Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-03-Speech-2-145"
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"en.20020903.6.2-145"2
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"Mr President, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Madam Commissioner, Commissioners, my group welcomes the discussion on the measures required at European level to cope with the unparalleled damage wrought by the disastrous floods in the Federal Republic of Germany, in Austria, in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. I would like to again express our dismay and our grief over the victims and express our sympathy to their families.
The immense material damage and the destitution of thousands of people call for extensive and coordinated aid on the part of the European, national and regional forces and institutions. The members of the public, communities, businesses and faring installations that have been affected expect the European institutions to provide immediate and tangible aid to alleviate their need and also to deal with the extensive consequences of the emergency.
The European Union can do a great deal to polish up its image and reputation in the eyes of the public by acting speedily and without bureaucracy. The remarkable wave of solidarity and unselfish mutual assistance that showed itself in the struggle against the floodwaters, must be supplemented by clear and substantial indications of the European Union's solidarity.
The Commission has taken the right step in proposing the possible reallocation of European resources within the European funds, but this is not sufficient. Alongside the Community Disaster Fund, which the Commission has proposed and which will mobilise aid money in the long term, there is a need for emergency aid supplied from the margin of as yet unused European budget resources. Over and above that, we propose that, in the event of disasters, it should be possible to examine the legal option of reducing the share of national cofinancing, at the same time suspending the putting of contracts out to tender in order to mobilise local and regional enterprises. This would make an effective contribution to supporting and promoting small and medium-sized enterprises in the region or local area affected by the calamity.
We welcome the European Investment Bank's initiative, under which EUR 1 billion is to be made available in the first instance for the purpose of granting credits under special conditions, with the option of topping them up at a later date. Making these interest-free would be a greater help to the recipients. This brings us to the proposal that the European Union, using a specially created fund, could take on the cost of the interest incurred.
I would like to point out by way of conclusion that these disastrous floods are not an isolated and extreme natural occurrence; the incidence of natural disasters in various parts of the world is increasing. For us, this should be – indeed must be – a clear warning signal, calling on us to give environmental issues, in all relevant areas of Community policy, a far higher priority than we have done to date."@en1
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