Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-11-30-Speech-3-193-000"
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"en.20111130.17.3-193-000"2
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"−
Mr President, I just heard Commissioner Füle refer to, and I quote, ‘good cooperative action, here, in this sitting’. While we are very willing to cooperate with those who are present, it is difficult to do so with those who are absent: there is no one on the other side. I have not heard a single argument this evening or in the course of the eight trialogues that we had with the Council.
If the Council had been present this evening, we could have discussed the areas on which we differ; we could also have talked about what unites us. I have often had the opportunity to do this in the European Parliament’s Committee on Development. We could, for example, have discussed a common vision for development cooperation to be established by the European Union, the Commission and Member States as a whole – indeed, the Treaty of Lisbon requires this of us. This vision should be reflected in a sharing of responsibilities – and I stress the word responsibilities.
What, though, is the situation today? Member States spend approximately 80% of their development cooperation budget as they see fit. It is right, in this respect, that Member States have the final word with regard to their national budgets. Parliament has nothing to say in the matter.
In addition, Member States entrust a significant sum to the Commission, which implements these resources under the mandate entrusted to it by Member States: this is the European Development Fund (EDF). Until we have authority regarding the allocation of the EDF’s budget, the European Parliament will remain on the sidelines. For the European Parliament has no say in this matter either; it has no say in how almost 90% of the EDF’s budget is spent.
Parliament may apply Article 290, which puts it on an equal footing with the Council, for a very small proportion of the funds entrusted to the Commission. Here too, the Council wants to keep us on the sidelines, which is unacceptable. Is the aim for the European Parliament to play a role in the creation of a proper development cooperation policy, too? Yes or no? I continue to believe that the Council has not understood the message.
Once again, the Council is insisting that Parliament stay on the sidelines, and that was in fact, as you will recall, the mandate that the Council set for the Hungarian Presidency. On the one hand, there is a call for political coordination, and, on the other hand, we are being denied the means to command respect for ourselves. We are not even granted the means to ensure that a tiny bit of respect is shown to us in our dealings with our institutional partners.
The European Parliament, for its part, has not remained silent. When it was a question of integrating development activities into the External Action Service, we supported the Commission, through thick and thin. I take all of you sitting over there as my witnesses and challenge you to dispute what I have just said. We have spared no effort in enabling you to exist alongside the new High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
I believe, Mr President, that the efforts made by Parliament, and particularly by the Committee on Development, deserved to receive stronger support from the institutions, and especially from the Council."@en1
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