Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-25-Speech-3-122"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20020925.5.3-122"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"I should, above all, like to congratulate Mr Titley, because just as the 1998 EU code was an important step towards more coherent and transparent European policy, so do the successive Titley Reports form a constructive and important contribution of this Parliament to reach a binding European code of conduct. The need for this code became apparent recently in my country, Belgium, where a minister resigned over an arms delivery to Nepal. Incidentally, I should like to note my regret at the fact that a number of Green MEPs have seized on this report for internal political purposes and I am surprised, Mr Staes, at their tabling amendments in which they condemn a decision made by the Belgian Government, while their Green colleagues endorsed this very decision in government.
However, far more fundamental is that the Belgian Government has announced its willingness to include the provisions of the Code of Conduct in national legislation, as a result of which this code will become legally binding. I hope that other Member States will follow this example. In this way, we can prevent arms orders refused by one country from being accepted by another country. Moreover, Mr Titley is right in quoting existing Belgian law on arms trading as an example. This law indeed provides for tough sanctions on those who trade in weapons without a licence.
The problem, however, does not only lie in the country of origin. It becomes a serious issue when the arms reach their final destination. A well-known Brussels research centre announced this week that half of all weapons transactions fail to meet the legal obligation of the arrival certificate. Consequently, there is an urgent need for an effective inspection system to monitor final destinations. It is of crucial importance to know in whose hands the weapons eventually end up. Otherwise, the European Code of Conduct, no matter how well intended, is completely futile."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples