Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/1999-11-19-Speech-5-044"
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"en.19991119.3.5-044"2
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"Good morning, Mr President. Firstly I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market and the Members who have presented amendments.
I believe that the words of Mr Medina Ortega have clarified the approach and position which the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market has agreed unanimously, on this essential issue, an issue which is important for the Canary Islands, but which affects all the other outermost regions of the European Union.
With reference to the subject of today’s debate, the Canary Islands, I must say that few regions have lived or are living through such an intense process of European integration.
Since their incorporation in 1986, the Canary Islands have held significant and intense debates. There have been public demonstrations for and against the full incorporation of the islands, there have been governmental crises and even the resignation of the President of an autonomous government, the specific cause of which was the conditions for the accession negotiations.
After thirteen years, it is time to make an assessment. To this end the regulation which we are debating at the moment in Parliament is very useful, since from this assessment we can reach conclusions which will allow us to determine the position we must take. The assessment is clearly positive, although we must recognise that there are enormous worries and concerns attached to it, as the rapporteur has explained effectively. These concerns stem from what we are debating here, but also from other issues which are being studied and dealt with by this Parliament.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that at the moment in the Canaries there is a lot of uncertainty with regard to the future of bananas, since the Canary Islands are Europe’s top producer of that fruit, which is so important from economic, social, scenic and environmental points of view.
However – and I repeat – today we are talking about Regulation 1911/91 concerning the application of Community Law to the Canary Islands. The arguments and explanations which the rapporteur has given us today are clear and describe the long journey made by the Canary Islands to arrive at the process of incorporation into the European Union.
Nevertheless it is essential in our opinion that this reform is carried out within the time frame laid down. This is an absolutely essential issue. We should remember the mandate of the Cologne European Council to the Commission; we should remember that before the end of 1999 there was supposed to be specific and special treatment which has still not happened; we should remember that at the moment we are debating the Commission’s legislative agenda for 2000. It is important that in this legislative agenda we include the special treatments laid down in article 299.2 of the EC Treaty for the French overseas departments, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, because, otherwise, we would reach a situation or position in which these European regions, which are vital to each of the Member States and to the European Union, are put at an absolute disadvantage in relation to the European Union as a whole.
To end, I would like to say that our Group supports the 19 amendments and the legislative text, but asks that we do not proceed to a second reading, but that this regulation be approved within the time limits laid down. We ask the Commission to be sensitive to the rapporteur’s views, to the views of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market and that, please, the regulation be approved within the envisaged time limits because, otherwise, the situation in the Canary Islands would be of great concern."@en1
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