MEPs debated the situation in Tibet with some MEPs calling for a possible boycott of at least the opening ceremony of the forthcoming Olympic Games to be held in China this summer while others said that a boycott would be futile. Many MEPs called for freedom for Tibet and underlined the human rights abuses in China and called for maximum restraint. The House also debated the outcome of the last European Council of 13 and 14 March with Slovenian PM Janez Janša.
Situation in Tibet - European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering
In an introductory statement, European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering
told the House "the events in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and in other
Chinese cities since 10 March this year are deeply disturbing". He
added "We condemn all forms of violence and the disproportionate use of
military and police. We condemn the deaths of people who were acting
peacefully".
Mr Pöttering went on "We express our solidarity with the Dalai Lama",
saying we cannot allow him to be linked to terrorism or demonised. He
called on the Beijing authorities "to negotiate with the Dalai Lama
and, while respecting the territorial integrity of China, to reach an
understanding that respects and guarantees the cultural and religious
identity of the Tibetan people".
The Dalai Lama has accepted an invitation to address the EP in December as part of the Year of Intercultural Dialogue. However, in view of the current situation, said the EP President to applause from the House, "I am sure you will agree he is welcome to come to the European Parliament at any time".
Turning to EU-China relations and the Olympic Games, President Pöttering declared "Dialogue and cooperation between the European Union and China are in our mutual interest. China is a great nation, with which we want to cooperate in partnership."
He stressed that "We want the Olympic Games to be a success". "But this will require respect for the cultural and religious identity of the Tibetan people and free and fair reporting before and after the games. It is therefore to be condemned that journalists and correspondents have been expelled from Tibet".
Mr Pöttering then said that while he himself was due to attend the opening ceremony of the games in August, "Every responsible politician must ask the question, whether he can take part in the opening ceremony if the Chinese leadership does not seek dialogue and compromise".
"We wish to contribute to an outcome whereby the world's athletes can meet in fair and free competitions in Beijing. But our values and our self-respect will not allow us to surrender our principles. We in the European Parliament have a special responsibility in this regard."
Council
On behalf of the Council, State Secretary for European Affairs Janez Lenarèiè said first of all listed the meetings and talks that have taken place between EU representatives and the Chinese authorities since the violence erupted in Tibet. He then called for both sides to show restraint and try to "establish a constructive dialogue. The Council hoped China would allow independent media to re-enter Tibet soon.
According to the minister, a recent meeting of EU sports ministers voted against a boycott of the Olympic Games, believing instead that the games can help promote human rights.
He concluded by telling MEPs that the Slovenian foreign minister has asked his Chinese counterpart to engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama and to release all peaceful protestors.
Commission
Benita Ferrero-Waldner European Commissioner for External Relations said that the debate was timely as EU foreign Ministers were due to discuss this soon. The Commission, she said, was "deeply concerned about the unrest and the violence, violence is never justifiable". Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner called on the Chinese authorities to exercise maximum restraint and not to use force. She also called for independent media access in Tibet and welcomed the announcement from the Chinese of an upcoming media visit on 26-28 March which would include international correspondents. The Commissioner called for substantial dialogue between the Chinese and the Tibetans.
The International Community had always respected the territorial integrity of China. Human rights are a matter of international concern and not solely internal matter, the Commissioner said. People had the right to demonstrate peacefully.
The Olympic Games, the Commissioner said, are not a political event. She called for the event to be carried out in respect of the Olympic spirit which included the freedom of speech and freedom of the media.
Political group speakers
For the EPP-ED József SZÁJER (HU)spoke of the Olympic Games as 'a symbol of peace and understanding' and stated that 'we demand a peaceful dialogue on the reconciliation and autonomy of Tibet.' He welcomed the statement of President Pöttering, pointing out that 'we should use all our means to press the unwilling Chinese authorities to stop violence and respect human and minority rights.' He posed the question: 'how can athletes from the whole world come together and compete in joy and harmony, while at the same time, the State that is hosting the games is killing its own citizens?' Mr Szájer concluded by stating that 'this is not the time for us to boycott the Olympic Games', in particular with just 5 months to go. He did however point out that 'we should be quite unequivocal about the demands that we put forward.'
Pasqualina NAPOLETANO (IT) for the PES began by stating that 'I hope it's going to be useful to raise the voice of the European Parliament' in this respect. She emphasised that the request of the Dalai Lama for an independent commission to go to Tibet should be acted upon to 'shed light' on events there and that a negotiated solution should be found which would respect the existing UN resolutions. With regard to the Dalai Lama in particular, Ms Napoletano pointed out that 'the political role of the Dalai Lama cannot be substituted' and that he is the 'guarantor of balance.' She said that 'if the Chinese really want peace, they must accept [his] role.'
In conclusion, Ms Napoletano stated that the isolation of China will not help the Tibetan cause or human rights in general. She called on the Council to 'shoulder [its] responsibility ..[..].. we do not need a gesture', she said, we need a coherent policy.
