Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-10-Speech-2-198"
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"en.20040210.9.2-198"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the EU faces major challenges and we must decide whether – and how – we, as a Community, will respond to these challenges. The objectives set jointly by the Member States are indeed very ambitious. By 2010, the EU is to become the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world; it is to become an area of freedom, security and justice. Europe is determined to take on more responsibility in the world, and we are about to embark on the historic reunification of the continent and the integration of the new EU Member States.
I would like to close by citing an Irish writer, because we have the Irish Presidency at the moment and also, of course, as a tribute to the President of this Parliament. Oscar Wilde once said that we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. I think that in the coming months, we will have very intensive arguments over spending. However, the key issue is not only expenditure, but also Community policy and the values of the European Union, and I am sure that this House will play a very active and committed role in this debate.
The financial perspective establishes an important framework for decisions on the policies and tools that we will deploy to shape the future together. In order to achieve the ambitious objectives we have set ourselves and ensure that the Union can fulfil the growing expectations of its Member States and citizens, appropriate resources must be provided to underpin the policies. We should not raise expectations and then fail to deliver on the policies. That would generate disappointment among citizens. However, we should only provide European funding from the public purse for policies if we can state with confidence – as the President of the Commission has already said – that we are creating added value – in other words, if we can achieve greater benefit by spending a euro at European level than by spending it at national level.
At the same time, Europe must continue to uphold budgetary discipline. Budgetary discipline means the own resources ceiling, which is set at 1.24%. The Commission has decided to present a proposal which not only respects this own resources ceiling but also allows sufficient scope below this ceiling based on the average over the period. However, the Commission has also clearly stated that the proposal by the six Member States to impose a budget cap at 1% not only conflicts with the objectives but quite simply does not stand up to a reality check. The Commission is proposing an average level of appropriations for commitments of 1.22% for the period 2007 – 2013. If we also include expenditure for the European Development Fund and the sound new instrument of the Solidarity Fund, the appropriations for commitments stand at 1.26%. Commitments for payments will thus average 1.14% of combined economic performance, or GNI, over the period. That means that the budget volume that we are proposing can be set at an average of 1.14% of GNI.
Let me comment on the length of the financial perspective, as this is quite rightly a very important issue for this House. The Commission completely agrees that for democratic and institutional reasons, five years would be the right length of time. The question is simply this: at which point in time is it most appropriate to commence this cycle? We have discussed this matter in considerable detail. On the one hand, given that we have set agricultural spending up to 2013, and since the integration of the new Member States into new programmes is no small matter, and especially also in light of the Structural Funds, and taking account of the question when it is best to start the cycle from an institutional perspective, we are proposing a seven-year period again this time round as a transitional phase, as it were, before commencing the five-year cycle thereafter.
I would emphasise, yet again, the following points concerning the comparison of figures: this Commission is serious about the proposal to integrate the European Development Fund into the budget. It has been stated repeatedly in the past that this would be desirable. The measure outlined in our proposal therefore fulfils a demand that this Parliament has quite rightly been voicing for years, for we need an integrated and effective policy for the ACP states, especially for the poorest countries in the world. That is why we have put forward this proposal.
On flexibility, which has been mentioned several times here today: yes, we will need flexibility if we are planning so many years ahead. That is why the Commission has said that a revision is always a possible option. However, we are also planning new flexibility instruments between the categories in order to be able to adjust priorities in the short term. We are also proposing a Growth Adjustment Fund – in other words, a reserve which can be activated additionally if a policy needs to be enhanced for quite specific reasons.
Let me also emphasise yet again that the Commission is proposing the full integration of the new Member States into the structural and cohesion policies. As you are aware, we have based our calculations on a European Union of 27 Member States.
Throughout this legislative term, which is now drawing to a close, this House, the European Parliament, has argued robustly and with great success in favour of enlargement. At the same time, it has championed the cause of deepening and European integration. In other words, it has always been in favour of more Europe and an efficient Europe. In doing so, you have consistently upheld budgetary discipline and have been successful here as well. At the end of this legislative term, you can stand before Europe’s citizens and say, with your hand on your heart, that you have done the very best you could with the European budget and genuinely created a great deal of value-added in Europe out of just 2.3% of total public spending. These comments are directed to the Council Presidency in particular. You are now working – and I hope this work will be successful – to ensure the adoption of the new constitution. A key issue here is to equip the European Parliament with more budgetary rights, especially codecision rights in respect of the financial perspective. In my view, the financial perspective must have the endorsement of the European Parliament.
Let me take this opportunity to address Mr Colom i Naval. I am at a loss to know how the deliberations on the financial perspective can take place without your powerful commitment and your powerful voice. I wish you every success in your new position. Your region is very fortunate in having secured your services in this key post."@en1
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