Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-28-Speech-3-053"
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"en.20040128.5.3-053"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, first of all I should like to make a general point. I address myself to you, President Cox: this is the first time in 25 years that the European Parliament has not been able to discuss the annual report on competition policy which, concerning an area that is increasingly more central to European politics – one only need flick through the daily newspapers – is one of the most important documents published by the Commission. In recent years, the debate in the European Parliament on the annual report has always been the most important – if not the sole – occasion for the democratic scrutiny of competition policy which, although having an increasing impact on the life of European companies and citizens, is one of the areas where Parliament’s role is merely consultative.
Mr President, we have repeatedly called – as we did during the work of the Convention, on behalf of the European Parliament – for codecision in relation to competition policy. We have not been able, for the first time in 25 years, to secure a debate on the European Commission’s annual report. This conjuring trick – because that is what it is – which meant that we did not hold an open and timely debate in the European Parliament on the general outlines of the Commission’s competition policy, has led us to today hold – thanks to the availability of Commissioner Monti – a debate in a vain attempt to replace the one that we should have had.
I believe that the Conference of Presidents has a grave responsibility; there has been a misunderstanding about the fact that this report – who knows how – as of this year should no longer be considered an obligatory report, but rather an own-initiative report. The Conference of Presidents did not want to remedy the situation which had been created and today we therefore find ourselves with half a debate, with a Parliament split down the middle on competition policy. This is, in my opinion, a very serious situation that must be noted and criticised as a disgrace in this Chamber.
Coming now to the subject, Mr President, Commissioner, of this report which in reality brings to the plenary, in a manner of speaking, the report for which I was appointed rapporteur, adopted in committee, I want to make three points: first of all this report welcomes the commitment with which Commissioner Monti and the Commission have implemented a major programme of legislative and organisational reforms in the Directorate General for Competition. Last week the Council gave the final go ahead to the new regulation on the control of mergers: as Parliament’s draftsman on that subject, I must express my regret at the fact that the amendments – which I consider important – suggested by Parliament were not adopted, in particular as regards the automatic transfer to Brussels of some of the most important concentration and merger operations and powers.
Two further points, the first of which concerns national champions. I agree with what was said a few moments ago by a Member in the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance: in Europe the process of liberalisation of crucial sectors such as energy is influenced by the policies of national champions. We have national champions in certain sectors – not just energy, but also telecommunications – which are often also national champions under public ownership, in which the State finds itself playing the dual role of controller and direct acting manager of companies. In such situations, in my opinion, irrespective of the difficulties involved – we are confronted with the major countries of the European Union, extremely large and powerful companies in Germany, France and also in Italy – the Commission must keep up its guard and, if possible, attempt to obtain more positive results than those achieved so far.
Another point is that of the liberal professions: a key component for the future of the European economy which is increasingly a service economy. In so many countries the growth of that sector is stifled by the survival of corporate limitations which operate to the disadvantage of consumers and to the advantage of the professions.
Finally, a more general point about competition policy, also in relation to the amendments tabled to the resolution that we are due to vote on tomorrow. I believe Commissioner Monti’s policy has a sole, crucial, extremely important objective: to guarantee fair competition, to guarantee competition in open markets for all European companies. It would be an extremely serious mistake and an illusion to think that the choices made by Commissioner Monti must have a direct impact on specific social or employment aims. The best way to guarantee employment, growth and resources earmarked for social measures is to guarantee economic growth and competitiveness in Europe."@en1
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