Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-01-18-Speech-4-059"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20010118.3.4-059"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, first I wish to thank all the members of Parliament and, in particular, the rapporteur Esko Seppänen, for his excellent report. The Commission is happy to adopt the report and the draft resolution. They are in line with the Commission’s views. The report is exhaustive and explores in detail those numerous factors that affect competitiveness in the forestry industry, both the tangible and the intangible. We particularly agree with you that intangible factors, such as professional skills, innovations and research and development work, are cornerstones of the position regarding competition in European industry. Among the most important priorities is ensuring there is this high level of professional skill.
First of all I would like to shed a little light in just a few words on how important this sector of industry is. It accounts for 10% of all industrial output in the EU, whether measured in terms of value added or number of jobs. It is worth remembering that a total of 12 million private forest owners supply wood to industry, and the sector is represented everywhere in the EU. The industry is often located in remote regions, where it helps to maintain economic activity, levels of employment and the infrastructure. Five main areas of the industry form one of the biggest industrial sectors in the European Union. The value of its output stands at more than EUR 300 billion, its value added at EUR 110 billion. It gives direct employment to 2.5 million people, and indirectly the figure is much larger than that.
In the Commission communication the state of competitiveness in the forest industry and industries related to it was examined by viewing the sector in a new way, as a cluster, in which each sector’s performance affects the competitiveness of the other sectors. In such an examination by groups any analysis of individual areas may be overlooked, but questions can be examined from a broader viewpoint. The communication offers a basis for the future evaluation of factors having an impact on competitiveness in this industry. That is why the Commission has made a series of sectorial studies of the forest industry and industries related to it. Studies on the printing and mechanised industries have already been published. In addition, the Commission has established, as an extension to the communication in hand, two channels for debate. One is an advisory committee on forestry and forest-based industries, whose work got under way again in 1997, and the other is a forum for forest and related industries. This forum plays a major role, as it makes it possible to systematically analyse essential questions and interact effectively with companies, industrial organisations and other interested parties. Representatives from the Community’s institutions, such as Parliament and the Commission, as well as the Member States also participate in the forum.
The first forum was held here in Strasbourg at the beginning of September, it was made up of people of authority, and I might mention that the rapporteur, Mr Seppänen, was also present. There were also discussions about publishing, which Mrs Flesch mentioned:
commerce and industrial and intellectual property rights were discussed. The next forum is to be held in Stockholm in June. That will focus on a closer look at how forest-based and related industries can, for their part, promote sustainable development and optimise their contribution to the protection of the environment at all stages of the production chain from forestry itself right up to the end products.
It is becoming ever more important to take account of sustainable development. In June we shall be holding the meeting of the European Council in Gothenburg, at which important decisions will be taken in this area. Forest-based industries are those in which all the economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development are closely dependent on one another. Forest-based industries use renewable raw material and the most up-to-date recycling and energy-saving methods, so its contribution may well be especially important for sustainable development.
In reply to Mrs Flesch’s question I would say this: we understand very well that publishing today differs from the forestry industry proper, and involves production based on paper just as much as many other industries. The problem for the Commission has been that the resources of the Directorate-General for Enterprise have fallen by 20% over the last year. We have lost 210 staff in all. We have had to combine departments and offices. I am nevertheless prepared to take this matter up now as a subject for discussion again, mainly with a mind to looking at in which sector or in connection with which sector publishing would best be placed. I will be in contact with representatives of the industry after this debate.
Once again I wish to thank Mr Seppänen for an excellent report and the other members for their contribution to this work."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
"e"1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples