Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-17-Speech-4-104"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2000-02-17"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:VOTE2
dcterms:Language	"it"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20000217.4.4-104"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2000-02-17-Speech-4-1052
lpv:speaker	lp:Armando Cossutta2
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Partito dei Comunisti Italiani (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee (1999-09-29--2002-01-14)3 member; EUL/NGL (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; AFCO (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3
lpv:translated text	"On behalf of the Italian Communists, I would like to express great dissatisfaction at the contents of the document, which was expected to define the strategic guidelines for Europe up until the year 2005. Employment: for many years now, the connection between economic growth and an increase in employment has not been borne out by reality, and yet, despite the fact that it has been proved to be useless, the same recipe is being put forward again as a solution to the acute problem of unemployment. And yet our President is a fine economist. Pensions: The document states that, ‘Member States must remain responsible for modernising social protection systems’, and yet the Commission itself intervened in the case of Italy, repeatedly calling for swift changes to the pension system to reduce rights and decrease pension payments. And yet President Prodi himself gave firm guidance to the Italian Government during those years and is therefore aware of the nature and extent of the sacrifices demanded of our fellow citizens and which they made in order to sign up to the euro, and he is aware of the major role played by Italy in European development. For this very reason, we cannot agree to cut pensions further. There is an agreement on this issue which provides for a review in 2001 and this must not take place one moment sooner. What is more, the relevant cost dynamic is completely under control. I would therefore ask the Commission to please refrain from taking this unacceptable ideological approach and making such declarations which create instability and uncertainty among the citizens. I referred to the case of Italy, not only because the President is very familiar with it, but because Community statistics (Eurostat) themselves reveal that not only has Italy’s welfare expenditure – currently 25.9% – been below the Community average (28.2%) since 1990, but that it has also been well below that of countries considered to be doing well, such as Germany (29.9%) and France (30.8%). Europe’s role: we first need to emphasise that Europe rejects war as an instrument for resolving international conflict: only then can we talk of the ‘military’ role of the Union. Agriculture and health: we see the issue differently from the Commission: in our view there are no consumers: there are only citizens who want to eat healthy food – products which are not designed for competitiveness but health, quality and respect for the environment. Moreover, these are factors which create employment."@en1

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