Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-13-Speech-3-012"
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"en.20050413.2.3-012"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, honourable empty Chamber, I have listened to Mr Poettering with excitement. We in the Socialist Group in the European Parliament were most interested to hear how he is coping now with the fact that a series of Christian Democrat Heads of Government hold a different opinion from the overwhelming majority in the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats in this House. He trotted out relatively elegant turns of phrase in order to conceal this rift in the conservative family of parties between the bloc in the parliamentary group, which itself is very heterogeneous rather than homogenous, and the Heads of Government.
What are the issues here? Mr Poettering began with Lisbon and emphatically welcomed the Lisbon Strategy. On that we are absolutely agreed. He was right to say – as were the President of the Commission and the President-in-Office of the Council – that signals were given at this summit about Lisbon and the implementation of the Lisbon objectives. That is also what we were hoping for, that is the good news from this summit; it is what gives us heart. On that we are absolutely agreed.
It will only be in the combination of the reform of the Stability Pact – and the need for greater flexibility which this also engenders for the national governments – and the defined objectives of the Lisbon process that the summit and its outcome will be correctly understood, Mr Poettering, because those who want to invest and should invest in the Lisbon objectives must also be in a position to invest in these objectives as states.
It is in the combination of the instruments needed to bring about greater flexibility now contained in this pact and the objectives of the Lisbon process, as described, that the particular attraction of the outcome of this summit lies. That is why we, the PSE Group, can emphatically agree with the results. This is also expressed in our resolution today, which we shall adopt with broad support; I assume that the sceptics in the PPE-DE Group will now agree to the wording on the Stability and Growth Pact, which is almost identical to that which we called for before this summit. We hope that they will do that, and take especial pleasure in it.
I listened with equal attention, Mr Poettering, as you spoke in favour – and I understand perfectly well why – of negotiations with Croatia commencing quickly. We shall see this afternoon just how much reliance can be placed on the statements by the PPE-DE Group when it comes to drawing conclusions during accession negotiations. If, however, those in Croatia putting their hopes in the reliability of your statements are perhaps treated this afternoon in the same way as Bulgaria and Romania, then we should tell them in advance in Zagreb that they should have another word with Mr Poettering.
The PSE Group emphatically welcomes the fact that the Council conclusions give hope in particular in a further area. In recent years, as far as Europe's role in the world is concerned, we have placed our emphasis as social democrats – in our demands – on sustainable development and climate change. The resolutions now being adopted – the President of the Commission referred to them once again – point the way. We must say to the citizens – I refer to your apt comments with respect to the referendum in France – that no country in this world and no European country, not even a highly industrialised country, will be able to meet the challenges of the 21st century alone. For Europe, that means in the Community alone: in the economic, monetary and social community and in the community which Europe can develop as a force, as a community for sustainable development and for reducing environmental dangers. These are global challenges and there is no France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium or Portugal which can face them alone. It is the task of Europe as a continent and of the EU as the political form of organisation of that continent to counter these risks. That was a message from this spring summit which should not be underestimated. The social democrats in this House are also grateful for that and that is why we can agree to our motion for a resolution in the happy expectation of broad support, in good conscience, from the members of both the PPE-DE Group and the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe."@en1
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