Statement by Presidency-in-Office of Council – Programme of Swedish Presidency
Debate : 17.01.01

Opening this afternoon's debate, Göran PERSSON, Sweden's Prime Minister, told MEPs that the EU was on the threshold of a new technological era, with its economies moving closer together in the age of globalisation. But, he warned, the phasing out of totalitarian regimes did not mean the end to a threat to democracy. The danger now, he felt, came from within the EU as could be seen with the low turn out in elections and gains by populist extreme right wing movements. Yet the need for cooperation was greater than ever and he undertook to do his outmost to pursue this goal. The greatest challenge, he felt, was that of enlargement and here he was optimistic that the first new Member State could be admitted after the end of 2002 and he undertook during the first half of this year to pursue the enlargement process as vigorously as possible with a view to making a breakthrough in negotiations. Progress would be evaluated at the June 2001 Gothenburg European Council meeting. He was hopeful that numerous new Member States would be able to take part in a 2004 elections to the European Parliament. In addition, it was vital to pursue negotiations with Turkey, another candidate country and here he looked forward to agreement on a new partnership arrangement.

Another of Sweden's priorities was to tackle unemployment, which standing at 14 million was still too high. He was optimistic that the new goals agreed by the Lisbon Summit based on making the EU the most competitive and knowledge-based economy in the world could be fulfilled. And indeed, he welcomed the commitment to see the establishment of full employment as a basic objective of the EU's Economic and Social Policy. Prospects for the economy, he contended, were bright with strong public finances, low inflation and reforms of the product and capital markets under way. The evaluation of progress made would be taken at the March Stockholm Summit, he said. He drew attention to Sweden's model for the welfare state as a means of ensuring equality and fairness. He took the view that countries with a comprehensive welfare system were the most successful and indeed contained the most advanced economies. In addition, he recognised the need to overhaul the pensions and care systems in the EU in view of the increasing ageing population. He also emphasised the importance of e-commerce and biotechnology. Furthermore, Sweden would not neglect its responsibilities as far as making a success where Economic and Monetary Union was concerned.

Turning to another of Sweden's priorities, the environment, he emphasised the importance of a strategy to ensure long-term sustainable development as well as tackling the growing problem of chemicals, where he said, Sweden would work for agreement, based on the precautionary principle. In addition, there was the problem of climate change which would be another priority.

As to the Nice Treaty, he saw this as a move towards increasing cooperation, especially between smaller groups of Member States as well as enhancing the role of the European Parliament through an extension of qualified majority voting and the codecision procedure. He felt the Treaty could be signed within a month and told the House the Member States were committed to working for a rapid ratification. In addition, further reform would be undertaken at a new IGC in 2004 and he emphasised Sweden's commitment to opening the debate on questions to be asked. Points to be addressed included the distribution of powers between the Member States and the Union, the status of the Charter, the simplification of the Treaties and the role of national parliaments.
As far as foreign policy is concerned, Mr Persson placed great emphasis on the need for European action in the area of crisis management and conflict prevention. On the military side this would involve establishing permanent structures and liaison for cooperation between the EU and NATO.

On the civilian side, this would involve closer planning in directing civil operations, particularly those involving the police. Another priority as far as foreign policy was concerned was developing closer relations with Russia, he said. At the same time, he emphasised that this should be based on openness and that the EU should not shy away from looking at developments in Chechnya, which he said "continued to give rise to grave concern" as well as developing a genuine partnership based on promoting democracy and strong civil society. He lent his support to Russia's integration into the world economy and a membership of the WTO, as well as his support for further reforms in Russia. Sweden would also support US peace efforts in the Middle East, he said.

Concluding, the Swedish Prime Minister drew attention to Sweden's support for developing closer relations with the citizen and in this sense placed great emphasis on improving access to documentation, openness and accountability. Here, once again, he drew attention to the importance of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the importance Sweden attached to pursuing human rights issues.

