Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-15-Speech-1-068"
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"en.19991115.5.1-068"2
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"Mr President, the Commission is delighted to take part in what is now the final step in the adoption of the Daphne Programme 2000-2003, a four-year Community action programme based upon the experience of the Daphne initiative established when the European Parliament included for the first time funds in the 1997 budget to combat violence against children, young persons and women.
The programme rests firmly upon the recognition of the need to uphold human rights whether those of children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 or those of women as expressed in the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action in 1995.
The Commission’s first proposal was made in May 1998 and during the last 18 months the procedure has survived not merely a change of legal base but also a change of Treaty, a change of commitology, a change of Parliament and a change of Commission. It is, clearly, therefore, a hardy plant designed to thrive and grow as a potent weapon in the Community’s armoury against the evil of violence inflicted upon those most at risk in our society.
I would like to pay particular tribute to the parliamentary rapporteurs, Madame Bennasar Tous and Madame Avilés Perea for the work during the adoption procedure. They have led the parliamentary side in often difficult negotiations. I would also pay tribute to the work of the German and Finnish Presidencies without whose help we could not have achieved the second reading today in time for the programme to be adopted by 1 January next year.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Mrs Gradin, who throughout handled the Daphne dossier with great skill and expertise. The Daphne Programme builds on the Daphne initiative, but with two important changes. First, it is open for the applicant and EFTA countries to take part in the programme. These will significantly help the victims of cross-border trafficking of women and children. Secondly, the programme is now open to applications from other organisations than the NGOs. In the light of the different traditions within the Member States these changes will I hope greatly increase its effectiveness.
The Commission accepts all the six amendments which are before the House today.
We therefore hope that the Daphne programme will be adopted as speedily as possible. Once it has been adopted, the Commission will work with Parliament and the Member States to ensure that it achieves its goal. The Commission will specifically ensure that this programme is a relevant tool to channel the synergies of public authorities and NGOs in order to preserve the physical and psychological integrity and the social well-being of children, young persons and women in all areas of activity. I consider that coupling this initiative with the perspective opened by Tampere will lead in the near future to common definitions, common penal procedures and common sanctions that will be applied by Member States to the crimes of trafficking in human beings and to crimes against children.
The goals are therefore to establish networks throughout the European Union and within the applicant countries between organisations active in the fight against violence against women and children that know the field and to raise awareness among the European public as a whole of the nature of this evil and of the need and the means to eradicate it.
On the eve of the new millennium I may say, Mr President, that strong support in the European Parliament for this programme will be the best and clearest sign that the Union attaches the utmost political priority to effectively combating violence against children, young persons and women."@en1
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