Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-07-06-Speech-4-261"
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"en.20000706.10.4-261"2
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".
Mr President, I have to reply on five issues, on the Commission’s behalf. On the question of human rights let me therefore sum up by saying that the Commission’s foreign policy remains, as ever, directed at helping to prevent conflicts, prevent infringements of human rights and promote democracy and human rights.
A Dutch-Belgian project co-financed by the European Union under the programme of cooperation between police and customs authorities is carrying out the expert evaluation. Its findings on the police action during the Euro 2000 championship will be useful for similar future events. That is particularly important for Germany, which today won the bid for the 2006 World Cup.
The Commission will await the findings of this project before putting forward practical proposals to improve the existing measures. However, it is becoming clear even now that we will have to agree at EU level to ban convicted hooligans from travelling to matches with a high risk potential and that we must find means of effectively combating riots at sporting events so that – as one Member of the House said – football really remains a game.
In this connection, let me remind you that the Netherlands and Belgium intend to propose further measures to combat football hooliganism in the framework of cooperation in justice and home affairs. However, these activities are still at a very early stage. Once the Euro 2000 championship has been evaluated, the Commission and these two countries will establish more concrete contacts.
Wherever we encounter violent conflicts and infringements of human rights, we resolutely apply the means at our disposal, be it through dialogue, be it through diplomatic measures or be it in the form of economic cooperation and aid to these countries, in order to play a positive part in resolving the conflicts and promoting democracy and human rights. That is particularly true with regard to the conflicts addressed here – Uganda, Sudan and Indonesia.
On the death penalty in the USA let me just say that regrettably nothing has changed. The European Union’s position is and will remain quite unchanged. Under our European system of values, imposing the death penalty is an act of barbarism that can never be justified. That is why we will not relax our efforts to have the death penalty outlawed throughout the world.
The discussions that have now begun in the USA are welcome. They show very clearly that one major argument against the death penalty is now having a certain effect in America too, namely that to impose the death penalty is not worthy of a constitutional state, if only because a miscarriage of justice cannot be rectified. We have now seen that many verdicts led to the execution of innocent people.
On Iraq let me say that the Commission takes the view that responsibility for the dreadful conditions in that country lies solely and entirely with Saddam Hussein and his regime. These conditions could change overnight if the regime was prepared to satisfy the conditions and demands of the international community in full, as in fact he has promised in part. Unfortunately, nothing has changed in the sense that the Iraqi regime must still be regarded as a regime that can undermine peace and stability not just in the region but worldwide, and for that reason the embargo can only be lifted if the Iraqi regime complies with the Security Council resolutions in full, as it is well aware.
The European Union is endeavouring to use the means at its disposal to take account of the humanitarian consequences of that policy and to help where help is possible. But everyone in this House also knows that the oil for food programme has certain weaknesses, which once again the Iraqi regime has to answer for, and that is also why we are still using ECHO as an instrument in Iraq.
I would like to say a little more on an issue that is being discussed here for the first time today, namely hooligans and football. The Commission welcomes the importance Parliament attaches to combating football hooliganism, as reflected in the various motions for resolution. For several years now, the Member States and the Commission have been seeking to cooperate more closely in this field. That has led to many measures being agreed between them. For instance, common safety standards have been agreed for football stadiums, common standards for tracking down fans, police officials are sent abroad to cooperate with the host country’s police and information is exchanged.
One important instrument is the handbook the Council adopted in June 1999 on cooperation between police authorities and measures to prevent violence at international football matches. The handbook sets out practical rules of conduct for the police, which were applied for the first time at the Euro 2000 championship in the Netherlands and Belgium. The evaluation of the Euro 2000 championship will provide a great deal of useful information on improving the measures to combat hooliganism."@en1
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