Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-06-08-Speech-3-314"
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"en.20050608.22.3-314"2
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"Mr President, the report I am presenting to you this evening confirms the return of an ambition, the ambition of an industrial policy for an enlarged Europe. It was both necessary and essential. We need to go further, however. The time is short so far as industrial policy is concerned and we need to go faster and move from ambition to action.
Last week I was in Shanghai with the delegation from the city of Marseille. Industry is the backbone of China’s development. Innovation and new technologies are the vehicles of that industry’s development, and economic growth there is ongoing. In a word, the dynamism of that society is enough to make you dizzy. Of course, I do not want a Chinese-style development model for the European Union; but I would like our Europe to have the means to hold its own against the economic giants of the United States, China, India and others.
Above all, our challenge must therefore be to be competitive through innovation and by investing in research, know-how and knowledge. The Commission and Vice-President Verheugen are making a lot of proposals along these lines. What we are looking for now is for these proposals to be made political reality, and it is in this light that this report and its contents should be considered.
First of all, we think a policy should set itself objectives that lend it significance, like the development of a sound European industrial base, increasing employment, especially for young people, and the emergence of European industrial champions able to act as standard bearers for the ‘Made in Europe’ brand. European industrial policy must also, however, be aimed at all enterprises and become a full part of the Lisbon strategy. The Commission is focusing on a sectoral approach: we are pleased about that because it is essential that part of industrial policy should take account of the distinctive nature of each sector in the way it is implemented. An effective policy must also take account of the nature of enterprises, however, because only 1% of European enterprises are large groups, while there are millions of other small and medium-sized enterprises that make up Europe’s industrial fabric. The Commission must make a real effort to take small enterprises into account.
The second dimension that must not be overlooked is the territorial dimension. Industry acts as a magnet for other economic activities, making its location a key factor in the development of many regions. The Structural Funds must therefore support industrial development while at the same time acting as instruments to assist the reconversion of areas suffering from industrial relocation. We must bring a specific response to this problem of relocations, assess the sectors at risk, anticipate relocations and help to regenerate the regions affected. We must also take account of the existing differences between the 25 countries of the European Union.
Finally, we believe that every policy must be based on a clear and effective method, and that is particularly true, Mr Verheugen, of your commitment to better lawmaking. We are looking for a way of simplifying legislation that takes account of the cumulative effects of legislation on individual sectors. We are hoping for a method of studying the impact of proposed legislation that will take account of SMEs and, in particular, use precise criteria to evaluate the responses made to Commission consultations. I would add that Parliament and the Council also have their parts to play and that they should be actively involved in the better lawmaking objective.
As you can no doubt see, Mr Verheugen, our expectations are high. For many instruments of industrial policy, they depend in part on the outcome of the negotiations on the financial perspectives; they also depend on our ability to make use of the instruments we already have, such as competition policy, education, the allocation of State aids or commercial policy. I hope our Parliament’s contribution will help this challenge to be taken up."@en1
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