Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-07-03-Speech-4-033"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-07-03"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Eurozone2
dcterms:Language	"pt"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030703.2.4-033"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-07-03-Speech-4-0342
lpv:speaker	lp:Helena Torres Marques2
lpv:spokenAs	member; ECON (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Partido Socialista (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (2002-02-06--2004-07-19)3 member; PES (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to devote my speech to payments within the euro zone. The introduction of the single currency was a huge success, but although the new notes and coins have brought with them widespread satisfaction, the same cannot be said of the processing of payments in the euro zone. The euro has actually been our currency since 1999. For four and a half years the euro has been the currency of 11 Member States, whose national currencies became nothing more than submultiples still in circulation. Throughout this period, however, the European banking system persistently refused to recognise this new state of affairs. There were 12 countries with the same currency, but the banks carried on operating as if each country in the zone were financially autonomous. The euro payment zone did not really exist. It was not until a year ago that electronic banking cards could be used all over the euro zone as well as in the countries in which they were actually issued. It was not until this week, moreover, that it became possible to carry out bank transfers under the same conditions as those that apply within each Member State. Furthermore, while this is an extremely beneficial step for citizens and for small and medium-sized enterprises trading in the euro zone, the limit of EUR 12 500 per transaction is ridiculous and unjustifiable. Since the technical infrastructure allowing single-currency transfers from one country to another is in place, and since the cost is negligible, this being a virtual transaction processed by computers, why has such a low limit been set? A EUR 12 500 transaction costs the same as a EUR 50 000 transaction (which will be allowed from 2006), or a transaction of EUR 100 000 or more. I would go as far as to say that forcing a company to perform 10 small transactions of EUR 12 500 in order to make up one payment of EUR 125 000 only serves to increase costs for companies and banks. To conclude, I will state my conviction that the euro zone must be made to work effectively by reducing banking commissions to the rates charged at national level. Do not forget that the euro zone is our country where currency is concerned. What does the Commission plan to do to improve the processing of payments in the euro zone?"@en1

Named graphs describing this resource:

The resource appears as object in 2 triples

Context graph