for ship transport to be included in the emission certificate trading scheme, especially in the case of maritime transport.
Shipyards are facing financial difficulties, especially in the current economic and financial crisis. At the moment, shipyard representatives cannot envisage a solution for overcoming the current economic crisis.
The European maritime sector is facing an ever-growing shortage of qualified seafarers. The social aspect and work conditions enjoyed by seafarers in the European Union are closely linked to the European fleet's competitiveness. I think that measures are required to facilitate workers' mobility in this sector without unjustified barriers and restrictions.
Inés Ayala Sender
(ES) Mr President, I would especially like to congratulate Mr van Dalen and also my colleague, Mr Fleckenstein, on this brilliant initiative, which moves forward with the European Parliament's ambition for European Union maritime policy, and I also want to thank them for their generosity in accepting a large proportion of my suggestions.
The completed report includes such important aspects as support for adapting ports and ships to the needs of people with reduced mobility and the requirement for ratification of the ILO 2006 Maritime Labour Convention and, moreover, it asks for the industry to incorporate the Convention into its practices. Another important aspect is the extension of the proposals for professional training to seafarers at all levels in order to combat their under-valuation and exploitation.
It also proposes leading the way in the fight against pollution in the International Maritime Organisation, in terms of both alternatives to bunker fuel and reducing sulphur in emissions, and proposes doing so by using smart transport systems such as the Galileo satellite system.
The report also proposes acknowledging the stepping up of the European fight against piracy and supporting the growing effectiveness of Operation Atalanta, as well as the need to improve the quality of ship design in order to adapt them to the highest accessibility and safety standards.
Finally, I especially welcome the acknowledgement of the role of the ports in the new trans-European networks, including their crucial connection with dry ports or inland ports and with logistics platforms.
Georgios Papanikolaou
(EL) Mr President, the strategy we are debating today is extremely ambitious and, as far as the basic direction is concerned, Mr Koumoutsakos, the rapporteur for our political group, has already covered everything I wanted to say.
Allow me, however, to make a comment, as a member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, in connection with the very interesting and pioneering initiative to create e-maritime, a maritime monitoring network. I personally agree with the Commission text; it makes provision for the creation of an integrated information management system to recognise, monitor, locate and report all ships at sea and their cargos.
However, similar - I do not know if they are more or less developed - electronic monitoring actions are also being undertaken by Frontex forces, as part of the fight against illegal immigration. I therefore wish to ask if we are taking this into account, if the Commission needs to clarify anything in its communication, if there should be specific, different competences for each agency, or if perhaps this information should be combined, so that we have a better outcome in both directions.
Ioan Mircea Paşcu
Mr President, I would like to address two issues mentioned by the rapporteur, but not elaborated upon.
The first is piracy, on which the recommendations are all good, but inevitably general. Perhaps our experience on the basis of the lessons learned from the Atalanta operation can be used to contribute more to the self-protection rules recommended by the IMO, given that piracy will probably expand and our Union cannot reproduce that type of operation all over the maritime space used by the EU's merchant navies.
The second issue is the need for a better-developed link between the maritime and inland waterways sectors, given the complexity of activity in those areas. This is illustrated, for instance, in the interconnection between economic, social, environmental and political factors in the case of the River Danube and the Black Sea.
Silvia-Adriana Ţicău
(RO) The first question concerns a report we are asking the European Commission for about the effectiveness of the Marco Polo programme. The second question relates to the possibility, or rather, the future legislative proposals on increasing the role of the European Union's maritime ports within global maritime logistics.
Georgios Koumoutsakos
(EL) Mr President, I have asked for the floor in order to clarify that, in my initial report, I overlooked something which my fellow members here have not mentioned either. I should like, in particular, to refer to the role of the European Maritime Safety Agency or EMSA. I and a number of other colleagues recently had an opportunity to visit EMSA, which carries out important work crucial to the development of the European Union's maritime transport strategy. It needs our support and I believe that the information and technical facilities which it has not only help shipping and maritime transport in the Union, but can also help in the other sectors referred to a moment ago, especially as regards, for example, information which can also be evaluated and used by Frontex.
To be honest, and this is my final comment, EMSA carries out important work which we must recognise and take into account when we discuss the European Union's maritime strategy.
Andris Piebalgs
Member of the Commission. - Mr President, this has been a fascinating debate and definitely strengthens the excellent report by Mr van Dalen. I think it is well done because there is nothing more difficult than to write a report on strategy in general, because strategy is an instrument which really has a longer-term vision and, at the same time, it needs to concentrate on main points.
We are working now in the college to prepare a detailed roadmap for implementation. By the summer, we could come out with this. I should like to refer to three specific questions. One concerns State aid guidelines for ports. This is under discussion in the Commission's DG on Competition and with a former Commissioner for competition and they really would like us, as a Commission, to work in line together, so it will take some time. I cannot give any precise timelines but we are working on it.
On the Marco Polo issue, we have discussed the issues relating to the trans-European transport network, so this discussion will be related to this.
On maritime ports, we do not have any legislation at this stage in the pipeline.
Finally, thank you once again, Mr President and honourable Members, for this debate. It was really very helpful for the Commission.
Peter van Dalen
rapporteur. - (NL) Mr President, thank you and thank you to all the members. I think this report is a good example of constructive cooperation between the different groups.
