Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-03-Speech-2-144"
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"en.20020903.6.2-144"2
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"Mr President, the floods that put Central Europe under such immense strain this summer were a huge natural catastrophe. The financial losses were colossal. The floods caused fatalities, injuries and distress. In such circumstances the European Union also has an obligation to help. For that reason, my group, the ELDR, supports the Commission’s actions and plans to help flood victims and help finance reconstruction, and is calling for a vigorous programme of further action.
The distribution of competence means the EU’s responsibility is greatest in the area of agriculture. Thus, the measures the Commission has taken to bring forward payments of direct agricultural aid are right, as are their other plans. The ELDR Group furthermore believes the following measures are also the right ones: the partial reprogramming of the Structural Funds, a temporary increase in Community funding, and channelling the performance reserve to the flood area. There is also every reason to use the TEN funds for the reconstruction work. Action to help candidate countries also has the support of our group. It must be made possible to use the emergency aid reserve in the budget to repair the damage.
Our group is in favour of establishing a European emergency aid fund. Technically it may be appropriate to establish it in accordance with a flexible instrument. Its purpose would have to be clearly defined and the rules made clear. Compensation would mainly have to come from the Member State’s national share and insurance companies. Our group is prepared to promote the fastest possible implementation of legislation and technical preparation concerning this fund.
It is important that the European Union should make a more intensive effort to overcome climatic change, implement the Kyoto agreement and reduce greenhouse gases. It is important to promote the use of renewable energy sources. At the same time, we need to consider the risk of natural disasters, such as flooding, at different levels of the social structure, and try to reduce them."@en1
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