Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-18-Speech-3-113"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20030618.9.3-113"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I agree with Mrs de Palacio that, without European parties, there will be no European democracy. That is why it is vitally important that this House should, tomorrow, approve this act on the statute and financing of European political parties, for then, as soon as this summer, something that is, in particular, a corner-stone of greater transparency in European politics can become effective, and the parties will have enough time, between now and the elections in June 2004, to adjust themselves to the new arrangements that this law makes necessary.
By adopting this act tomorrow, Parliament will also be honouring a promise, made to the Court of Auditors, that it would, within the life of this Parliament, submit a new basis for the financing of European political work and put an end to the cross-subsidisation of party work via this House and the political groups within it. The fact is that, in all our countries, the functions of parties and parliaments are kept separate, and this law will give us the opportunity to both distinguish between the different functions and roles of parties on the one hand and parliamentary groups on the other, and also to make them a reality, at EU level as is the case elsewhere, by means of the new basis on which they are funded. Thanks are due to the political groups for having, so to speak, acted as midwives at the birth of the European political parties. Without them, there would have been nobody capable of funding them.
The draft now before you is something we regard as an acceptable compromise. It complies with the conditions imposed by the majority on the committee, and minor changes have been made to it. There are compromise motions that we are putting forward, which we can vote on tomorrow, and indeed we are meant to.
The reduction of the threshold for a European political party’s representation in the European Parliament from one third to one quarter of the Member States enables smaller political parties to participate in this system of financing. One quarter is, however, a necessary threshold even if we want to prevent the fragmentation of the party political landscape while taking into account the fact that we are also incorporating the regional parliaments and also the regional assemblies into the system. I believe that one quarter makes for a sensible compromise on which to agree.
Donations to political parties differ widely from one country to another and are another sensitive and highly controversial issue. The draft act has, I believe, come down decisively on one side of the line. Donations to the European political parties are to be made as transparent as possible. We have compromised on a ceiling of EUR 12 000 per annum for each donor; although some find it too high, and others too low, no political party can be bought for EUR 12 000. It is my belief that support must also be given if political work is fostered by society rather than only by the State – that is right and proper, provided that transparency exists and controls are in place.
The way is now open for the European political parties to expand their activities in the run-up to the European elections. There had at first been some doubts about this, and those who jeopardise this are also putting in question the reason and purpose for European political parties’ existence. I believe that this document makes proper provision for such matters, and it will be important even after the draft Constitution has been produced, as the European Parliament of the future is to elect the President of the Commission. The parties will of course be very important in this regard.
Let me also point out that there is a fly in the ointment. This statute does not yet confer European legal personality, but the financing sees us taking the first step, with the second step, in the form of an actual European statute, perhaps yet to come. I have always maintained that the European law on political parties must be to politics what the European Company is to business. We will get back to the subject when Parliament draws up a report in two years’ time.
I also have to thank the Commission for having come up with the proposal, and Mrs de Palacio and Mr Fitzmaurice many times over for their constant active involvement. I congratulate the Greek Presidency of the Council and all the governments who were ready to accept this compromise; Mr Nikos Matthioudakis was my constant partner in the truest sense of the word, and he and I were able to hammer out this compromise together. Let me also thank my fellow-Members: Mr Dimitri Tsatsos, whose report many years ago laid the foundations for this whole topic; Mrs Schleicher for her report two years ago; and also the political groups, the shadow rapporteurs, and the secretariat, which has done outstanding work on this. Tomorrow, we can vote in favour. I hope that we will. We will then have taken an important step for political work at EU level, and thus also for European democracy. Thank you, all those who have helped in this!"@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples