Brussels, 21/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - Fulfilling his pledge at the start of his term of office, European Parliament (EP) President Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) delivered a speech on Wednesday 20 October reviewing his first 15 months in office and setting out his intentions for the remainder of his mandate. Energy policy, recovery from the economic crisis, solidarity, human rights, women's rights, external relations, institutional change and the EU 2011 budget are the eight priorities which shape and will continue to shape his leadership of the EP.
Insisting on a “Community method” which should typify decision-making in the EU, Buzek said that energy security must go hand in hand with protecting the climate. He also hoped that the “European Energy Community” for which he argued in a joint statement with Jacques Delors on 5 May (see EUROPE 10133) would become a “reference sign” for every initiative in this area. “An extra boost has to be given to bring all action under a common sign,” Buzek said, adding that more work was still needed for the “energy market to operate like a common market”.
He also announced that he would like to put in place “an effective human rights instrument” using the network of Sakharov Prize winners and former EP presidents. Human rights activists may be reassured: “We are concerned about what happens to them,” he stated, noting that he had not hesitated to raise the issue of “murdered human rights activists and journalists” in his meeting with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
Describing MEPs as “ambassadors for democracy”, Buzek stated that, over the last 15 months, the EP had strengthened “parliamentary diplomacy”. He added that it was time that the EU paid more attention to the protection of human rights and democracy in trade contacts with third countries. With regard to next year's EU budget, Buzek warned against “reductions which are the result of populist slogans”. “Reductions must not be at the expense of citizens,” he said, insisting especially on the importance of Community funding in the areas of “education, research and infrastructure investment”. (A.By./transl.rt)