AN emergency debate on the Northern Ireland peace process and the London bombing is to be held tomorrow in the European Parliament. The parliament president, Mr Claus Haensch, said yesterday acts of violence would not stop the parliament supporting the Irish peace process.
Speaking at the opening of this week's session of the parliament in Strasbourg, he broke with precedent and made a statement on behalf of the parliament condemning "acts of terror".
As well as condemning the Canary Wharf bombing, he also singled out the killing of a Spanish socialist lawyer by Basque separatists last week.
Violence and terror should have no place in the Community, he said. Violence would not stop the parliament supporting the peace process and any attack on that process would be answered by the House.
He repeated what he said a year ago when the parliament gave its support to the peace process in Northern Ireland that violence only increased problems, and did not solve them.
When Mr Haensch finished, Fine Gael's Ms Mary Banotti offered her sympathy to the victims of the London bombing. She spoke of the "deep mourning" in Ireland and of "spontaneous and heartfelt" demonstrations throughout Ireland.
Both the Irish and British governments had serious differences which they were trying to solve politically, she said. She appealed to MEPs to continue to support the peace process.
Mr Haensch criticised Ms Banotti for speaking, saying he had made a statement on behalf of all groups in the parliament. In that case, no one else should make a statement.
But the parliament agreed a motion, proposed by Dublin MEP Ms Bernie Malone of Labour, that a debate be held tomorrow and that it will be addressed by a representative of the Council of Ministers, probably the Italian Foreign Minister, Ms Suzanna Agnelli.
Proposing the debate, Ms Malone said she hoped the bombing represented only a hitch in the process and that it would be back on track soon.
It is expected a statement will also be made concerning the London bombing by a member of the European Commission.
