Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-15-Speech-2-143"
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"en.20000215.8.2-143"2
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"Mr President, I would firstly like to congratulate Mrs Lienemann on the excellent work which she has presented and on her efforts in terms of overcoming the differences between us with regard to water.
The framework directive on water is a necessary initiative. Nevertheless, given that the idea of solidarity is central to the process of European construction, this directive must take into account the fact that water resources should be seen as a factor in social cohesion.
Nobody doubts that water is a resource of interest to all of us. However, in Spain and the other southern countries, which have an unusual climate, the management of water resources require political action in order to rationalise their use and other cooperative measures. Therefore, we believe that this framework directive should advocate a use of water which allows us to overcome territorial imbalances and, to this end, I ask that you support Amendment No 95, which has been presented by our group. We wish to ensure that Article 1 of the directive promotes the sustainable, efficient, fair and considerate use of water.
I am now going to briefly discuss the main issues on which the Spanish Socialist delegation differs somewhat from certain positions which have been expressed here.
One example is water transfers. We would prefer the future framework directive not to subject the implementation of transfers to Community supervision. We consider that, given the hydrological characteristics of Spain, where transfers of a structural nature are carried out, the authorities of the country should make decisions with regard to its own resources, and these decisions should, of course, always be taken in accordance with the quest for cohesion and the rational use of water.
With regard to one of the most controversial points of our debate, the application of tariffs, the Spanish Socialists have been arguing, in accordance with the principle that the polluter should pay, that the directive should propose policies on accessible prices for all levels of consumption. In Spain, a policy of full recuperation of water costs would clearly not have the same effect as in the countries of the centre and north of Europe. The Spanish would see an increase in the price of water for its different uses, owing to the scarcity of water resources and the internalisation of the environmental costs which will have to be met within the framework of the provisions of the directive.
We have therefore always argued for a progressive system of recuperation of costs. This system should take good account of social, environmental and economic effects, and its implementation should be modulated in accordance with differing geographical and climatic conditions.
We want to build a Europe with a sustainable and healthy environment. However, an environmental Europe cannot, in any circumstances, be built at different speeds, but must be built from a point of view of solidarity."@en1
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