Marco PANNELLA (IT) for the ALDE group reminded his colleagues of the Europe which existed 70 years ago - the 'cowardly, anti-liberal Europe' of fatherlands which said they 'weren't going to die for Danzig.' Mr Pannella asked his colleagues to read Spinelli again and to compare that manifesto with the words of the Dalai Lama. He pointed out that 'we in Europe are being cowardly ... we're losing the sand through our fingers.' Speaking of recent statements by Javier Solana, Mr Pannella asked that the EU should act according to 'the realism of the Dalai Lama' - that we 'should not look at things in apocalyptic terms' but should rather adopt a more pragmatic approach.
Cristiana MUSCARDINI (IT) for the UEN group by saying that due to the imminence of the Olympic Games, 'we all entertained hopes that China's development was not just that of an economic and trade power.' She pointed out that China did speak of giving rise to 'a harmonious world'. The reality, Ms Muscardini reminded her colleagues, is very different. The Chinese 'refuse to have a constructive dialogue with the Tibetans.' Ms Muscardini spoke of the necessity to review trade agreements with China in this context and concluded by stating that the Olympic Games can only take place if commitments in the realm of human rights are made.
Daniel COHN-BENDIT (DE), speaking for the Greens/EFA group, said that for the last ten years European leaders had played a role in the "Olympics of indifference", allowing human rights to be trampled on. He recalled the 1936 Olympic Games which were a political act and said that the Beijing Games, being under a dictatorship, would also be a political act. He said the EU "must all together refuse to attend the opening ceremony of the Games".
"40 years ago we had people raising their fists in the air because they were trying to put an end to discrimination against blacks in the US," he said, "In Beijing, we don’t want athletes with blood on their feet" He said he hoped that through ordinary citizens' protest, Tiananmen Square could become the square of freedom. "We insist as Greens that anyone going to Beijing should create chaos by making their point and letting the Chinese know we are aware of what is going on."
Vittorio AGNOLETTO (IT) (GUE/NGL) said that defence of human rights in China does not start or finish with the Olympics. If in international relations, governments had to put respect for human rights first, not only would they have been against China having the Olympic Games, but trade agreements with China would have human rights clauses in them. "As it is," he said, "24 million people in China are employed by western companies, so we are in bed with them and tolerating it for the sake of global trade".
Patrick LOUIS (FR), speaking for the Ind/Dem group was critical of Bernard Kouchner (French Foreign Minister) for constantly referring to 'our Chinese friends' and failing to acknowledge what is actually happening. "Since the Hang dynasty started, the Chinese have always thought they are superior to everyone else in the world, and the Communists are maintaining that". "European leaders will be guilty if they fail to recognise what is happening in Tibet", he said.
Bruno GOLLNISCH (FR) (Non-attached) said that 113 years ago the French Socialist Jean Jaurès had said that capitalism contains within it the seeds of war, as clouds foresee a tempest. "For 60 years," he said, "China has been lording it over Tibet and a lot of European intelligentsia have been taken in", including the left-wing protesters of the 1960s and 70s: None of them stuck up for oppressed Asians, he said.
MEPs debate the outcome of the latest Spring Summit
Prime Minister Janez Janša underlined the achievements of the summit: "we launched a more modern three-year cycle of the Lisbon Strategy, one that affords a better balance between concerns for people and the environment on the one hand and a competitive, knowledge-based market economy on the other, we confirmed the basic principles and the timeframe for the adoption of the energy and climate change package, and we defined the further steps to be taken in order to stabilise financial markets."
Slovenian Prime Minister Janša underlined "in the field of knowledge and innovation, the European Council therefore introduced a ‘fifth freedom’ to remove barriers to the free movement of knowledge. It will enable the mobility of talent and open access to knowledge and innovation, which will attract even more Europeans to creative processes. New opportunities to tap European research and development potential are also provided by the establishment of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology approved by the European Parliament two weeks ago."
On energy and climate change package: agreement on basic principles and timeframe, Prime Minister Janša said: "The Heads of State and Government pledged to reach agreement by the end of 2008, thus enabling the timely adoption of the package, which should, in any event, take place before the end of the current term of office of the European Parliament. Honourable Members of the European Parliament, success also lies in your hands. Only with the timely adoption of the package will we justify the expectations of the citizens of Europe and send a positive signal to our partners throughout the world, especially in the light of negotiations on a comprehensive post-Kyoto agreement next year in Copenhagen".
On the Union for the Mediterranean and the new reflection on the eastern dimension, Prime Minister Janša said "a great deal of attention was paid to the agreement on strengthening the Barcelona Process. In my view, the major achievement was placing a debate that was previously limited to closed circles and informal channels on an institutional footing. Within the Barcelona Process – the Union for the Mediterranean will involve all EU Member States and other non-EU Mediterranean states. Considering the tried and tested practices of the Barcelona Process, it is understood that the European Parliament – a very important actor in the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly – will be engaged in the debate in appropriate ways.
