a of official certification of seed, at widening the scope of field inspections to all crops producing certified seed and at widening the scope of equivalence of EU seed to all types of seed produced in third countries – is a positive step and I believe that it does not harm the interests of Portuguese farmers and consumers. 
Ribeiro e Castro (PPE-DE ),
   . Following a long period of experimentation in the sampling and testing of seed, aimed at ascertaining whether such techniques may constitute alternatives to the official certification processes, it was concluded that it would be possible to simplify the procedures without significantly reducing the quality of seed.
Accordingly, the proposal for a directive, which covers four sectors of production (fodder plant seed, cereal seed, beet seed and the seed of oil and fibre plants), might contribute to the desired move towards simplification, and widen the scope of field inspections under official supervision to all crops and increase the scope of ‘equivalence’ of EU seed to all types of seed produced in third countries.
Given that the legislative amendments tabled in the proposal are intended to remove bureaucracy and that they are conducive to development, I voted in favour. 

Queiró (PPE-DE ),
   . I voted in favour of the reports by Mr Gauzes on taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments (Andorra and Liechtenstein), because I believe that by promoting the internal market and fair competition, it does not harm the general public’s freedom, and by means of these and other mechanisms, helps in the fight against money laundering. 
Ribeiro (GUE/NGL ),
   . We are aware of the pressure to accord tax sovereignty – the ability to raise taxes – to the EU, and are firmly opposed to this, because sovereignty in this area is an essential element of a country’s sovereignty. We are similarly aware of the dangers of progressive tax harmonisation, the aim of which is to move gradually along the path towards a federal Europe. We would never