| s-201
| We support Mr Martin's report and we say one thing: quality not quantity! |
| s-202
| Contrary to the Commission proposals, we must preserve the current procedure known as the Article 43 procedure. |
| s-203
| That is the information I have on this type of activity. |
| s-204
| You have the floor, Mr Van Miert. |
| s-205
| Mr President, there has been considerable progress made with regard to the internal market for medicinal products. |
| s-206
| It will be borne by the consumers and will constitute an additional element of the price of electricity used. |
| s-207
| I should just like to confirm that the Commissioner and the French Minister for Europe are both agreed on that point. |
| s-208
| I was obviously anxious to hear the speech in full, |
| s-209
| In any case, I congratulate Mrs Thors on her French; I certainly can not speak in Swedish or Finnish. |
| s-210
| Once again, it is a question of habit. |
| s-211
| This also applies to charges on cross-border transfers. |
| s-212
| We have done so: on 5 February we published an extremely detailed press release dealing with the questions you have raised. |
| s-213
| I will bear in mind however, as these debates are of especial interest to me, that Spain has been particularly affected. |
| s-214
| Question No-46 by Christine Oddy (H-0002/99) |
| s-215
| I am pleased to confirm that the Commission has received the report to which the honourable Member refers. |
| s-216
| Mr Hatzidakis now has the floor for one minute, and his will be the last question to Mr van den Broek today. |
| s-217
| As regards the negotiations, you know the Commission's position. |
| s-218
| Question No-59 by Alex Smith (H-0045/99) |
| s-219
| I must confess I am totally surprised that the Commission was not aware of this report, given its sensitivity at this particular time. |
| s-220
| So I do not have a supplementary question, I just want to register my protest. |
| s-221
| My question is related to Mr Smith's question. |
| s-222
| It has always failed to deal with the real issue, namely the closing-down of Sellafield. |
| s-223
| I have sat here patiently and I find it quite extraordinary that you are not calling me. |
| s-224
| Instead of that, you called Mr Fitzsimons as a supplementary to Mr Smith. |
| s-225
| I have the impression that the honourable Member believes the public invitation to tender in connection with the tunnel has already started. |
| s-226
| The sitting was suspended at 7.15 p.m and resumed at 9 p.m. |
| s-227
| Common organisation of the market in wine (continuation) |
| s-228
| I also think that the Commission's proposals are better able to provide this guarantee of dynamic equilibrium. |
| s-229
| This also means that in several areas the report does not follow the liberal proposals made by the Commission. |
| s-230
| Everyone can see that the draft CAP reforms tend to become embedded in the rut defined by the Commission's too liberal tendencies. |
| s-231
| The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development is very attentive to the demands of the experts and of society. |
| s-232
| This is why we will be approving the report which has been presented to us. |
| s-233
| I hope that the debate on wine-growing will benefit the wine producer, the product and the consumer alike. |
| s-234
| More must be done to promote the product on the international markets. |
| s-235
| We are always talking about quality; well, I believe that quality also means giving priority to products wholly derived from the vine. |
| s-236
| Unfortunately, with respect, it shows an enormous ignorance of what actually happens to wine in those countries that it is shipped to. |
| s-237
| Ladies and gentlemen from both North and South, we must vote in favour of this report. |
| s-238
| Commissioner Brittan should know this. |
| s-239
| The appropriate forum for the settlement of this dispute is the World Trade Organisation. |
| s-240
| I therefore urge the German presidency to take whatever initiative is necessary in the Bonn EU/US summit in June. |
| s-241
| It is as if someone were to steal my wallet and I were then expected to sit down and negotiate with him. |
| s-242
| So, let us take the gloves off. |
| s-243
| We shall not only condemn them. |
| s-244
| It affects people and it reaches them at different times and on different issues. |
| s-245
| I can now give the floor to one speaker in favour and one against. |
| s-246
| A pirate electronic version is available but not in French. |
| s-247
| In addition to the Structural Funds and the common agricultural policy, the financing of the Community needs to undergo radical reform. |
| s-248
| President Santer rightly pointed out that financial reform is one of the main pillars of Agenda 2000. |
