Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-04-20-Speech-2-266"
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"en.20040420.10.2-266"2
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"Mr President, I should like to begin by thanking former Commissioner Barnier for his comment on how well the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism worked with him. We pooled our efforts to defend the European Union’s principles on regional policy and territorial cohesion. I would like to thank Mr Barnier for mentioning my name, and I wish him every success at the helm of the French Foreign Ministry. I should also like to thank the former President of the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism, Mr Hatzidakis. His excellent term as President is crowned by the report he is presenting today on economic, social and territorial cohesion in Europe. I feel it appropriate to take him back to the basics of cohesion. The latter is a long-standing principle. It can be found in the Treaties. Nowadays, we refer to territorial cohesion as well as to economic and social cohesion.
Economic cohesion may be achieved in a number of ways. It can be achieved through fiscal policy, by making those who have more pay more. Social cohesion is achieved through other methods. One of these is combating social exclusion. Another is establishing the principle of equal opportunity for all citizens.
Territorial cohesion has long been the subject of debate. There has been much discussion of areas with permanent structural difficulties that make it difficult for them to compete in this market. It has been stated that such areas should receive aid and solidarity from the remainder, regardless of the level of their GDP. This applies to agricultural policy, as Commissioner Fischler is well aware. When we help agriculture we do not enquire whether a particular farmer is rich or poor. We simply help agriculture. We wish the whole sector to be competitive.
Territorial cohesion policy must be based on this approach too. Islands have to be helped. They find it difficult to compete on equal terms with large urban areas, because the latter always attract those people with the highest level of income. The sparsely populated areas of northern Europe have to be helped, as must the mountain areas. The latter need a wake-up call, to ensure the Pyrenees do not become depopulated. People living in areas with geographical difficulties must not be forced to emigrate.
For all these reasons, it would be appropriate to send out an appeal to the new Europe created by the accession of ten new Member States. It has to be borne in mind that our contribution to general cohesion must remain at 0.46% of GDP. Parliament and the Commission have reached agreement on this. It is incumbent of the Council to do so too.
A number of initiatives have been very successful. I have in mind programmes such as Equal, Leader, Urban, Interreg and especially the Cohesion Fund. To date, four countries have benefited from the latter, namely Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland. These four countries have proved that when they grow, the whole European Union grows too. It is essential to keep in mind that the extra effort needed to receive the ten new Member States should not be borne entirely by the four countries that have benefited from the Cohesion Fund so far. Solidarity is called for. We must all work together to support the newcomers."@en1
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