Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-12-Speech-3-185"
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"en.20011212.6.3-185"2
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".
I should like to say to Mrs Maes that she is fully aware of the dangers of swapping mobiles and subsequently leaving them switched on, but this is a Belgian inside joke, Mr President, which all fellow countrymen will be able to enjoy to the full, and this is why it is best if we did not. This was the first point I wanted to make.
Secondly, I have never been aware of the fact that being in a minority is a reason not to engage in a certain fight which is deemed justified. The times may have changed, but we used to think differently about this. It is, of course, true that the regions with legislative powers are in the minority in the Committee of the Regions, but I would question whether this was done on purpose. I do not believe so, but this is a matter of opinion. I can only note that the discussion on this point is far more heated outside the Committee than it is inside. This is my observation, and maybe this may change one day, but not in the foreseeable future. I have my own thoughts about a fight which is not even fought at the right forum, but this is my personal opinion.
Mrs Maes, I have read the text, the appeal to the Belgian Presidency which was published either yesterday or the day before. I cannot share the opinion that regions are a kind of Member State, as it were, but which, by a stroke of really bad luck, ended up not being Member States. This is a reasoning which could, of course, be taken to extremes, bordering the absurd. The reply I received from a State Minister of the Indian State of Andarpradesh to my question how many people lived in that province, will always stay with me. He said 79 million. 79 million for Andarpradesh, just imagine. This compares to a large Member State in Europe. But this is not how things work, evidently. It is the statute according to public and international law of an entity that determines the position of this entity in the hierarchy.
Belgium has found a solution with which you are familiar. I also believe that we are perfectly entitled to propagate this solution or to publicise it to the others, which is what Belgium did. It is therefore also the other Member States which, if necessary, should do this for their own delegations and should not expect the Union to solve the problem which they have, as yet, been unable to solve within their own borders, but, honourable Members, this is a strictly personal opinion."@en1
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