Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-11-Speech-1-085"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050411.15.1-085"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
On the occasion of the annual assessment of the construction of the area of freedom, security and justice, we are in a delicate political situation. We cannot give the new Commission credit for the progress that has been made, nor hold it responsible for the delays that have occurred.
Indeed, 2004 was the year in which the Prodi Commission left office and the Barroso Commission took up its duties; in other words, Frattini took over from Vitorino. It was, however, an historic year for three main reasons. Firstly, the EU was enlarged and now has a population of over 450 million inhabitants, giving it greater political, geographical and economic weight. Secondly, in addition to the economy and the internal market, we took on shared responsibility to address threats to stability and security, which are not restricted by borders, as in the case of terrorism; we must not forget the tragic events of 11 March in Madrid. Thirdly, as mentioned by Mr Cavada and Mrs Roure, major changes have taken place in the area of justice and home affairs, with a new institutional framework entering into force as regards visas, asylum and immigration, whereby codecision with Parliament and qualified majority voting in the Council now apply.
Against this backdrop, the questions that we ask here, both to the Commission and the Council, are indicative of the concerns that we would like to see addressed. We want to know what initiatives are being taken and Parliament wants to monitor those initiatives. We do not wish merely to play a supporting role; we want our opinions to be taken on board, so that all EU citizens can live freely in a secure world, in which all kinds of disaster are combated and our freedoms are guaranteed. From this perspective, Commissioner Frattini, congratulations on the guarantees you have given us that greater security must not undermine freedom, and on your initiative in the Council as regards the European Day against the Death Penalty.
Lastly, three aspects that the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats considers fundamental: firstly, the entry into force of the Constitutional Treaty, with the consequent abolition of the pillar structure; secondly, that the codecision process should extend to areas such as legal immigration and integration, so that full democratic accountability can be guaranteed in the decisions taken in these areas; and thirdly and lastly, that judicial control should be improved by extending the Court of Justice’s powers."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples