Speeches

Sarah Ludford author. − Madam President the Liberal Group in the European Parliament has always been supportive of the European Arrest Warrant because of its importance in the fight against serious cross-border crime. However simultaneously my group has always pointed out that the European Arrest Warrant system would be incomplete without advancing procedural defence rights in Europe. We have constantly criticised the Council for not progressing that agenda on the basis of the Commission's comprehensive proposal.

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - Madam President it is untenable to say that the constitution of a Member State is a matter only for itself. The Treaties in Articles 6 and 7 make it crystal clear not only that the Union and the Member States share certain values but that the Commission has the duty to police respect for those values.

I wholly subscribe to what my colleague Renate Weber eloquently said: I do think it a bit rich for those of the same political persuasion as the ruling Fidesz party in Hungary to accuse critics of that constitution of being politically inspired. Many of the provisions of this constitution are very partisan such as the omission of protection of gay people from discrimination and the giving of extra votes to mothers.

Question by Sarah Ludford MEP:

Subject: Schengen evaluations and the possible suspension mechanism

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - I will stick to the topic. The Commission yesterday adopted a strong package of reports and measures on fighting the corruption that is costing the EU EUR 120 billion per annum - roughly equivalent to the total EU budget - but eight Member States score less than five out of ten on the Transparency International index. The Commission says implementation of anti-corruption instruments is unsatisfactory.

Question by Sarah Ludford MEP to European Commissioner for Cooperation Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Kristalina Georgieva on Civilian and military disaster response:

The conflict in Libya has shown the importance of Europe's ability to mobilise a range of resources for rapid reaction.

What is the Commission's assessment of the EU's progress in its ability to draw on both military and humanitarian capabilities in a coordinated way?

Has the suggestion of a permanent body to coordinate both civilian and military disaster response from the EU and Member States made any headway?

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - Madam President like others I think that Commissioner Malmström is doing a very good job but I also feel in view of President Barroso's robust defence of Schengen free movement today that I do not really understand how the notion could possibly have taken hold that the Commission's proposed EU-level mechanism is going to make it easier to reintroduce internal border controls. Yet that notion has taken hold. It could not possibly be could it that different messages are being sent to different audiences one to MEPs maybe one to Paris and Rome? The EU's migration and asylum pressures ought to be capable of effective management by competent governments.

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - A year ago in Haiti there was a feeling that the EU was slow off the mark in disaster and humanitarian relief. Are you satisfied by the degree of operational coordination between the EU and Member States in the recent emergencies especially in Japan?

What has happened since the Commission communication of three years ago on reinforcing the Union's disaster response capacity which said that we needed greater coherence and effectiveness for a more integrated EU disaster response capacity?

In particular has recent experience in Japan and a rather different one in North Africa helped to advance Commission thinking on whether we need an EU rapid reaction mechanism for humanitarian disaster and reconstruction aid?

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - Madam President efficient management coherence solidarity responsibility: these are supposed to be the foundations of an EU common immigration policy. Contrast this with the actual record of the EU over the last decade which deserves a score of about three out of ten. This is not the fault of the Commission which has produced a stream of policies and proposed laws but largely of the Member States. It is time to get off the reactive and chaotic back foot and onto the proactive well-managed front foot. Maybe we could benefit from looking at a country like Canada and especially its policies on legal migration.

Sarah Ludford on behalf of the ALDE Group. - Madam President I hope very much that Lithuania will learn from the experience in the UK which went through its own agonies of having a law which banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools. David Cameron then Conservative leader and now Prime Minister said 18 months ago that his party was wrong in its support for that 1988 law which was subsequently repealed. Indeed David Cameron predicted that the first openly gay Prime Minister in the UK would be a Tory. We will see but that is what he predicted.

Sarah Ludford (ALDE). - Madam President I join those who have praised and welcomed the report by my colleague Jelko Kacin and I thoroughly agree with his remarks that Serbia's future lies in the European Union and that Serbia will become an important player in guaranteeing security and stability in the Western Balkans region.