JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
17 December 2003
- –Hans-Gert Poettering, Ilkka Suominen, Othmar Karas, Philippe Morillon, Arie M. Oostlander and Hubert Pirker on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
- –Enrique Barón Crespo on behalf of the PSE Group
- –Jules Maaten on behalf of the ELDR Group
- –Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit and Monica Frassoni on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
- –Charles Pasqua, Cristiana Muscardini, Gerard Collins and Luís Queiró on behalf of the UEN Group
- –Verts/ALE (B5‑0570/2003),
- –PSE (B5‑0577/2003),
- –ELDR (B5‑0580/2003),
- –UEN (B5‑0582/2003),
- –PPE-DE (B5‑0583/2003),
European Parliament resolution on the outcome of the European Council in Brussels, 12 December 2003
The European Parliament,
A. having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the European Council meeting held in Brussels on 12-13 December 2003,
I. ECONOMIC GROWTH
1. Welcomes the Council's endorsement of the European Action for Growth, but underlines that boosting investments alone, even in key projects, can solve neither the immediate nor the long-term problems of the European economy; highlights the need for a stronger emphasis on implementation and results if the Lisbon targets are to be reached;
2. Regrets, however, that the 'quick-start-programme' has been set up without consultation with the European Parliament and without putting in place clear financing arrangements; notes, moreover, that the implementation of the European Action for Growth should respect the framework provided by the Stability and Growth Pact and the Financial Perspectives, and acknowledges the prudent role recommended to the EIB;
3. Welcomes the emphasis put on the prominent role given to private resources to finance qualifying projects; calls for an evaluation of Public-Private Partnerships as regards consequences for 'ownership' and the 'hidden' long-term financial position of public budgets;
4. Underlines that the priorities for development of the TENs must be strategically planned in accordance with the common interest, and that the added value of individual projects must be ensured via comprehensive impact assessments, concentrated on projects aiming at decoupling transport growth from economic growth and resource use; underlines the need for priority to be given to rail and sustainable waterway infrastructure projects, in line with the modal shift vision of the Commission's 'White Paper on Transport Policy up to 2010' and calls for TEN-T priority projects to be limited to transborder, intermodal and sustainable projects; focuses furthermore on the necessity of a strategic environmental impact assessment on the TEN-T initiative, including its impact on CO2 emissions; reminds the Council, in this regard, that the decision on the TENs is subject to full codecision with Parliament, and regrets the lack of consultation of Parliament so far in determining priorities;
5. Does not see adequately reflected in the Growth Initiative the fact that investment in human capital, including for secondary education and lifelong learning, is probably the most important single factor if Europe is to be able to cope with the challenges of the innovation-based global economy; insists therefore on extending the criteria for the identification of possible investment projects, notably by means of ambitious investment activities for improvement of employment, education and lifelong learning, as well as for the development of clean, environmentally friendly technologies, while recognising the importance of good public services;
6. Takes the view that a mid-term evaluation of the European Action for Growth should be provided to both the European Council and the European Parliament by 2006, and not by the end of 2007, to enable them to draw conclusions as regards the new Financial Perspective 2007-2011 and the new funding period of the EU structural funds; calls for Parliament to be fully involved in the mid-term evaluation of the Action for Growth and invites the EIB to report to Parliament on its preparatory work as soon as possible;
7. Welcomes the Employment Task Force report; reiterates that raising the quality of jobs and skill levels helps to boost the efficiency and productivity of the economy and to integrate people more firmly into the labour market; underlines that similar recommendations have been made on many occasions, for example by the Employment Guidelines, and that the focus must now be on implementation;
8. Is deeply concerned at the substantial lack of follow-up on the Lisbon strategy at the level of the Member States; reiterates its calls for their performances to be monitored, in particular in employment and social affairs; stresses the importance of fully respecting the new Employment Guidelines adopted earlier this year in the overall strategy of speeding up the implementation of the Lisbon agenda; insist on the need to involve national parliaments, social partners and all relevant actors at national and local level in order genuinely to transpose the European strategy into national policies;
