Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-10-25-Speech-1-086"
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"en.20041025.14.1-086"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I do not intend to repeat what many of the other Members of this House, including Mr Mann, have already said about the automotive industry being one of the most important in Western Europe and the need for it to stay that way. It accounts for the direct employment of 1.2 million people but, as the Commissioner stated, is under enormous pressure, not only pressure from growing competition in Asia but also from increasing competition in the ten new Member States. The events in Bochum are not an isolated phenomenon; Opel’s sister company in Antwerp is also being hit hard, and, before this, Flanders had been affected by other serious streamlining measures. You will be familiar with what happened with the Ford factory in Genk and the closure of Renault in Vilvoorde. It follows that the Commission must, as a matter of urgency, come up with a perspective for the automotive industry.
I am delighted with your reference to the establishment of a high-level group. That is, of course, fantastic news. The only question is: when for? As time is of the essence, what is the timeframe in this respect? Commissioner, I think we must table very tangible and very ambitious objectives. Let me give you an example: by 2015, the European car should be a 100% clean car, one that is 100% safe for the passengers and entails 0% risk also for the soft road users and which, on top of everything else, should negotiate the traffic seemingly automatically. Commissioner, there is no harm in a little wishful thinking now and again. That is the only way if we want to avoid a kind of competitive situation where the regions of the old Europe, if I can put it this way, are at daggers drawn with the regions of the new.
Commissioner, I should like to conclude by saying that we should not forget that the automotive industry is still an industry that excites many young people. An enthusiastic innovation plan from the Commission will be able to persuade pupils and students to opt once again for technological subjects, with prospects in a high-tech industry, an industry with a bright future, something which I have no doubt we are all in favour of."@en1
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