Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-05-31-Speech-3-218"
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"en.20060531.20.3-218"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, thank you for setting out the Commission’s views so clearly. First of all, I should like to thank my fellow Members who have assisted me in this task, all the committees which have submitted amendments and everyone who has given me advice.
The Commission’s initial proposal was undoubtedly extremely wide-ranging, somewhat opaque and rather long-winded, but its aim was to be general in nature. The question Parliament has to consider is: can we express aspirations and launch an initiative for intercultural dialogue without extending the subject in advance to the issues that really interest us, and also without discussing thorny issues such as inter-faith dialogue?
We sought to clarify a number of things in our text. Firstly, reference is made in Article 2 to the European Union’s common values. In adhering to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, we make it sufficiently clear that our common basis and the one we have all accepted is the one which guarantees non-discrimination between the sexes and equality of opportunity in all its aspects. It is unnecessary to keep repeating it.
There is also the issue of extending the action beyond 2008, and stimulating dialogue across the large range of initiatives already underway in Community programmes. There is no doubt that education will be of vital importance here, not to mention the involvement of civil society; cooperation with all parts of civil society is essential. It is obvious that the media will have a major role to play and we must use the opportunity of the large-scale gatherings and emblematic events planned for 2008 to combat, in particular, the trafficking of human beings and enforced prostitution.
It is also necessary to include other international organisations, such as the Council of Europe and Unesco. That does not mean that intra-European dialogue must not occupy centre stage, merely that we must take into account the joint actions already launched by Unesco. On this point, I would draw attention to the vote on cultural diversity, when the 25 spoke with a single voice.
On another point: the Internet portal will have to be developed and, when the Commission says that it cannot agree with a lower budget for communication and information, I would ask the Commissioner if the overall budget could not be increased. Our Committee on Culture and Education has already pointed out to him that a budget of EUR 10 million is extremely small to achieve the objectives set for this year. We know that culture is always the poor relation in budgetary terms. In these circumstances, your comment that you would like to revert to the initial budget is unsatisfactory. We would ask you to make a further effort in terms of the overall budget, so that we can increase the amount devoted to communication and information.
In relation to the dialogue with the religious world, I have to point out, here, Mr President, that only yesterday the President of the Council and the President of the Commission launched a debate with the representatives of religious communities on the issue of fundamental rights and mutual respect. Despite that, Parliament is asked to refer to that aspect only in the recitals, whereas in my view Parliament must also be ready to engage in that dialogue. We can no longer keep such taboos in our society. We must move forward and tackle the difficult issues. Religions and their rejection are a key factor in the process of social identification, integration and exclusion. I would emphasise, with the support of my colleagues, the importance of this aspect of intercultural dialogue in the broader sense.
Finally, Mr President, we must not overlook the fact that concrete actions will undoubtedly be a way of stimulating attention. Why not create a dialogue prize in Parliament, like the Sakharov prize for human rights? Why not organise an intercultural forum in Parliament to round off the year, thereby giving Parliament the visibility it merits on these issues?"@en1
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