Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-28-Speech-3-021"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2004-01-28"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:The programme of the Irish presidency and the European Constitution2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20040128.3.3-021"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2004-01-28-Speech-3-0222
lpv:speaker	lp:Gerard Collins2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, I warmly welcome the statement made by Minister Roche on behalf of the Irish presidency here this afternoon. I am glad to learn that at the meeting of the foreign ministers this week, there was a constructive exchange of views with regard to the need for the new treaty. Clearly the events of the Brussels summit of EU leaders last December are now well behind us. There is a strong, growing realisation that we must re-invigorate the process to put in place a new European Union treaty, and delay and prevarication, recrimination and confrontation do nothing whatsoever to move this political process forward. That is why I welcome the fact that the President-in-Office of the Council, our Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is holding an extensive round of bilateral negotiations with European Union leaders at this particular time. This week already he has been in Madrid at a meeting with the Spanish Prime Minster. Towards the end of this week he is to meet the Polish Prime Minster. We will all be in a stronger position to make a judgment on the state of the negotiations to put in place a new European Union treaty when the Taoiseach gives a report of his bilateral discussions to the Council meeting of European Union leaders in March. We all know what the bottom line issues are. They are not a secret. One of the clear benefits of the EU Convention process is that we have a draft treaty that forms a basis for the present discussions. However, we need some European Union governments to move away from seemingly entrenched political positions. That is essential. A new treaty cannot be agreed unless some political flexibility enters the political process. We should all remember that we have a lot to be proud of in Europe at the moment and that the impasse relating to the finalising of a new European Union treaty should not detract from that. We are all looking forward to ten countries acceding to the Union on 1 May 2004. This historic event will herald an end to the artificial divide that existed in Europe since the end of World War II. The enlargement of the Union will strengthen Europe's voice on the international stage. In conclusion, I believe we all support the intensification of talks between the European Union governments so as to ensure that agreement can be reached concerning the provisions of the treaty. We urgently need to streamline the way we carry out our business in Europe and the sooner we secure agreement the better."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; UEN (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 chair; Delegation for relations with South Africa (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Fianna Fáil Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Conference of Delegation Chairs (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Collins (UEN )."1

Named graphs describing this resource:

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph