Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-27-Speech-2-130"
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"en.20050927.18.2-130"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner, today sees the completion of a further stage in the process of conferring special status for the outermost regions, pursuant to Article 299(2) of the Treaties, which is based on the highly specific situation in these regions. These regions are characterised by their remoteness, insularity, difficult topography, small size, mountainous nature and economic dependence on one sole product or activity, and the permanence and combination of these factors. These are the characteristic features of what are referred to as the outermost regions, and are unique within the EU.
The fact of the matter is that it would be a grave violation of the principle of proportionality and equality were the outermost regions treated in the same way as the other regions of Europe. The model of integration in these outermost regions must take account of their highly specific characteristics and must therefore be subject to adaptation, adjustment and in some cases derogation. What is different must be treated differently, and the differences evident in the outermost regions have a very detrimental effect on their economic and social development, resulting in unacceptable competitive disadvantage and an inability to make the most of the benefits triggered by the internal market, the recent enlargement, the Lisbon Strategy and globalisation.
The fact is that the outermost regions have little chance of competing on a level playing field when the economic activities developed there are burdened by considerable extra cost, arising from
transport, the absence of economies of scale and external economies, small and fragmented markets and the scarcity of qualified labour. It is therefore of vital importance that we pursue measures aimed at stepping up the EU’s special treatment towards the highly specific characteristics of the outermost regions. This is the thrust of the Commission’s communication entitled ‘a stronger partnership for the outermost regions’, on the subject of which I had the honour and the exciting task of drawing up the report before us today.
The Commission is proposing a far-reaching strategy based on three priorities: competitiveness, accessibility and regional integration. This strategy is set to be implemented under the revamped cohesion policy. The Commission is also proposing the setting up of innovative instruments, such as the specific programme to compensate for additional costs, along with a wider neighbourhood action plan to aid integration of the outermost regions into the surrounding geographical areas, which will involve both transnational and border cooperation on the one hand and trade and customs measures on the other. This is the backbone of the Commission’s proposal to offset and reduce the severity of the main handicaps from which outermost regions suffer. The main priority is to address the most serious of these handicaps, namely the remoteness of the outermost regions, which will be done by promoting the use of new information and communications technology, by facilitating transport links to the European mainland and by fostering the integration of the outermost regions in the surrounding areas to which they have always had their backs turned.
The second big idea is to promote the competitiveness of the outermost regions, which will be achieved not only in terms of the extent to which we reduce the significant extra costs inherent in being an outermost region, but also by means of decisive action on dynamic elements such as competitiveness, education, training, innovation, research, the information society and entrepreneurship. On this last point, the Commission’s proposal falls well short and this is its major weak point.
The problem is that Community policy with a potentially significant effect on the competitiveness of the outermost regions falls well short of what is required. This is particularly true of policies designed to boost human capital, technological research and development, the environment, services of general economic interest and telecommunications. For that matter, the Commission does not propose any special plans for those regions leaving Objective 1 on account of exceeding the 75% of the Community average in terms of per capita GDP. Special phasing out arrangements from Objective 1 to Objective 2 are clearly called for in Article 299(2) of the Treaties.
The Commission’s proposal is, however, a major step in the right direction, because it is timely, because it correctly establishes its strategy and its priorities and because it proposes innovative policies. We welcome the Commission’s initiative, but we urge it to be more ambitious and to take on board the suggestions and comments made in my report. I could not finish without a word of thanks to those people whose contributions have enhanced this report."@en1
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