Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-14-Speech-1-061"

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"en.20051114.13.1-061"2
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". Madam President, this report touches on many issues of social policy, and it is to be hoped that the business sector will take these fine principles on board far more than it has previously and will actually put them into practice. If it does not, the mocking proverb according to which ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’ would no doubt have to be recast in a version for the EU, which would read: ‘the road to neo-capitalist globalisation is paved with the EU’s fine words on social policy’. The report is still far too vague about the correlation between poverty, business and the destruction of the environment; to take an example, the International Energy Agency’s ‘World Energy Outlook 2005’ paints a frightening picture of worldwide CO2 emissions increasing by 52% between now and 2030. There is a clear trade-off between the destruction of the environment and the reduction of poverty, and it is above all the poorest who suffer from it. One of the functions of policy is to set clear boundaries for business; multinational conglomerates must accept much more responsibility for society and the environment, and the Triple Bottom Line approach is one example of how they can do so. The public can be guided towards more responsible ways of being consumers, and eco-label is one way in which this can be done. Consumers have the right to be told whether a product was manufactured fairly and in line with ILO standards or if exploitation was involved. Let me say something else about the WTO. I am perturbed by the excessive respect in which that organisation is held. Many politicians’ attitudes towards it suggest that they see it as some sort of force of nature. The WTO must become more democratic. Elected institutions must redefine its objectives and monitor its activities. This is another area in which the EU must bring much more influence to bear."@en1

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