While he welcomed the Swedish Presidency's emphasis on the three "Es", Commission President Romano PRODI also reminded the House that "E" stood for Euro which would be a circulating currency in less than a year. He stressed that enlargement was the greatest challenge faced by the EU and noted that despite its shortcomings some progress had been made at the Nice Summit in preparing the EU for enlargement. On employment Mr Prodi welcomed the Presidency's emphasis on labour market modernisation and noted that the Commission was developing a strategy to create a European labour market by 2005. On the environment, he emphasised the need for practical and operational measures and the need for the EU to ensure that energy is used more efficiently.

Turning to the general picture, Mr Prodi argued that the experience of the Nice Summit clearly demonstrated that the intergovernmental method of reforming the EU had reached its limits as there was a tendency to aim for the lowest common denominator. In forthcoming months, he said, there would be a process of open reflection and wide-ranging debate on how Europe can create a balanced and stable system for enlargement by 2004. As part of this process, he would be meeting with leaders of political parties in the European parties which he wanted to act as a bridge with national political parties. This process of open dialogue would be followed after the summit in Laeken this December by a more structured reflection on the future shape of the EU. This would be conducted on the basis of the opinions received. He anticipated a new intergovernmental conference taking place on the issue which could be brief and conclusive.

Mr Prodi then stressed the vital role that the Commission played in taking the EU forward. It was a key element in the pooling of sovereignties, he said. He noted in particular that it could be controlled by the Court of Justice which could ensure that common rules were applicable throughout the Union. There could be no splintering of executive action, he emphasised. In conclusion Mr Prodi noted that the policy of enhanced cooperation that had been agreed in Nice would allow more coherent action to be taken.

Speaking for the EPP/ED, Hans-Gert POETTERING stressed that the old intergovenmental way of reforming the EU would have to be discarded. He considered that further EU reform could be undertaken on the convention model with the widest possible involvement from national parliaments. It was essential to correct the mistakes made in the Nice Treaty, he said, in particular elements that discriminated against applicant countries. He stressed that transparency should be the order of the day. Council should open up its doors in particular, he said.

For the PES, Enrique BARÓN CRESPO (E) welcomed the priorities of the Swedish Presidency, in particular the commitment to tackle unemployment as well as basing environmental policy on sustainable development. Commenting on recent opinion polls with regard to perceptions of the EU, Mr Barón Crespo noted that citizens were in general looking for European solutions to the problems of the day while at the same time expressing a lack of confidence in the EU institutions to respond effectively. He cited BSE as a case in point. He also welcomed the Swedish commitment to promoting democracy and more transparency, especially with regard to access to documents. But, he felt that the whole intergovernmental approach to EU questions still remained the main stumbling block to progress. He called for frank and open discussions on the future of an enlarged EU.

Speaking for the Liberals, Cecilia MALMSTRÖM (S) too looked forward to a positive contribution from the Swedish Presidency to future developments of the EU, especially with regards to furthering the enlargement negotiations. She supported more openness in decision making and looked forward to this beginning with a coverage of Council of Ministers meetings. For the Greens, Heidi Anneli HAUTALA (FIN) felt that the smaller Member States gave a greater impetus to furthering integration. She welcomed the commitment to conflict prevention, before pointing out that there were still serious issues to be resolved such as CAP reform, food safety and animal welfare.

Jonas SJÖSTEDT (EUL/NGL, S), on the other hand felt that the Nice Treaty was a failure and that more was needed to work towards EU-wide labour agreements and to pursue the goal of free movement of workers. Democratic control of the ECB, the TOBIN tax on capital and reaching an agreement to reduce emissions were other priorities, he felt. He also expressed his dissatisfaction on the recent agreement on GMOs and took the Swedish government to task for what he felt was an inadequate approach to the problem of refugees.

For the UEN, Gerard COLLINS (Munster) welcomed the priorities of the Swedish Presidency but drew attention to key issues still to be resolved such as CAP reform, free movement and environmental questions.

