Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-20-Speech-2-261"
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"en.20040420.10.2-261"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as you know, my colleague Michel Barnier has been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs of the French Republic and has consequently had to leave the Commission. Until his successor is appointed, President Prodi has asked me to look after the structural and regional policy portfolio. I therefore welcome the opportunity presented by Mr Hatzidakis’ report today to debate the principles of future policy on the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the Union. Let me also thank you, Mr Hatzidakis, for your interesting report.
The Third Report on Economic and Social Cohesion was adopted by the Commission on 18 February and was presented to Parliament by Mr Barnier on that same day. The presentation of that report is to be seen in the context of the proposal for the financial perspective, which we had also adopted in February before the cohesion report. The Commission is calling for a new partnership for cohesion. It must be our common will not only to build a Europe based on the common market but to build a Europe characterised both by a keener competitive edge and by more solidarity, a Europe that is more capable of achieving the aims set at Lisbon and Gothenburg, namely sustainable development and a knowledge-based economy.
The imminent enlargement on 1 May, which will integrate many economically weak regions into the European Union, makes it even more urgent and even more crucial that Europe should pursue a robust policy of economic, social and territorial cohesion. The Commission has made strenuous efforts to respect the wishes of the various European institutions and regional and local authorities as far as possible in its proposals for the next planning period from 2007 to 2013. The report, in other words, does not simply reflect the ideas of a single Commissioner but is the product of a comprehensive broad-based debate, to which the European Parliament has also made significant contributions. I refer in particular to the two major reports by Mr Mastorakis and Mr Pómes Ruiz which you adopted in September 2003 and to which Mr Hatzidakis also refers explicitly in his report.
In addition, the debate, particularly among the Finance Ministers and the Heads of State or Government, as to how ambitious our cohesion policy should be has only just begun. Since these deliberations will undoubtedly be difficult, the report you have presented today provides valuable backing for the sort of ambitious cohesion policy that the Commission is also proposing.
How specific are our proposals? Firstly, there is a convergence target for those regions with a
GDP of less than 75% of the Community average. Secondly, account is to be taken of the particular situation of the regions hit by the so-called statistical effect deriving purely from enlargement. Thirdly, the Cohesion Fund is to be integrated into both of these measures. Fourthly, a new target is to be introduced for the improvement of regional competitiveness and employment. The fifth and last proposal is that the measures for the promotion of interregional cooperation should be restructured on the basis of our experience with Interreg.
In general terms, I can only agree with the rapporteur when he calls for radical simplification of the administration of the cohesion funds. Here too, we have already drafted precise proposals, which we intend to pour into a legal mould in July. This applies to all areas, not just to Mr Barnier’s portfolio. For example, in the realm of rural development, for which I am responsible, we want to do some pruning too.
We shall press, firstly, for the creation of a single fund for rural development which would consolidate all the resources that exist at the present time. Secondly, there should be a single regulation in which all the measures for the development of rural areas are defined, and, thirdly, due priority should be assigned to rural development in the financial perspective. The same applies to the sphere of responsibility of my former colleague, Mrs Diamantopoulou, and to the portfolio for which Mr Barnier has hitherto been responsible.
We have reached the level at which the aim is to develop a single instrument for the planning and funding of programmes with an appropriate set of common control mechanisms. I believe that would constitute major progress.
I also agree with Mr Hatzidakis’ view that 0.41% of Community GDP – 0.45% if we include the resources for rural development – ought really to be regarded as a minimum for an effective cohesion policy. Mr Hatzidakis also expresses certain fears and concerns in his report. Some of these relate to the thorny issue of the definition of cohesion policy and to the system of regionally targeted state aid, to which he referred in his speech. I also have a personal interest in the question of the contribution made by rural development to a policy of compensatory regional planning, and this House can rest assured that we shall continue to focus on the necessary measures in their entirety and that, as I have said, we shall be working on specific proposals for a regulation that we can present to Parliament during the month of July."@en1
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