The EJC welcomes the condemnation yesterday by the Bureau of the European Parliament of the anti-Semitic brochure published by MEP Maciej Giertych, and congratulates President of European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering’s intitative to sanction the Polish MEP sanctions for violating principles held by the European Union.
“This gesture shows the determination of the European Parliament to not allow any of its members to violate the values on which the institution was founded” said the EJC spokesman.
According to a statement released by his office today, President Hans-Gert Pöttering. will be taking the first step towards sanctioning MEP Giertych for having violating the parliamentary Rules of Procedure and will also make sure that future publications from non-attached members would not be allowed to use the logo of the European Parliament.
MEP Giertych’s book entitled “Civilisations at War in Europe” was published with the logo of the European Parliament on the cover in February 2006.
Below, you will find today’s Statement by the President of the European Parliament:
Yesterday the Bureau of the European Parliament unanimously condemned the content of a brochure published by a non-attached Member Maciej Giertych (“Civilizations at War in Europe”). The Bureau has strongly condemned any statement founded on racial discrimination, xenophobia or anti-semitism violating the fundamental values of the European Union”, said Hans-Gert Pöttering.
The President, in accord with the Bureau, will invite Mr Giertych to a meeting with a view to hearing him. This is the first step in a procedure under Rule 147 of the Rules of Procedure which can lead to sanctions for violating the principles laid down in Rule 9 such as mutual respect and the respect of values and principles laid down in the basic texts on which the European Union is founded.
On a proposal of the President, the Bureau asked the Secretary-General to prepare for the Bureau an adaptation of the regulations so that in the future publications of non-attached members would not be allowed to use the logo of the European Parliament and would have to be clearly identified by the name of the member and an indication of their non-attached status.
Hans-Gert Pöttering, informed the Bureau at the beginning of the meeting that he had requested from the administration a clarification of the case of this brochure and in particular its financing and that he had been reassured that the European Parliament had not made a financial contribution to this publication.
