Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-12-13-Speech-3-067"
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"en.20001213.2.3-067"2
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"Mr President, may I first of all highlight Parliament’s effort in reaching a balanced solution to this complex web of interests that surrounds the COM in bananas. It is proof of this effort that we are, for the second time, discussing a report that puts forward excellent proposals to make support of banana production in the EU and the ACP countries compatible with the WTO rules. It is a pity that the Commission and the Council still insist on a solution that may seriously jeopardise this production, particularly after 2006.
In this Parliament I represent Madeira, a region where bananas are the main agricultural product. The same is true for other regions of the European Union, such as the Canaries and the French Overseas Departments. All these territories constitute outermost regions. These regions are not only among the most disadvantaged but are also the only ones where bananas are produced in the European Union. This situation has to be taken into consideration in the definition of the new rules for the banana import regime. The European agricultural model, based on the multifunctionality of farming, must also serve to safeguard European Union banana production. Of the many different functions of farming in my region, the one that is becoming increasingly important is environmental protection. In other words, the end of bananas in Madeira would be at least as serious from the economic viewpoint (serious collapse of income for thousands of producers) as from the environmental viewpoint (destruction of the subtropical landscape and the rural world, increased erosion).
Mr President, without this important environmental side, Madeira would be totally unable to sustain its ‘goose that lays the golden eggs’, which is tourism. Why, then, liberalise in 2006 when the quota system is perfectly compatible with WTO rules, as well as being the best guarantee that banana production in the Community and ACP countries can be maintained? In spite of everything, I still hope that the Commission will take due account of Parliament’s opinion as set down in the report now being debated, which I fully support and which tomorrow we shall surely adopt. I conclude by congratulating the rapporteur, Mr Dary, on the excellent job he has done."@en1
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