Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-09-03-Speech-2-309"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20020903.11.2-309"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, I too would like to congratulate the rapporteur. He has worked very hard on this report and it is a good one. The report and the underlying regulation seek to establish clearer and more transparent rules for state aid for employment. Streamlined procedures for Member States wishing to aid employment schemes are to be welcomed and sensitivity to local circumstances is also desirable. The report welcomes and expresses support for the state aid register, which the British Conservatives have made a priority. It is vitally important that we keep track of the various Member States and their record on state aid.
In terms of general principles, we believe that it is vitally important to restrict the areas where state aid can be given. I am not sure whether we would go as far as Mr Monti – I believe he has referred to state aids in the past as evil – but we certainly believe that it is necessary to restrict state aid in order to maintain economic efficiency and economic prosperity and a level playing field between companies in different Member States. Having said that, this report and the regulation acknowledge that certain state aids are acceptable and indeed desirable in relation to employment schemes. We are, however, very wary about the degree of extension that can be accepted even in this case, because of our suspicion of state aids. But we believe the Commission has drawn the line at a sensible point. That is also reflected in the report.
I would not go as far as Amendment No 1, as put forward by Mr Berenguer Fuster. In particular paragraph (a) of Amendment No 1, which seems to specifically condemn temporary as opposed to permanent contracts, is not appropriate and should not be supported by the House.
I ask the House to remember that state aid, in this context, is rather like a Band-Aid or a sticking plaster being applied to a gaping wound. State aid for employment, where it is permitted, as appropriate, by this regulation, can never actually solve Europe's unemployment problems. It is appropriate to permit government state aid for employment schemes in restricted circumstances, but the real way to tackle the 18 million unemployed in Europe, to give people genuine job opportunities, is by labour market reform, by producing structural and economic reform and labour market flexibility, making it easier to hire people. That is the way to deal with the serious and unacceptably high level of unemployment in the European Union.
So we accept this as a pragmatic and sensible measure. Both the regulation and the report make sensible proposals, but it is vitally important that we address the key issue, which is labour market flexibility and economic reform."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples