Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-10-03-Speech-3-044"
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"en.20011003.2.3-044"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the European Council of 21 September initiated the forthcoming review of our fundamental concepts. Since 9 November 1989 Europe has known that the cold war is over; but since 11 September 2001 the world has known that this cold war is over and it is now time to form global alliances against terrorism.
Today the right to speak will go to those who can demonstrate their full solidarity with the United States and commit themselves unreservedly to this fight against terrorism. But that also means forbidding any sideslipping within our own ranks, for neither obscurantism nor fanaticism are permissible weapons in the fight against terrorism. We will also have to inquire into the root causes. The European Union knows that not all acts of terrorism are the consequence of poverty, but frustration and humiliation do feed terrorism. We must, therefore, review our development policy again. We must cancel the developing countries' debt. We must resume our work on light arms trafficking. We must urge everybody to play their part in the multilateral structures. Within our institutions, we must give ourselves the means to prevent all forms of conflict, for they are also a source of tension. I do not believe this is the moment to drop one of Parliament's initiatives, namely the prevention centre, which we are now told may be under threat. The European Council showed that it was able to draw the consequences of the fight that lies ahead. To mention only a few issues, let us turn first to the question of the financing of terrorism. Yes, the Union put itself in a position where it could fight the Talibans' money and freeze their assets, thanks to the regulation of 4 July 2001. Some European countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, have already frozen these assets. Yesterday the Commission proposed a new initiative. Perhaps the Commissioner could tell us on what basis the Commission envisages the revision of that annex. It is an important question because this is the first time Parliament has been consulted on measures of this kind. Then there is the fight against money laundering, the fight against tax havens; we will have to give new impetus to all these tasks on which the European Union has embarked.
These upheavals have come at a moment when the European Union is entering the final stage of its transition to the euro, when it is engaged in vital projects: enlargement, but also the definition of a genuine common foreign and security policy, the establishment of an area of freedom, security and justice. These projects will be given a strong boost, circumstances will sweep away any hesitation, force us to be resolute. But if we are to be able to seize this opportunity for Europe, Ghent will have to live up to our high expectations. I can tell the Council representative that while we welcome the adoption of a convention, Parliament will not support a system of options. On the other hand, Parliament will certainly support the Council when it comes to broadening the agenda of that convention, to asking useful questions, for instance whether we need to maintain the pillar structure. What kind of presidency will the Union have?"@en1
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