Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-04-20-Speech-2-016"
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"en.20100420.3.2-016"2
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"Mr President, Mr Kallas, Mr López Garrido, in this case, we have seen that nature really is more powerful than any of the technologies available to us. To a certain extent, we have been taught a lesson. However, at the same time, it is important to note that this situation has shown us that we have not made as much progress in Europe as we should have done.
For 20 years, we have been talking about an internal market for transport and a single European sky. This would, of course, not have prevented the volcanic eruption, but it would perhaps have allowed us to act more effectively and more quickly.
We have been calling for a single European sky, coordinated by Eurocontrol, for a long time, but it is still not in place. In just the same way, and here I am moving in the same direction as Mr Schulz, we still do not have interoperability on the rail network. It is still not possible to buy a rail ticket which will take you from northern Europe to the south, travelling right across the continent. In this case, too, it becomes clear that we have a great deal down on paper and have discussed many of the issues, but in reality, a lot of what is needed is missing.
It is obvious that the response in Europe was unsatisfactory from the point of view of the citizens. Of course, the situation was difficult and, of course, it was not possible for the ministers from any of the individual countries to open up their airspace when there were warnings coming from an institute in London that it was not safe to fly. At the same time, it was unsatisfactory that no actual measurements were taken using balloons, for example, but that everyone was working with statistical extrapolations. Many of the citizens of Europe were annoyed about this. The position of the airlines is also understandable. They were suffering financially and would have liked to have seen a quicker response.
The airlines have suffered financial losses and, of course, it is very important that the passengers are brought home as soon as possible. We must protect their rights. However, it is important for passengers’ rights in Europe that transport and travel opportunities are available to them. For this reason, I believe that it is vital for our transport system in Europe to have airlines and other transport options in place which passengers can use. This means that it is essential for us to consider in more detail how we should deal with this situation, how we can provide support for the airlines during the crisis that the transport sector is already undergoing and how we can maintain and guarantee the mobility of the citizens of Europe, which is a major achievement.
As far as compensation for damages goes, it is no use us approaching the volcano, because, as we already know, that will not get us anywhere. Nature has its own laws, but we have to try to react to them in the interests of the citizens of Europe. This is why I think it is a very good thing that a task force is being set up with Mr Kallas as its chair. This is very important and we will continue to discuss how we can draw conclusions for the future from this crisis."@en1
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