Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-10-Speech-3-307"
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"en.20040310.10.3-307"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, on 20 November 1995 a Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement was concluded between the European Union and Israel by which Israel became associated with the EU in the fields of the movement of goods and services, the right of establishment, the movement of capital and economic and cultural cooperation. This institutionalised a political dialogue with Israel, which was already taking place on a highly regular basis. The EU also maintains a special relationship with the autonomous Palestinian Authority and is one of the partners in the Middle East peace process. I have thus now mentioned the two elements that are crucial to the consideration of this Agreement.
This means that, from the research point of view, the Agreement is very much to be welcomed. This cooperation will benefit not only researchers and research institutes in the EU, but businesses too, and, where the political situation is concerned, I am persuaded that it can help to ease tensions, as Palestinian researchers and institutes will be enabled to work together with their Israeli and European counterparts, and those who work together are not fighting each other.
Let me conclude by thanking all those, on every side, with whom I have had discussions – those in favour, those against, those who will benefit and those who wanted changes made – from whom I have had a great deal of support and with whom I have, in any case, been able to have very calm and relaxed dialogue. I thank you all, and hope that my report will make it through tomorrow with the backing of a large majority.
Since 1975 Israel and the European Union had been cooperating in the field of research and development, and in 1983, they began jointly to finance research projects, and, as Commissioner Bolkestein has already said, Israel participated fully in the Fifth Framework Programme; I was the rapporteur on this association at the time.
These agreements were and are a recognition of the international nature of research at the end of the twentieth century, and also recognise that to limit research to EU territory would frequently be contrary to its best interests. There is a very innovative research climate in Israel, which, relative to its GDP, still spends more on research than does the EU, and is a world leader as regards the number of scientific publications per capita. I do not propose to repeat the figures to which reference has already been made.
Both sides have benefited from cooperation under the Fifth Framework Programme: Israel gains access to a more extensive network of research institutes, while the EU is able to tap Israel’s innovative potential. Just how successful this cooperation has been is shown, among other things, by the large number of projects supported. Some projects have partners not only from Israel, but also from the entire Mediterranean. Water treatment has already been mentioned; there are also institutes in the areas under the autonomous Palestinian Authority that participate successfully in our Research Programme. Let me take this opportunity of repeating, for the benefit of some in this House, that this report does not envisage any research cooperation in the sphere of military research or under the aegis of Euratom.
As in the two previous Agreements, Israel is expected to contribute financially to the Sixth FP in proportion to its GDP. It participates in the programme as a partner with the same rights and obligations as EU Member States: the only exception is the Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST), in which it is only an observer.
Israel’s contribution to our research funds and the know-how provided by Israeli institutes can only be seen as positive for EU participants, and so we are very definitely in a win-win-situation here
In order to implement the Agreement, a Joint Committee will be set up, which will ensure the involvement of Israeli officials in the administrative committees and the participation of experts to give their expertise and in programme committees.
There is no obstacle, then, from the research point of view, to the extension of the Agreement. In order that this statement should not be misunderstood, let me quote from a letter written to me by the Israeli Ambassador, Oded Eran, who had this to say: ‘As you pointed out, the overall situation in the Middle East and specifically between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is far from being ideal at the moment. And the whole Middle East peace process is facing a critical test.’
I therefore sympathise with those who tabled the amendments, who are opposed to this and believe that we should put every form of cooperation with Israel on ice until such time as peace prevails in this region, which is so sadly lacking in it. I have to say, though, that it is my firm conviction that shutting doors prevents us from cooperating further. Let us be prepared to have frank discussions with all sides, for that is the only way in which we will be able to influence the peace process."@en1
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"(Interruption: ‘Shame!’)"1
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