| s-249
| You can see that just by looking at the current discussions in the Council. |
| s-250
| Work that one out if you can! |
| s-251
| At the same time that one truly European own resource is waning rapidly in its importance. |
| s-252
| Yet, the good old traditional own resources are the cause of major headaches for control and concern about fraud. |
| s-253
| We have a system of own resources that is extremely complex and lacking in transparency. |
| s-254
| It makes life very difficult for Members, Commissioners and the press. |
| s-255
| At any rate, there is still quite a lot of circumvention and evasion in this area by the Member States. |
| s-256
| Mr President, I should also like to compliment Mrs Haug on her report. |
| s-257
| These are very fundamental points for the future. |
| s-258
| It is a question of appropriateness and of review. |
| s-259
| What policies and at what level? |
| s-260
| Only one thing can protect us from this unfortunate fate and that is the rule of unanimity. |
| s-261
| I should like to welcome Mrs Cresson and ask her to reply to Mr Valverde's question. |
| s-262
| Thank you very much. |
| s-263
| The premises you visited do not belong to the European Commission and the staff you met are not employed by the European Commission. |
| s-264
| I am unaware of the reasons behind this situation you describe though I can make an educated guess at them. |
| s-265
| Could you please explain it more clearly? |
| s-266
| What I have been hearing about the representative in Nicaragua is indicative that the project had not been properly closed down. |
| s-267
| I would like to make that crystal-clear. |
| s-268
| I am referring to the Rio Coco project. |
| s-269
| Mr Martin, please reply without engaging in a dialogue, as the Rules do not provide for one. |
| s-270
| Originally, a proposal was promised for the beginning of last year. |
| s-271
| I am grateful to the honourable Member for his question. |
| s-272
| I just hope that I will be invited to the opening ceremony because we worked damned hard to get it. |
| s-273
| Thank you, Mr Kinnock. |
| s-274
| Question No-44 by Bernie Malone (H-0209/99) |
| s-275
| European exports rose during that period but the situation has now been rectified. |
| s-276
| The only product of any significance is canned tomatoes, but even they account for no more than 7 -% of the market. |
| s-277
| For my part, I feel that the negotiations were balanced and that they open the way for achieving a sustainable market. |
| s-278
| You know yourself that the agreement with South Africa was held up because of the fisheries question, too. |
| s-279
| You have to take more into account the whole question of, not just giving aid, but fair trade. |
| s-280
| The overall amount was 6500 tonnes of canned tomatoes. |
| s-281
| We shall be discussing the new trends in consumption and trafficking and the prospects for the future. |
| s-282
| Many lives are wasted every year because of the depredations of the people-smugglers. |
| s-283
| We know for certain that those who try to reach the coast of Europe by sea from Morocco often meet a grim fate. |
| s-284
| In 1996, the EDU's mandate was extended to include the smuggling of human beings. |
| s-285
| We know that there are boats plying between Morocco and Spain and Gibraltar, and that the different authorities concerned are cooperating fully. |
| s-286
| What do you think are the target routes here? |
| s-287
| Question No-49 will therefore receive a written answer. |
| s-288
| We are closely monitoring the matter and should know whether the regime has been modified within the next few weeks. |
| s-289
| Secondly, the origin rules applicable to imports to third countries from the Community are still based on individual Member States. |
| s-290
| Detailed statistics on EU trade with Cuba are not available. |
| s-291
| I understand from sources in the Scottish industry that there is a major company involved in Norway at the moment. |
| s-292
| As I have said, 84 exporters have had the undertakings replaced by duties instead. |
| s-293
| This has led to the adoption of a common position on Burma and the withdrawal of GSP benefits. |
| s-294
| In this case we are talking about the market for processed meat products. |
| s-295
| I had therefore been hoping for a common sense reply, Commissioner, not a technical one. |
| s-296
| The directive is more modest. |
| s-297
| How could millions of customers be reimbursed if the charge had already been included in their electricity bills? |
| s-298
| Questions Nos 60 to 111 will therefore receive written answers. |
| s-299
| That concludes Question Time. |
| s-300
| For electoral reasons and in order to appeal to the masses, the subject has been brought up again. |