Go back to the Europarl portal

Choisissez la langue de votre document :

 Index 
 Full text 
Verbatim report of proceedings
Wednesday, 10 April 2002 - Strasbourg OJ edition

Euro-Mediterranean Foreign Ministers' meeting (Valencia, 22/23 April 2002)
MPphoto
 
 

  Esteve (ELDR), rapporteur. – (ES) Mr President, I would firstly like to thank all the groups for their attitude – something which I said in committee – which has been constant throughout the preparation of this sitting. I must also acknowledge the cooperation and dialogue we have maintained with the Commission and the Council, which reflects the unanimous approval of this report by the 49 Members who were present in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy.

I will now comment on the amendments. Firstly, Mrs Boudjenah tabled seven amendments, of which I am aware that Nos 4, 6, 7 and 8 have been withdrawn and Nos 3, 5 and 9 are maintained. I would say to Mrs Boudjenah firstly that I believe that Amendment No 5, on the harmonisation legislation on immigration, is fully justified in paragraphs 45 and 46 and that the issue of foreign debt is appropriately dealt with in paragraph 29. I would therefore remain opposed to these amendments. However, I believe that Amendment No 3 on public services is positive and improves the report. Therefore I am in favour of it, although I would propose that in the vote we do not accept the place suggested by Mrs Boudjenah, but rather paragraph 26(ii) as the appropriate place.

I believe that Amendment No 2 by Mrs Napoletano is a very positive contribution, since the Euroscola programme is a programme for young people which works and therefore I am in favour of it.

With regard to Amendment No 1, which I tabled as rapporteur, I believe that everybody would agree that to include the Security Council Resolutions in the recitals of the report makes great sense. I am obviously referring to Resolutions 1397 and 1402.

Finally, Amendment No 10 by Mrs Napoletano on the Euro-Mediterranean Bank is the one that I feel requires most comment. I believe – and in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy we believe this – that the current wording expressed firm support for the creation of the bank. Now, the Barcelona European Council established certain positions and measures which, although they do not move in this direction, neither are they contradictory with the possibility that in one year we could establish the bank. I therefore sincerely believe that the Group of the European Socialist Party has made an effort to achieve consensus which could be valid for the debate in various groups – in my own – and that the amendment it proposes is a positive summary of the situation, since we could maintain a consensus on supporting the bank and advocate that the Commission present a new proposal which, of course, should be debated in depth in this House. I am therefore in favour of Amendment No 10.

Mr President, I also propose the reordering of four paragraphs. Specifically, I believe that paragraphs 31, 32, 33 and 34 would express their ideas in a more organised fashion if they took the order 33, 32, 34 and 31. I also believe that paragraph 52, which clearly belongs in the economic chapter, must be included in it and not it in the chapter it is in currently. I think that it should come after paragraph 22.

In conclusion, I believe that the important elements of this report, without going into detail, are two issues: the first is that the report will help and guide the Valencia Conference as a priority within Euro-Mediterranean policy and in terms of efficiency. I believe that this is the case, and therefore I hope the vote reflects this, in relation to the part that corresponds to us. Secondly, I am thinking of the grave situation in the Middle East, of the debate we held yesterday, of today’s tragic news from Haifa, of the meeting being held today in Madrid, which we hope will lead to a joint position. Bearing all this in mind, I believe we can state that the Barcelona Process demands positive action in favour of general peace and stability in the region and in the Middle East.

Allow me to remind you that, if the meeting in Valencia takes place as expected, it will be the only forum that the Israeli and Palestinian delegations can attend. I sincerely believe that, as the European Union, our instrument of the Barcelona Process is, if not the most important, probably one of the most important instruments for dialogue and cooperation. It is also a process within our reach, because it is our responsibility. I believe that it must continue to carry out its task, and do so genuinely. We hope that that will be the case and I therefore thank you, Mr President, for the way this report has been drawn up and negotiated.

 
Legal notice - Privacy policy