Jeg er overbevist om, at enhver formand for Rådet med stolthed kunne have modtaget enhver NGO, hvis Den Europæiske Union her havde handlet i fællesskab, og at NGO 'erne også lige så gerne ville have besøgt ethvert statsoverhoved i et nationalt land, hvis de havde vidst, at Den Europæiske Union havde talt med én stemme.
I am convinced that any President of the Council could have been proud to receive any NGO if the European Union had acted in unison here and that the NGOs would have been just as happy to visit any national president if they had known that the European Union had spoken with one voice.