Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-02-25-Speech-3-089"
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"en.20040225.6.3-089"2
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".
Mr President, at its meeting of 12 and 13 December 2003, the European Council endorsed the European Action Plan for Growth on the basis of the reports presented by Ecofin, the Commission and the European Investment Bank. The action is an important step in the implementation of the Lisbon agenda to improve competitiveness, employment and growth potential in the enlarged Union. Structural reform will be complemented by higher investment in both physical and human capital.
The Council also welcomed the work carried out by the Commission and the EIB – and by the relevant configurations of the Council itself – in the establishment of the Quick Start Programme. Identification was also made according to a strict set of criteria of a provisional list of projects for immediate action. The Council also recommended that if other projects fulfil the same criteria the list may be complemented in accordance with the procedures followed for its establishment in the framework of the annual cycle for reporting to the spring European Council.
I would like to confirm to Members that the Commission’s communication to the Council on 'the European Initiative for Growth – Investing in Knowledge and Networks', as well as reports from the EIB and the different Council formations in this regard, constitute guidelines only. In order to be taken forward they should be enshrined in a formal legal instrument – in this case, a decision of the Council and the European Parliament.
The Commission communication is a non-exhaustive list of actions within the priority projects which have been identified by the Commission and the Member States. These projects are considered to be sufficiently mature to commence immediately and thus stimulate the European economy at present. It is important that the Council and the Parliament pursue their constructive engagement in the current discussions on the revision of the guidelines. In this respect Council welcomes the letter from President Cox to President Prodi dated November 2003.
The presidency is strongly committed to ensuring that the work on this critically important dossier should be successfully completed by the end of this Parliament’s term. It is essential, therefore, that the EU’s institutions work together to bring forward this work. We recognise that the European Parliament has a particularly important role to play in this process.
Agreement will open the way for crucial investment to be disbursed on key network projects and thus facilitate the pursuit of our fundamental objective of promoting economic growth for the enlarged Union. The adoption of the draft decision on TENs on the eve of enlargement – by 1 May – would have considerable symbolic importance. It would also provide a welcome illustration of the EU's commitment to the rapid integration of the economies of the new Member States.
As a final point, may I add that I listened very carefully to Mr Costa's contribution to the debate. There seemed to be some concern about Parliament's potential to contribute to this area. This has perhaps not been fully acknowledged. I would like to assure him and the House that the matter in focus is part of a bigger issue in which the Parliament and its talents will be fully engaged by the Irish presidency."@en1
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