Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-25-Speech-3-066"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2004-02-25"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Economic and financial guidelines2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20040225.5.3-066"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2004-02-25-Speech-3-0672
lpv:speaker	lp:Proinsias De Rossa2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, the European Union is on the cusp of a whirlwind of change: we have enlargement within a few weeks, we have a new constitution being negotiated, we have – hopefully – the possible reform of the broad economic guidelines, the Stability and Growth Pact and the application of Structural Funds. This is all in a world which is already topsy-turvy in terms of international trade and the whole issue of security and so on. The question is, are we ready to deal with all of these challenges? I do not think the signs are good in that respect. In relation to enlargement, we already see that virtually all states are running in panic to protect their labour markets. We see a situation where the most prosperous of the Member States are saying 'not a penny more'. We have a situation where a self-selected decides that what is best for the European Union is a 'Super Commissioner' for Economic Affairs. Fine! I have no problem with that, but where is the proposal for a 'Super Commissioner' for a socially-inclusive, cohesive and sustainable European society? Economics are fine, they are very important in terms of developing a single market, but they are a very narrow focus for creating a socially-inclusive and sustainable European society. Our concern is that we have a lot of proposals, many of them very good, but we have virtually no joined-up government in the European Union. I am fearful that we are not going to get that in the current period. We are facing a period when we will have a new Parliament and a new Commission within a few months: all of these things will be challenges for our institutions and we still seem to be bogged down in focusing purely and simply on competitiveness – which, of course, I do not deny is important, but it is only one half of the story. We need to put social inclusion and social cohesion goals at the heart of our social protection policies when we are talking about reform of that area in the Lisbon process. We need to ensure, however, that when the Stability and Growth Pact is reformed – as it should be – states which invest in education and training are not penalised as a result. We must build a dynamic into the Lisbon process by ensuring that the Stability and Growth Pact actually provides for growth as well as stability, and the best way of doing that is to ensure that there are incentives to invest in what will drive the economy: well-trained, satisfied workers who have good jobs and provide the productivity that we need."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	member; EMPL (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Labour Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; PETI (2002-01-23--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"De Rossa (PSE )."1 "directoire"1

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