Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-06-27-Speech-3-017"
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"en.20070627.3.3-017"2
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"Mr President, Mrs Merkel, Mr Barroso, ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt that, for some months now, there has been a ‘driving force' in Europe, and we owe that to the German Presidency of the Union. I should like to pay special tribute in this House to the Chancellor, the President-in-Office of the Council, Mrs Merkel, and to her government.
I embrace the surge of hope created by the compromise concluded in Brussels on the relaunch of the EU institutions. Is that to say that my group, and especially its European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) arm, is fully satisfied with the new draft treaty? Everyone will realise that the answer is no. The European symbols, the title of Foreign Affairs Minister, the double majority voting within short deadlines – we regret all of that. However, politics, and especially European politics, is the art of compromise. The agreement reached by the German Presidency in a joint effort is a good agreement that we will support.
Thanks to you, Mrs Merkel, thanks to your country and also to the goodwill of the 27, the last six months have been very positive for European integration. We are extremely grateful to you for it.
The track record of the German Presidency of the Union speaks for itself. Its successes have changed the atmosphere prevailing in the European Union. Moroseness and pessimism have been replaced by confidence, and the feeling of powerlessness in the face of the challenges of globalisation has lessened to make way for hope in the effects of ambitious, realistic and determined political action.
The package on energy and climate change was the first major positive signal. You set the tone by convincing the EU Heads of State or Government to opt for ambitious objectives concerning renewable energy sources and CO2 by 2020 and to combat climate change. During the G8 in Heiligendamm, Europe showed that it was united and began to make the United States budge. Of course, much still remains to be done in this area. However, we have shown the people of Europe and our partners that when Europe is united, it has a real ability to influence and to lead.
The German Presidency has also seen success in our strategic relations with the United States, whether it be in terms of treating the country as a priority partner, of speeding up the implementation of a transatlantic market, or of formalising the ‘open skies’ agreement.
Europe's relations with Russia have also been at the heart of your Presidency's work, Mrs Merkel. When, in Samara, you were able to tell Mr Putin what our ‘no-go areas’ were and on what foundations we could and should cooperate, you took Europe forward in this regard too.
The German Presidency has also been very active in the area, sensitive as it is, of justice and internal affairs. I should like very warmly to thank the Minister of the Interior, Mr Schäuble, who cooperated very effectively with our Parliament on all of these matters.
Let us also pay tribute to the progress made in other areas, which are perhaps less spectacular but more tangible for our fellow citizens. This progress has been pointed out several times over the last few days: reduced roaming costs, voluntary modulation in the agricultural sector, in the fisheries sector, the environment, etc. Obvious progress has been made on all of these issues over the last six months, and that is no mean feat.
Finally, I shall conclude with the agreement that was reached in the early hours of last Saturday, on the reform of the European Treaty. I shall not go back over the extreme difficulty of the task, apart from to deplore certain remarks which – I shall speak my mind here – are not worthy of the sacrifices made by the people of Europe over the last 50 years to guarantee a climate of peace and reconciliation among us all."@en1
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