Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-10-08-Speech-3-151"
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"en.20081008.20.3-151"2
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"Mr President, as the original rapporteur on Regulation No 1049/2001 I find this a very interesting debate. What I find strange – since I know the participants in the debate here tonight are committed fully to openness and transparency – is that the argument as to why not enough has been done is ‘we need more time’. This is unacceptable.
Only 30% of the European population have faith in the European Union. Why? Because they feel absolutely disconnected from what is done in their name. And the amazing thing is that we have a positive story to tell. Why is it that the institution has to be dragged screaming and kicking to the European Courts in order to do the right thing?
We need to do more than just explain. Commissioner Wallström, I know you are as exasperated and exhausted by these arguments as I am, but it is not enough to say we need more time. We actually need to demonstrate to our citizens that we will not only explain to them why we do what we do, but how we do it and the legal advice upon which we operate. Because, unless we do that, we will disconnect people from the European project.
It has been argued here tonight that this is impossible with regard to some matters, owing for example the imprecise definition of ‘documents’. It is not imprecise at all. It is in fact well defined. It means all documents held, received or produced by the three institutions or the agencies set up by them. And ‘documents’ itself is clearly defined. So let us have the courage to have an open register. Not the maze that we have at the moment where, when you go into one register, you do not get access to all of the other registers or all of the other links.
At the moment we have citizens who go into a maze. Let us allow citizens to come into the door of the three institutions and let us expose ourselves to the scrutiny of public opinion. I tell you now that unless we do the right thing, the judgement will be made in the June election in favour of those extreme parties who are not in favour of the EU or the EU institutions. Time is running out. Act now. It is not impossible."@en1
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