Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-07-04-Speech-2-192"
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"en.20060704.28.2-192"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the current process of industrial restructuring is largely the result of globalisation. The first remark one is led to make is that this new era has helped to reduce poverty around the world.
It is worthwhile continuing to promote the free movement of goods, commodities and persons, if only in terms of economic growth, which many countries around the world are enjoying in a sustainable way. Let us not, however, make the market a sacred cow; although the values that guide our political action acknowledge many of the virtues of the laws of the market, we also understand that the political authorities have a vital role in the regulation and functioning of that market.
This is a role that the EU and Parliament must not neglect. In the draft report on the European social model to be debated here in September, we will urge the EU to adopt an attitude towards third countries with high economic growth that promotes democracy, freedom, respect for human rights, environmental protection, social justice and regulation of the labour market.
It will be Europe's responsibility, in our view, to play a key role in striking a balance between economic growth and the search for decent social and environmental standards in the emerging world powers. If such guidelines are to prevail externally, the biggest concern internally will have to be the focus on increased competitiveness. In this regard, I wish to welcome the Commissioner's remarks here today.
The next steps are contained in the Lisbon Strategy. As regards the manner in which to proceed, I should like to reiterate that I still believe that it would be a very good idea to strengthen the Commission's role in implementing this strategy. Although globalisation can be seen as an opportunity for European business, the same process, as the Commission has said in this Chamber, also entails risks within the European area. One of these risks is the possible disappearance from the industrial map of regions and sectors whose economic base is manufacturing.
I therefore believe that there needs to be intervention at European level in the definition and execution of public policies that promote regional and social cohesion, with a view to preventing the phenomenon of exclusion. This is an extremely important point, because if we want to win over the citizens as regards the European project we cannot allow feelings of loss of hope and confidence to take root in certain regions outside the main population centres. I therefore warmly welcome the Commission’s initiative on setting up the Globalisation Adjustment Fund. Businesses, just like people, are born, they grow and they die. The important thing as far as employment growth is concerned is that the birth rate of business should always be higher than the death rate.
As regards the role of the EU and its institutions, I feel that they should not support political initiatives aimed at keeping alive industries or factories that are untenable in the medium term. That would not be the right path to follow; rather it would be something of a false dawn that would feed meaningless illusions. The right way forward, on the other hand, should be based on the competitiveness of the European economy, which depends on balanced public accounts, effective education and training systems, justice that works promptly, competitive tax systems, greater flexibility in the labour market and major incentives for research.
Without competitive economies there is no investment. Without investment there is no employment or social justice. Parliament should be channelling its efforts into discussing and defining policy instruments that could help increase competitiveness and regional and social cohesion in the EU. We naturally support all initiatives aimed at monitoring the use of public funds by private companies and we feel that this kind of support should be associated with medium-term objectives on employment and regional development. I believe that it is not Parliament’s job to make judgments on individual cases, which seems to have been at the root of this debate.
In this regard, I should like to conclude by encouraging dialogue between the parties involved, with a view to achieving the best possible solution that, according to the latest information I have, could satisfy everyone."@en1
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