Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-16-Speech-1-224"
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"en.20080616.27.1-224"2
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substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (2007-03-14--2009-07-13)3
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"Mr President, I would like to thank Mr Schmidt for a very thorough and detailed report. If our development policy is really to be cohesive, then we need such detailed reports on issues relating to various aspects of development work. Of course, cooperation with other committees needs regulation, but, if we are to speak of policy cohesion, then clarification is needed regarding how individual parliamentary committees should work together.
The analysis of the exploitation of natural resources in West Africa by the European Union provides a real, rather than a half-hearted, assessment of the role of the European Union in this African region. We should be aware that the use of natural resources has very concrete, and, sometimes, very painful and complex social consequences. In this context it is very worrying that fish resources in West Africa are being over-exploited, which could pose a danger for local development since these resources provide food security in this region.
It is true that African nations often do not concern themselves with sustainable use of natural resources and, if they do, then it is to an insufficient degree. For this reason, we should view our activities in this region from both economic and ethical standpoints. I can understand that many politicians prefer to see European fishermen on the west coast of Africa rather than in the streets of Brussels. However, we must be careful not to act hypocritically because we cannot speak of a cohesive development policy without a sustainable fisheries economy in West Africa.
Similarly, we should not try to export our own social problems because, even if we could export them, they could well come back to haunt us in the form of migration problems. I also have the impression that we are using a kind of blackmail on ourselves by saying that, if we take our fleets from West Africa, other fleets may take our place and they will have even worse standards than those used at present. This is a dangerous way to think and I do not believe that we should use such arguments."@en1
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