Since the Slovenian Presidency is striving for a balanced approach to the neighbourhood of the European Union, we also wish to draw attention to the eastern dimension of European Neighbourhood Policy, which must be strengthened in line with the Mediterranean dimension. A more comprehensive debate based on the detailed proposal put forward by our Polish colleagues is expected to take place at the European Council in June."
In conclusion, the Prime Minister said: "After the European Council in March, we can confirm that the debates and conclusions were dedicated to what are truly the most pressing issues Europe faces at this moment. This was not very attractive to the fourth estate. However, I also consider the fact that we succeeded in avoiding certain debates which threatened to draw attention away from key development problems one of our achievements. This is why it was easier for us to take several important steps forward. But we have still a great deal more to do."
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso
President Barroso began by speaking of the 'importance of partnership' between EU institutions. He pointed out that 'EU ambitions are such that [...] we need a common vision of where we are heading' and that 'concrete delivery' of that vision was very important. He reminded MEPs that 'all those ambitions that [were] set when the economic climate was more favourable still hold in rougher waters'.
Mr Barroso spoke of the current climate, in particular the slowdown in the US and the 'backdrop of continuing turmoil' on European financial markets. He called for confidence and vigilance to be displayed by the EU in its actions.
Congratulating the Presidency on the recent summit, Mr Barroso spoke of the 'fresh impetus' which had been given to the revised Lisbon Strategy. He mentioned the recent 'very positive' agreement between the social partners and particularly the importance of flexicurity.
In conclusion, Mr Barroso made reference to the two key deadlines set by the European Council in the area of climate change and renewables and in the area of energy and the internal market. He spoke of the EU's readiness to consider alternatives. For the Commission's part, Mr Barroso pointed to three areas on which the Commission will work before the summer: renewal of the social agenda, the small business act and the area of Mediterranean partnership.
Political group speakers
Speaking for the EPP-ED, Joseph DAUL (FR) said the current situation was "a difficult international period." The 2008 forecast is less that what we had hoped for. However, the EU should not become insular, he said. The public had yet to fully understand the need for economic reforms. Mr Daul stressed the importance of free movement of researchers, and improved mutual recognition of qualifications. Mr Daul welcomed the idea of a Union of the Mediterranean, an idea first raised by France, as he said, the Barcelona process "had not proved to be as successful as we would have hoped."
Martin SCHULZ (DE) for the PES group said that growth was stable but was under threat. He stressed the importance of the social dimension but cautioned against the "piece-meal approach" of the Council and the Commission. He underlined the importance of knowledge as a means of enabling opportunity. He warned against the Council and Commission ignoring the European Parliament as none of the official documents submitted to the European Council came from the European Parliament. Mr Schulz underlined the need to involve industry in the fight against climate change. Finally, Mr Schulz said that the Eastern dimension should be given equal weighting to the Mediterranean dimension.
For the ALDE group, Adina-IOANA VÃLEAN (RO) said that often rhetoric was greater than action at European Councils. Ms Valean stressed the importance of energy efficiency saying that earlier drafts of the Council conclusions had suggested that governments reduce by 10 per cent their carbon emissions but in the final conclusions read only "substantial progress". Ms Valean also cautioned against excessive optimism on the economic outlook given the US fundamentals. Most Member States had not reached the 3 per cent goal for Research and Development and the four freedoms had not yet been fully achieved in terms of free movement of people and services, hence talking of a fifth freedom of knowledge was somewhat premature.
Brian CROWLEY (IE) for the UEN said: "The reality is that the real barrier to growth is not the sub-prime market in the US but our inability to take risks and find innovation in crisis areas. At every stage of industrial development in the last 100 years, either the US or the EU has been at the core of new industry and upturns" But, he warned that by 2017, whereas 73% of the workforce will be people who are already at work today, only 10% of the technology we will be using is there now, so we need to invest in those new technologies now.
Rebecca HARMS (DE) for the Greens/EFA said: "I observed this summit for my group and my impression is that we are not pursuing ambitious innovative policies…What the Solana paper contained is a lot of truth but none of the valid points in that report were taken up at the summit". 'How can we talk of exceptions if we are to persuade others internationally to toe the line on climate change?", she asked. "We want proper emissions trading and we need to be standing up to lobbies from the steel and automobile industries."
Dimitrios PAPADIMOULIS (GUE/NGL, GR) emphasised the lack of success at the Summit and the weakness of various positions. He stressed that there are 70m impoverished people across the EU, including many children; many jobs are badly paid and precarious, and on climate change certain Member States have tried to undermine the package from the Commission.
Johannes BLOKLAND (IND/DEM, NL) welcomed the ambitious proposals for legislation on climate change. He stressed that it was important that the Council avoid taking steps which would make agreement with the Parliament at 1st reading impossible. He asked whether we could expect further proposals to develop the Lisbon strategy.
Roger HELMER (Non-attached, East Midlands, Conservative, UK) said that the Summit conclusions contained the usual clichés about SMEs and the need for a social dimension while ignoring issues such as over-taxation and the EU's inability to face up to the challenges of global competitiveness.
Author: European Parliament
