Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-14-Speech-2-213"
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"en.20060214.26.2-213"2
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"(
) Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, this debate only confirms the level of passions aroused by the draft Services Directive. Both opponents and supporters are producing arguments that in some cases are rather suspect. It has already been stated here a number of times that the free movement of services, which is one of the four basic principles underpinning the single internal market of the European Union, is not being implemented in practice. This situation has now prevailed for a long time and it is only a matter of chance that we are attempting to change it shortly after a substantial enlargement of the EU, which is in itself one of the reasons for the emotional response.
If the agreed changes are adopted, the trade unionists demonstrating in front of this building can rest easy. Their fears of cheap labour being exported to provide services will not materialise. As a former trade unionist, I welcome the fact that there are trade unionists from the new Member States among the demonstrators. Many people are asking why this should be. The answer is because they feel solidarity with trade unionists from the old Member States and because the enlargement of the EU will continue. What some may see as unnecessary today can look very different after another year has gone by. The issue is whether the Directive before Parliament will be good or bad. The wider issue is whether the Directive will be regarded as having become so incomprehensible after the flood of amendments that it would be better to reject it. If we adopt the Directive together with the agreed amendments, it will create a great deal of work for lawyers in all of our countries. In my view, just as in many previous cases, European institutions are failing to produce directives that are clear and concise, in a way that makes it easy to monitor whether they are being implemented and adhered to properly. I am not surprised that the business community is taking such a close interest in the fate of this Directive. Business in the service sector, especially where public services are concerned, is free from the sort of competitive pressures that we see in manufacturing.
In my view, the problematic provision allowing the Member States to demand fulfilment of further requirements relating to social policies or consumer protection must be removed from the Directive. I do not want to see consumer protection distorted into protectionism. At the present time many opinions are being vented on the common theme of the mistrust felt by the old Member States towards the new ones. Let us take a step towards removing one of the elements of that dispute and vote in favour of the Directive, provided that the compromises we have reached are implemented."@en1
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"Richard Falbr (PSE ). –"1
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