What we need is to have statesmen at the helm of our Member States and not politicians who only live for the moment.

(B) Whereas this sector was severely hit by several effects of the financial crisis resulting in an almost complete halt of new orders and cancellations of existing orders to up to 40% (MAN Diesel) related to the expectation that in the framework of globalisation the shipbuilding industry will move to low cost areas, mainly in Asia, which have been increasing their market share spectacularly in the years leading up to the crisis.

44. Recalls that, following the conclusions of the Copenhagen European Council, significant amounts of EU funding will be allocated in the new Member States; notes that it will be imperative to ensure that auditing in the new Member States is brought closer to auditing practices in current Member States; welcomes the efforts of the Court over the previous years to increase cooperation with audit authorities in the new Member States; invites the Court to continue its efforts also with a view to facilitating the establishment of a single audit system in the European Union, as this will improve the use of resources, avoid duplication and ...[+++] contribute to a more effective audit of European funding;

3. Firmly believes that the ICC States Parties and Signatory States are obliged under international law not to defeat the object and purpose of the Rome Statute, under which, according to its Preamble, "the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished" and that States Parties are obliged to cooperate fully with the Court, in accordance with Article 86 of the Rome Statute, thus preventing them from entering into immunity agreements which remove certain citizens from the States" or the ...[+++]International Criminal Court's jurisdictions, undermining the full effectiveness of the ICC and jeopardising its role as a complementary jurisdiction to the State jurisdictions and a building block in collective global security;

(b) A "framework contract", for works, is a public contract between a contracting authority and an economic operator about maintenance works or repetitive works, determining the comprehensive volume of works to be performed – included between a minimum and a maximum – as well as the prices, with the works being performed on the basis of orders during a given period.

Despite increased ordering activity in the first 8 months of this year due to favourable market conditions in liquid bulk shipping (crude oil and oil products), and to the development of new innovative ship concepts (very large container ships), ship prices have not recovered from the massive drop since 1997, although there are some signs of improvement compared with the low levels at the end of 1999.