Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-02-04-Speech-3-309"
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"en.20090204.17.3-309"2
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"Mr President, I think it was, again, a very useful debate. I have a considerable understanding of how important this is for you as Members of the European Parliament because this is an extremely sensitive issue, where you are confronted with the expectations of your citizens, who are going to elect you in the next few months. So I have a full understanding of the issue that you are considering with care and that you are approaching with such critical insight.
These events will deal with the CCA system, simulating a real consular crisis. The training will define and carry out practical testing of all relevant mechanisms in the CCA cadre, including cooperation between all authorities and institutions involved. The experience will even, by means of field work, teach the participants how to behave and promptly react in a situation of extreme psychological and time pressure. I do not know whether this will amuse us enough before the elections, but at least it is a contribution which we are bringing to this important issue.
The second reason why I have an understanding is that I come from a medium-sized state, the Czech Republic, which is not a former imperial power so it does not have an embassy or a consulate in every corner of the world. So what the Irish and others are expecting from the European Union here is, I think, very logical.
But now I have to speak here on behalf of the Council so you need to respect certain legal grounds which are available to us, and the fact is that the budget and all those issues are important. And we also have to be able to recognise and to differentiate what is the real problem on the one hand and what is the question or issue which needs more clarification.
I was not in Mumbai, and I was listening very carefully to the critical remarks of Mr Guardans Cambó and some others who took part in the European Parliament mission to India at the time that this tragic attack happened. When I was getting ready for the special hearing yesterday, my first question was: is there a Spanish consulate in Mumbai? I have never been there so I do not know this personally. I was repeatedly assured that the Spanish have a consulate in Mumbai and those that were there know this. I think it was simply a matter of a formal obligation for the Germans to assist Mr Guardans Cambó and his delegation, if we are quoting Article 20 and the decision as a whole.
The Spanish sent a plane, as I was informed, to help evacuate its citizens, as did the French and the Germans. For some reason, which I do not understand, Mr Guardans Cambó refused the offer to fly back on the Spanish plane but instead subsequently returned on the French plane.
So I do not know. I just have the information which is available to me. In general I think we all share the opinion that any improvement within the legal framework is certainly desirable, so let me inform you about at least some partial activities of the Czech Presidency to strengthen the consular protection within the current legal framework.
For example, there is a project on including a message in national passports which would inform the holders that they can ask for consular protection from any other Member State embassy or consulate in a third country, provided their country is not represented there. So that is at least an attempt to clarify the situation on the ground.
Second, the Presidency is to intensify and unify the use of emergency travel documents, the ETDs which can be issued by any Member State representation to any Member State citizen who has lost his passport or had it stolen.
Third and finally, the Presidency will also organise the two consular seminars or training courses in order to contribute to this consular protection team in a very practical and effective way."@en1
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