Olivier DUPUIS (TGI, I) was concerned that the prospect of an ICG in 2004 would prove to be "a poisoned chalice" for the European Parliament as MEPs would be heavily involved in the election campaign and would be unable to participate fully in the process. This would effectively sideline the House, he concluded. Jens-Peter BONDE (EDD, DK) was concerned that an increase in the use of QMV decision making process could jeopardise democracy in Europe. He believed that the draft Nice Treaty needed a "democracy check" as it seemed to offer more centralism and less democracy. He was particularly concerned at proposals to hold future summits at Brussels rather than being hosted by the Member State that held the presidency.

Christa RANDZIO-PLATH (PES, D) appealed to the Swedish Presidency to involve the European Parliament in macro-economic issues before requesting this Presidency to take positive action in the campaign to promote the euro and the issue of notes and coins.

Christopher BEAZLEY (EPP-ED, Eastern) emphasised the importance of reunting Europe. He wondered if there would be a special meeting to which candidate countries were also invited. He argued that bureaucratic negotiations could be tempered by an understanding of the past and an appreciation of the problems of countries that had formerly been dominated by the Soviet Union. No new hurdles should be placed in the path of candidate countries, he concluded.
Replying to the debate, Mr Persson welcomed the support from MEPs for greater openness in EU decision making but did not deny the difficulties ahead in putting this into practice. Nevertheless he thought it was a key prerequisite in regaining the confidence of Europe's citizens. Decision makers had to be held to account, he said. As to naming a date when the first new country would join, while Mr Persson expressed sympathy with this idea, he said this was just not feasible at the present moment in time since it depended on the outcome of negotiations at present in process. Nevertheless, he was firmly of the opinion that the agreement at the Nice summit paved the way to concrete decisions being taken to enable enlargement to take place. On the environment, he was convinced that the technology was now in place to solve the problems facing all European countries and he looked forward to the Gothenburg Summit taking an important step forward in the fight to tackle unemployment. Here, while he recognised that this was primarily a responsibility for the Member States, he did say that EU cooperation was now based on open coordination of macro-economic policies. Concluding, he told the House that he would always be available for discussions and taking up all issues of concern to MEPs and looked forward to closer cooperation in the future.

Other speakers:

Gerhard HAGER (IND A)
Gunilla CARLSSON (EPP-ED, S)
Jan ANDERSSON (PES, S)
Olle SCHMIDT (ELDR, S)
Nelly MAES (Greens/EFA, B)
Cristiana MUSCARDINI (UEN, I)
Hans BLOKLAND (EDD, NL)
W.G. VAN VELZEN (EPP-ED, NL)
Michel ROCARD (PES, F)
Karl Erik OLSSON (ELDR, S)
Inger SCHÖRLING (Greens/EFA, S)
José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA (EPP-ED, E)
Riitta MYLLER (PES, FIN)
Anders WIJKMAN (EPP-ED, S)
Karl von WOGAU (EPP-ED, D)
Foreign Affairs

Vote

The resolution, that was adopted by 394 votes to 60 with 106 abstentions, calls on Member States that are also NATO members to propose a moratorium on the use of depleted uranium weapons in accordance with the precautionary principle. Parliament is urging Council and Member States to foster a clear and transparent debate on this matter, to set up an independent European medical working party and to give priority to all measures necessary to protect public health and the environment. The long term effects on the sites which were bombed, and on the civilian population, should also be evaluated. Council and Commission are urged to coordinate the findings of the enquiries conducted by Member States and the various international specialised agencies. The resolution also calls for priority to be given in aid programmes for the Balkans to provide assistance to civilian victims and to protect the environment.

Debate

Opening the debate for Council, Lars DANIELSSON, stressed that Member States involved in the military campaign in the Balkans had done so in their capacity as members of NATO - not as EU members. He nevertheless expressed his concerns over the possible effects of depleted uranium. The EU was seeking to address the issue and to determine whether there was a link between the use of depleted uranium and illness. The Union was also endeavouring to overcome the environmental problems in the Balkans with assistance programmes, he stressed.

