Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-08-Speech-1-151"
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"en.20040308.12.1-151"2
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"Madam President, I should like to begin by congratulating the rapporteur on his excellent report.
The legal base for the principle involved has been in the Treaties since the Treaty of Maastricht, signed by all our Member States, ratified by all national parliaments. We have had the detail, permitting the adoption of a statute for European political parties since the Treaty of Amsterdam, signed by every Member State, ratified by every national parliament. With the Treaty of Nice, signed by every Member State, ratified by every national parliament, we permitted decisions by qualified-majority voting. Last year, the legislation finally came through on that basis, in accordance with the will of all our Member States and of all our national parliaments.
This, then, is the final step in the edifice: the implementing measures internal to this House to enable us to apply the legislation that was adopted last year – legislation founded on a very broad consensus, as I have just indicated. I am therefore sad to see that there are some Members on the far right of this House, and a few British Conservatives – going against the view of the Group that they profess to belong to –– who are challenging the legislation in the Court of Justice. Their comments are sometimes surprising; they are objecting for instance to the fact that funding can be cut off for parties that do not respect the principles on which the European Union is founded, namely –– and this is laid down in the legislation –– the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.
It would be interesting to hear what principles they think the European Union should be founded on, if they object to this basic set of principles. They are claiming, wrongly, that this would outlaw financing of political parties that are opposed to the European Union. That is not the case. It is only parties that fail to respect our fundamental values that would be in trouble.
Unlike Sir Neil MacCormick, I think it is right that the task of implementation should be given to the Bureau, because the Bureau is elected by the House as a whole. It does not represent parties, unlike the Conference of Presidents, whose members represent Groups. Group leaders should not be the ones deciding this matter. It is right that it should be the Bureau: its members are elected by the House as a whole, it deals with the detailed administrative and political decisions and hears members of the parties concerned when there is a controversial decision to be taken.
I welcome this proposal. I think it is a step forward, based on a broad consensus, which now has to be implemented. It will not lead to increased spending by the Union; it will provide a more transparent procedure for the sort of spending that already takes place via the political groups. It should be generally welcomed."@en1
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