Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-30-Speech-3-132"

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"Mr President, the compatibility of ecology and economics has been much talked about for many years. The problem is that while there is in theory no internal contradiction between economic growth and preserving the environment, up until now economic growth has in practice normally been detrimental to the quality of the environment. However, on the other hand, economic decline combined with rising unemployment and poverty have also always resulted in a loss of environmental quality. So it is a very complex subject and one particularly difficult to grasp because we still have no universal indicators for putting a monetary value on environmental assets. We need yardsticks that are valid for all the EU and we can conceive of them only for the EU. The Commission must put its communication on a statistically secure footing if we are not to continue building castles in the air. Even assuming that we have such a secure footing, the question remains as to what conclusions should be drawn. Many things have been considered. Subsidies, tradable emission rights or the so-called eco-taxes, that is environment-related taxes or levies. Models for these exist. It is important, however, that such models should be introduced in all EU Member States in the same way and at the same time, so as to offer fair opportunities to all involved. Only fair competition will ensure that environmental measures, of whatever kind, find acceptance. Subsidies must be examined for their effectiveness and changed or replaced by other measures if necessary. Trade in environmental assets must be fair. Environmental taxes and levies are worthwhile and effective only if related to emissions and imposed in such a way as to be neutral in their effect on the amount of tax paid by the citizen. In no case must such taxes and levies be misappropriated and spent on other areas than the environment. That is the only way we shall actually meet the justified demands of our citizens and of people outside the EU for a healthy environment."@en1

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