Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-18-Speech-4-018"
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"en.20060518.4.4-018"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we are faced here with some extremely sensitive issues. The various disasters that have taken place, the distress they cause - which we share with the victims insofar as we are able, as outsiders - and the discontent that is expressed show just how sensitive these issues are.
Throughout our debates, we have listed what these various natural disasters might have consisted of: fires, cyclones, tidal waves, earthquakes, floods, health crises, terrorist attacks, droughts, shortages of drinking water, industrial and technological disasters, agricultural disasters and undoubtedly many more. That is a long list that affects our Union and that calls on it to shoulder its responsibilities. Yet, as we were able to recognise in our debates, those responsibilities are shouldered by a variety of partners. First and foremost, they are sometimes shouldered by those responsible for the disaster, or for a fire, for example. Yet they are also shouldered by insurance companies, which are obviously affected, by the Member States and by the various organisations.
What is the European Union's role, what is its mission, in this general context? For, as my fellow Member, Mrs Madeira, just said, if we are responsible for solidarity, then we must shoulder that responsibility within the context of our powers. Yet, what are these powers, before, during and after these natural disasters? I think that, after having heard our fellow Member, Mr Galeote, draw up a fine list just now, there is a need, Commissioner, for total clarity regarding this responsibility of the Union, before, during and after disasters.
With regard to prevention, as with regard to protection measures, I believe that we do in fact have a power to exercise and a role to play in the fields of research and coordination. As regards the retrospective measures, which draw on our Solidarity Fund, our fellow Member, Mr Berend, has done a very fine job, but much remains to be done because it will always be very difficult to find ideal solutions, given the variety of situations and funding. We have a huge amount of work facing us. What I am asking you to do, Commissioner, is to find a better solution and to ensure that the European Union responds very clearly in the wake of these disasters. Our fellow citizens need a European Union that is very clear in terms of the measures it takes."@en1
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