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EU a "safe haven from cold winds" of globalisation
May 16, 2006 5:12 PM
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in The European Parliament
By Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP in The European Parliament
Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - Mr President, what we learned from the Dutch and French referenda was that many people, sadly, see the EU as part of the threat of globalisation, rather than offering a safe haven from its colder winds. We need to stress how the EU offers both security in the classic sense and an internal strengthening and dynamism, which makes us able to compete in the world and deliver prosperity. The Commission action on mobile roaming charges is excellent, by the way.
I want to concentrate on security in the justice field. The single most visible demonstration of the EU's usefulness to my London constituents that I have experienced came last summer. Under European arrest warrants, a suspected murderer was brought back from Latvia in four weeks and a suspected terrorist back from Italy in six weeks. That was a real illustration of the EU delivering the increased security from crime and terrorism our citizens want. The British Conservatives, incidentally, are playing a weak hand on law and order in opposing the European arrest warrant. So I strongly support President Barroso's push to improve decision‑making on justice matters, with laws on police and judicial cooperation and legal migration progressed through more effective and democratic and open methods.
But the EU should also be united, solid and active on human rights. There is a lot of support for the EU playing a strong role in the world, promoting peace, democracy and the rule of law. But there has never been a Council common position or joint action under the CSFP calling for the closure of Guantánamo Bay or even just for the return of our own citizens and residents.
Recently, our Temporary Committee on Extraordinary Rendition heard Javier Solana say he had no power to check whether Member States were upholding their human rights commitments. I said that this conveyed a pathetic image of the EU. Now Tony Blair, far from leading a national debate on the benefits of Europe, is conniving disgracefully in a dangerous and populist attack by Conservatives and the media on the European Convention on Human Rights.
Let us concentrate on delivering a real citizens' Europe, security from terrorism and organised crime and from abuses of fundamental rights and discrimination, and promotion of Europe's soft power in the world.
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