Javier SOLANA, the High Representative of Council, also stressed that the EU was seeking to determine whether there was any link between the use of depleted uranium and illness in troops and others who had served in the Balkans. He promised to provide Parliament with all information when it became available. However, he underlined that any conclusion should be based on scientific evidence and not on mere hypothesis. All scientific information must be reviewed and if any clear link was demonstrated he promised to inform Members immediately. Mr Solana however wished to underline that the West had become involved in a military campaign in the Balkans because of mass abuse of human rights. It had to act and he had no regrets that it did indeed act. So far, no evidence of a direct threat to the health of NATO troops had been found. He said: "In addition, Allies reaffirmed their view that there was no evidence currently available to suggest that expended depleted uranium munitions represented a significant risk for NATO-led forces or the civil polulation in the Balkans."

Commissioner Margot WALLSTRÖM announced that the Commission was implementing a twin-track approach in tackling the environmental problems in the region. This involved taking action to tackle immediate problems while also developing a longer term programme to promote a sustainable environment. She stressed that the EU, as part of the Stability Pact, was promoting environmental reconstruction. It had provided €5m and €2.5m had also been given by other donors. In total €16.3mhad been promised. She too recognised that there was considerable public anxiety and that there was a need for openness. She noted that depleted uranium was less radioactive and toxic than natural uranium. Currently there was no unanimous scientific position on the effects of depleted uranium. Scientific enquiries were being undertaken to establish whether there was indeed a link between the use of depleted uranium and illness. When further information was available, the Commission would be deciding what action to take and whether to adapt its environmental programmes in the region.

Welcoming Mr Solana's statement, Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, D) stressed that there was no evidence at present of a real link between depleted uranium and illness. If such a link were demonstrated, he agreed that the West would have to use other weapons. He too, however, stressed that NATO had intervened in the Balkans to deal with the "war criminal Milosevic". Giorgio NAPOLITANO (PES, I) stressed the need to obtain scientific evidence as soon as possible to avoid any further risks to health. She stressed that this was not simply a military problem as the illness could also be affecting civilians. Bertel HAARDER (ELDR, DK) also agreed that there needed to be a thorough investigation of the possibility of any link but he too stressed that there had been a moral obligation on the West to intervene. Luís QUEIRO (UEN, P) stressed the need to establish whether there was a link and he welcomed Mr Solana's openness.

Paul LANNOYE (Greens/EFA, B) was more sceptical about Mr Solana's statement. He noted that he had been concerned for a long time about the possible links between the use of depleted uranium and illness. He did not believe that the EU should delay action until it was satisfied that a link did exist - it should take action now. He also noted that depleted uranium was only 20% less radioactive than other uranium. He also argued that the end did not justify the use of depleted uranium. It was the local civilian population which was suffering from the effects of the NATO campaign - not former President Milosevic. Francis WURTZ (EUL/NGL, F) too was highly critical of NATO's use of depleted uranium. He considered that Mr Solana was launching a rearguard action in response to a very real problem. There had been a guilty silence about the serious effects of the use of depleted uranium.

Caroline JACKSON (EPP-ED, South West) stressed the need to reinforce Mr Solana's assurances with thorough testing of the effects of depleted uranium. At present she did not believe that NATO should adopt a moratorium on the use of depleted uranium as she considered that this could endanger the lives of service men. However, the issue of environmental degradation in the Balkans needed to be tackled as a matter of urgency. She also stressed that this issue should not be used as an excuse to divide the EU from the US.

Jim FITZSIMONS (UEN, Leinster) drew attention to the massive increase in the cases of cancer in the region. The people of the Balkans were entitled to full answers, he stressed, and the EU should be vigorous in addressing this problem. He was also concerned about discharges of depleted uranium into the Irish Sea from the UK and the possible public health implications. He called on the British government to make a statement on this issue.

Replying to the debate, Mr Solana emphasised that a response had been made to concerns raised by the Greens, if not in writing, and he categorically rejected any suggestion that he had come to Strasbourg merely to seek the tacit approval of Parliament for positions adopted by governments. He promised to return to Parliament to re-assess the question on the basis of further information at the end of the month.

The House approved Commission proposals establishing control measures to preserve fishery stocks in the North-East Atlantic, with one amendment that would extend the current arrangements by two, rather than three years.

