In February, the European Parliament established a temporary committee to "study the impact of the German unification process on the European Community." Alan John Donnelly (UK, S) is designated as rapporteur at the first meeting on 1 March 1990. Gerardo Fernández-Albor (SP, EPP) was the President of the committee and as Vice-President were designated Simone Veil (FR, LDR) and Kirsten Jensen (DK, S). The temporary committee duties are performed over nine months between March and December 1990. During this period, it is somehow the "hub" of all parliamentary activities on German unification.

BARÓN CRESPO, Enrique (PSE, ES)

DONNELLY, Alan John (PSE, UK)

FERNÁNDEZ-ALBOR, Gerardo (EPP, ES)

Temporary Committee on German Unification: extracts from the debate in plenary session

Title: Temporary Committee on German Unification: extracts from the debate in plenary session (04/04/1990)

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Enrique BARON CRESPO, EP President, "I give the floor to the Chairman of the Temporary Committee on German Unification"

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Gerardo FERNANDEZ-ALBOR, MEP, ES, EPP, Chairman of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to begin by thanking those whose idea it was to set up the Temporary Committee responsible for investigating the impact of the process of German unification on the European Community, a committee it is my honour to chair and which will enhance the importance of this Parliament, as we all would wish."

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Gerardo FERNANDEZ-ALBOR, MEP, ES, EPP, Chairman of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "18 March saw the first democratic elections to be held in the German Democratic Republic for almost 60 years, and shortly before that we witnessed with joy the opening up of the Berlin Wall, the Wall of Shame, the old symbol of the division of Europe which could not and was not to last. Today we are contemplating with immense satisfaction the process of German unification, a process that the Community supports, and to which it can make and wishes to make an important contribution, in the sure knowledge that the GDR will enhance the present and the future of the Community project."

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Gerardo FERNANDEZ-ALBOR, Chairman , "I wish to end, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, by conveying to you all a message of hope. A hope born of the events of 9 November in Berlin, that in our hands lies the power to speed up the course of history. Let us, then, show ourselves worthy of our glorious predecessors, and let us quickly build that cultural home, the defender of humankind, of its dignity, of its progress, of its social welfare, the defender, in short, of its freedom. That Europe we dream of, that great, beautiful and wondrous homeland." (Applause)

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Gerardo FERNANDEZ-ALBOR, Chairman , "I ask for transparency in the process and I hope that the Commission will present Parliament with the indispensable minimum of studies necessary to enable us to ascertain the consequences of unification. As Chairman of the Temporary Committee, I hope it will be the vehicle for closer cooperation with the other Community institutions, and that it will be kept constantly and promptly informed of work in progress."

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Gerardo FERNANDEZ-ALBOR, Chairman of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "I wish to end, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, by conveying to you all a message of hope. A hope born of the events of 9 November in Berlin, that in our hands lies the power to speed up the course of history. Let us, then, show ourselves worthy of our glorious predecessors, and let us quickly build that cultural home, the defender of humankind, of its dignity, of its progress, of its social welfare, the defender, in short, of its freedom. That Europe we dream of, that great, beautiful and wondrous homeland." (Applause)

SOUNDBITE (English), Alan John DONNELLY, MEP, UK, S, Raporteur of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "It is crucial that in the debate on German unification there is consistency in a number of other areas. It is very important that the leaders in the Federal Republic and also the new government in the German Democratic Republic are consistent in the things that they say on German monetary union. We do not want confused signals coming either from sovereign states at the moment on that question. It is important that the leaders in the two German States are consistent in what they have to say on social compensation and the social dimension which will be introduced in parallel with German monetary union. It is important that what they say and how they act on the question of security is consistent and that we do not get conflicting statements or changes in emphasis during the next few months. Of course, Mr President, it is vital that on the issue of the German borders there is absolute consistency from now on, particularly on the German and Polish border."

SOUNDBITE (English), Alan John DONNELLY, MEP, UK, S, Raporteur of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "I think we have had clarification on that from the Federal Republic. However, I think in determining consistency it is very important that the Federal Republic of Germany listens carefully to its partners in the European Community and that it listens carefully to the European Community institutions themselves."

SOUNDBITE (English), Alan John DONNELLY, MEP, UK, S, Raporteur of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "I think that we have also got to look at the question of how the European Community responds now in the interim period, in the period immediately after the election and how we respond and give signals to the people of the GDR so that they realize that we are going to welcome them into an enlarged Community."

SOUNDBITE (English), Alan John DONNELLY, MEP, UK, S, Raporteur of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "Clearly, many Community laws will require amendment. Many issues will need to be addressed by this Community. Therefore on 28 April, when you attend the summit meeting in Dublin and when the Commission put forward their proposals to the Council, I hope those proposals will set out a very clear strategy on how the Community will be involved."

SOUNDBITE (English), Alan John DONNELLY, MEP, UK, S, Raporteur of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "The meeting on 28 April, Mr President, is crucial. It is important that the Council and the Commission do not see that summit meeting simply as some sort of grand discussion where people can make great speeches and allow the process to go along in a confused and unprepared way. If we give out ambiguous statements on the German unification process we will lose the support of the people of the Community and that would be dangerous and sad at this time."

SOUNDBITE (English), Alan John DONNELLY, MEP, UK, S, Raporteur of the Temporary Committee on German Unification, "We can use German unification is a springboard to developing the Community and ensuring that we have a proper role in the world in the future. Thank you." (Applause)