I would like to address three key points which some of you have already mentioned. First of all, the environment, which is crucial. The environmental performance of our ships must improve a great deal and, in my report, I set out a number of options in that regard, in particular, levying a charge on bunker fuel which has a poor environmental profile. I wonder whether the Commission might like to consider that idea again.
Finally, the concept of 'green ports', as some members have dubbed it. In a green port, an environmentally friendly ship would be dealt with more quickly and would also have to pay a lower port duty. Such a concept is a reward for good environmental behaviour. That way, you actually combine a system of incentives and disincentives. If you have a good environmental record, you are rewarded and if you do not make the grade, then you very quickly end up with an empty wallet. I strongly endorse such a system.
When it comes to safety, one of the members said that Member States need to implement the Third Maritime Package very quickly. That is necessary. Mrs Ţicău mentioned the Paris Memorandum of Understanding. You are quite right; inspection is now moving towards being inspection based on risks, which is much better than the fixed percentage. This gives inspection an enormous boost and good behaviour is rewarded. That is, ships have to behave well. Slovakia is still not on the white list and must make an extra effort there.
I have placed particular emphasis on shipbuilding and maintenance of ships. We know that in times of economic downturn, maintenance quickly falls by the wayside. We clearly cannot allow that to happen, and classification societies, in particular, are currently facing major demands.
We give our full backing to the Atalanta mission against piracy. It is a good mission and has already proved a success. Only last week, a frigate of the Dutch Navy helped free a German merchant ship. Such cooperation seems ideal to me. In this particular case, all the shipowners had to work together and sail in a convoy as none of them was able to go it alone.
Finally, I would like to thank the Commissioner and the Commission and we look forward to this report being translated into a roadmap.
President
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place in two weeks' time, during the part-session in Brussels.
Written statements (Rule 149)
Sergio Berlato
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European maritime transport sector plays a key role within the globalised market. Its importance is based on one key statistic: 41% of the global fleet is managed by the countries of the European Union.
However, following the increase in State aid in the maritime transport sectors of third countries, the competitive position of the European fleet is subject to growing pressure. Therefore, I call on the Commission to quickly present the new rules on State aid, in order to develop fair international maritime trade conditions.
Recent studies estimate that, in 2018, maritime transport will increase in the Member States from 3.08 billion tonnes in 2006 to 5.3 billion. I therefore agree with the content of the report in question; in other words, I agree that developing European port infrastructure capacities, in order to sustain the growth of the maritime transport sector, is a priority.
Lastly, I believe that the maritime professions should be promoted more among young European citizens with the aid of appropriate information, which currently seems to be lacking. As I see it, in fact, the growing lack of professionals in the European maritime transport sector may serve to weaken it over time.
Danuta Jazłowiecka
Ladies and gentlemen, a look at the situation of European Union maritime transport can lead to ambivalent conclusions. On the one hand, the data which have been presented testify to the fact that the flags of Member States have a huge share of transport globally as well as inside the Union. This underlines the significance of the Community in the implementation of new technologies and organisational systems, especially those concerning environmental protection and improvements to the living standards of crews. On the other hand, however, increasingly strong competition from third countries can be observed, and particularly from what are known as flags of convenience. Also noticeable is the increasing reluctance of young people to take up work in what is, undoubtedly, a difficult sector. In summary, the present situation of the maritime transport market in the EU is not a bad one, but the prospects do not make us feel optimistic. However, for me, personally, measures to help inland shipping and ensure optimal connections between maritime and inland transport of goods are a priority. I represent the region of the upper Odra river basin, and can see what little use is being made of the potential of river ports in this region, especially as a transportation route connecting inland regions of the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany with the sea port in Szczecin. This aspect, too, should be borne in mind in the context of EU maritime transport, so that measures taken as part of the policy under discussion will contribute to the development of the Community as a whole, and not only of coastal areas.
Vilja Savisaar
Mr President, Mr van Dalen, ladies and gentlemen, 41% of fleets worldwide belong to Europe, yet unfortunately, some other countries give more support to their fleets and shipowners than do the European Union Member States, or impose less stringent requirements on the safety and environmental friendliness of ships.
Europe must guarantee better working conditions for its sailors, the safety of its ships and an improvement in the marine environmental situation. In order to do this, we should require, or perhaps encourage Member States to support the state's maritime sector or guarantee that ships appearing on the register of that state observe the convention that has been ratified, as well as international requirements. Although sea transport is more environmentally friendly than road or air transport, it is possible to reduce pollution still further here.
My hope in presenting this proposal for change is that it will make future docking operations more effective and less polluting, something which will definitely be facilitated by paper-free procedures as well as the wider use of intelligent transport systems. At the same time, the main goal of intelligent transport systems is not to reduce pollution, but to increase efficiency and guarantee better competition.
The safety of the maritime sector is very important. We must do everything to guarantee the safety of our sailors, passengers, ships and goods but, at the same time, we cannot solve this problem with our eyes closed. We must look at the situation more broadly and find a solution to the existing problems in this area.
In a nutshell, I would say that maritime activity is a very important part of the economy and the everyday life of many Europeans. We must therefore do everything to guarantee the competitiveness and sustainability of this sector, while not forgetting environmental and human factors.


