Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-05-21-Speech-1-074-000"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2012-05-21"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Visa-free travel to Canada for all EU citizens and the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"mt"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20120521.15.1-074-000"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2012-05-21-Speech-1-075-0002
lpv:speaker	lp:Simon Busuttil2
lpv:spokenAs	member_of_the_bureau; EPP (2009-07-14--2013-04-05)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee (2009-09-16--2013-04-05)3 unknown; Partit Nazzjonalista (2009-07-14--2013-04-05)3 member; Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo (2009-09-16--2013-04-05)3 member; CRIM (2012-03-28--2013-04-05)3 member; PETI (2012-01-19--2013-04-05)3 substitute; IMCO (2012-01-19--2013-04-05)3 substitute; Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (2009-09-16--2013-04-05)3 member; LIBE (2012-01-19--2013-04-05)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, this is not the first time that we are experiencing a situation of this sort. Third country nationals, such as those hailing from Canada, can enter any European Union country without a visa, whilst a number of European Union citizens still require a visa in order to enter the very same countries. The issue here, therefore, is the lack of reciprocity between countries, and not whether the European Union is a single country, as some colleagues have reiterated. Today’s case concerns Canada and the citizens of the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Romania. Yet we have already witnessed the same scene with regard to the United States, and a similar situation is taking place in countries such as Brazil, which is still dragging its feet on the issue of lifting the visa requirement for certain countries, amongst which are Malta, Lithuania and Latvia. As has already been mentioned, the European Union is currently negotiating an Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada. At the same time, Canada persists in acting in a discriminatory manner against the citizens of Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic. The Commission has to make it clear that this is unacceptable. In the event of third countries demonstrating a lack of goodwill, the European Union should be able to re-introduce the visa requirement obligation on the countries in question as a last resort. In fact, we have just taken a vote on the issue a few weeks ago within the LIBE Committee, where we adopted the concept of a suspension mechanism. Naturally, for their part, the Member States must show solidarity with the countries that are being discriminated against and lend their support to the European Union. To conclude, I believe that if we, for one, are not capable of taking both our citizens and foreign policy seriously, then we cannot expect third countries to treat us like a united group. On the other hand, the more we put up a united front, the better the chance of convincing them to respect a level playing field on the visa issue. This is why the Commission should act without delay with regard to this case and all the other pending cases involving a lack of visa reciprocity."@en1
lpv:videoURI	<go to Events_and_structure europarl>2

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