Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-12-13-Speech-1-076"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2010-12-13"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:EU-Georgia agreement on facilitation of issuance of visas - EU-Georgia agreement on readmission of persons residing without authorisation - Visa liberalisation scheme in Serbia and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - Implementation of the EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20101213.16.1-076"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2010-12-13-Speech-1-0772
lpv:speaker	lp:Baroness Sarah Ludford2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, I agree with Mr Weber of the EPP that EU visa policy is extremely valuable and that technical standards and conditions of visa facilitation and visa waiver must be met. However, I do not believe that, in the case of the Balkan visa waiver, political considerations have overridden these technical standards. The Commission worked very hard to get document integrity, law enforcement and border controls up to scratch. We would devalue our own stance if we thought that the technical standards had not been met, because we voted to support that visa waiver. Of course, it is of concern if concessions are abused, but there must be measured and proportionate responses. The countries concerned – as Commissioner Malmström said – have responsibilities and they must be reminded of them. The Commissioner has explained to us that there has been quite intense work, with high-level meetings with interior ministers, visits to capitals, encouragement to run information campaigns – and there is a specific commitment by Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania to inform their citizens. Of course, if there are problems with one visa waiver agreement, this undermines the others, so there is a certain onus for responsibility and solidarity and for all citizens to be aware that they could harm other people’s chances of free travel. I personally am reassured – and I think my group will be – that the Commission will intensify its monitoring of respect for the agreement conditions and have a mechanism for flagging up problems through close cooperation with our partners. I hope that all groups will find that reassuring and adequate. As my neighbour, Mrs Macovei of the EPP, has said, people-to-people direct contacts create trust. That is the bottom line. That is the reason we support visa facilitation and visa waiver. There has been broad based cross-party support in Parliament for this proposal because it is based on our EU experience and values. So do not let us overreact. There have been problems, but the Commission is on the case. Let us make sure that we do not undermine either the right to asylum or the visa waiver agreements."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; Delegation for relations with the United States (2009-09-16--2014-06-30)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo (2009-09-16--2014-06-30)3 member; LIBE (2009-07-16--2012-01-18)3 unknown; Liberal Democrats Party (2009-07-14--2014-06-30)3 member; ALDE (2009-07-14--2012-07-03)3 substitute; AFET (2009-07-16--2012-01-18)3 substitute; DROI (2009-07-16--2012-01-18)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Sarah Ludford,"1 "on behalf of the ALDE Group."1
lpv:videoURI	<go to Events_and_structure europarl>2

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