Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-17-Speech-3-198"

PredicateValue (sorted: default)
rdf:type
dcterms:Date
dcterms:Is Part Of
dcterms:Language
lpv:document identification number
"en.19991117.6.3-198"2
lpv:hasSubsequent
lpv:speaker
lpv:spokenAs
lpv:translated text
"Mr President, what is especially gratifying about Mr Schwaiger’s report is that it shows that Parliament has, for its part, been able to increase coherence in the aims of the talks. The Union, through its earlier decisions, has been committed to consistency in different areas of policy. Thus, for example, trade policy must be in harmony with the Union’s policies on developing countries and the environment. Both areas of policy are now emphatically raised in the report and, as a new Member of Parliament, I can say that it comes as a pleasant surprise. Similarly, I could say that the proposed report gives a very balanced account of the position of the WTO in relationship to other multilateral treaties. In addition, strong support for the cooperation that has begun between the ILO and the WTO promises an even better level of coherence in this area. Once a working model has been found, it should also be applied to the way the WTO relates to other international organisations, which have overseen the drafting of similar agreements. It is also important that Parliament now outlines the importance of these multilateral agreements in the WTO’s dispute settlement procedure. As a member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy, I am satisfied that we are trying to include the precautionary principle in the set of rules of the WTO. The Union’s negotiators must be able to convince the other sides that the EU goal is not protectionism but the safeguarding of the welfare of the consumer. The Union would be wise to invite NGOs to discussions about the WTO while the round of talks is proceeding. Not only would it strengthen the legitimacy of Union action on our own turf, but the global NGO arena itself could help our negotiators to achieve the goals of the Union. Experience shows that debate in the NGO arena easily spreads from one continent to another. As the other sides unfortunately lag far behind, the EU needs the backing of the NGOs in its work to transform the WTO into a sustainable organisation in the areas of the environment, health and social welfare. At the Seattle round, the scope and power of the WTO will grow significantly, and that is why the EU should ensure that the effects of the liberalisation of trade and the action of the WTO are continually appraised from the point of view of ecology and fairness."@en1

Named graphs describing this resource:

1http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/rdf/English.ttl.gz
2http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/rdf/Events_and_structure.ttl.gz
3http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/rdf/spokenAs.ttl.gz

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph