Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-17-Speech-4-221"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000217.11.4-221"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Viceconte’s report is a very good piece of work in my view and I would like to congratulate the rapporteur warmly on it.
In view of its enormous employment potential, it is precisely the economically under-developed, or problem, regions of the EU that tourism will have an impact on in terms of stimulating local economic activity – agriculture, handicrafts, services, transport, trade, as well as education. In other words, it will be possible to set up regional economic cycles. It is extremely important, in this respect, to make the sustainability of measures and the protection of natural habitats in our environment our guiding principles. Small and medium-sized companies offering tourist services are perfectly suited to this, for they ensure that vacation and leisure facilities, health cure establishments and sporting activities are adapted in a harmonious manner to the natural environment.
Other aspects, such as the observation of non-discriminatory practices at the work place, which constitute a general principle to be applied in the implementation of Community policies, must be firmly established in the measures for supporting tourism in the various EU programmes. At the same time, special attention must be given to the specific issue of the high proportion of women employed, foreign and part-time workers, and appropriate assistance activities must be supported.
Experiences gained in the German Bundesland Brandenburg – where I come from, and which is one of the Objective 1 Regions of course – demonstrate that not only did targeted assistance for small tourist enterprises preserve or create jobs, it also enabled substantial progress to be made in the development of rural areas by promoting green tourism, for example taking conservation areas into account. And EU funds have also made a considerable contribution to this in the past.
He has succeeded in setting forth in a very lucid manner a field which is broad and difficult to pin down exactly; that of the economic, social, cultural, sporting and health-related activities in the sphere of tourism in all its many forms, taking into account the diverse requirements of the EU Member States. The difficulties attending dealings with the European dimension of tourism, and the support that the Council, the Commission and Parliament are required to provide, were clearly articulated.
What I consider to be particularly worthy of mention is the approach whereby we are to take our cue from the scale of the economic sector of tourism and its importance in employment terms in the EU, and deduce from this the need to create and apply a Community framework for activities.
Irrespective of the stalemate situation vis-à-vis the Council, the Commission should exploit the opportunities which also exist at present to develop elements of a European tourism policy. And these include the following: firstly, establishing strategic priorities for developing this sector; secondly, drawing up a list of criteria, which will make it possible for specific, tourism-related interests to be taken account of in the implementation phase of EU projects within the scope of the various programmes; and thirdly, seeking and establishing a suitable method for arriving at an interim solution for financing expenditure on coordination with Community measures in other policy areas – employment, the environment, structural funds, Community initiatives – until such time as a legal basis is adopted.
It is also absolutely vital for the Austrian Council Presidency’s compromise proposal concerning the adoption of a multi-annual framework programme to be put into practice as soon as possible. Of course this will mean that those Members of the Council who blocked its adoption will have to be urged in the strongest terms to think over their rejection of it and change their minds.
At the same time, the European Commission, as well as the Member States, could, and should, integrate the development of policy guidelines for the tourism sector into the drafting of a framework programme, or the two should be pursued in tandem. The Commission must make it its business to analyse the various national regulations and activities and extrapolate generalisations for the EU area on this basis. These can, and will, form a sound basis for the drafting of the EU framework conditions."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples