Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-12-Speech-4-040"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20040212.2.4-040"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner Patten, ladies and gentlemen, I think that if we want to implement a policy in this area, it is important to know what is happening in the Mediterranean and in the Arab world. The signals we are receiving are weak, perhaps superficial, perhaps devised with the ulterior motive of doing nothing at all, but what is not in doubt is that, in the last two years, signals have been sent, which we would do well to pick up on and pursue.
I say this because I have the impression that there is very little awareness of this in our Member States.
Mrs Flautre who spoke before me has, for example, already highlighted the Tunisian issue, with a series of extremely conflicting positions, and perhaps it is not a coincidence that it was two representatives from Tunisian civil society that were prevented from taking part in the afore-mentioned Sana’a Conference: this is the only thing that I was able to notice in the organisation of this conference.
From this point of view, Commissioner Patten, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that we must stop being excessively prudent because our actions must have credibility. We lose credibility, for example, when we do not enforce the clauses of Article 2: we are not credible in the eyes of governments – who, in fact, consider us to be relatively malleable partners – nor are we in the eyes of non-governmental actors, whose trust we are losing. I say this because, for example, we are drawing closer to the meeting for the ratification of the Lebanon Agreement and I believe, Commissioner, that it is important to note, in this House, the lack of progress on the independence of Lebanon’s judiciary and the fact that relations with the European Union should be subject to this requirement being met.
Aside from individual references to specific positions, I believe that action by the European Commission or Europe in general is important: there is much demand for Europe – perhaps in comparison with the alternative – and great things are expected of it.
The importance of Sana’a has been stressed here. Why is it important, Commissioner? Well, it is important because of the format of the Conference: governments and non-governmental actors have for the first time found themselves on an equal footing in discussing and wrangling, but also in creating a final statement that, in my opinion, creates the requirements for a consultation process, which perhaps our US friends are less prone to emphasise and less inclined towards. I believe that it would be an important signal, Commissioner, in the context of our discussion, to ensure that Sana’a is followed up, in such a way that it does not remain just one of many such events but becomes a process that is monitored. The involvement of women has also been extraordinary and exceptional vitality came from women’s organisations, which really must be given assistance.
We therefore have something to work on, Commissioner, that has arisen from the consultation we held with our partners and from the texts they have produced, a course of action that cannot be said to be handed down from above, because it has been requested by the partners themselves. I believe that this merits a very solid follow-up."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples