Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-07-06-Speech-4-229"
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"en.20060706.34.4-229"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, despite being an ACP member state, Mauritania is one of the world’s forgotten countries. For too long, the countries of Europe turned a blind eye to the dictatorship of President Ould Taya, who imprisoned, tortured and banished opponents of his regime. Parliament and the European institutions remained silent when we submitted a request for an observation mission to be dispatched during the 2003 presidential elections, even though some candidates were being held in prison. The Union was overcautious following the events of 3 August 2005, which brought down the dictator, without a single drop of blood being shed, even though we knew that the country was on the verge of exploding. I am pleased that I organised the first discussion platform in 2004 at the European Parliament, gathering together, on neutral ground, Mauritanians from civil society, political parties and official representatives in an effort to pave the way for democracy.
We are paying tribute today to the Union, which supports the democratic process on which Mauritania has embarked, on the basis of a public consensus behind the Military Council for Justice and Democracy. Pledges have already been made by this transitional authority, with the creation of an independent national electoral commission, with the abolition of media censorship and with the organisation of a referendum, on 25 June 2005, the smooth running of which was hailed by international observers. I am also pleased that the Union has committed itself to sending a long-term observation mission to monitor the elections taking place this November, thus ensuring that every Mauritanian citizen can exercise his or her voting rights.
Finally, the revenue from oil exploitation must be used for education, health care and the development of the peoples of Mauritania. The exploitation of oil, which will not last forever, must not be done in a manner that is detrimental to marine and coastal biodiversity, but must protect the Banc d’Argouin, for example, from all forms of pollution and ensure that the fishery resource, which is so important to the people of Mauritania, is managed in a sustainable way.
I am pleased that the authorities, together with the Union, have embarked on a more open debate on the fishing agreements with a view to reaching a fair agreement. The ban on factory ships such as the ‘Atlantic Dawn', for example, is a prerequisite for reaching such an agreement. Finally – and here I conclude - the anti-immigration cooperation project must help to create jobs in Mauritania and to give migrants a reception that is worthy of the values espoused in Europe."@en1
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