9. Welcomes the European Council's twin emphasis on competitiveness and employment, and its decision to put improving Member States' performance in employment creation high on their next agenda, but insists that in the European Social Model the concept of competitiveness is not limited to reducing costs but it also includes qualitative issues with a long-term impact, such as social and environmental concerns;
10. Highlights the importance of better dissemination of innovation, more R&D, making work pay, developing a positive employment policy for active ageing, putting in place preventive unemployment policies, investing in training and lifelong learning, introducing family-friendly employment policies and providing more affordable and accessible childcare;
11. Welcomes the joint message of the European Social Partners to the Tripartite Social Summit on 11 December; points out that social dialogue is a key element of the modernisation of the labour market;
12. Calls on the Commission to take full account of the report and recommendations of the Employment Task Force when it is drafting the Joint Employment Report for presentation to the 2004 Spring Council, and to follow up the experience of the European Year of People with Disabilities 2003 by making the labour market more accessible to people with disabilities across the enlarged Europe; calls on the Commission to take action and to monitor closely transposition of the two EU directives to combat all forms of discrimination;
13. Notes with interest the forthcoming report on de-industrialisation to be presented by the Commission in the first half of 2004; expects this report to yield proposals on all the effects of restructuring and relocations; calls for better conditions to be created for information, consultation and participation of the workforce and, in particular, for action to be taken to revise the European Works Council Directive;
14. Notes that the European Council has deemed it necessary to pursue further ways of ensuring that the EU abides by its commitments on climate change; believes that this is vital, in view of the lacklustre conclusions of the United Nations Conference on climate change, which ended in Milan on 12 December; expects other parties – notably the United States and Russia – to take fresh decisions enabling the Kyoto Protocol finally to come into force;
II. FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE
15. Takes note of the willingness of the European Council to expedite the establishment of a European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the external borders, and recalls its preference for an operational community structure, in order to improve cooperation on protecting external borders, particularly in anticipation of the 2004 enlargement; agrees with the measures aimed at easing control procedures at the border in so far as this does not lead to a lessening of security, and asks the Council to adopt this proposal with the full involvement of Parliament;
16. Regrets, given the fact that only three Member States (Denmark, Spain and Portugal) have transposed the European Arrest Warrant, that the European Council failed to insist that the remaining Member States respect the deadline of 31 December 2003; calls once again on the Council to adopt a framework decision on common standards governing procedural law;
17. Deplores the failure of EU leaders and the Council Presidency to discuss the rights of the Guantánamo detainees to a fair trail; insists that the European Council and the new Irish Presidency undertake raising this matter at every opportunity with the US Administration;
18. Welcomes the Commission's intention and the European Council's willingness to present the final evaluation of the implementation of the Tampere objectives, and recalls that following the Treaty of Nice the next stage in the establishment of an area of freedom, security and justice provides for application of the codecision procedure to most of the measures relating to asylum and immigration; in consequence, calls urgently on the JHA Council to remove the political obstacles mentioned in the European Council conclusions; Calls in particular for directives on asylum to comply fully with the Geneva Convention and the protocol thereto;
19. Calls on the Council, in particular, in the context of the return action programme and speedy negotiation of readmission agreements, to counterbalance all the measures already taken on combating illegal immigration with an active policy of integration and promotion of the rights of third-country nationals legally residing on the EU territory;
20. Welcomes the willingness of the Council to ensure implementation of the measures provided for in the programme to counteract illegal immigration by sea, particularly in the light of the human tragedies that have occurred recently off Europe's Mediterranean shores, and asks to be involved on an equal footing with the Commission and Members States in implementing these measures;
21. Reserves its opinion with regard to the integration of biometric identifiers in visas and residence permits as there are numerous unresolved data protection concerns, including central storage and secondary use, notably in the development of the Visa Information System and the possible synergies with the Schengen Information System, which should involve consultation of the European Parliament;
22. Welcomes the willingness of the Council to strengthen the powers of Europol and recalls that communitising it would be the best way to increase its efficiency;
23. Agrees with the importance given by the Council to the fight against drug trafficking, which should undermine the financing of the illegal activities of traffickers and criminal or terrorist organisations;
24. Is concerned at the rise in xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism; notes the Council’s resolve to combat racially motivated acts of violence; calls for a fresh measures at national and Community level to combat all forms of intolerance;
25. Supports the decision to build upon the existing European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia and to extend its mandate to become a Human Rights Agency, and asks the Commission to check how the management structure might be adapted to the new tasks and what profile might be expected from the future management;
III. ENLARGEMENT
New Member States
26. Joins with the European Council in looking forward to welcoming the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia as full members of the Union on 1 May 2004; endorses the European Council's exhortation to the new Member States to intensify and complete their final preparations for membership in the run-up to accession; calls on the existing and new Member States to ensure that the process of ratification of the Accession Treaty is completed in due time;
Bulgaria and Romania
27. Urges Bulgaria and Romania to complete their preparations for membership, and in particular to bring their administrative and judicial capacity up to the required level, so that they are ready to conclude negotiations in 2004 on the basis of each country's own merits, sign the Accession Treaty in 2005 and join the Union in January 2007;
Turkey
28. Supports the European Council in urging Turkey to make further sustained efforts to reform, particularly as regards the exercise of fundamental freedoms, the further alignment of civil-military relations with European practice, and macro-economic imbalances; agrees that a settlement of the Cyprus problem would greatly facilitate Turkey's membership aspirations;
IV. CYPRUS
29. Notes with interest the outcome of the Turkish Cypriot 'elections' of 14 December and hopes that this result is indicative of support for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem and for accession to the EU;
30. Urges all parties concerned, and in particular Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, to demonstrate their commitment to meeting the United Nations Secretary-General's criteria for the resumption of negotiations on the basis of his proposals as a matter of urgency so that talks can be resumed;
31. Reiterates it hopes to see a reunited Cyprus join the Union on 1 May 2004; draws attention in this context to the importance of the expression by Turkey of the political will to find a solution to the issue of Cyprus;
V. EXTERNAL RELATIONS, CFSP, ESDP
A. External Relations
Western Balkans
32. Shares the conclusions of the European Council in this area and stresses the need for a renewed effort to be made by the countries concerned in order to ensure a positive climate in economic, political and democratic fields for establishing stronger relations with the EU in the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Process;
33. Welcomes the preparations for the participation of the Western Balkan countries in Community programmes and urges the speeding up of this process; regards the forthcoming regulation for individual European Partnerships as a further opportunity for the countries concerned to get closer and integrate in EU structures;
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership
34. Welcomes the willingness shown to give the Euro-Mediterranean partnership such strategic importance, taking account above all of the new situation created after the establishment of an enlarged Union, in which our Mediterranean neighbours will be expected to play a decisive role as regards Europe’s frontiers, and welcomes the results achieved at the Sixth Euro-Mediterranean Conference in Nice, as well as the sectoral Euro-Mediterranean conferences;
35. Welcomes the establishment of the FEMIP (Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership) and hopes that it will prove helpful in increasing investment flows in the region;
36. Welcomes the decision to establish a Euro-Mediterranean Culture Foundation and hopes that concrete decisions will be taken as soon as possible to make this plan a reality;
Iraq
37. Considers the capture of the former leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, to be a turning point in the process of establishing peace, stability and democracy in Iraq; reaffirms its opinion that such a process could be brought to fruition under the aegis of the United Nations, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1511, and with the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people as soon as possible;