12. A European strategy on the Roma (vote)
- Before the vote on Amendment 9
Roberta Angelilli
(IT) Mr President, I wanted to remove the words 'traditional practices' from the oral amendment, that is, the last two words of paragraph 9. If you wish I can read the text that remains: 'calls on the Roma to respect human rights, in particular with regard to women and children, avoiding forced marriages'.
(The oral amendment was accepted.)
(Amendment 9 was subsequently rejected.)


One-minute speeches on matters of political importance
President
The next item is the one-minute speeches on matters of political importance.
Many Members are listed, but they will not all be able to speak. I shall have to be strict about speaking times and I would remind you that Members who have spoken in either, or both, of the previous two sittings will not have priority. Members that did not speak in either the sitting of 13 November or the sitting of 29 November will have priority.
Zita Pleštinská
(SK) As soon as the Commission announced last October that the free movement of citizens from the new Member States would be postponed until 2009, we voiced our objections in the European Parliament. We also launched several initiatives, including questions to the Council and Commission, and we subsequently drafted Declaration No 72, which is still pending. This declaration is designed to ensure compliance with the original deadline for accession to the Schengen area.
For this reason I regard the decision taken last week on St. Nicolas Day by EU interior ministers, enabling citizens from the nine new Member States to travel freely within the European Union from 1 January 2008, as a great success of the European Union and a consequence of the intervention by the MEPs.
Colleagues, I would like to thank you for your support. I am convinced that all countries, including Slovakia, will soon agree upon the strict security requirements involved in temporarily deploying an enhanced version of the current system as proposed by Portugal.
Kyriacos Triantaphyllides
(EL) Mr President, last week Turkey made a 'Diplomatic move' by agreeing to open a port and an airport for trade with the Republic of Cyprus.
Their timing was a bit odd, considering that their move was made during the COREPER meeting. However, the Turkish proposal is nothing more than a clumsy, unacceptable and provocative manoeuvre, whose sole objective is to bypass the obligations undertaken by Ankara towards the European Union and its Member States. Not only is Ankara persisting on essentially denying its obligations, but also is arrogantly setting conditions aimed at gaining favours in Cyprus.
Turkey's obligations towards the European Union are very specific and are not subject to bargaining. Given these facts, the European Union should reject without further consideration these so called Turkish proposals. I believe that the European Union should unanimously reject this inappropriately provocative offer.
Bruno Gollnisch
(FR) Mr President, as I speak, the trial of Mr Vojislav Seselj, the chairman of Serbia's main party, the Serbian Radical Party, is getting under way. Mr Seselj surrendered voluntarily in January 2003, four years ago, when the indictment against him was published. The indictment referred only to speeches and a political plan to bring all Serbs together in a single country; that may be questionable of course, but we know what very painful circumstances that country has been through. Mr Seselj has been held in solitary confinement since December 2004 for granting interviews to Serbian newspapers, but the prosecutor, Mrs Uertz-Retzlaff, speaks against him in the press freely.
Mr Seselj is demanding to see his family; he should be entitled to do so and to appear freely. He is demanding to correspond with the Tribunal in Serbian, his native language, which he is also entitled to do, but is being denied that right. As a doctor and professor of law, he wishes to conduct his own defence, which is a fundamental right. He is refusing to accept lawyers appointed by the tribunal, whom experience has shown to favour the prosecution. What does Alphons Orie, the presiding judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia have to say about this? I quote: the court finds that the accused's self-representation ...
(The President cut off the speaker)
Marianne Mikko
(ET) Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday, Igor Smirnov, who, 15 years ago seized power with the help of the Russian forces in Transnistria, had himself elected for another five years as the president of an illegitimate country. The dictator, who holds a Russian passport and was trained by the KGB, claimed 80% of the vote.
The election was organised by an illegitimate government on territory controlled by foreign military forces; its result is null and void in terms of international law. The Smirnov regime will not be made any more legal by the permission given to three weak opponents to take part in a contest the result of which was known in advance, having been decided in Moscow during the summer. Smirnov's only serious rival, Mr Shevchuk, the speaker of the Supreme Soviet of Transnistria, withdrew his candidacy at the urgent request of the Kremlin.
The European Union must continue to support Moldova's territorial integrity. Our border assistance mission has proved successful where Russia's de facto veto has paralysed the OSCE's effectiveness. The greatest obstacle to the self-determination of the inhabitants of Transnistria is the presence of Russian forces. We must urgently demand their departure.
Georgios Papastamkos
(EL) Mr President, Article 49 of the European Union Treaty, which contains the accession clause to the European Union, specifies the role of the Union's institutions. According to the said article, the Council is the body which decides on negotiations.
I direct two questions to this Body and the present European Commission: First, on what legal grounds does the European Commission carry out European Union accession negotiations with candidate countries on behalf of the European Union? Second, is the European Commission authorised to express political opinions on critical issues for the selection or non-selection of a candidate country during interim, nonetheless, decisive stages of the negotiation procedure?
Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou
(EL) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to bring to your attention the tragic development in the Middle East and the immediate need for swift and effective intervention. We need to stabilise the region or at least prevent any deterioration which would have unforeseen consequences.
