Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-14-Speech-2-036"
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"en.20041214.5.2-036"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Commission has already given this Parliament proof of his determination and enthusiasm by taking on the leadership of the European Union’s executive body on a ticket of reforming practices, policies and procedures. I hope, Mr President, that the Commission as a whole will succeed in finding what those who enter the life of an institution with energy and a desire for reform always have the greatest difficulty in finding: the right distance between realism and utopia.
It is the search for that constant balance – which some call common sense – that for the last fifty years has enabled Europe to develop the social model that is the driving force behind Europe’s identity. The essential components of the model have been peace, prosperity and the convergence of cultures, and it has proved to be a winning model.
Today, however, we are faced with a reality in which there have recently appeared a number of hitherto unknown aspects: a worrying demographic situation together with unprecedented technological evolution, one of the principal factors to have consolidated the phenomenon that has made the world a smaller place: globalisation.
In these circumstances, for Europe to remain an area that lives up to the winning model, we must wholeheartedly accept the inevitability of carrying out reforms that will first and foremost enhance our competitiveness. That means the opening-up of markets, increased productivity, more and better research, more innovation and greater investment in people and ideas.
The reforms that Europe needs must not, however, be seen as a task for the Commission alone. In my view, the most critical point in the period of reform that is now beginning is rather the commitment of the Member States and their willingness to take risks in putting these reforms into practice. Only with strong commitment from the Member States can the most dynamic sectors of society and the middle-tier authorities be encouraged to take part; without their participation no reform will be possible. This is also an area in which I believe Parliament should take action."@en1
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