Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-13-Speech-3-364"
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"en.20050413.22.3-364"2
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".
Mr President, I, too, wish to begin by congratulating you on your office and wishing you success in your term of office.
This issue can – and indeed must – be considered from two angles, first in terms of industrial policy and secondly in relation to the monitoring of state aid. Being myself responsible for industrial policy, I feel myself on very safe ground when I say that it is in Europe’s political interests not only to maintain, but also to extend, innovative technologies, modern enterprises and modern jobs in Europe. It is of the utmost importance to the European Union that we should retain in Europe a strong industrial base, without which we will not be able to maintain our competitiveness in global markets. It is with this in mind that I tell you, in my capacity as the Commissioner with responsibility for industry in Europe, that I am very much concerned that Alstom should successfully complete the restructuring it has started and continue to exist as a healthy, successful and profitable business. So much for the industrial policy aspect.
Today, though, it is not industrial policy that we are talking about. What is at issue is the monitoring of state aid. It is indeed the case that the aid by the French state could not have been granted had not the Commission approved Alstom’s restructuring plan. The Commission did so and imposed conditions on both the plan and the aid. The honourable Members are quite right to say that it is the Commission’s task to ensure that those conditions are complied with and that the aid is used for the purpose for which the Commission approved it, and we are checking to see that this has been the case. In particular, the Commission stated at the time that approval of the aid was conditional on certain areas of the business being disposed of and on operational restructuring being carried out.
The question to be answered this evening is whether or not the present supplementary restructuring plan runs counter to the Commission’s decision. If this restructuring plan is not in breach of the conditions, then it is the company’s management, rather than the Commission, that is responsible for implementing it; Alstom is not run by the Commission, but by its own management. Although I have been informed by the departments responsible that the Commission has not, so far, had any indications that the conditions it imposed on the granting of aid have been breached, I can assure you that we will, of course, continue to monitor the situation and will be paying very close attention to see that the conditions are complied with to the letter.
As a matter of principle, the Commission is committed to seeking, in partnership, solutions that take account of all economic, social and environmental considerations. In its latest communication, ‘Restructuring and Employment’, it explicitly envisaged the mobilisation of all social forces to better accompany restructuring, with the aim of bringing about sustainable development of competition and employment.
In particular, the Commission proposes the organisation of reinforced sectoral and regional follow-up, with special funds being made available to support the implementation of this strategy. Retaining and improving Europe’s capacity for innovation, research and development is also of strategic importance. Only a few days ago, the Commission presented a framework programme on research and innovation.
I am well aware that our options are very limited indeed where job losses are concerned, and I share your sentiments in this regard, but the Commission must adhere strictly to the law as it stands. I have given you an undertaking that we will examine this case with great care and will take action if it should emerge that the conditions attached to this aid have not been met."@en1
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