Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-14-Speech-3-037"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070314.4.3-037"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, this Summit has been a success – a fact that must be emphasised, as it cannot be said of all our summits in recent years. The Vice-President of the Commission was right when he said of last weekend’s events that Europe has proved itself capable of action. We can do it if we try.
Protecting the existence of the human race, the survival of life on this earth, is the great goal to which we are all committed – every one of us, including the USA, Japan, Australia and China. Yet we cannot make demands of them unless we set a good example ourselves; and that is the historic step that was taken at the weekend. I am obliged also to Mr Steinmeier, who played a significant part in bringing this about: Angela Merkel undoubtedly also played a decisive part, but Mr Steinmeier deserves a mention for the persistence with which he has carried out his work as President-in-Office of the Council.
The 27 Heads of State or Government who managed to work together successfully at the weekend took a decision that points the way ahead, but I shall leave the detailed description of this up to our group’s experts in their speeches. This allows me to concentrate on noting that what we need – namely to make the public understand that this is not just a club of layabouts – is really feasible; and that the EU not only describes the great challenges, but defines and decides on the necessary answers and hopefully also implements them in practice.
Standing here speaking about European Councils, I have often reflected on how one could best describe the situation of the European Council of Heads of State or Government. One day a passage from the Book of Matthew sprang to mind – and I am sure the President, too, is very familiar with this – chapter 6, verse 26: ‘Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.’ I do not need to go on: you sow, I hope you will reap, I hope you will gather into barns; and what the heavenly Father does with you remains to be seen.
In any case, it is true that this progress has been achieved. Mrs Thyssen, it is in everyone’s interests to call this a joint effort by the European institutions. I did not have the impression that Angela Merkel was acting as a representative of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats; I had been told she was there as the President of the Council. It was not my impression that the President of this House took part as a representative of the PPE-DE Group – this would mean he had misunderstood his office – and Mr Barroso is not officially allowed to know anything about the PPE-DE Group. Kindly refrain from claiming this success for any particular group, therefore.
What is this all about? Europe has described and addressed itself to a huge challenge. Besides, we have learnt something we did not know before – or perhaps Mr Steinmeier did – namely that nuclear energy now counts as renewable energy. This is Chirac’s Theorem, as it were, to mark the end of his term of office. At least we have learnt something!
At all events, taking up the challenge and exerting pressure to ensure that these decisions are implemented in practice is of prime importance. Praise is also due to Tony Blair for once. Directly after the Council, the British Government said: 20% is good, but we want something even more ambitious. We need more of this in Europe.
I should like to add that the G8 Summit will be dealing with the situation in Africa. In this connection, we must also understand that climate change is another significant example of injustice in the world. The continent that contributes least to the pollution of our environment – Africa – is the one that suffers most as a result of climate change. This means that when we say, for instance, that we want to ensure that justice and solidarity reign in the world, it is a moral obligation for us Europeans to really tackle the problem of climate change and – as has been rightly said – to exert pressure on other regions of the world."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples