Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-10-22-Speech-2-131"
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"en.20021022.6.2-131"2
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"Madam President, I too would like to express my concern over the lot of development aid in the budget. Rigour is the watchword. Budget headings are removed and reduced, and I feel we are far from a budget that meets our needs and expectations. Apart from the fact that the increase in this part of the budget is only superficial, since account must be taken of the inclusion of pre-accession aid for Cyprus, Malta and, in particular, Turkey, the general trend conveyed by the figures is not an indication of a great desire on the part of the Union to shoulder its responsibilities with regard to the South.
How odd it is to set the objective of eradicating poverty and, at the same time, cut funds for development aid. The cuts are clear: less for food aid, less for Latin America. They are particularly serious for the Mediterranean and the Balkans, without counting the possibility of further cuts which will have to be made if funding for aid to Afghanistan is not found from other resources. Who can we convince that this so-called reallocation of funds to other headings will lead to more appropriations, greater effectiveness in responding to the needs of the people concerned? Without a proper review of the Financial Perspectives, the pressure on heading 4 is becoming untenable.
Following the abolition of the Development Council, such a budget would send a very bad signal. Another example is the negotiations which have just begun with a view to the signing of economic partnership agreements with our ACP partners. Considerable adjustment efforts are asked of them; that is a financial constraint which cannot be sustained by the ACP countries themselves or by the EDF, but which requires supplementary funds to be specially allocated by the European Union.
Lastly, I wish to lend my support to my group’s proposal to create a specific heading for aid to Palestine. Some claim that the projects funded by the European Union should be abandoned, if they are destined to be systematically destroyed. Several months ago now, Commissioner Patten estimated the destruction of such infrastructures by the Israeli army at EUR 20 million. Nevertheless, the Union must certainly not give in to the law of the survival of the fittest and must act as required by law. That is what Commissioner Patten has constantly reiterated, calling for a serious and concerted effort required to reform and rebuild the Palestinian Authority, as the only viable interlocutor in future peace talks. This will be achieved through the political and budgetary transparency of this objective."@en1
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