Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-13-Speech-3-067"
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"en.20050413.2.3-067"2
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"Mr President, I shall conclude very briefly. With regard to the reform of the Stability and Growth Pact, we must genuinely acknowledge – if we want to have an honest debate – that the problems did not begin with this reform, but that they have existed for some considerable time. In November 2003, there was no longer any consensus on the Stability and Growth Pact. What we have just produced, what the Member States have just produced with the active support of the Presidency and the European Commission, is a credible reform of the Pact.
That is what responsibility means, and responsibility is the most important thing if leadership is to be effective, and leadership is what Europe needs at this stage.
I can offer you every guarantee – and I address this in particular to those people who have expressed concerns, which are legitimate concerns – that the Commission intends to apply these Stability and Growth Pact rules objectively and in a uniform manner amongst all the Member States. I can also assure you that the Commission’s role has not been diminished by this reform, quite the contrary. In fact, the range of situations in which the Commission will be required to give its opinion or to take the initiative on an action has been considerably extended. We therefore now have a pact that it will be possible to apply much more credibly than the one we had before this reform.
Furthermore, with regard to Lisbon – and I have seen this during this morning’s discussion – there is clearly a very broad consensus on a system to enhance governance, in which there is a better distinction between the competences of the Union and the competences of the Member States. The Member States have accepted this enhanced governance and, once again, this also increases the credibility of our Lisbon objectives.
I would like, however, to return to an important point from the conclusions of the European Council that I did not mention in my introduction to this debate: the development policy within the context of the Millennium Development Objectives. At its last meeting, the European Council asked the Commission to speed up its work on finalising the Union’s positions with a view to the important meetings within the United Nations next September.
I am pleased to announce that yesterday, right here in Strasbourg, the Commission adopted an important package of proposals, which Commissioner Michel and myself also announced yesterday. It contains new mid-term objectives, more emphasis on the quality of aid and greater coherence amongst policies. In this ‘development’ package, particular emphasis is also placed on Sub-Saharan Africa. Ladies and gentlemen, the Commission treats these proposals as a great priority. We are currently working actively with the Member States to make this meeting relating to the Millennium Objectives a success, and we are very much counting on your support.
Another reason why I have given this example, Mr President, is to illustrate a point that I believe to be important. That is that we are truly working on operational decisions. Within the European Council, we have established the objectives and the new instruments for the renewed Lisbon Strategy and we have also just approved the integrated guidelines, encompassing macroeconomic policy, microeconomic policy and employment. We have just presented them here in the European Parliament. The European Council has drawn up a request relating to development, and we are presenting concrete proposals.
I am well aware that, at the difficult times we are currently experiencing in Europe, our attention is often more focussed on controversial aspects, on the things on which there is no agreement from the Member States or unanimity amongst them. I would like to stress, however, that, despite these differences and despite, at times, our divergences, we are able to reach very significant consensus, as was the case at the Spring Council.
I would therefore like to underline what the President-in-Office of the Council has just said. How would you react if we had not come here with results that, despite everything, reflect a consensus, and what message would we be sending to our public? This is why, at this stage, while I share many of the worries and concerns expressed by some of you, the question is whether we should place the emphasis on aspects on which there is no complete consensus or whether, on the other hand, we should place the emphasis on the things we can do together.
Because that is the culture of compromise we have in Europe, and I would like to place great emphasis on this point. We will not make any progress in a Europe of 25 if we do not explain to our citizens that, in Europe, no one can achieve 100% of what they want. No Member State can achieve 100% on all of its positions. Our Europe is becoming increasingly complex. So it is up to those of us who have a leading, and indeed political, role in the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament to explain to our fellow citizens that we have to make compromises, that Europe means compromise. Europe means working together towards objectives that are much more important than short-term issues or national sensitivities."@en1
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