Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-15-Speech-2-316"
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"en.20010515.12.2-316"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I too should like to highlight the appropriate timing of this debate in the context of the Third United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries, which is now being held in Brussels. And precisely for that reason I believe it is worth putting the debate in context by reminding ourselves that the world of the 49 least developed countries at which the measure we are concerned with is aimed is a world where life expectancy barely exceeds 50 years, where 10% of infants die before their first birthday, where 50% of children under five suffer from malnutrition, and where the average per capita GDP is little more than EUR 282 per year. These are figures that still shock us even though are they well known.
They shock us, first of all, because these figures are not just abstract statistics but speak for those who cannot speak for themselves, and because we know that every figure reflects real conditions which affect people who are also real. People who have the same rights and the same dignity as we have, who see poverty and underdevelopment looming over them for the simple reason that they were born where they were born. Secondly, these figures shock us because, despite the aid and development policies that the European Union and the Member States carry out to fight poverty and underdevelopment throughout the world, not only are the figures not coming down but the abyss separating the rich countries from the poor countries is growing ever deeper.
Now, changing the reality reflected by these figures means we must not just sit back in resignation but must enter the field of action and practical measures. Thus on behalf of my Group I should like to congratulate you, Commissioner, on the ‘Everything but arms’ initiative. This initiative is a good step in the right direction, although to optimise the results that may come of it additional measures should be taken in additional fields. That is precisely why I regret the fact that the Council, under pressure from certain Member States which I prefer not to name, has introduced longer transitional periods, as has already been reported, which may lessen and in any case delay the impact of this initiative on these countries’ economies.
I also regret the points in the draft resolution of the report we are discussing which were highlighted by the representative of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Kreissl-Dörfler, which show a desire either to protect the interests of the Member States or to safeguard the advantages of the ACP countries. Both these interests and these advantages may be legitimate. But in no case, in the Christian Democrat view, should they prevail over the duty of the European Union to foster lasting economic and social development in developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, as the Treaty stipulates."@en1
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