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In view of the inadequate implementation of the nitrates directive designed to reduce nitrate pollution and thus tackle the problems of eutrophication, MEPs adopted a resolution recommending the effective implementation of the existing legislation.

Nitrates are also dangerous - in high concentrations to children and adults. In 1991 the EU introduced a directive on nitrates, requiring Member States to declare Nitrate Vulnerable Zones by December 1993 and then draw up Action Programmes for these Zones, with the first programme running from 1995 to 1999 and the second from 1999 to 2003.

In this resolution, Parliament points out that, with the notable exception of Denmark and Sweden, implementation by the Member States of the Nitrates Directive has been extremely unsatisfactory and the Commission has been slow to censure Member States for non-compliance. It calls on the Commission to continue without hesitation to use appropriate means of legal enforcement whenever it detects a breach by the Member States of their obligations and to impose financial penalties.

Member States should introduce specific measures for the transposition of the Nitrates Directive because the water courses frequently need many years before recovering and in order to minimise existing distortions of competition, MEPs believe.

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Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the Commission to ensure the proper enforcement of the Habitats directive. The aim of the directive is to promote biodiversity by protecting natural habitats. The directive provides for the creation of a network of protected areas, called Natura 2000, with each Member State being required to list areas for protection within its territory. Member States have so far listed a total area of 384,500 square kilometres. The percentage of each country's total surface area varies from 3.1% (Belgium) to 17.6% (Greece).

Parliament points out that the Commission has begun infringement proceedings in six cases against four countries: France (2), Ireland (2), Germany (1) and Greece (1). The resolution underlines the importance of the legally binding timetable laid down in the directive and calls on the Commission to continue using all means within its powers to enforce the directive. Member States are asked to ensure immediate protection of all proposed Sites of Community Interest from damaging development.

Parliament welcomes the effort of the Commission to deny access to EU funds to Member States that have not ensured that the requirements of environmental protection are respected in measures supported by the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund.. The resolution stresses that postponement of payments by the Community is justified only when there are serious indications that the payments in question result in adverse effects on an important habitat.

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Parliament adopted another resolution drawing attention to the failures of most Member States to respect another environmental directive, this time designed to reduce pollution from PBCs. These are liquid substances which are chemically inactive and were, when first used, believed to be harmless. Soon, however, they proved to have dangerous characteristics and were banned from most applications. The problem nowadays is how to dispose of them. The PCB directive of 1996 calls on Member States to list equipment containing more than 5 litres of PCBs and to draw up decontamination plans. Under the directive, all equipment containing PCBs is due to be disposed of by 2010. However, the directive has not yet been properly implemented. The Commission has taken three States to court (Germany, Greece and the UK) and only against two countries, Finland and the Netherlands, has it taken no action at all.

Parliament's resolution calls on Member States to notify the Commission of the size of PCBs stocks, carry out proper inspections, enhance the existing notification systems and devise collection systems and disposal plans. It adds that the Commission should lay down a clear deadline for full implementation of the directive and for carrying out a review. Parliament also calls on the Commission to consider imposing financial penalties upon Member States for non-compliance with the directive.

As waste oils contain large amounts of PCBs, the resolution calls on the Commission to bring forward a proposal to amend Directive 75/431/EEC on the disposal of waste oils.

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Vote: 17.01.01

The House approved a new fisheries agreement with Guinea-Bissau together with several non-binding amendments on the implementation of the agreement. One, for example, seeks to extend the deadline for the submission of an action programme by the Guinea-Bissau authorities from 31 May 2001 to 31 May 2003.

Following the restoration of order in Guinea-Bissau, the Commission proposed a new fisheries agreement to provide for the allocation of some € 6.5m to support local fishermen, help with monitoring and contribute towards rebuilding damaged facilities.

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The House adopted a resolution approving a Commission proposal to conclude a Cooperation agreement between the EU and Bangladesh. MEPs welcome the fact that he agreement is based on respect for human rights and democratic principles which should allow for more effective action in promoting the position of women and in fighting against child labour. The fact that it stresses the importance of sustainable economic and social development is also welcomed.