38. Invites the Council and the Member States to call on the United Nations Security Council to ensure that Saddam Hussein is tried in accordance with international rules and the Geneva Conventions, while fully implementing Resolution 1511 with respect to the sovereignty of the Iraqi people;
Terrorism
39. Expresses its agreement with the European Council's wholehearted condemnation of terrorist attacks, and reaffirms its conviction that defeating terrorism means acting in the framework of the international community, complying with international law and providing a common response to this global threat;
Middle East
40. Considers that the commitment of the European Council to pursuing the objective of two states, Israel and a viable and democratic Palestinian state, requires stronger political will on the part of the European Union, and asks for an urgent resumption of the Quartet Initiative; asks the Council and the Commission to take necessary initiatives in this respect;
41. Welcomes the Geneva initiative, coming from within Israeli and Palestinian societies, with the aim of promoting a climate of confidence and lasting peace, confirming the desire to attain peaceful coexistence; considers that initiative as a valuable contribution by civil society to the Road Map;
42. Reaffirms the Council's position urging the Palestinian Authority to concretely demonstrate its determination to combat terrorism and extremist violence and urging the Israeli Government to dismantle settlements built after March 2001;
43. Supports the interfaith dialogue and initiatives by civil society, opposes any form of extremism, intolerance and xenophobia, and condemns all acts of anti-Semitism and incitement to racial or religious hatred;
44. Welcomes the statements on this issue by the Euromed Conference held in Naples and the holding of a donors' meeting (Ad Hoc Liaison Committee) in Rome, which it hopes will produce concrete and urgent initiatives;
Arab World
45. Welcomes the report on the Arab World issued by the High Representative for the CFSP and the Commission and regards this approach as a positive contribution to peace and security in the whole region and a step towards a renewed partnership with concerned countries in the framework of the Barcelona Process and the New Neighbours Initiative;
Transatlantic relations
46. Shares fully the conviction expressed by the Council that the transatlantic partnership is irreplaceable; welcomes the European Council's declaration on transatlantic relations, and in particular its insistence on effective multilateralism, and on the need for the EU and its partners to defend a common international agenda; calls on the Council and the Commission, therefore, in preparation for the next EU-USA and EU-Canada summits, to put forward proposals for deeper transatlantic cooperation on the development of a common agenda, including a common approach to achieving more effective multilateralism in world affairs;
Russia
47. Welcomes the decision to invite the Council and the Commission to draw up an assessment report on all aspects of the Union's relationship with Russia; points out, nevertheless, that the shortcomings of Russian democracy with regard, in particular, to the general elections of 7 December, the ongoing ruthless conflict in Chechnya and the delays in ratifying the Kyoto Protocol contribute to weakening a possible strategic partnership;
Latin America and the Caribbean
48. Welcomes the signing of the political dialogue and cooperation agreements with the Andean Community and Central America; calls once again for the negotiations with Mercosur to be concluded rapidly and accordingly welcomes the timetable agreed at ministerial level on 12 November 2003, since these developments will make a significant contribution to strengthening bi-regional relations;
49. Regrets that the European Council did not discuss the situation in Cuba, particularly in the light of the Cuban authorities' refusal to grant Oswaldo Paya Sardinas, the 2002 Sakharov Prize laureate, a visa to visit Europe to explain his position on the current situation in Cuba;
Africa
50. Reaffirms the importance of the partnership with Africa and welcomes the strengthening of the EU-Africa dialogue as indicated by the positive and constructive outcome of the EU-Africa Ministerial Troika held in Rome on 10 November 2003;
B. CFSP/ESDP
51. Welcomes the adoption by the European Council of the European Security Strategy, presented by the High Representative for the CFSP; reaffirms its support to the other decisions taken in this field, as stated in the Presidency document on European defence, and hopes that the goals of this policy will be fulfilled despite the present failure to reach agreement on the Constitutional Treaty;
VI. OTHER DECISIONS
52. Welcomes the European Council's decision to determine the seats of the new European Union agencies, which will enable the new bodies to operate effectively;
53. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council and the Commission.