Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-07-04-Speech-2-032"
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"en.20060704.5.2-032"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, just like my fellow Commission Member Mrs Hübner, I should like to thank you for your support in recent years. Today, almost two years after the Commission’s proposal, you are set to vote on the package of regulations on cohesion. Thanks to your efforts and support, this is a well-balanced package that represents genuine reform. The European Social Fund (ESF), which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2007, will retain its role. It will continue to be an instrument providing direct support to individual citizens and as such a key element in bringing the Union closer to the citizens. The funds, and in particular the ESF, must also, however, promote the Community's priorities much more clearly than before. The Commission’s efforts will be channelled into ensuring that the priorities of financing from the funds and of relaunching the Lisbon Strategy run in tandem. At a time when there is fresh work to be done in relation to enlargement, demographic change and globalisation, this is of key importance. In this regard, I should like to highlight the three main elements of the new ESF regulation.
Firstly, we naturally need a strategic approach. During the programming process, the Commission will come to an agreement with the Member States and the regions on the main priorities and goals, which will be fully compliant with the relaunched Lisbon Strategy.
The second is that the new version clearly calls for resources to be focused on the Community's goals under the European employment strategy, including important goals relating to employment in the areas of social inclusion, education and vocational training. The concentration of resources is an essential prerequisite for success.
Thirdly, support for human capital will enable the ESF to contribute significantly towards creating a knowledge-based society. Support for an educated, qualified and adaptable work force, and for innovation, is key if we are to increase employment, productivity at work, growth, social cohesion and social security.
Furthermore, also thanks to Parliament's staunch support, this regulation prioritises improving institutional capacity in the convergence regions and countries eligible for cohesion fund support. I strongly believe that this priority will play a central role in improving the effective functioning of public administration, thereby raising competitiveness and in turn strengthening the development of sustainable jobs and support for social inclusion. I should also like to point out that the ESF is also tasked with reducing disparities in terms of employment at national, regional and local levels. The creation of appropriate qualifications at all of these levels is an integral part of, and contribution towards, the growth and development strategy. These elements are, of course, mere parts of the whole.
Thanks to Parliament, the wording has been tightened in a number of areas. The fund will from now on play a key role in equality between men and women and equal opportunities, by means of special projects and the implementation of these principles in all areas of life. The fund will also support projects aimed specifically at combating discrimination in the work place, which can be linked to the priority of enhancing the social inclusion of disadvantaged citizens, in particular with a view to providing them with sustainable employment. These practical steps help people to develop socially beneficial measures and show how the Fund leads to the sharing of the values on which the European social model was founded. The ESF will also provide special support for the social partners in the convergence regions. Thanks to Parliament, the current wording is totally unambiguous, which is something I welcome. The active involvement of the social partners is therefore a vital prerequisite for well-balanced, harmonious socio-economic development. Furthermore, I should like to thank Parliament for its active support in ensuring that special provisions on partnership are contained in the new general regulation. This is a key principle that applies to all the funds that we are talking about. This principle enables civil society actors to be involved at every stage, namely social partners, civil society, non-governmental organisations and equal opportunities organisations.
One can therefore conclude that extraordinary results have been achieved. Accordingly, I should like to take this opportunity to thank the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs under the chair of Jan Andersson, which has provided the Commission with a great deal of support. At first reading, it drew up almost 100 amendments to the regulation, most of which were accepted by the Commission. In this regard, I should like to congratulate the main rapporteur, Mr Silva Peneda. We worked together on achieving a particular outcome, and now I should like to focus on the future.
In the coming months, the Member States will submit their national strategic reference frameworks and operational programmes to the Commission. The Member States will thus take important strategic decisions on future investments from public resources. Most Member States have already made good progress in drawing up these documents. However, there is a certain aspect that emerges from contact with the Member States that in my view may be cause for concern. It appears that in a considerable number of Member States, ESF investment in our biggest asset, namely our citizens and their qualifications, could be somewhat lower than it should be. This is highly important, because the right balance needs to be struck between investment in physical capital and investment in people. The way in which we now invest in our workers in the form of vocational training so that they can adapt to new challenges, in education for young and old, and in support for the unemployed with the aim of helping them to help themselves, will help shape our future. This will ultimately have the biggest influence on the wealth and prosperity of our citizens. The Commission will do all that is necessary to ensure that discussions with the Member States achieve a balanced result in line with the priorities of the Community policies and with the shared interests of Europe's citizens.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, I should once again like to express my gratitude and appreciation for your support and your successful contribution. I firmly believe that today we are taking a fresh step forward that will lead to an effective EU cohesion policy."@en1
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