Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-23-Speech-1-101"
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"en.20001023.9.1-101"2
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"Mr President, I should like to thank Mrs Riis-Jørgensen for her contribution and for her cooperation in relation to these two reports. They have been taken in joint debate because common issues apply. I endorse much of the agenda that has been set by Mrs Riis-Jørgensen.
I should like to begin somewhat unusually by congratulating the Commission on a document it published back in June 1999 – the Community rules on state aid, what I might call the "idiot's guide" to the operation of the state aid scheme. It is helpful in that it sets out the Treaty provisions, the definitions of state aid and also the exemptions from the ban on state aid. In the course of preparing my report, I have had to struggle with that particular conundrum. There are those in this House who will wish to emphasise the exemptions; however, I wish to make it clear that for the most part the operation of state aid works against free competition within a single market.
The single market is essential in terms of promoting the interests of consumers. They must have a wide variety of high-quality, competitively priced goods and that, ultimately, is the reason for pushing forward with the single market and, along with it, free competition, because it is to the benefit of all our citizens.
Turning now to the eighth survey: although there has been a reduction in the overall level of state aid during the period concerned, this can in fact be attributed to a minority of Member States and, taken overall, ten Member States have seen levels of state aid increase. I know that is a matter of concern to the Commissioner and it is certainly a concern I share. I therefore welcome the indications we have received from the Commissioner that he anticipates that by July of next year we will be seeing progress in relation to the delivery of a state aid scoreboard and register. That is important in terms of the need for transparency. I would ask him how he sees the debate on enlargement in view of the fact that, on the one hand, we must ensure that we have a common regime across all states within the European Union and, on the other hand, it must be the case that some of the candidate countries have particular difficulties in adjusting to new open market conditions.
I would also make the point to Commissioner Monti that it is important that in the next survey we see a rather larger section on the financial services sector. I should like to congratulate him on a speech he made in Barcelona in September – and I am very grateful to his staff for sending a copy of the speech to me – devoted as it was to his view on the synergy between state aid control and the financial services sector.
But in due course we must see rather more of that in the state aid report itself. I also would wish to see changes in the way that the state aid report is put together in order to ensure it is able to take account of future developments. For instance, during the period of time of this report, no state aid was given to the coal sector in the UK and yet we all know that significant aid is currently being proposed by the UK Government.
I should like to say in that context that I am very strongly of the view, as is the steel industry in very many parts of the European Union, that the steel aid code, which it is not planned to extend beyond 2002, needs to remain in place in order that all businesses are aware, in the current difficult circumstances for the steel industry, that a strict regime will be applied within the European Union, which is not discriminatory as between one country and another.
I take this opportunity to ask the Commissioner for some information regarding two cases within the United Kingdom where the Commission has currently instituted action – if indeed it is the case that action has been instituted. There are the cases of the universal bank proposed by the UK Government to assist post offices in the UK and also the venture capital schemes in the regions of the United Kingdom. I understand he has asked for information concerning this.
It is quite clear that throughout the report itself much attention has been directed not just to the past but also to Commissioner Monti’s proposals for future reform of competition policy. That is an issue which will be coming before Parliament in due course. Commissioner Monti will be very well aware of the concerns that are shared by many people who support his proposals for reform but feel that there need to be answers in relation to issues like jurisdiction shopping, legal certainty, the role of national courts, dialogue between the national competition authorities and the Commission itself, as also issues of staffing within the Commission. Those are matters that we will consider in debates in due course and for which – I am delighted to inform the Commission – I have been appointed Parliament’s rapporteur."@en1
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