Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-10-24-Speech-3-151"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20011024.6.3-151"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, I too wish to thank the speakers who have stated their support for the Commission’s position – including the President-in-Office of the Council – and also to thank those who have wished the negotiators good luck. Custom dictates that I should answer those who expressed more critical views and who, in tomorrow’s vote will not be adopting the position that the majority groups have stated they will. I shall do so briefly, replying first to Caroline Lucas – speaking on behalf of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance – the reasoning in whose speech I consider to contain a slight contradiction. On the one hand, Mrs Lucas, your group is in favour of tougher rules governing trade – specifically from the point of view of considering the environment – and yet, on the other, it is not in favour of negotiations taking place. You must have some solution for changing international rules that does not involve negotiating. Please tell me about it, because I have no such solution.
To Mr Herzog, whose group I understand intends to adopt a similar position, I would like to say that I particularly liked your expression ‘tough haggling’. There will indeed be some of that. It is true that the WTO sometimes seems a little bit like a grocer’s shop but we must also remember that the more progress globalisation makes, the more trade develops and, occasionally, the more our values are at stake. In these cases, I think that toughness becomes a duty, whatever resentment this may engender.
Mr Abitbol spoke on behalf of the Union for Europe of the Nations Group. You lament the fact, Mr Abitbol, that the Union has a single negotiator. I would remind you that this issue was decided for the future of the European Union 44 years ago. You choose to see in this the vanity of our founding fathers. Fifty years on, all I can see is their foresight.
Lastly, Mr Abitbol, on the point you made, as on other critical points that were made, I would simply remind you that although the Commission negotiates on behalf of the Union, it does so under the control of those who gave it its mandate, which are the Council of Ministers and Parliament. Both will be attending the meeting: the Council, representing the States and Parliament’s delegation, with which you are familiar. In all honesty, I really cannot envisage a more effective method of ensuring that the negotiator’s political responsibility is maintained throughout. It is up to the Presidency-in-Office of the Council to oversee this process of giving account but, ultimately, I shall return with a position that I have negotiated and it will be up to the Council and Parliament to state their position with regard to the Treaties. This is how our democracy works."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples