Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-04-Speech-3-027"
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"en.20001004.3.3-027"2
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"Mr President, I wish to congratulate Mrs Paulsen on her report.
The detection of dioxins in citrus fruits that have been imported into the Community to serve as animal nutrition revealed the loopholes in current legislation on inspections. The public is worried and is demanding guarantees. Any threat to animal health will also automatically endanger human health. Zero risk is, of course, impossible, but an early warning system must nevertheless be put in place. Member States must, moreover, pay close attention to monitoring the implementation of texts. On this point we are in agreement.
We do not think that it acceptable, on the other hand, to take advantage of this opportunity to extend the already myriad competences of the European Commission even further. It is all a pretext for further harmonisation as if viruses, germs and polluting particles were subject to the concept of freedom of movement.
Let us dwell for a moment on the profound thoughts of those who are obsessed with harmonisation. If there are germs, let us harmonise health services! If there are risks to food safety, let us harmonise what we eat through a common nutritional policy! Let us harmonise away and, to monitor the outcome of all these acts of harmonisation, we shall have nothing less than the obedient uniformed Community crack troops to ensure that our way of thinking is properly implemented, because our Member States are naughty little rascals we need to keep an eye on!
Well, we will not put up with this cult of harmonisation any more! Today, this idea of bringing everything into line, which is completely cut off from reality, is leading some people to call for spot checks, with no warning to the States in which Brussels has no confidence. This is unacceptable. But remember, ladies and gentlemen, that the legitimacy of our Community institutions and our own legitimacy depend entirely on the will of the peoples whom it is our duty to represent. It is time to break with a misguided interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity, which attempts to increase Brussels’s hold on our nations a little more each day.
The amendment tabled by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy is today emblematic. You intend to destroy the sovereignty of our States by any means possible. Did you not hear the political warning given on 28 September by the Danish people? Or do you think that there is “something rotten in the State of Denmark”? Maybe you have the same idea of democracy as the revolutionary Pierre-Louis ‘Prieur’ de la Marne, who told the Convention under the Terror, “The people must be made happy, despite their wishes. The people must be forced to be free”.
Our citizens are fed up with being forced to be happy, of being hampered a little more every day in their activities by petty, pernickety and stifling red tape. You ignore people’s sense of national allegiance and the role of the nation-state and the ‘single mindset’ which you embody is out-of-date and dangerous. It is smothering the idea of Europe. So for goodness’ sake, save Europe, by ceasing to offer up harebrained and fanciful ideas to the idol of harmonisation."@en1
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