Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-07-21-Speech-3-037"
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".
Mr President, I will be brief, but I wish to thank Members for their constructive and positive comments. There were some comments on the shortcomings of our presidency, and I shall take these in the spirit in which they were made. I want to thank Mr Poettering, Mr Hänsch, Mr Duff and many others who welcomed the agreement on the European Constitution.
Mr Czarnecki spoke of the issue of freedom of movement. From day one we in Ireland have opened our doors to all parts of Europe and we did not distinguish between people from old and new Member States. We are proud that we have done that.
Mr Goebbels and a number of other Members underlined the importance of the Lisbon Agenda and regretted that more of the goals involved were not achieved. I am the first to acknowledge that the Lisbon Agenda is work in progress. We have to intensify efforts and improve our delivery if we are to reach the goals we have set ourselves for 2010. That is why we set up such a thorough process in the mid-term review. We have set out what we would like to do in the future, but we have also said what we have done.
As regards practical delivery over the last six months, and to give one concrete example as to what I was asked to do, people should just look at the details set out in a chapter of a report we drafted dealing with working together for growth and employment. I have been asked to look at the financial services area, which was most effectively steered forward under the leadership of Minister McCreevy. By securing an agreement on the financial services instruments, the market directives and the transparency directive, Minister McCreevy and his team - with excellent cooperation from Parliament - completed this services action plan. This is a critical area for the future growth of the European economy and one I can cite as a practical example of what is being delivered on the Lisbon Agenda. Indeed, I have underlined the importance I attach to the Lisbon Agenda in nominating Minister McCreevy as Commissioner. I am sure his experience will help there in the future, because the Lisbon agenda is all about delivering growth and jobs for Europe, and the Minister knows about delivering those two things. I would invite you to look at Ireland's record on these issues, which is would be of some value.
Mr De Rossa is correct that we should discuss domestic issues at home, and I will be very glad to do that with him at any time. Our finance minister has liberated Irish workers from the punitive tax rates established when the administration with which Mr De Rossa was associated was in power. I always find it interesting when a Socialist mentions a 'right-wing person': definitions are always interesting. Mr De Rossa says he is left-wing and Socialist and he gave under two euros to old people. Mr McCreevy is right-wing and he gives 10 euros every year to old people. Work out the definitions for yourselves: they are quite interesting. I have only been in politics for 27 years: I need to be around a while longer before I understand the definitions of right and left, which I believe are rather nonsensical in any case.
It is a true honour to be here reporting to the House. I believe that 2004 will be seen as a highly significant year for the European Union. We enlarged to 25 Member States. We have agreed a Constitution. We have renewed our commitment to achieving the Lisbon Agenda goals. We have reinforced our relationship with our global partners. While the work of the Irish presidency is done, the work of the Union obviously continues. I wish Mr Balkenende and the Dutch presidency every success. I also wish President Prodi every success for the remainder of his term of office and hopefully the same will apply - with the House's support - to Mr Durão Barroso in the future. I wish you well too, Mr President. On this first working day, I wish everybody here happiness and success in their political work in the European Parliament.
The agreement on the Constitution was historic: agreement would not have been possible without all the participants working together to achieve it. The important thing is that the Union has shown that win-win solutions are possible if we work towards compromises, as many people have stated. It is impossible for people to set down what they alone want. Via compromise, this unique system can create positive outcomes that benefit everybody.
All of you who have just been engaged in the election campaigns and earned the privilege of being in this Parliament know how important the European Union is for the prosperity and well-being of Europeans. At the same time, you, more than most, know the difficulty of making European Union agenda heard above the clamour of what some people often mistakenly consider to be more pressing bread-and-butter issues. I say 'mistakenly' because the European Union is about vision and a vast array of practical issues of great importance. Many Members, from different countries and different perspectives, have mentioned those issues today.
We must explain to people what is in the Constitution. It will be important to provide a space for informed debate in countries that will and will not be holding a referendum. The period between now and the entry into force of the Treaty will give us the opportunity to describe and explain what the Union does and does not do. We can articulate the values and objectives that underpin the Union.
Although we should not underestimate our task, we should not underestimate the text of the European Constitution itself. A clause that states that the Union's values are respect for human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights is one that can be clearly understood by all our people and should be sold to them on the basis of those values. When the Constitution states that the Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples, this too will resonate with everybody. At the same time, however, there will be genuine concerns and many opposing views will be raised. These concerns must be heard and the issues must be addressed in a measured and reasonable way. A fear without foundation is still a fear, and all fears must be addressed, as I have discovered over the last six months.
Those of us who support the European Union and the Constitution whose values it embodies must remain passionate advocates of it. At the same time it is important that those who support and those who oppose the new European Constitution approach the debate with moderation, reason and accuracy.
I just wish to touch on a few of the issues Mr Poettering raised. He and some others mentioned the issue of Christianity. The preamble of the text acknowledges Europe's religious inheritance. We would have preferred to see an explicit reference to its Christian heritage, but it was not simple to achieve a consensus on a suitable wording. However, an important new article recognises the special contribution of Churches and, for the first time, provides for open and regular discussion with them. This has been widely welcomed by Church and faith organisations. So although there is no explicit reference in the preamble - which I personally would have liked - it was important to include that new clause.
A number of Members mentioned the nomination process, which I know is very important to Mrs Frassoni. Back in the Convention, the Irish Government proposed a radical way of nominating future presidents of the Commission. Our vision was to involve this Parliament and the parliaments of all the Member States in the process of electing the new Commission President. I would ask the new Members of Parliament to look at our proposal. We received no support when we advocated it, so I hate to hear the people who did not support us now criticising us, but that's politics! Members should consider the proposal for the next time around: it may be complicated, but it is a good idea.
Remarkable work was done in the Convention on the European social dimension. Mr Katiforis led the working group on Social Europe. It is an area of particular concern to me personally and to the Irish presidency because we value the social solidarity that is the central feature of the European project in Ireland. We are a country that fully involves employers and trade unions - a 'voluntary pillar' - in all legislative decisions. We have been doing that for 17 years. I have to remind my good friend and colleague Mrs Doyle of that - the point has obviously passed her by over the 17 years. We value the concept, and President Prodi is quite right: we have adopted a positive, progressive aspect of the Constitutional Treaty. This is the European people's Constitution. We must remind our citizens of that fact. I agree with Mrs Doyle's point on small business: we have to continue to try to do that for small business."@en1
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"Go raibh míle míle maith agaibh."1
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