PE-DN/05/114
DAILY NOTEBOOK
Published by the
Directorate for the Media
Director: José Manuel
LIBERATO
Monday
Strasbourg, 9-12 May 2005
Editor: Richard Freedman
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
60th anniversary of World War II

Commission statement - Justice for the
McCartney Family
Editor:
Richard Freedman
Secretariat:
Sarah Donohoe
Close:
7pm
Internet:
http://www.europarl.eu.int
PE 349.817
Monday, 9-12 May 2005
Codes for parliamentary procedures
Reports and recommendations
Resolutions and oral questions
Documents of other institutions
Consultation procedure
Cooperation procedure (1st reading)
Cooperation procedure (2nd reading)
Assent procedure
Codecision procedure (1st reading)
Codecision procedure (2nd reading)
Codecision procedure (3rd reading)
A series
B series
C series
*
**I
**II
***
***I
***II
***III
Abbreviations
- Political groups: see next page
BE
CZ
DK
DE
EE
EL
ES
FR
IE
Belgium
Czech Republic
Denmark
Germany
Estonia
Greece
Spain
France
Ireland
IT
CY
LV
LT
LU
HU
MT
NL
AT
Italy
Cyprus
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Hungary
Malta
Netherlands
Austria
PL
PT
SI
SK
FI
SE
UK
Poland
Portugal
Slovenia
Slovakia
Finland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Conversion rates
1 euro = £ sterling 0.68 as at 09.05.2005
2
PE 349.817
Monday, 9-12 May 2005
Political groups in the European Parliament
Situation as at: 09.05.2005
EPPED
PES
BE
6
7
CZ
14
2
DK
1
5
DE
49
23
EE
1
3
EL
11
8
ES
24
24
FR
17
31
IE
5
1
IT
24
16
CY
3
LV
3
LT
2
2
LU
3
1
HU
13
9
MT
2
3
NL
7
7
AT
6
7
PL
19
10
PT
9
12
SI
4
1
SK
8
3
FI
4
3
SE
5
5
UK
28
19
Total 268
202
ALDE
6
4
7
2
Greens
/ EFA
2
1
13
2
11
1
12
1
1
7
1
2
3
6
5
4
2
2
GUE / IND /
NGL
DEM
UEN
6
1
7
1
1
4
1
3
1
7
2
1
3
1
4
1
NA
3
1
1
7
4
9
4
4
2
1
2
4
2
10
7
3
4
3
2
3
5
3
12
88
1
1
5
42
1
2
1
41
3
10
36
27
3
28
Total
24
24
14
99
6
24
54
78
13
78
6
9
13
6
24
5
27
18
54
24
7
14
14
19
78
732
Political groups
EPP-ED
PES
ALDE
GREENS/EFA
GUE/NGL
IND/DEM
UEN
NA
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Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats (includes the
British Conservatives, the one Ulster Unionist MEP and Fine Gael from Ireland)
Socialist Group in the European Parliament (includes the British Labour MEPs and the one Irish Labour
Party MEP)
Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (includes the British Liberal Democrats and
one independent MEP from Ireland)
Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (includes the British Greens, the Scottish National Party and
Plaid Cymru)
Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (includes the two Sinn Fein MEPs)
Independence and Democracy Group (includes 10 UKIP MEPs and one independent MEP from Ireland)
Union for Europe of the Nations Group (includes the Irish Fianna Fail Members)
Non-attached MEPs
3
Monday, 9-12 May 2005
STATEMENTS
60th Anniversary of World
War II
09.05.2005
The President of the European Parliament
Josep BORRELL opened the session by
commemorating the 60th anniversary of the
ending of the Second World War in Europe.
He recalled the horrors of war "regions had
been reduced to rubble, 60 million people
dead and 30 million displaced people". He
further recalled that the war had continued
until 16 August 1945 in the Pacific.
Europe, he said, had been destroyed.
Following Yalta, the continent was divided
and only half of Europe had benefited from
"peace and freedom." Europe's reunification
process, celebrated in Strasbourg, had meant
that such a war could never happen again.
The European Parliament, he said, was
commemorating three events: 55 years of
European integration, 60 years since the end
of the Second World War and one year since
enlargement of the EU or the reunification of
Europe. Today, he said, should be about
remembering and it marked a new era for
Europe. Citizens, he said, expected a lot from
Europe, action beyond guaranteeing peace.
The statement was followed by an
interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach's
Chaconne from the Second Partita for solo
violin in D minor, by Baiba SKRIDE, the
young Latvian professional violinist who won
first prize at the Queen Elisabeth International
Music Competition (Brussels) in 2001. She
played the Stradivarius "Wilhelmj" violin
made in 1725.
Ms Skride had been invited not only because
of her qualities as a violinist but also because,
as a citizen of one of the European Union's
new Member States, her presence highlights
the message of a reunited Europe.
4
JUSTICE AND HOME
AFFAIRS
Justice for the McCartney
Family
Commission statement McCartney Family
Debate : 09.05.2005
Vote : Tuesday, 10.05.2005
Justice
for
the
Commissioner Stavros DIMAS stated that the
Commission condemned the murder of
Robert McCARTNEY. He welcomed and
supported the campaign for justice carried out
by the family. He expressed his admiration
and solidarity for the campaign. He recalled
that the Commission could not interfere in the
legal process but trusted that the investigation
would lead to the full truth. The campaign,
he said, was not about revenge but about
justice.
Avril DOYLE (EPP-ED, IE) welcomed the
McCartney family representatives to the
Chamber, saluting Robert McCartney's sisters
and partner for their courageous, dignified
and determined search for justice. "This
killing was ordered by a commander in the
Belfast brigade of the IRA. It was no minor
bar room brawl - rather it bore all the
hallmarks of an IRA killing." She said the
IRA had ruthlessly intimidated and covered
up to protect those responsible - and the code
of silence was still not broken. Mrs Doyle
called on the leadership of Sinn Fein to
ensure witnesses cooperate with the police
service or the ombudsman. She described as
barbaric the IRA's offer to shoot the
perpetrators. This showed, she said, how few
lessons the IRA had learned about the rule of
law and democracy.
Marian HARKIN (ALDE, IE) gave a warm
welcome to the McCartney family saying
they should have the strongest possible
support in their quest for justice. The murder,
the intimidation and the forensic clean up had
outraged all those who believed in justice and
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Monday, 9-12 May 2005
democracy. She said the peace process in
Northern Ireland required willingness on all
sides for dialogue and power sharing.
Jean LAMBERT (Greens/EFA, UK) also
welcomed the family. She raised the case of
Brian Douglas, who had, she said, died at the
hands of the police - his family were still
waiting for justice. She condemned the
misplaced loyalty and the fear of
consequences which led to silence in such
cases, handing the rule of law over to thugs.
She said there could be no place for
paramilitary justice in any section of the
community. Her group supported the spirit of
the resolution, despite doubts about EU
funding for a civil case in this matter.
Kathy SINNOTT (IND/DEM, IE) said she
was speaking not as a politician but as an
individual: "I beseech those present to come
forward to bring justice to the family." This,
she said, would enable the family to grieve
and find closure after this horrific killing.
Brian CROWLEY (UEN, IE) also welcomed
the family. He spoke of the malicious intent
of those who acted under instructions to take
out and kill Robert McCartney and prevent
him getting any help from the emergency
services, then clean up the evidence. He said
the McCartney family had done something
extraordinary in uniting people across
countries and political divides.
It was
incumbent on those with influence to give up
the perpetrators to police and prosecution and
allow justice to prevail.
Jim ALLISTER (NA, UK) saluted the
family's courage. He said the IRA had
always used fear and intimidation as a key
weapon. Mr Allister said it was an IRA
leader who gave the order to kill and a senior
Sinn Fein official who wielded the knife, with
an IRA unit conducting the clean up
operation. He rejected as spurious Sinn Fein's
expulsion of a number of members, when
those responsible were still strutting the
streets of Belfast. He challenged the Sinn
Fein MEPs to use their influence to get three
individuals, who he listed by name, to tell the
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authorities what they knew. Finally, he
supported the use of EU funds to help pursue
a civil case if criminal prosecution could not
be achieved.
James NICHOLSON (PPE, UK) welcomed
the McCartney family to the Chamber and the
opportunity for debate. He fully supported the
family's campaign for justice. He rejected the
collusion of IRA members in the clean-up
operation following the murder. He said that
witnesses had been intimidated and were
afraid to come forward to the Northern
Ireland Police Service. He supported the joint
draft resolution which offers financial
assistance to the McCartney family in the
case of a civil trial.
Gary TITLEY (PES, UK) stated that the
Parliament had been a long standing
supporter of the peace process in Northern
Ireland. He rejected those movements that
justified their illegal activities by "political
quarrels". He condemned the wall of silence
surrounding the murder comparing it to mafia
activities elsewhere. Murders had been
carried out not only by nationalists but also
on the Unionist side but today was a
discussion about the McCartney case. He too
welcomed the draft joint resolution and the
possibility of EU financing for a civil trial.
Bairbre de BRUN (GUE/EVN, UK) said that
she supported a free and fair trial. She
recalled that Sinn Féin President Gerry
ADAMS had called on those responsible to
come forward. She stated that 12 members of
her party had been suspended. Of those 12,
two had been expelled, four had resigned and
the six others remained suspended. She said
that she had met the McCartney sisters on a
previous occasion and called for those
responsible to speak to the Northern Ireland
Police Service.
Eoin RYAN (UEN, IE) said that the guilty
men were still walking the streets of Belfast.
The question now, he said, was who
controlled the IRA. He was appalled that
there was no justice for the McCartney family
5
Monday, 9-12 May 2005
and he too supported possible EU financing
for legal fees.
Simon COVENEY (EPP-ED, IE) stated that
there had been many brutal murders across
Northern Ireland over recent years. The
world, he said, had condemned the savage
murder. He stated that there were 70 to 80
witnesses who had not come forward due to
intimidation. He recalled the detailed cleanup operation and intimidation of witnesses
that had led to the injustice. Sinn Fein and the
IRA had not done enough to bring about
justice. He called for impunity to be ended
and for Northern Ireland to set an example to
the rest of the world in terms of its justice
system.
Proinsias DE ROSSA (PES, IE) stated that
the McCartney campaign was about finding
justice. He condemned the politically
motivated statements by the IRA offering to
murder the murderers and for the detailed
clean-up operation carried out after the
murder. The IRA, he said, must stop its
criminal activities in Northern Ireland, the
Republic of Ireland and the UK which only
served to finance their illegal activities. The
Charter of Fundamental Rights within the
new Constitution for Europe upheld many
rights of fair trial which the IRA was clearly
flouting. He welcomed the joint draft
resolution and condemned the GUE/NGL
resolution.
Liam AYLWARD (UEN, IE) stated that as
an Irish republican he condemned those who
used that term as justification for violence.
He condemned the IRA for refusing to
cooperate with the police investigation and
for their refusal to offer names to the police
service.
In the response to the debate, Commissioner
Dimas expressed once more his deep
admiration for the McCartney family and
recalled that the Commission had been a
supporter of the peace process in Northern
Ireland offering some €760 million from 2000
to 2006.
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PE 349.817