The agreement follows on from the previous 1976 accord and it does not contain a financial protocol as it is a non-preferential agreement. The EU imports 45% of Bangladesh’s exports and is its biggest trade partner.

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MEPs adopted a resolution calling on the Commission to come up with a new proposal to modernise existing EU social security legislation affecting frontier workers with a view to obliging the Member States to take account of their needs when adopting legislation in such areas as tax, health care, unemployment benefits and child allowances. The resolution calls on the Member States to introduce a compensation scheme to ensure that frontier workers do not lose out as a result of changes to social security law. Parliament also believes that existing EU legislation in the field dating back to 1971 should be updated to cover, for example, dependent family members and retired frontier workers. New rules are also needed to tackle anomalies affecting pensions and taxation and to deal with the situation of other categories such as students and volunteer workers.

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The House voted in favour of a resolution calling on the Member States to develop the means to enforce three environmental directives - on PCBs, habitats and nitrates. The resolution notes that there have been serious problems in implementation and excessive delays in enforcement and implementation in the majority of Member States. It points out failures to produce the necessary reports and information on time. The Member States are therefore called upon to act more effectively in future. Parliament emphasises that the whole problem shows the need for a binding directive on environmental inspections. In a recent conciliation procedure Council blocked a proposal for such a directive, with the result that only a non-binding recommendation was agreed.

Parliament wants the Commission to put more pressure on the Member States and therefore calls on the Commission to publish, for example on the internet, an updated scoreboard - by Member State - showing all cases of infringement of EU legislation. It also says the Commission should publish a positive scoreboard of measures and of good practices.

Another demand is for a change to the Treaty to enable the Commission to bring infringement cases much more rapidly to the Court of Justice. Financial penalties should be enforced much faster, says the resolution: it took eight years between two verdicts of the Court before Greece was finally condemned to pay €20,000 a day in a recent infringement case - and six months before Greece paid the first euro.

In the resolution, Parliament is calling on the Commission to carry out a detailed examination of the implementation and observance of Community environment legislation in all works and projects requiring public and/or private and/or Community funding which fall within the scope of the habitats directive.

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Vote: 17.01.00

MEPs adopted a resolution calling on the EU to consider obliging the Member States to provide a minimum level of installation aid for young farmers, who account for 28 per cent of the farmers leaving the land, and whose long-term future is jeopardised by the severe economic difficulties they are facing.

High installation costs are considered to be the chief problem experienced by young farmers across the EU and in the applicant countries. MEPs want installation aids and supplementary investment grants to be increased and made available for at least eight years.

The resolution also calls for early retirement schemes to be improved and investment aid to be directed to young farmers who revive abandoned holdings and deserted villages by developing new, regional agricultural produce. Computer technology and the Internet must be developed for farmers as part of the e-Europe initiative and the importance of training - especially for women farmers is underlined. Looking ahead to EU enlargement, the House is also asking for young farmers in the applicant countries to be given priority for aid from the SAPARD (Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development).

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Looking to the next round of trade negotiations under the WTO, Parliament adopted a resolution setting out its views on the issues at stake. MEPs believe there is a pressing need to review the Common Fisheries Policy with a view to reducing over exploitation and conserving stocks. But a successful future for the industry can only be achieved through international agreements. While there is support for further liberalisation in trade negotiations, the resolution emphasises the need to take into account other social and economic factors such as employment in coastal areas. There is also a need to maintain high environmental and health and food safety standards. Another point taken up in the resolution is the need for the EU to be represented in Regional Fisheries Organisations (RFOs) - key bodies for managing fisheries resources. There is also a need to take action against ships able to flout international agreements by sailing under flags of convenience.

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Vote: 17.01.01

In approving a resolution on the application of the Common Fisheries Policy, MEPs adopted amendments rejecting support for 6,12 or 24 coastal zones to come within the exclusive preserve of the coastal states. The resolution supports the integration of fisheries into the single market. While technical progress in certain areas such as the new Irish design for trawlers in the Irish Sea has reduced discards by some 60% and the use of square mesh nets has had similar results, there is still a need for more measures to tackle over-fishing in the interest of conservation., MEPs believe. Indeed, the resolution calls for the harmonisation of technical measures for all the Mediterranean area.

