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External sources (not reviewed)

Mr President, I should like to address a special welcome to the Commissioner on the occasion of his first speech and to offer him our best wishes for the extremely important and difficult job that he has to do. I should also like to tell him, however, that I find it quite incomprehensible in this report that, after the mistake was made to liberalise bottom trawling and bottom gill nets a year ago in Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003, this mistake is not being corrected in respect of bottom gill nets.

There is something I must say, and I hope Mr Antonione will pass it on to Mr Berlusconi: it is unacceptable that Mr Berlusconi should call that a myth, and I think many in this Parliament and in the European Union expect Mr Berlusconi to correct what he has said when he comes to this House during the next part-session in December.

   The closer monitoring for Member States subject to an excessive deficit procedure should allow the identification of risks in the compliance of a Member State's deadline to correct the excessive deficit.

Personally, I particularly like the Danish model, where there is transparent access to the grid; there is an energy tax which corrects prices; there are clear targets for renewable energy sources; and there is an almost protected market.

On the negative side, this report introduces the possibility of sanctioning Member States that do not apply measures to correct excessive imbalances. Specifically, the possibility to impose a sanction of 0.1% of gross domestic product (GDP) in the case of Member States that do not apply the recommendations is introduced.

The fact that our resolution corrects this and also clarifies that the Commissioner responsible for the legal protection of the citizens of Europe made an incorrect statement in public on an essential question of citizens’ rights is the duty of this Parliament and has nothing to do with any conspiracy theories.

Madam President, I have been in this Parliament for some time and the honourable Members who know me are perfectly aware that I am not in favour of a complacent and docile Parliament which bows down to the Commission and the Council, but rather a Parliament which fulfils its responsibilities, which invests the Commission, rather than attacking it, which controls it democratically, which rejects, debates, ratifies and rectifies.

Mrs Schreyer, I would like to ask you a simple question: has the Commission, given what we have heard here in September and today, addressed the question of how, in the budget for 2000, we can avoid the situation whereby, in the middle of November, we are still producing a supplementary, amending and transferring budget?

Aid has a vital place among the political instruments, as it can be used to correct failings in the market and reduce differences in standards of living between regions of the European Union.

   Considers unacceptable the existence of problems, identified once again by the ECA, in implementing the Integrated Administration and Control System in Greece and supports the Commission's intention, as stated to the parliamentary committee responsible, to apply current legislation on suspension of payments rigorously if the Greek Government does not remedy the existing problems within the stated time-limits; calls for payments to be suspended if the Greek authorities are unable to prove that the problems have been resolved by 31 December 2009

If, as a result of a challenge as referred to in paragraph 1, it is established that the Certificate issued is not accurate, the competent judicial authority shall rectify, modify or withdraw the Certificate or ensure that it is rectified, modified or withdrawn by the issuing authority.