Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-02-11-Speech-2-015"
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"en.20030211.1.2-015"2
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"Madam President, my group is also very happy with the proposed directive as well as with the report. While we often hear that the European Union wants to proceed with integration too quickly in other areas, this is typically a matter that people think should have been settled long ago. In fact people often think that it has already been settled, and they are then disappointed to find out that free movement is not as free as they thought.
This is about a Swede who wants to go and live and work in Italy, for example. This is now being simplified. Now I know that some Members of this Parliament, and particularly some Member States, think that this is about migration. I find that rather far-fetched. It is mainly about the free movement of EU citizens and only concerns people from third countries if they are married to or are in long-term relationships with EU citizens. So let us keep it in perspective.
An important part of this is naturally the fact that many people wanting to travel within the EU or who want to go and live in another country will not want to do this on their own but with their families or their partners. A great deal has been said about this in the report, the definition has been broadened and my group is satisfied with that. I conclude from Mr Pirker’s amendments and comments, however, that the definition remains extremely controversial. Marriage – we think that this is logical; the person’s spouse must be allowed to accompany them. We also think registered partnerships are surmountable; the person’s registered partner must also be allowed to accompany them. We have difficulty with long-term relationships, however.
I would therefore like to quote Mr Pirker, to show that I have been listening to him closely. He said: ‘We must distance ourselves from the idea that only a few people know what the definition of ‘family’ is.’ I agree with this wholeheartedly. I think that the most important thing is that people are committed to each other, that people want to take responsibility for each other, that people want to care for each other, and I think that it is therefore absurd that we want to disrupt family life because there is a certain official signature missing. You can also look at alternatives; how long people have been living together, for example. There are alternatives; the most important thing is that people are committed to each other, that they have a family life. Perhaps there is an official signature missing, but let us, as the European Union, see what we can do about it, not disrupt family life because there is a signature missing."@en1
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