Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-16-Speech-3-145"
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"en.20051116.16.3-145"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I can understand how the high-level relationship therapy at Hampton Court apparently proceeded as it should. It took place, however, in duly romantic and exclusive surroundings, so the odds were all on your side. Now that all the government leaders are home again after their therapy, we shall see for definite whether Tony Blair’s therapeutic efforts have borne fruit, for we all of course know that, when marriages begin to fall apart, couples often relapse into familiar bad habits. I therefore have a practical request to make to the Presidency and the Commission.
In practice, there is really very little that the EU countries can do jointly to set in motion the necessary and desired process of reform aimed at modernising the European labour market so that it suits today’s society. We all know of course that this necessary work needs to be carried out by the individual Member States. Efforts at reform are an exclusively national matter.
The EU can and must, however, complete the work on creating a fully-fledged internal market for capital and services. While the effects of the relationship therapy can still be felt, I would therefore call on the Presidency and the Commission to work towards ensuring that the European services and capital markets are fully liberalised. I am convinced that, if this process is a success, it will yield genuine labour market reforms on the basis of the motto, ‘There is no alternative’. The benefits to the people of such a reform would be huge, and that is of course what EU cooperation is all about: providing our fellow citizens with additional benefits.
I should also like to put a clear question to you, Mr Straw. You mention the Court of Auditors’ annual report. Are you prepared to set a good example and ensure that you and the United Kingdom assume responsibility for administering an EU subsidy in your country, something that, unfortunately, your Chancellor last week refused to do? I seek a clear answer from you. Thank you for your attention."@en1
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