Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-15-Speech-3-193"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20041215.6.3-193"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Madam President, I promise to speak slowly and unhurriedly. I wish to say thank you for the pertinent debate and those points of view expressed which, in the main, support the Commission’s recommendations. I will respond to just a couple of the most central issues.
I will speak first about the coupling of Romania and Bulgaria. It is true that a joint Accession Treaty is being drafted for these countries. On the other hand, as Mr Nicolaï very clearly explained, each is being treated according to a differentiated approach, especially now the process is in its last stages and the monitoring system and safeguard clause are ways of ensuring that each country is assessed according to the extent to which they are able to implement the reforms and commitments that need to be fulfilled before these countries can accede to the Union.
I would also like to emphasise that Bulgaria is not yet ready for membership either: much work is being asked of it, but, at the same time, Bulgaria has all the potential to fulfil its commitments to enable it to accede to the Union on 1 January 2007.
I will speak next about corruption, which has attracted much attention in speeches. That is quite right and I agree with those views expressed. Bulgaria has recently drawn up a determined strategy to act against corruption. It is particularly concerned with improving border controls, developing the work of the traffic police and the institutions in general, and countering corruption in Bulgaria’s administration. This is in fact the main focus of Sub-Programme 4 under the PHARE programme and it will also become much more obviously the main focus over the coming two years, in 2005 and 2006.
Thirdly and finally, I wish to talk about the status of minorities, and especially that of the Roma. In Bulgaria, new legislation against discrimination has recently been passed and has entered into force there. It took effect in January of this year and it is presently being implemented in conjunction with an anti-discriminatory action programme to improve the status of minorities. We are very closely monitoring this new legislation and the implementation of the action programme to support it. I am also pleased that other European organisations, such as the Council of Europe, in the building next to ours, is giving attention to this issue and working to strengthen the status of the Roma. We would all certainly have been present at the opening ceremony of the Council of Europe’s Roma Forum at 12 noon today, but at the same time we were debating, and you were voting on, the very important report on Turkey, so, unfortunately, we could not get there.
I wish to thank the European Parliament for its support and counsel, and I congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Van Orden, and Bulgaria, which hopefully will become an example to the entire Balkan region."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples