Schwaiger (PPE-DE). – (DE) Mr President, the reiterated support given today to both Commissioners’ negotiating positions by our group, that of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats, indicates that we too are in favour of everyone moving, when there are negotiations on agriculture, to ensure that such negotiations are actually held, and that the other participants in them should follow us in not merely announcing reforms but also implementing them. That is my first point.

My second is that our present support for the mandate given to the Commission and the Council also means that we in this European Parliament have to be consistent. It is not acceptable that, in this House, we are supporting the Commission by a large majority, at the same time as, in the ACP-EU Joint Assembly, the same group and the same rapporteur prepare reports that are diametrically opposed to what we have said to the WTO. I would refer to the negotiations on the regional partnership agreements, in which the same principles must apply, including such things as the Singapore issues. What we see as of the utmost importance are the reciprocal opening-up of markets and, of course, preferential treatment for our ACP friends as well. We cannot, though, send out two conflicting messages, and we in the Group of the European People’s Party, perhaps along with other Members forming a majority in this House, will see to it that we remain coherent.

My third point is that we in this House have to try, if we are to become active on the parliamentary front, to play a significant and leading role, which – difficult though this may be – will mean the constant involvement of our partners in the US Congress. After all, they are our principal trading partners, and we do not want to be dragged along in the wake of the Indians and the Chinese.