Parliament also wants to see a new approach to conservation with a view to cutting back on discards. New quotas should be based on accurate data, with scientists taking into account information provided by fishermen. MEPs are also concerned that EU programmes designed to help with the reduction of fishing fleets have not been implemented evenly across the Member States and want to ensure that those states complying with this objective are not penalised in the future.

With the CFP due for an overhaul after 2002, Parliament believes future policy should provide for an EU quality label for fisheries products and a strengthening of the role of EU fisheries inspectors. In particular, Parliament wants to see a harmonisation of penalties or fines for breaching EU regulations. There should also be strict enforcement of EU roles through proper checks on ships registered in third countries. More attention should also be paid to the application of the relative stability principle with proper account taken of the economic and social needs of isolated coastal villages dependent on fisheries.

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In adopting another resolution on fisheries, MEPs approved an amendment which "insists that closed areas should not be discriminatory in any way on the basis of nationality and that the possible creation and spatio-temporal definition thereof should be based exclusively on scientific opinions which specifically call for this".

In addition, the resolution calls on the Commission to consider he question of access to fisheries in the 6/12 coastal zones but supports the continuation of present arrangements if agreement on opening access can not be reached.

The resolution welcomes the Commission’s approach to carry out an extensive consultation exercise including discussions with MEPs prior to the December 2002 deadline for Council to take a decision on reforms to the Common Fisheries Policy.

The resolution supports the continuation of the current system based on annual catches and quotas and recommends the introduction of incentives to reduce the number of discards.

Attention is also drawn to the importance of international fisheries agreements and joint ventures with third countries.

The resolution includes calls on the Commission and Council to support scientific research and introduce an effective regulatory system for the Mediterranean. MEPs also want the Commission to define the question of regionalisation.

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Welcome for Rapid Reaction Facility

The proposed Rapid Reaction Facility (RRF) receives a thumbs up from MEPs in this resolution on a Commission proposal which seeks to lay down the procedures for establishing the mechanisms for such a Facility. It is intended to be engaged in non-military crisis management and is distinct from the proposed Rapid Reaction Force.

According to the proposal the RRF will provide speedy intervention in situations of emerging crisis. There will be no geographical limits and a mixture of instruments will be used, such as sending a Special Envoy while providing civilian police expertise. The RRF's actions will have a limited time frame and it will build on the scope of existing EU regulations, with the exception of the ECHO (humanitarian aid) regulation. It could therefore cover such activities as demining and border control under the OBNOVA regulation; support to administration under the PHARE and TACIS regulations; and anti-terrorism under the MEDA programme.

The resolution recognises that all these scenarios fit within the principal objectives of the RRF. It also supports giving priority to non-military crisis management. It stresses that the Commission shall ensure that the authorities and structures of the country concerned are properly integrated. There is a call for the Facility to be supported by a specific and properly trained financial and management implementation cell and for the Commission to have the flexibility to decide the implementation period for any intervention, rather than the current proposal which limits any intervention to nine months. There is a call for the establishment of a European Public Security Force. Finally the resolution proposes that the budgetary authority should establish an annual funding limit rather than set a maximum of €12m for each intervention.

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Support for closer ties between EU and North Korea

In this resolution the House welcomes the closer relations being developed between North and South Korea, in particular the summit meeting of June 2000 between the two countries. It supports building ties between the EU and North Korea, which emphasise the promotion of human rights and nuclear and ballistic non-proliferation. The resolution recommends that the EU should increase its humanitarian aid to North Korea, which should be accompanied by an opening up of that country to the outside world. The resolution also regrets that Council has not taken into account the Commission's proposal that funding for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO) and calls for a more adequate EU contribution in this area. It also regrets that there is no common EU policy towards North Korea.

In addition the resolution notes that "North Korea has historically encouraged terrorism" and deplores the fact that some Member States "have decided to grant it diplomatic recognition without consulting the other States".

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