Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-25-Speech-2-330"
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"en.20051025.25.2-330"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, as Commissioner Barrot has already pointed out, trans-European networks are without doubt a decisive factor for achieving the aims set out in the Lisbon Agenda for economic development and employment in the European Union.
In that sense it is quite true that, unless agreement is reached on the financial perspective, we are most unlikely to see the trans-European networks implemented, because planning done on a year-to-year basis would clearly jeopardise the future of these great projects, which instead require longer-term planning. Besides, even though this sector has been identified as crucial for completing the internal market and enhancing social cohesion, it has its difficulties, especially financial ones, which are preventing the individual projects from being fully implemented. The fact is that to date only 20% of the objectives to be achieved by 2010 have been completed.
The huge resources needed and the time frames involved have both prevented the use of financial instruments also involving private capital and made national governments unwilling to commit themselves to projects of cross-border importance.
Another difficulty is the fact that the ten new Member States have inadequate infrastructures and an almost total lack of cross-border networks. I therefore agree with the Commission – and Mr Barrot has explained it very well – about adopting measures such as the European coordinator, so as to encourage institutional cooperation at all levels.
I also welcome the new proposal for a regulation drawn up by the Commission, which not only sets out the new financial framework but also specifies the four criteria already mentioned for disbursing aid. Thus I agree with simplification, conditionality, the principle of selectivity and concentration, and the principle of proportionality, which the Commissioner has already mentioned. The Commission proposal contains another innovative element that I endorse, concerning the use of new forms of financial support: in addition to direct grants, it proposes interest rate rebates on loans given by the European Investment Bank (EIB), loan guarantees to cover risks after the construction phase, and participation in risk capital funds.
In the light of the debate within the Committee on Budgets and the amendments that have been tabled, and in view of the difficulties associated with the huge resources needed to implement the individual projects, I feel that it is appropriate to facilitate the procedures for using private capital. I shall therefore be inclined to reject those amendments that propose placing bureaucratic obstacles in the way of carrying out the projects.
I must also point out that, as a list of priority projects already exists, I consider it superfluous to accept those amendments that propose a sort of prioritising of priorities, since the Van Miert high-level group has now drawn up a list of priority projects. I also believe that financial support is guaranteed for cross-border routes and that the Member States have agreed to implement and complete them. In this respect I shall accept Amendment 46 by Mr Costa, the chairman of the Committee on Transport and Tourism, although I must point out that the text in Italian has not been translated correctly. For me, therefore, the English text will be authentic and I also propose a split vote on the word ‘binding’.
I shall be inclined, however, to reject the amendments referring to assessments made by independent bodies and independent experts, because there are bodies that have that function in every Member State and it would be a waste of resources to insist on others.
Lastly, with regard to the energy sector, I do not think we can talk about financial support just for project studies, because more often than not they are left to gather dust and, in my view, are another waste of resources. Thus I believe that the development of the European energy market should be supported through infrastructure funding as well, since the energy problem is one of the factors that limits economic growth in the European Union. I thank the Commission for its excellent cooperation and above all I thank my colleagues in the Committee on Budgets, who have facilitated and also improved our joint work."@en1
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