Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-24-Speech-3-034"
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"en.20020424.3.3-034"2
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"Mr President, one of the conclusions of the Valencia Summit is represented by the EU-Algeria and EU-Lebanon Association Agreements. I feel that Parliament must realise that the clauses making all the economic and institutional agreements concluded between the Union and third countries subject to respect for human, civil and political rights are destined to remain a dead letter. The Lebanon and Algeria will not abide by these commitments, although for different reasons, of course. This is a hypocritical action which undermines the Union’s internal and international credibility, for while, on paper, it is reassuring the European public of its commitment to freedom and to providing guarantees for the citizens of the contracting countries, in practice, it never dares to make a stand against the governments – of Tunisia and Laos – which take the money and then blatantly make no effort to honour their commitments. We need to reflect on this and to choose a more honourable way of abandoning the clauses rather than continuing to display our hypocrisy and impotence. Parliament must reflect on this matter: it has called and continues to call for sanctions against Israel, the only country in the Middle East which is, in spite of everything, committed to respecting democracy and human and civil rights, and yet it is not, in practice, making – and nor has it made in the past – any such forceful demands of the other countries.
Mr President, Europe has concentrated and is continuing to concentrate on the north-eastern border – with enlargement – but it is guilty of neglecting the southern, Mediterranean border. Many of Europe’s afflictions, in areas such as immigration and security, for instance, originate from Europe’s southern border, from its relations with the Islamic world.
I welcome the words and proposals regarding the reinvigoration of the Barcelona Process. Some speakers have hailed the Valencia Summit as a success. I would point out that the Barcelona Summit was also hailed as a success and now we are labelling it a failure. I fear that Valencia will suffer the same fate if we do not take practical action. One example will suffice: for how long will we continue to discuss Europe’s protectionist trade policies which are restricting the manufactured goods markets and the agricultural products market too? Are we going to continue to defend the CAP against what are, or ought to be, our own interests, namely that agricultural products should be imported from the Maghreb with the consequent generation of employment and maybe even a fall in immigration?
Lastly, on the subject of the Israeli-Palestinian question, I understand the satisfaction expressed at the visit of our delegation to Palestine. We know what we are asking Israel. Yesterday, the Council urged Israel once again to end the siege on Yasser Arafat in Ramallah. That is all well and good, but what are we asking of President Arafat? Will we be content with his ‘No’ or will we call for an end to the constant suicide bomb attacks?
Lastly, Mr President, I would like to underline firmly how necessary and appropriate it would be for the European Union to display its willingness to bring about full integration of the Israeli democracy into the European Union. Yesterday, the Speaker of the Knesset, Avraham Burg, voiced disapproval of the stick approach of sanctions, advocating the carrot of full integration instead. This is an opportunity to be seized by a Europe for whom the peace and future of that region are very important, an opportunity for a Europe with a vision. And what a vision this is!"@en1
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