Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-13-Speech-3-029"
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"en.20050413.2.3-029"2
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"Mr President, let me begin by addressing my congratulations to the President-in-Office of the Council for the role he played at the spring summit in achieving the necessary consensus among all the Member States at an extremely delicate period in the history of Europe.
As far as the Stability and Growth Pact is concerned, I believe it is important, because it guarantees the stability required by the single currency. What Europe needs, however, is criteria rather than dogma, and numerous voices in this Chamber had been calling for more flexibility. What we really need is economic governance. This pact is also a growth pact, so why should some countries be penalised if they invest more in research, defence and infrastructure than other countries? This is nonsense and is in glaring contradiction to the Lisbon Strategy.
On the other hand, uncontrolled and unwarranted increases in deficits and indebtedness must be severely penalised, and the national parliaments must immerse themselves fully in their role as scrutineers of their governments’ budgetary activity. These are the same governments with which we must deliberate on the advent of a generation of senior citizens very advanced in years. We shall have more and more centenarians. We can only welcome such a development, but it does imply a transformation of both our social and our economic systems.
Mr President-in-Office, Mr Barroso, we shall listen carefully to the proposals you make at the Council summit in June on the sustainable development strategy in conjunction with the economic and social reinvigoration demanded by the Lisbon process. Climate change presents Europe with another challenge. Lastly, let me say that I welcome the commitment to start work on the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Cadarache before the end of 2005.
We must regain the trust of the European people, who are anxious that we should avoid any social and fiscal dumping. This is what we shall be trying to do here in Parliament in connection with the services directive, and I was astonished to hear the previous speaker expressing doubts about the role that Parliament can play in this respect. Let me remind you, ladies and gentlemen, that legislative power is shared between the European Parliament and the Council.
What is actually lacking in this Europe of ours are enthusiasm and self-confidence. It is up to all of us to reassure and convince people, and that is what will enable our fellow citizens to embrace the Constitution which is indispensable to a Union of twenty-five Member States."@en1
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