Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-08-Speech-4-025"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050908.4.4-025"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like firstly to thank Parliament for the great interest it has expressed in this Chamber for a subject that is clearly important. I should also like to thank the speakers who, overall, reacted very positively to the statement I made on behalf of Mrs Ferrero-Waldner. I should like to point out that it is she who deserves the credit because I was speaking on her behalf, and I shall be sure to convey this general feeling of support to her. I shall also pass on all the suggestions and reflections expressed that do not necessarily relate to the statement, in particular those concerning the place and role of Russia and cooperation with that country.
The Russian economy shows encouraging growth, so it is likely that European Union budgets will not increase in this area. However, the Commission does not dismiss the possibility of new partnerships if Russia commits itself formally to the Northern Dimension. I would just add that, in my view, the comparison with the Mediterranean is not entirely appropriate, given the different characteristics of the two regions, particularly with regard to economic indicators, the populations concerned and the number of countries involved etc.
To return to Russia, the Commission is receptive to that country’s proposals and contributions. Russia needs to be present at the ministerial meeting about the Northern Dimension, to be held on 21 November 2005, and then to participate fully in the entire range of the Northern Dimension’s activities. Russia is a strategic partner of the European Union, as witnessed to by the positive conclusions of the summit of 10 May and by the adoption of the road maps for the four Common Spaces. Our objective consists of devising a joint European Union-Russia policy on the Northern Dimension, also involving Norway and Iceland. This policy should be in keeping with the Common Spaces, with which it should be aligned in terms of the Northern region, and it should have a number of specific characteristics.
I shall now say something about specific funding. I think that the European Community should continue to support the Northern Dimension within the framework of the programmes at present being implemented, that is to say TACIS and the European Neighbourhood Policy, and of those to be implemented in the future within the framework of the draft European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. It should also be noted that what will also be useful in terms of infrastructure is the fact that the opportunities for loans by the European Investment Bank to Russia and the western NIS (newly independent states) have recently been increased. Thanks to the practical support from
a wide range of donors, the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership
is showing how useful it is for meeting very specific and urgent needs. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that these results could be reproduced in other areas, but that would require a similar level of commitment from all those providing funds.
Because it is important, I need to reply to a question I was asked several times, namely that concerning a Baltic strategy within the Northern Dimension. That option obviously has its merits. However, I think that we should, for all that, point out that the Commission is active around the Baltic Sea through the EU’s internal policies. The fact is that, as I mentioned earlier, eight of the nine countries bordering the Baltic are Member States, benefiting from the EU’s internal policies and programmes. There can be no forgetting the far North with its specific characteristics: relatively unpopulated, but with a very large native culture and environmental problems peculiar to itself. I am thinking, for example, of the former Russian nuclear bases on the Kola Peninsula.
Those, then, are the replies we intended giving today. Obviously, though, I shall be very particular in conveying the feelings, reflections and very strong commitment of the MEPs who spoke in this debate."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples