Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-15-Speech-2-318"

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"en.20010515.12.2-318"2
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"Mr President, the Commission put forward a good proposal – at least from a strategic point of view – and, at any event, it is a step in the right direction. However, having been through the Council’s mangle, it undeniably looks less impressive. Industry has lobbied well, in the sense that it has succeeded in convincing certain Member States that the EU system will collapse if developing countries are given the opportunity to export just a little bit more sugar and rice than they do at present. I will not even go into the subject of bananas. Despite the fact that the EU countries like to use fine words about being advocates of the free market, protectors of the developing countries and a region with responsibility in the world and with high social ideals, etc. etc., it is apparent that these kinds of words can generally only be used on special occasions. There is occasionally something of a gap between words and action and, if there is one thing that the developing countries need, then it is action. As other speakers have mentioned, there is a kind of tragi-comic situation in the fact that the opportunities of the least developed and poorest nations are being discussed in Brussels right now whilst we are simultaneously having the same debate. It is to be feared that, in both places, the discussion will end once again with a lot of words and, in reality, very little action. But OK, it is a small step in the right direction, and so we can only wish the Commission luck with the new proposal and the new communication on sustainability which also, after all, mentions agriculture. We must therefore hope that the Commission has the necessary strength to settle matters with the agricultural organisations in the various countries. In any event, it is absolutely necessary for us to get to grips with the problems associated with the poorest countries, the number of which has, after all, grown from 25 to 49 over the past 30 years, with only one country disappearing from the list. The developing countries need free trade, debt rescheduling and aid, both technical and economic, and all three are needed urgently."@en1

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