Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-02-Speech-4-044"
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"en.20000302.3.4-044"2
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".
Mr
President, ladies and gentlemen, I would first like to thank all of you who have taken part in this debate for the excellent, valuable contributions you have made, as we are addressing an issue which is undoubtedly very sensitive politically speaking. If the Commission is able to draw any conclusions from this debate, I would say that it seems to us that in broad terms Parliament is looking favourably on the strategy that the Commission has followed to address this issue. It is true that this strategy may be cautious, but it is also quite unambiguous.
The Commission is aware of how politically sensitive this subject is and does not doubt for a minute that progress towards finding real solutions for the proper application of this trade agreement is closely linked to the development of the Middle East peace process. The Commission is also aware that the political importance attributed to the peace process by the European Union is reflected in Parliament and in the Commission, as has been said here by various Members and is a result of the recent visit to the region by President Nicole Fontaine as well as President Romano Prodi’s very recent visit last week. We are therefore fully aware of the fact that we are at a very delicate stage in the peace process, which must not be endangered by positions that would result from blindly applying legal rules, because applying the law requires that we should endeavour to find a solution on which all parties can agree. The truth of the situation is that the approach adopted by the Commission on this subject is to seek to obtain the support and agreement of all parties involved in the process. In response to various Members’ questions, I therefore think that the proposal put forward by the Israeli authorities, which is to set up a tripartite working group to consider the implications of this transition period in applying the trade agreement, which has already been accepted by the Palestinian authorities, deserves not only our acceptance, but also a statement of our confidence that through this kind of dialogue, through this kind of mutual vigilance over the correct application of the trade agreement, we will be able to achieve positive results in the interests of the population of the region. And what the population of the region is interested in, above all, is peace, and their own economic prosperity.
Lastly, I would like to say that we feel this approach remains true to the principles and the values of the agreement, which we feel is sufficiently clear in legal terms. We are also convinced that we are taking positive steps to create an atmosphere of mutual trust which is always the best basis on which to build peace, because the Middle East has no alternative but to achieve peaceful coexistence between all of the peoples living there."@en1
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