Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-10-05-Speech-2-024"
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"en.19991005.3.2-024"2
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"Madam President, Mr President of the Commission, if the PPE did not want this debate to be held today, it was not because it did not consider it important, but just in order to be able to shed light on a number of aspects, to hear the opinions of a number of experts, before making a statement. Well, the debate is being held today after all, and as we are here and we have heard President Prodi’s statement, we have been able to take into consideration the things he has announced, i.e. the creation of an independent European food agency, prioritisation of food safety, strengthening of controls, etc.
We hope however that these proposals are not just empty words. A European agency may be effective, but it may also be no more than a group of officials attempting to deal with problems far removed from real events, and this is not what consumers expect. Given the many scandals we have seen in the food sector and the growing concern of consumers, passed on, what is more, by political decision-makers, I believe there is an urgent demand for greater transparency, more controls, greater traceability, and especially greater responsibility at every stage of production.
President Prodi, there is no way around true reform in agriculture. I believe that recent decades show that we have been playing the role of the sorcerer’s apprentice. So, today, we are faced with food scandals relating to BSE, dioxin, antibiotics, pesticides, and the excessive use of fertilisers as well. What scandals we have already witnessed, and how many more are still to come? So, Mr President, you would be specifically to blame if you were unable to propose a real reform in agriculture and, from that point of view Madam President, it is a pity that the Council is not represented here, since agricultural policy is chiefly dependent on the Council. It is not possible to progress without carrying out real reform, one more concerned with product quality and respect for the environment. True, all this has a price, the price of extensive production, but the agricultural budget is a sizeable one and all that is required is the political will to change the way it is distributed.
Finally, Commissioner, Commission President, Madam President, we must present a united front in the discussions we are to have with the United States about our relationships within the context of the WTO."@en1
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