An interesting crossroads

Community action in economy and the environment; climate changes; the situation in Tibet; the future of Euro-Mediterranean partnership. Last week, the seat of the Euro-parliament in Brussels became an interesting crossroads of debates and meetings, starting from the extraordinary session of the Hemicycle of March 26 dedicated to the results of the latest EU summit, to the face-to-face with 2007 peace Nobel Prize winner Rajendra Pachauri, and the spokesperson of Tibet’s legislative assembly in exile Karma Chophel.EU, the next steps. Last week’s Parliamentary sitting had been requested to make an assessment on the outcome of the European Council, held March 13-14, along with a debate by MEPs, EU Council and Commission representatives. The focus of the session was the address delivered by Slovenian Premier Janez Jansa, who reported on past spring’s summit. “During the summit – he affirmed – we launched a new triennial ambitious and concrete cycle of the Lisbon Strategy”, aimed at increasing competitiveness and employment in Europe, keeping up with the 27’s single market challenges caused by international financial turbulence and targeted on knowledge and innovation. “We have also approved the basic principles and the skeleton-plan on the adoption of a climate-energy package”, viewed as crucial in a phase marked by worrying climate changes. Jansa finally presented a draft agreement envisaging “measures to stabilize financial markets” whose implementation is scheduled for the end of the year. He lastly described the Union for the Mediterranean proposal, which will be addressed in Paris on July 13. Tibet: the Dalai Lama in Brussels. The EU Parliament could not remain idle before Lhasa’s increasing tension and clashes between Tibetan population and Chinese authorities. The Assembly’s President, Hans-Gert Poettering, intervened in the debate claiming that “In the framework of the Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the Dalai Lama accepted the European Parliament’s invitation for the month of December”. However, given the present situation, “he is welcome to the Parliament any moment he should decide to visit us”. MEPs then discussed the difficult relations between China and Tibet. In EU seats there are also those who request total boycott of next summer’s Olympic Games, while others invoke the boycott of at least the opening ceremony. During Parliament debates, most speakers underlined the disrespect of human rights and of the freedom of expression in Tibet. Poettering himself claimed that the government of Beijing should “negotiate with the Dalai Lama in the full respect of China’s territorial integrity, in order to reach an agreement guaranteeing the cultural and religious identity of the Tibetan People”. China and the Olympic games. “Each responsible politician – Poettering added – should ask himself whether he should take part in the opening ceremony if Chinese leaders fail to seek dialogue and a compromise” with the Tibetan People. Janez Lenarcic, Secretary of State for European Affairs in Slovenia, urged both parties “to establish a constructive dialogue”. He also recalled that during a recent meeting of EU Sport Ministers “the majority voted against the boycott of the Olympic Games”, since these “could encourage the promotion of human rights in China”. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations, said that the Games “do not represent a political event”, asking that they be held “in full respect of the Olympic spirit, marked by the freedom of speech and the freedom of the media”. “Respecting Lhasa’s autonomy”. The President of the Tibetan assembly in exile Karma Chopel was present on the day of the sitting. In his meetings with MEPs and media representatives, Chopel explained the situation in his Country and asked Beijing’s government to put an end “to the violence against my People”, to release prisoners, and to respect freedoms and human rights. He also underlined the importance of the regular execution of the Olympic Games and of “not isolating China”. He voiced his hope that “this international event will bring to the true respect of individual freedoms and of the autonomy granted to Tibet”. The EU-Parliament seat also received last year’s Indian Peace Noble Prize winner Rajendra Pachauri, president of the International Panel on Climate Changes (IPCC), who urged the EU “to lead the fight against global warming”.