Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-02-12-Speech-1-169"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070212.16.1-169"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, because of a secret and meaningless regulation with a secret annex, it has been possible, since 6 November 2006, to carry only very limited amounts of liquids in hand luggage. Air passengers that rely on medicines can take these with them if necessary during the flight. These passengers must carry a note with them and if upon arrival, it transpires that their luggage has once again not arrived and they do not have the rest of their medication, then that is their bad luck. It is difficult when you depend on heavy medication. It is unclear where passengers can lodge complaints or appeal in the event of security officials mishandling the situation. As yet, there is no uniform explanation whatsoever in the 27 Member States. If in Member State A, mozzarella is regarded as suspicious, then this presents no problems in Member State B, and so, Commissioner, this confusion among passengers, which you just mentioned, is still there even though there is European legislation in place. What is clear is that the measures are far from watertight. I still try it every time at random airports and I always manage to get a bottle of about 200ml through security. Democratic societies are open societies. It is this openness that makes them appealing and successful, but also, unfortunately, vulnerable. The tendency to minimise that vulnerability to terrorist attack by imposing more rules on society and by taking away some of the privacy, appears to many to be an understandable first reaction. Where, though, does one draw the line? The reasons seem increasingly far-fetched. Of course we should not underestimate the threat, but to what extent does this threat justify these – what does, after all, amount to – far-reaching measures which were issued in quick succession in the past few years and whose effectiveness is far from obvious? For let us be honest, Commissioner, what lacks more than anything in the discussion is insight into the supposed effectiveness. In other words, do all measures taken and planned really give us extra security or is, above all, a false, and expensive, sense of security being introduced? The hand luggage rules have been in place for more than three months. I should like to find out from the Commission and Council, whose absence this evening is unfortunate, whether they consider the rules to be effective and if so, on what basis. Containers full of shower gels, alcohol, water bottles, lotions and suchlike have meanwhile been confiscated and destroyed. What does this produce, Commissioner, other than a considerable cost and much irritation? Are you still convinced that these rules are a bitter necessity in the fight against terrorism? Is this a permanent or temporary measure? If temporary, how do you define temporary?
Finally, of course the procedure followed is lawful. Nobody is in any doubt about this. Do you, though, also actually take the view that this procedure represents a proper manifestation of European democracy? Is this procedure, as you see it, adequate for what we think democracy in the European Union stands for?"@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples