This is why submission to the laws of audience ratings, large monopolies, depoliticisation of important subjects and over-politicisation of subjects concerning society are contrary to the role of the media as vectors of free information, liberated from all interests other than the common interest.

– (DE) Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, the previous debate has quite clearly shown that we have very many points of contact with Russia, and many of these points of contact also appear to be points of conflict: the situation in the Caucasus and Georgia and the issue of energy have been discussed many times, and finally also the issue of our common interests in the financial crisis, which has been brought up once again, and rightly so.

I endorse what Mr Solana told your House on 29 March on this subject, namely that the EU is not a defence alliance and that, in accordance with the treaties, sovereignty in this area remains with the Member States, although it has to be said that that does not mean that the EU is wholly unaffected by this matter; in view of the fact that the EU possesses a common foreign and security policy and a security and defence policy and that matters of common interest, among th ...[+++]em the relations between the EU and Russia, might be affected, it strikes me as important that the opportunity be found for a debate on this subject at EU level.

33. Insists that the further development of Kaliningrad as a future Russian enclave in the enlarged EU is of common interest and that the EU is ready to assist Russia in developing the region in order to bridge the social and economic gap between Kaliningrad and the surrounding area; recalls however its position taken in the recent Kaliningrad report, which calls on the Commission and Council, in full respect of the Schengen Agreement, to seek, together with Russia, Poland and Lithuania, to achieve a balance between the need solidly to secure the EU's external borders and the need to make visa a ...[+++]nd transit arrangements smooth for travel to and from Kaliningrad;

Member States shall ensure, where appropriate, consultation and cooperation between those authorities, and between those authorities and national authorities entrusted with the implementation of competition law and national authorities entrusted with the implementation of consumer law, on matters of common interest.

I am nevertheless convinced that, although Parliament and the Council would seem to take different approaches to these issues, they actually have common objectives and interests which could see agreement being reached.