Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-12-17-Speech-1-025"
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"en.20011217.3.1-025"2
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"A common definition of punishable terrorist activities has been established; the lists of terrorist organisations, individuals, groups and entities have been drawn up, special services have cooperated; and assets have been frozen – all of this was realised over the past weeks. These are all key elements of the action plan against terrorism that we set up following the attacks on 11 September.
At the same time, at the judicial level, we have seen the framework decision on combating trafficking in human beings, the joint definition in the European Union of minimum sentences, decisive headway made in harmonising the extremely difficult and delicate subject of family law, and the establishment of Eurojust. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we reached agreement on the European arrest warrant. I recall in this connection the words of group chairman Poettering who wondered when this measure, which has been decided on so many times, would ever become a reality. After all, there has been talk of such a common arrest warrant for years, but it always appeared too daunting a task. Now, within the space of just a few months, we have reached agreement on an instrument that I am convinced will serve to stimulate European police and judicial cooperation. I would even go so far as to say that the prospect of a unified judicial area has come one step closer to reality.
Six months ago, we also had great expectations concerning asylum and immigration policy. Perhaps this is one of the issues that has been somewhat buried, especially in the wake of the events of 11 September. We have devoted our attention more to the judicial part of the Tampere agenda. Nevertheless, here too we managed to make some progress, albeit modest. The most important decision is that by 2002 at the latest, the European Commission will submit amended proposals concerning at least three parts: asylum procedures, family reunification and the Dublin II Regulation.
At the same time, it was decided to start extending joint monitoring of the external borders of the European Union and certainly of the imminent enlarged European Union.
I admit that at the Laeken Summit, I had hoped to reach agreement on the European Community patent, but we did not succeed in that. However, the Internal Market Council was instructed – and I can assure you that colleagues in that Council were not best pleased – to come up with an agreement over three days of talks, and we issued three main guidelines, three new recommendations for such an agreement, so that the Internal Market Council can begin its talks on a fresh basis. These three guidelines are, that the patent first and foremost must cost as little as possible, that of course it must honour the principle of non-discrimination among companies in the Member States, and that it must also be of high quality. I have submitted a compromise proposal in anticipation of the forthcoming Internal Market Council on 20 December.
At Laeken, we also discussed the Union’s enlargement. Together with the Commission, we ascertained that ten of the thirteen candidates in the current circumstances could be ready to participate in the European Parliament elections as early as 2004. For the first time too, these countries were actually named in a European Council document. This was not yet the case with the document of the informal Ghent Summit, a fact which brought us criticism from outside. Besides this, the Union of course appreciates the efforts of Bulgaria and Romania and also sees progress being made in connection with the political criteria for Turkey’s accession following the recent change to the country’s constitution.
Finally, I should like to point out the extensive socio-economic aspect of the conclusions of the Laeken Summit. I believe I am justified in claiming that we worked very hard on what I would like to refer to as the European social model. After 30 years of debate, we have managed to reach an agreement on the European company; we have also approved a number of indicators concerning the quality of work, the fight against poverty and social exclusion. I think that definite shape has now also been given to the dialogue with the European social partners, since we have agreed that every year before the spring summit, which has economic and social themes, consultation with the social partners will be organised.
Another important point is that you gave your agreement on the consultation and information of workers in the event of economic restructuring. We are starting to achieve a certain degree of convergence between the various social security systems. What is more, in recent months, we have managed to reach a number of important agreements on the agenda for the liberalisation of the postal services and on the package of telecom directives.
Very little time at the Laeken Summit had to be spent on the euro, because at the moment everything is running according to plan without any significant problems and, therefore, the introduction of the euro on 1 January 2002 will be able to take place."@en1
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