Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-15-Speech-3-014"
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"en.20041215.2.3-014"2
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".
Mr President, the Netherlands presidency is likely to be remembered for the decision on Turkey. A majority of the members of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe believe that Turkey fulfils the political criteria and that you should open negotiations. It seems to us important that Europe should not define itself as a Christian club. And yet, by the same token, we must beware of an aggressive secularism, which could drive away many of those who belong in our community. I pay tribute to the work of Mr Eurlings in drawing up the report on Turkey for this House; a report which I think commands widespread support.
I believe that we now have the chance to move ahead with Romania and we must do so.
On Croatia, President-in-Office, I recommend that you hold open the door, but insist on full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
High on your agenda, too, will be terrorism and I pay tribute to the work of the Council's anti-terrorism coordinator. You need promptly to put into practice measures that have been identified in the Hague Programme relevant to combating terrorism, in particular, measures relating to exchange of information between Member States. Efforts to combat terrorism must respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and the Council must stress the importance of promoting respect based on universal values, tolerance, dialogue and democratic participation. Too often, our approach in this Union to the creation of an area of freedom, security and justice has concentrated on security and justice at the expense of freedom. I hope that your presidency, Mr President-in-Office, will ensure that the balance is set right. We need to get our police forces and judiciary working together. We need to move the European Union from being simply an economic community into seeing itself as a community of values. But for that to have the support of our citizens, it means recognising the fundamental importance of the values outlined in our Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The appropriate financial framework will be discussed in a building aptly named after a Dutchman, Mr Justus Lipsius. My Group welcomes the methodical approach of your presidency to preparations for the Union's budget from 2007 to 2013, but we are not sure whether your building blocks are independent building blocks or a Rubik's Cube. Is any outcome possible other than the one per cent to which your country was a signatory in the letter to Mr Prodi? It seems to my Group that we need to give the European Union the resources it needs. It is better to spend 1.2 per cent well than to spend less than 1 per cent badly. While, as a Scot, I welcome the approach of my soulmates in the Netherlands to the financing of the Union, I believe that the Council must give the Union the resources it needs. You must also heed the report of the Court of Auditors and tackle the failure in our Member States to put adequate controls in place on the spending of European Union money.
In conclusion, the Council will discuss ESDP. Operation 'Althea' is working successfully and three other ongoing missions are examples of solid progress. Let the Union's voice be heard in our neighbourhood policy and in our relations with China, the United States and Russia.
Although the headline of the forthcoming European Council may be Turkey – and we should expect no less for a pillar of European civilisation – beyond the headlines there is much important work to do in foreign and security policy.
Mr President-in-Office, when it discusses Turkey, your Council will meet in secret. It is important that in this House, when we discuss and vote on Turkey, we do so openly and in public and not in secret.
I also recommend to the Council that we have a discussion in our Union about the European Union's capacity to absorb new Member States, particularly countries beyond those which currently have candidate status. I recommend that we have a discussion on the nature of the European Union, because it is our vision of the European Union that will determine its borders, rather than our vision of countries wishing to join.
The Council will also discuss Bulgaria and Romania. My Group has long believed that these two countries – and indeed others – should have separate accession treaties. Bulgaria closed all of its negotiating chapters earlier this year and has made good progress. In Romania, progress has been much less easy to see. For me, the election results this week give cause for hope. I believe that the concerns of many can now be set aside and that with resolve and goodwill, we can bring Romania into the European Union effectively in 2007.
I say to my friend Mr Schulz: for heaven's sake stop defending corrupt socialist regimes, whether in the Maldives, the Seychelles or in Romania. I thought Mr Basescu was actually a member of the Socialist International, but I may be wrong.
You should not be defending regimes which are doing things that are not worthy of your party."@en1
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"(Interjection from Mr Schulz)"1
"(Protests from Mr Schulz)"1
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