Europe is not absent from that region. It is present: with its diplomatic action, its development and humanitarian aid, its corporate relations in the Mediterranean and its participation in peace-keeping forces. However, it did not manage to play an effective role and so we must look into it immediately, because our hopes that military interventions will create a new Middle East with democracy and stability are not coming true. Therefore, we must look into a new intervention plan; moreover I believe that the European Parliament can promote the relevant talks, demanding results, which will positively affect the prosperity of both the people living in the region and ourselves of course, because whatever is happening in our neighbourhood should concern us.
Proinsias De Rossa
Mr President, I rise to speak because of my concern about the interference by Commissioner McCreevy in Irish politics last week, where he made a public statement challenging the Irish Government's policy with regard to health insurance on the Irish market. The area he is interfering in is not his responsibility: he has responsibility for the internal market, not for competition. In addition to that, the policy being pursued by the Government has been approved by the Commission and has recently been approved by the Irish courts.
My only conclusion is that Commissioner McCreevy is assisting his former Cabinet colleague and friend, Minister Harney, in shifting her policy on health insurance and blaming Brussels for that shift in policy. That is an unacceptable direct interference by a Commissioner in Irish political decision-making. I would appeal to you, Mr President, to make those concerns known to President Barroso. I will pass on to you the correspondence I have had on that matter with the President and with Commissioner McCreevy.
President
I shall communicate your points to Mr Barroso so that he can take the action he deems appropriate, Mr De Rossa.
James Nicholson
Mr President, I apologise for not being here when you first called me.
A number of years ago, I, along with other Members of this Parliament, was involved when Europe provided funds for a study into having a ferry service between Ballycastle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and Campbeltown in Scotland. The study was dutifully carried out, proved to be good, and the ferry service started and ran for a short time.
The Scottish Parliament agreed to provide GBP 700 000, with the Northern Ireland Executive being prepared to provide GBP 300 000, making a total of GPB 1 million as a seedling grant to get the service up and going. Now we find that, while the Scottish Executive is prepared to honour its position and to pay the money up front, the direct-rule minister, Maria Eagle, is refusing to honour her side of the agreement. That is totally unacceptable and wrong. I have raised this with the Secretary of State and with Commissioner Barrot and I want to pursue it as far as possible.
President
I see that the Irish bench is waking up.
Brian Crowley
Mr President, I want to bring to the attention of the Commission - and, if possible, try to get a resolution about - a difficulty that Irish fishermen are facing at present because of an inflexible interpretation of the '100 kilometre rule', which means that fish must be landed and processed within a 100-kilometre range. The difficulty is that a lot of the processing capacity in Ireland is not exactly on the shore or on the docks, but further inland. This creates difficulties in terms of transportation, since road transport counts as part of the 100-kilometre range.
I ask Commissioner Borg to look very carefully at that issue and give us a more flexible interpretation of the rule: both to allow what is a very successful Irish fishing industry to continue, and because it has an impact not only on Irish catches but also on the ability of other boats operating in Irish waters to land their catches in Ireland. This means they have to travel further, use more fuel, and are being forced to land their catches in other markets, which may not necessarily benefit the European Union as a whole.
Jan Tadeusz Masiel
(PL) Mr President, Turkey is under the mistaken impression that last Thursday it took an important step towards continuing negotiations with the European Union. Opening one single airport and one single port to Greek Cypriots for a year is a joke and yet another example of Prime Minister Erdogan's arrogant attitude towards Europe.
Turkey is behaving as if the Union were wanting to join Turkey. In fact it is the other way around, Turkey is asking to join the Union. If Turkey is doing the asking, it must be because it considers our European civilisation based mainly on Christianity to be superior to its own, or at least to be in some way desirable. That being the case, Turkey should comply with our conditions and not impose its own.
Given this state of affairs, something more than partial suspension of accession negotiations with Turkey is needed. The negotiations should be completely halted.
Caroline Lucas
Mr President, I rise to draw attention to the continuing plight of the West Papuan people. Just a week or so ago was West Papua Independence Day, which is traditionally held on 1 December to mark the anniversary of the Dutch promise to grant independence to West Papua, a promise originally made in December 1961. Of course, that independence never came and instead there has been a continuing military occupation by Indonesia for over 40 years, with torture, disappearance, detention without trial and murder of West Papuans at the hands of the military being commonplace.
I am calling on you, President, as well as the Commission and Council, to raise the issue of West Papua's self-determination with the relevant Indonesian authorities, and for them to do all they can to ensure the withdrawal of the Indonesian military from West Papua and the holding of a free and democratic referendum on self-determination, including all the indigenous West Papuans.
A number of colleagues have put down a written declaration for this session to coincide with Independence Day for West Papua, and I urge my colleagues here to co-sign that written declaration.
Mary Lou McDonald
Mr President, as colleagues may be aware, the Irish peace process is continuing to inch forward towards the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, including the restoration of the power-sharing and all-Ireland institutions.
The significance of the DUP's Ian Paisley's conditional 'yes' to power-sharing with Irish nationalists and republicans should not be underestimated. However, there is still a long way to go and many challenges lie ahead.
It is now important that we get down to the very serious business of re-establishing the political institutions so that local people can make local decisions, free from interference from unelected and unaccountable British Government ministers. It is also important that the DUP begin the process of engagement with Sinn Féin to resolve other outstanding issues, including that of policing. I would encourage the EU to continue to show support for the process at this crucial time.
Józef Pinior
(PL) Mr President, 25 years ago, on 13 December 1981, martial law was imposed in Poland. This led to the outlawing of the Solidarity trade union. Essentially, martial law involved the use of force, repression and persecution against trade union activists, scientists, artists and indeed all those who refused to be enslaved by totalitarianism in Poland.
Under martial law, when Poland was ruled by General Jaruzelski, violations of human, civil and political rights were commonplace. Over ten thousand individuals were either imprisoned or sent to internment camps during that period. Many people laid down their lives in defence of Solidarity.
On 16 December, nine miners were killed as a result of the brutal dispersal of demonstrators at the Wujek mine by special units of the ZOMO Motorised Reserves of the Citizens Militia, and 21 others were injured.
I call on the European Parliament to pay tribute today to all those who fell in the cause of freedom and justice. I refer to all the victims of persecution under martial law and to all those who refused to be subdued by the use of force and continued their independent activity, thus contributing to the advent of freedom and democracy in Poland.
Richard Corbett
Mr President, my constituent David Wilson was jailed in 2003 because illegal migrants had hidden in the back of his lorry at a Greek port. He was charged and sentenced within 24 hours under a fast-track procedure, without sufficient legal advice, with a local shopkeeper as an interpreter, and without advice from the British Embassy.
As he was totally innocent he was acquitted on appeal, but not before suffering the horrendous ordeal of months in prison far from his family and the permanent loss of his job. He never recovered from that and tragically took his own life last month.
That tragedy would never have happened if the EU's framework decision on procedural rights and criminal proceedings for people charged in other Member States had already been in force. That proposal would guarantee that anyone facing criminal charges abroad has access to their country's consular services and is given qualified legal advice. That was all lacking in his case.
I would urge the Council to get a move on and adopt that proposal as a matter of urgency.
Bernadette Bourzai
(FR) Mr President, I want to express my disapproval at what Mr Kyprianou, European Commissioner responsible for health and consumer protection, said at a press conference on 9 November. The Commissioner warmly congratulated four food-sector multinationals - which I will not name - on what they are doing to help fight obesity; he also allowed them to promote themselves by setting up stands at the entrance to the room where the press conference was held.
We must bear in mind that one child in five in Europe is obese and that this number is growing every year because of poor eating habits encouraged by the fast food, fizzy drinks and chocolate bars marketed mainly by those four multinationals. Binding legislation to provide European consumers with nutritional information would do them more good than eulogies addressed to companies that have contributed to the obesity explosion for decades. There are other ways of fighting obesity: eating more fruit and vegetables and taking part in sporting activities, which ought to be better promoted.
I can therefore only advise Mr Kyprianou to get together with his fellow Commissioner Mrs Fischer-Boel to assist in reforming the common organisation of the market in fruit and vegetables in the interests of a healthy and balanced diet.
Avril Doyle
Mr President, comparing your recent statements on visits to Italy and Ireland, confusion has arisen over your position on the Constitutional Treaty.
Addressing the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Italian Senate on 9 November 2006, you stated that there appear to be four possible scenarios for the Constitutional Treaty: retaining the text with an addition here or there; salvaging the main elements and drafting a shorter Treaty; re-opening negotiations on certain points; or abandoning the Treaty and waiting for a better time to renegotiate it.
You also stated categorically that there is no doubt that the text will not be implemented as it stands. Yet, at Dublin Castle on 30 November, you urged Ireland to ratify the current text of the Constitutional Treaty. Surely this will be a pointless exercise if, as you said in Italy, there is no chance of the current text being implemented!
Mr President, you leave yourself open, at best, to the accusation of sending out mixed messages or of tailoring your message to suit the audience you are addressing. As Members of the European Parliament, we have the right to be informed of the clear position of our President on this most important of issues. As a representative of a small Member State, I feel particularly strongly that all Member States should be involved in the reflection process. I do not want to see a situation where the larger Member States, such as Italy, are consulted and decide on the future of the Constitution - and indeed Europe - while the smaller Member States are simply told to ratify the text as presented to them. I would love to hear your views on this, Mr President.
President
Thank you very much. I believe that it was made very clear during an interesting debate that took place in Ireland, which you were unable to attend, for very important reasons I am sure. I am talking about the European Forum on Ireland, at which I had the opportunity to reply to questions similar to yours.
I believe that it was made very clear and that all of the Members in attendance understood, but we all know that it is very difficult to get people who do not want to understand to understand. I said to the European Council on several occasions on behalf of the European Parliament that every country should try to ratify the Treaty. That is the European Parliament's position: to call upon all of the governments to try to ratify the Treaty.
As far as I know, that is also your group's position, as its leader has often explained. That, and only that, is what I have said: that every country must try to ratify the Treaty. Are you still in any doubt, Mrs Doyle?
Luís Queiró
(PT) As the Commission is aware, the air transport service on the Atlantic islands of Madeira and Porto Santo is a public service, with the Portuguese Government subsidising the company that exclusively runs the service.
