Strasbourg, 06/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - During the general debate on Wednesday, at the last session of the legislative period (which was attended by President Chissano of Mozambique and Princess Victoria of Sweden, on the public benches), several new MEPs took the opportunity to put specific questions to Romano Prodi and various Commissioners, or voice their hopes and fears. You are all liberals, you can see that poverty still exists, "demoralisation throughout Europe", said Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper (Polish independent), stressing: no communism, no capitalism, we must find a new social model Several MEPs- such as the Pole Piotr Gadzinowski- complained about restrictions imposed upon the free movement of workers from the new Member States, and President Prodi replied: the Commission is "absolutely against" these measures, which are "wrong and serve no purpose", and it hopes that they are abolished as soon as possible. Nelly Maes (Greens/EFA, Belgium) said: these days, I have seen many men and very few women among the new MEPs. Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock replied by reminding her of the European Commission's policy of equality, with President Prodi's personal commitment. I recently met the Commission of the African Union, and their delegation included as many women as men, said Romano Prodi, adding: I have to say that "I am a little ashamed".
Glenys Kinnock (Labour, UK) voiced her concerns at the fate of the EU's development policy after enlargement, and got three answers. From Romano Prodi: Africa "rests on our shoulders", others have their role to play as well, but Africa is one of our responsibilities. Pascal Lamy, Commissioner for Trade, told her: I was in Dakar yesterday, "with the least developed countries", who expressed their fears about enlargement, and I told them the accession of ten new Member States meant "markets opening up to them", with some 70 million potential new customers. Michaele Schreyer, Budget Commissioner, said: in the preliminary draft budget for 2005, for the first time "we have crossed the "magical boundary" of a billion EUR". Jason Azzopardi (EPP-ED, Malta) pleaded in favour of a greater role for Europe in the Middle East, and for a "genuine Mediterranean policy", and Romano Prodi assured him that this was a priority for the Commission, saying: we have economic dialogue with the countries of the region (and I hope that we will create "the bank", he commented), and a cultural dialogue too (and we are going to create a cultural foundation, he added). British Conservative Charles Tannock and Polish Socialist Piotr Gadzinowski called upon the EU to open itself up to Moldova, and Romano Prodi replied that this country was among those targeted in the neighbourhood policy, and that it would not "remain isolated and out in the cold". This policy, the realisation of which will "take decades", will create "soft security" in the region, which is something we all need. The former Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis (EPP-ED) asked about the future of Kaliningrad, and Mr Prodi was at pains to reassure him: we have discussed this with Russia, and we hope to go from "simple neighbourliness to a strong policy of co-operation". This policy would also include a cultural plank, Mr Prodi told the MEP, who asked if there were any plans to commemorate Kant and Kalinine, the city's two most famous sons.