Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-25-Speech-4-025"
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"en.20030925.3.4-025"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the Committee on Petitions certainly deserves our full attention. It often takes centre stage in the House, although it has actually been threatened with extinction at times.
I should therefore like to take the opportunity provided by this latest overview to stress that this committee is the best indicator of a number of the difficulties experienced by citizens. It serves as a channel through which citizens can make us aware of their concerns and expectations. Unfortunately they sometimes also need to use it to express their disappointment with the European Union. The vast majority of petitions come from citizens who believe in European integration and in the hopes it awakens.
I would not presume to lecture the House on the many objectives contained in existing and draft treaties. The report before us is excellent in that it endeavours to provide practical and sensible ways of achieving these objectives. In the report, the Committee on Petitions and its members state their clear commitment to direct democracy and demonstrate the strength of this commitment by assuming the role of citizens’ representative.
The Committee on Petitions, its members and its secretariat are an example to us all. They are constantly striving to improve their internal organisation so as to respond to the needs of the petitioners. I am sure all those present in the House today will be aware that my group and I are not inclined to mince our words when it comes to the European Commission. We never turn a blind eye towards it. I must, however, emphasise in this connection that the Commission’s staff have provided a consistently high quality of service in relation to the Committee on Petitions. They produce concise and straightforward responses in plain language. It would be wonderful if these same qualities of humility and responsibility informed all of the work undertaken by the College of Commissioners and its services.
Of course, differences and divisions do exist. However, rather than ignoring them, the Committee on Petitions has shown itself capable of overcoming them to find practical ways forward. For instance I could mention consideration of the report on the monitoring of the implementation of Community law. On that occasion, the Committee on Petitions twice requested the European Commission to seek political solutions acceptable to all and in particular, to seriously consider the need to draw up proposals for the review of those Community rules that are most often incorrectly implemented or appealed against.
Allow me to commend the proposal I just paraphrased to you. It is far more relevant to ensuring implementation of the law than engaging in an increasing number of legal proceedings. The latter only result in an unhelpful exaggeration of difficulties. Misunderstandings must be resolved first. The citizens want to be heard in a Europe that respects the democracy and diversity flourishing within it. They do not want to fall prey to a Europe in thrall to judges and procedures. The Committee on Petitions is all too often undervalued, as are the Ombudsmen."@en1
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