Recently, however, ticket prices for flights between these islands and the Portuguese mainland rose dramatically, on account of the increase in the price of oil. This decision by the Portuguese Government is, in our view, a questionable one, as it runs counter to the spirit of the Council regulation governing this form of public service obligation, which is why I have brought the matter to Parliament's attention. How come passengers on these flights are being made to pay for the increase in the price of fuel, thereby hampering their mobility, especially now that the price of oil is falling and the euro is becoming stronger? What is more, the Portuguese Government and the Community bodies know that passengers on Madeira and Porto Santo have no alternative sea link with the mainland.
This is ample reason for Parliament and the Commission to look into and monitor this measure, which penalises the citizens of one of the EU's outermost regions. We should like this matter to be clarified and the situation changed, which is why we have brought it to the Commissioner's attention.
Chris Davies
Mr President, I seek your assistance. On 17 October I tabled a priority written question to the Commission on the subject of animal testing under REACH. I did not ask the question for the good of my health; I asked it so that we could have information, before the vote this coming week, about the number of animals likely to die as a result of the REACH testing process.
I should have had a reply, I believe, by 18 November. I am told that it is held up somehow in the Commission's services, which some might regard as convenient for the Commission and an exercise in news management. These figures are likely to be distressing to those concerned about the testing of animals. I would seek your assistance in obtaining a response to that question before Wednesday's vote.
Ioannis Glavakis
(EL) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, on 2 May 2006, Canada's annual budget was introduced to Parliament, which recommends 100% tax reduction on all Canadian produced wines and beers. This budget is under discussion. However, such a budget will create unfair competition to European Union wines and beers. This goes against WTO principles. Exports to Canada are of particular importance to the European Union. In particular, in 2005 the European Union exported wines worth EUR 446 million and beers worth EUR 110 million.
The Commission must assume an active role and take the necessary actions to force the Canadian Government to implement its commitments to the WTO.
We have always adhered to the commitments we have made to the World Trade Organisation. The other nations should do the same.
Carlos José Iturgaiz Angulo
(ES) Mr President, on 2 July, more than five months ago now, the presidential elections were held in Mexico. As you all know, the winner was Felipe Calderón, the current Mexican President.
Since those elections, the opposition candidate of the Left, López Obrador, has failed to acknowledge or accept his defeat and, worse still, the Left has tried to sabotage President Calderón's inauguration and is still threatening the legitimate government and instigating disturbances, demonstrations and sabotage against it. I therefore wish to condemn this anti-democratic attitude on the part of the Left led by Mr López Obrador and I also wish to condemn the Mexican Left's unprecedented and unjustifiable boycott.
The European institutions cannot look the other way, and this European Parliament in particular must support President Calderón's legitimate government in Mexico. We in this Parliament must take initiatives to ensure that democracy is respected in Mexico and that the Left acknowledge its defeat and form a democratic and constructive opposition rather than an anti-democratic opposition.
Milan Gaľa
(SK) I welcomed the report in which the US President, George Bush, announced that he would seek to relax visa requirements for the new EU Member States of Central Europe. President Bush's decision to launch this programme is, among other things, a result of long-term pressure exerted by the new Member States. Their leaders took every opportunity to remind President Bush of the fact that they would like to see the visa requirements simplified or cancelled altogether, thus, enabling their citizens to travel to the USA under the visa waiver programme, just like the nationals of western European countries.
Regarding Slovakia, it should be pointed out that, as a result of reforms conducted by the government of Mikuláš Dzurinda, the country has made substantial economic progress. There are no longer such pressing economic reasons for Slovaks to violate their visa status and immigrate illegally to the USA. The facilitation of travel and the cancellation of visa requirements for citizens of the new Member States will have to be accompanied by, among other things, compliance with new, stricter, security requirements. I believe that President Bush will manage to persuade Congress to accept this programme.
Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg
(PL) Mr President, much has been said in this Chamber about achieving the Lisbon objectives and enabling the European Union to compete with the largest economies in the world such as those of the United States, China or India. Our discussions have still not had any practical impact, however, and our dreams of high economic growth may never come true as there may be nobody around to help achieve the desired growth.
According to a recent UN report, by 2050 there will be one hundred million fewer European citizens than there are today. Few children are being born, European society is ageing, and an ever-smaller number of workers is supporting an ever-increasing number of pensioners.
The Lisbon objectives must go hand in hand with an appropriate demographic policy for the Union. Such a policy could perhaps be modelled on the measures taken by Finland, France and Latvia. These countries are currently experiencing a baby boom, due to the provision of appropriate incentives and facilities for parents who wish to have children but also wish to be able to support them, and who have been enabled to combine their parental responsibilities with paid employment.
Europe must look to the quality and quantity of its workforce if it is to achieve economic growth. It is therefore vital to develop a Community policy for the development of European society, encompassing both the demographic aspect and the immigration of qualified workers from outside the Union.
Georgios Karatzaferis
(EL) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, there is a lot of talk lately on whether Brussels or Strasbourg should be the seat of the European Parliament and the European Union. Both of these are wrong. The seat of Europe should be in the city where decisions are taken, and lately the decisions regarding the European Union's future are being taken in Ankara. This is the truth. When great countries, such as England were joining Europe, the terms were set by Europe. Nowadays, Turkey is the one setting the terms to Europe in order for Turkey to join. This is unacceptable. Turkey does not recognise the 25th state, wants one port, then two ports and all of us are just watching, passively. When shall we finally understand that this policy supports Ankara's arrogance? Can we not understand that this is a rotten apple even before it joins? Just imagine how things will be when, tomorrow morning, Erdogan's Turkey joins Europe with our vote. Then Turkey will just push us aside from day one.
Andrzej Jan Szejna
(PL) Mr President, the Seventh Congress of the Party of European Socialists was held in Porto from 7-9 December, under the slogan 'A New Social Europe'. Many key issues for the future of Europe and the European Union were raised during the congress. It was recognised that the provision of appropriate and accessible child care was a priority matter, so as to allow young parents to continue in paid employment. Investing in our children's future is an investment in our own future.
A great many documents were adopted. Chief amongst them were a resolution laying down ten principles for a New Social Europe, a resolution on the Middle East, a resolution on Belarus and a resolution on a new social democratic energy policy. The latter seems to me to be entirely relevant and particularly important because of Europe's increasing dependence on a small number of suppliers of sources of energy.
Mr President, this congress proved once again that the Socialists are the most important political force in Europe. It is they who are the driving force working to secure Europe's future.
Witold Tomczak
(PL) Mr President, 25 years ago, on the night of 12 December, martial law was imposed in Poland. Tanks rolled onto the streets, the nation was deprived of its freedom, and innocent Poles were beaten and killed.
All this was done by people in authority who were convinced that they knew better than the nation itself what the nation needed. They believed that maintaining an alliance with a foreign regime or rather, remaining subservient to it, took precedence over the will of the people. Essentially, what they were concerned about was hanging on to power and all the benefits deriving from it. These evil individuals were supported by foreigners pursuing their own imperialist ambitions at the expense of an enslaved nation.
I trust the anniversary of this event will be an occasion for Europe to examine its conscience. Do we really believe that there are no self-styled sages amongst us who think they know what other nations need better than those nations themselves? Is it not the case that leaders still reach agreements detrimental to the good of their countries and that the desire for leadership and its associated benefits often takes priority over the good of the nations politicians are meant to serve?
The life, freedom and dignity of every individual must be sacrosanct for us.
Jörg Leichtfried
(DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as a European citizen and a European politician, there are two things that bother me. The first is the fact of structural deficiencies in the European Union's energy policy, of the consequences of which we were once more reminded as recently as the beginning of November.
Secondly, there is the quality of Europe's relations with Russia. It is quite obviously negligent to deny our current dependence on energy providers that are not merely foreign but owned by foreign states. The sad fact is that the next thing to happen is that economic and political interests merge and start to influence what happens on the political level playing field.
We make the claim to adhere, in all our dealings, to the principle that European values must never take second place to economic interests, and that principle is a core element in our Community. In our dealings with Russia, the expectation of our dialogues on energy being fruitful must not be contingent on our keeping silent about our misgivings concerning the violations of human rights and of freedom of the press. What must be quite clear to us is that either there will be a Europe founded upon values, or there will soon be no Europe left.
Ryszard Czarnecki
(PL) Mr President, this is a British Airways frequent flyer card. I tried to do something with it when recently 100 Members of the British House of Commons protested in connection with the discriminatory treatment meted out to a British Airways employee wearing a small cross.
In my view, action of this kind is unacceptable in Europe, which is founded on a Christian heritage dating back centuries. I would therefore like to express my solidarity with all our British fellow Members and with all the British politicians and journalists protesting against this situation.
Marios Matsakis
Mr President, F-type isolation prisons for political detainees were introduced in Turkey at the end of 2000 with the aim of psychologically breaking, and subsequently re-educating, the prisoners. In the last 6 years, 28 people have been killed, 122 have died on hunger strike and there have been thousands of protests from within, as well outside, Turkey.
Mr Behiç Aşçı, an Istanbul lawyer representing F-type prisoners, has been on hunger strike for 251 days. Mr President, you yourself, much to your credit, took some protest actions a few weeks ago, but the Turkish authorities have been stubbornly deaf. Mr Aşçı is now very near to death. I plead with you to communicate directly and urgently with the Turkish Prime Minister and request that he deal with the case of Mr Aşçı personally in a last effort to save the life of a European-minded Turkish idealist.
Gerard Batten
Mr President, this summer the Russian State Duma introduced two laws allowing action to be taken against Russian and non-Russian citizens abroad. Authorised by a decision of the President of the Russian Federation, euphemistically named 'special assignment units' of the federal security services may be used against so-called terrorists or those who have allegedly libelled the state. Those laws are a licence to kill, and the first public execution of a British citizen was carried out last month when Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned and died in London. However, the murder was bungled and a radioactive evidence trail stretches from London to Moscow.
Tony Blair's reaction was to say that nothing must come between Britain's relations with Russia. The Russians' reaction was to say that no suspect, whatever the evidence, will be extradited to Britain. But the reaction of the world must be to exclude Russia from the civilised community of nations until its international murder squads are no longer operational.
Marie Panayotopoulos-Cassiotou
(EL) Mr President, today is the only day suitable for my speech. Today, 11 December, marks 60 years from the foundation of Unicef and we are celebrating the International Children's Day. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child have been signed - even though some states have not yet signed - and the Commission has already presented its Strategy on the Rights of the Child on a European level.
Therefore, we hope for coordinated action throughout the European Union's external and internal policies, and an effort from every Member State for the protection of the rights of the child, which from what we see is not only threatened by poverty, illiteracy and armed conflicts in countries outside the Union, but is equally in danger within our own civilised countries from malicious attacks by people who do not have collective responsibility.
Françoise Castex
(FR) Mr President, on 22 June 2006 the Commission presented a communication in response to the crisis of overproduction in the European winegrowing sector, recommending the grubbing-up of 400 000 hectares of vines in the next five years, that is, almost 12% of the European Union's 3.4 million hectares.
I want to draw your attention today to the existence of illegal vine plantations in Europe, which are thought to cover an area of 150 000 hectares in the European Union as a whole. According to the Commission's own figures in a March 2004 report, these illegal vine plantations are equivalent to an output of 5 to 8 million hectolitres at a time when European overproduction is put at 12 million hectolitres. The permanent grubbing-up of these illegal vines would allow a measure of balance to be restored.
Before any decision on grubbing-up is taken, I therefore call on the Commission to determine the precise scale of these illegal plantations.
DanutBudreikait
(LT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the most important item on the European Union agenda is still energy security and the common energy policy. However, the formulation and implementation of such a policy is a long-term project.
Germany and Russia have entered into a bilateral agreement to lay a gas pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, a pipeline that is anything but safe from an ecological viewpoint, bearing in mind the debris from World War II on the sea bed which threatens the Baltic States with dreadful consequences. In the meantime, the EU is demanding that safe, modernised atomic energy reactors be closed.
Scientists estimate that by the year 2010 there will be a shortage of 3.5 billion kilowatts of electrical energy in the Baltic region. Where will we get it, how much will we pay for it and will we feel safe? Has anyone calculated to what extent the shortage of electrical energy will affect EU competitiveness?
I invite all Member States, after considering the changes in the energy market, to support Lithuania's application of Article 37 of the Treaty of Accession to the EU in considering the possibility of extending the operational life of the Ignalina Atomic Energy Plant.
Mairead McGuinness
Mr President, I hope you had time to enjoy some hill walking while you were in Ireland.
One of the issues you may not have been aware of during your visit is the deep unease in the countryside about how the Commission is applying on-farm inspections in relation to the common agricultural policy and cross-compliance. There is a huge gap between what the Commission says it is doing in relation to simplification initiatives and what is happening on the ground in relation to cross-compliance inspections.
The checklist with which farmers are required to comply is very long and confusing. Allied to that, there is real fear that if you breach one of these regulations, you will face a penalty on your payment. Consumers deserve to know that farmers meet high standards of food safety and production; but I would ask whether these unannounced spot-checks of the detailed sort I have outlined are the way to meet that objective. The Irish Government itself is to blame for the long delay in implementing the Nitrates Directive, with the result that we are now forced to have all the on-farm inspections catapulted into the latter end of 2006.
Could I ask the Commission to specify exactly what it wants from farmers, and to ensure that all Member States are complying with the rules?
Margarita Starkevičiūt
(LT) I would like to draw your attention to the work of our fine translators, to the quality of their work. Lately one hears many discontented voices saying that the quality of translations is declining. You are no doubt aware, Mr President, that we allot large sums of money for translations and we rightly take pride in the possibility of speaking various languages in European institutions. I think that one of the problems causing an increase in the amount of complaints about the quality of translations is the fact that in our Parliament the translation quality control system is not appropriately set up and does not function adequately. Indeed, the quality of translations is usually checked by colleagues, that is, they check each other's work, which is probably not very objective. Queries from Members of Parliament are not often responded to by Translation Service staff. At least I have never received any replies. I hope that the Parliamentary Bureau will bring this to their attention.
Zbigniew Zaleski
(PL) Mr President, we should remain constantly alert to the situation beyond Europe's Eastern border, that is to say, in Russia and Ukraine. We have focused a great deal of attention on negotiations with Russia recently, but I urge the House not to neglect events in Ukraine.
I would like the House to send out a clear message that we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and support its progress towards democracy. In other words, we do not wish anti-democratic processes to develop and gather strength. Ukraine is a large neighbour of ours and we have an interest in it. It must not be sidelined.
Accordingly, I believe that every message sent out by this House or by members of other institutions to the Government of Ukraine and, in particular, to Ukrainian society is extremely important.
Czesław Adam Siekierski
(PL) Mr President, next year we shall celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. I believe that this will provide an ideal opportunity for considered reflection and debate on the future of the European Union. As we recall the fundamental principles underpinning the concept of integration we should be able to find the answer to key questions such as where Europe is headed and what the possibilities for future enlargement are. Our policy towards the Balkan states, Ukraine, Turkey and also Georgia and Moldova needs to be clearly defined. The Union should cooperate more closely with these countries and provide stronger support for the changes taking place within them.
The most important issue we have to deal with at present is internal reform of the Union, which involves strengthening the role of the European Parliament and improving the decision-making system. During the next six months under German Presidency we should also work on a solution to the future of the Constitutional Treaty and the issue of energy security.
President
Well, that is the last word and it is also the last time that I will have the honour of presiding over the one-minute speeches. That is why we have been more generous with speaking time, and I would ask the Commission and the Council for their understanding. I thank you for your patience, but during the final moments of the party there is a free bar, and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to those people who have wished to speak on previous occasions but have not been able to.
That concludes this item.