Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-21-Speech-4-041"
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"en.20000921.2.4-041"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to answer Baroness Ludford’s question point by point.
I hope, Baroness, that I have given as full an answer as possible.
The Council and the Presidency attach great importance to the European Conference against racism “All Different, All Equal” which will be held in Strasbourg between 11 and 13 October 2000, in preparation for the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism. In this context, the Presidency is sparing no effort to achieve the utmost cooperation and coordination between the Member States of the European Union in the preparations for the conference in Strasbourg.
There is already very active coordination of efforts between Member States, in addition to the many preparatory meetings which have taken place. At this stage, the Council does not, at this European Conference in Strasbourg, intend to present a position common to the fifteen Member States, according to the terms of Article 34(2). I think it is important, however, that the coordination between the European Union Member States should continue in order to avoid a situation where they are expressing divergent views on the various issues raised. The Council does intend, and I must stress this, to present a common position at the World Conference which is due to be held next year in South Africa, and work on finalising this common position has already been set in motion.
In order to coordinate their positions ready for the European Conference, the Member Sates will, of course, take account of the very useful recommendations given in the document provided by the Commission departments on 17 April.
As to the resources to be implemented in order to ensure maximum synergy between the work carried out in this area by, on the one hand, the United Nations High Commissioner's Office for Human Rights and, on the other, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, but also the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia, I would like to remind Baroness Ludford that, on 21 December 1998, the Council adopted a decision relating to the conclusion of an agreement for the purpose of establishing close cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Monitoring Centre, and that the cooperation between these two institutions has actually been very fruitful.
Moreover, research is underway into how to establish closer links between the High Commissioner’s Office and the European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia.
I should, further, like to point out that on 21 June 2000, the Council directive was adopted, implementing the principle of equal treatment of persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. Because of the duplication that now exists between this directive and the proposal for a directive on the creation of a general framework promoting equal treatment in employment and work – the directive on discrimination – racial discrimination was withdrawn from its scope, but let me remind you that the scope of this proposal for a directive is a great deal more limited than that of the directive previously adopted, which covers not only the sectors of employment and work but also social protection, welfare benefits and education, as well as access to goods and services and the provision of goods and services.
Next, work on the Community Action Programme to combat discrimination is well underway within the Council and I can safely state today that, if the European Parliament issues its opinion during its first part-session in October, the Council will be in a position to adopt a political agreement on this text on 17 October, so that the text could be adopted before the end of the French Presidency, enabling the programme to be launched, as anticipated, on 1 January 2001.
Finally, on the subject of the 1996 Joint Action concerning action to combat racism and xenophobia, in May 1998 the Council examined a report on Member States’ compliance with the obligations upon them under the Joint Action and decided that the implementation of this Joint Action should be re-examined in 2000. Let me point out that the Presidency is currently making arrangements for this review which will assist the Council in assessing the overall effectiveness of the Joint Action and in ascertaining which features need strengthening."@en1
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