Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-07-21-Speech-3-098"
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"en.20040721.6.3-098"2
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"These beliefs and convictions lead me to launch a challenge today. I would like us, together with Member States, the social partners, businesses and citizens across the Union, to build a partnership for Europe – a partnership for prosperity, solidarity and security in our continent. We must build our Europe together. Words must be transformed into actions. We must argue the case for our Union every day, and the best argument is our results.
Our future success will depend on our willingness to take risks, be ready for change and to introduce reforms. Our scientists, universities and companies should keep us at the cutting edge of technology. We must also ensure that understandable public fears about new science are properly and democratically addressed.
We must deliver a better quality of life. This means taking decisions now to create the right incentives for cleaner energy and transport. We must live up to our international agreements in Kyoto and make sure that our partners do the same. We must balance decisions today against their impact on growth, jobs and the environment tomorrow if we are to offer the coming generations a truly sustainable future.
The construction of an area of freedom, security and justice remains one of our most important strategic objectives. The Commission should remain a driving force helping to create the conditions needed for the removal of internal borders and the strengthening of the Union's external borders. Taking forward policies on immigration, asylum and the integration of immigrants in our society are other key elements.
In addition, we must implement the counter-terrorism action plan. Terrorism is the biggest threat to freedom in Europe and in the world today.
On the world stage we must spread peace and stability. This applies as much to our nearest neighbours as to the support that we give to the role of international institutions such as the United Nations. We must keep the spotlight on conflict prevention and on the eradication of poverty and disease, particularly in Africa. These are some of the issues that will provide the policy backdrop for our action. In all of this our challenge is one of changing attitudes, not changing values.
We must show our citizens that Europe can deliver what it promises effectively, efficiently and transparently. However, we must also be aware of the level at which things are best done: European, national or regional, with full respect for the principle of subsidiarity. What we do we must do well. This means we must concentrate on the questions that are most important to our citizens.
In building our partnership for Europe we must recognise that the biggest challenge we face is not the Euroscepticism of the few but the Euro-apathy of the many. We must listen to those who voted in last month's European elections, but we must also hear the silence of those who – for whatever reason – chose not to vote. Our goals are prosperity, solidarity and security and we must show concrete results: the euro, delivering monetary stability and investment, a single market fuelling growth, competition and jobs, a unique social model protecting the weakest in our society and helping people adapt to changing circumstances, quality public services offering affordable access for all, a sustainable approach to the environment and – perhaps of greatest importance – peace and stability in our region and beyond.
Last month we put the final touches to our Constitutional Treaty. This is also European practice: delivering a vision, adapting to change. That Treaty consolidates and simplifies the Union, it strengthens our democratic base by extending this Parliament's powers and by finding innovative ways to give a greater voice to national parliaments and to Europe's citizens. It will make us more effective in tackling areas where common action is needed. It will be a great challenge.
The challenge now is ratification. It will be a crucial moment and lead to a broad discussion on the kind of Europe people want. The new Commission, this Parliament and Member States must be ready with answers. We must make the case for Europe and this will be a huge communication challenge. To win that debate, we should not have a bureaucratic or a technocratic approach, we need instead political leadership and political courage.
The partnership I propose must, therefore, respond to the concerns of our citizens. Today is not the moment to unveil a detailed programme. If I receive your backing, I first want to discuss policy ideas within the college, then with you and with the Council. The new Constitutional Treaty already foresees that we must put our objectives together. If confirmed, early in 2005 I will bring before you and the Council proposals for the overall strategic priorities to guide our work for the years ahead. Such an agenda of prosperity, solidarity and security must deal with the most pressing challenges for our peoples today.
Europe and the world are changing, and we need to change too. Reforms are needed. If we want Europe to work we must give people jobs. But employment will only be created if we get the right environment for enterprise and, at the same time, we must invest more in skills and training. We must put growth centre stage. Our social ambition must be fuelled by economic success. Wealth creation is the key to our model of social solidarity and sustainability. This is at the core of the Lisbon Agenda. Entrepreneurship and innovation must be harnessed to deliver a better quality of life. We must never forget the economy is there to serve the people and not the other way around. This is the spirit in which we must also interpret the stability and growth pact. This means ensuring the flexibility needed to keep us on the path to growth and employment, whilst preserving monetary stability.
We must also meet the challenges of globalisation. This means facing up to competition in open global markets. It also means spreading prosperity and opportunity around the world. The Union needs to match its political ambition with its financial resources. You cannot have more Europe for less money, especially if we want a similar level of solidarity towards the new Member States as we have shown to the less-developed regions in the past. However, we must also be able to show to taxpayers that the money they entrust to Europe is spent prudently. We need to ensure that we foster stability and invest for growth. This means sound public finances, but also 21st-century networks and strong services of general interest to knit our economies and continent together.
Health and social protection systems need to prepare for an ageing population and, together with education, these services must be more than just a safety net."@en1
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