Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-13-Speech-3-393"
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"en.20050413.24.3-393"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the EU economy is in poor shape, with the French and German economies having been hit hardest, and it would appear that more or less everyone is to blame for this state of affairs. The United States are to blame for the excessively low dollar exchange rate, the Far East for using slave labour and the new Member States for pursuing genuinely healthy and competitive economic policies. New words are even being invented that are classic examples of Orwellian newspeak. To reiterate a point made by Mr Szymański, for example, the word ‘dumping’, with all its negative connotations, is being used instead of just talking about healthy economic competition.
Even though the draft Bolkestein directive had many merits, all the advocates of what is known as a ‘social economy’ took umbrage at it when it was tabled. Angry mutterings from Paris and Berlin were all that was needed to ensure that this excellent draft directive was thrown out. Other approaches are possible, of course, and one of these is discrimination. The latter is in fact very much in evidence, as noted by the previous speakers, who gave a long list of individuals and businesses that have experienced it.
Commissioner Verheugen is highly regarded in Poland, and this is something I should like to stress, yet I find his claims that he has only received a complaint concerning one country astonishing. In my capacity as Chairman of the Committee on Petitions, I have drawn up a long list of cases of discrimination, and I forwarded this list to Commissioner Verheugen, to the Dutch Presidency and to Commissioner Bolkestein. I find it regrettable that Commissioners are incapable of exchanging such information between themselves. If Commissioner Verheugen, who is extremely popular in Poland, as I mentioned, claims to know nothing about the matter, then that leaves us at a loss. If no exchange of information takes place within the Commission, then to whom should we forward this information?
The Lisbon Strategy and the Stability and Growth Pact were intended to turn the EU economy into the world’s leading economy, yet they failed to do so. Now we are hearing enigmatic statements to the effect that the aim is merely to turn the EU economy into one of the world’s leading economies, even though there is a fundamental difference between these two goals. This House has heard numerous complaints about the closure of the Bridgwater Cellophane Plant in the UK, with production being moved to Kansas. This is the choice you have, ladies and gentlemen: either you allow companies to move production to Poland, the Czech Republic or Slovakia, or they will move it to Kansas or the Far East.
Internal solidarity and external competitiveness were intended to be the foundations upon which Europe is built. Neither has been achieved, and we find this regrettable. As the American Indian saying goes, if you find out that your mount is an ageing mare instead of a mustang, then you should stop riding it immediately.
I would urge you to stop riding an ageing mare in the shape of an inefficient European Union social economy, with France and Germany leading the way in inefficiency."@en1
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