Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-07-05-Speech-3-007"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20060705.2.3-007"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, Mr President and Madam Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, honourable guests, I warmly thank you for this opportunity to come and discuss the priorities and main objectives of the Finnish Presidency with the European Parliament. It is an exacting task to discharge the responsibilities of the Presidency in the European Union, but at the same time it is a great honour and privilege, and Finland welcomes the challenge.
This perception that the Union’s legitimacy is suffering is partly due to the fact that the public does not know what the Union does for them. Many issues that have a real impact on people’s lives, such as the right to reside, work and study anywhere in the EU, are taken as a matter of course. People forget that they are possible precisely on account of the Union.
Lack of information, however, does not explain everything: the Union has also to be able to improve the way it does things. It needs to deliver results, the effects of which the people can see in their own lives.
The Union’s basic premise, peace and stability in Europe, is still relevant. I was personally reminded of that on my trip to Croatia a few weeks ago: they want to join the Union so that they and their children will never again need to witness another war.
Many other people, who have lived their whole lives in peace, tend, however, to take peace and stability for granted. As a result, that no longer seems enough on its own to give the Union legitimacy. As many of you have often said, the Union must be able to demonstrate the benefits it offers to its citizens in other ways too, and more tangibly.
The best way to demonstrate the necessity of the Union is to deal with its basic tasks effectively, especially its legislative work. That we can and must do right away on the basis of the existing Treaties. Europe cannot wait around for new rules on decision-making: it needs to start improving the way it functions straight away. The Union needs to show that it can achieve results that impact on human lives and not just quarrel about institutional matters.
Improved effectiveness will mean that bold decisions will need to be taken by Europe’s leaders and decision-makers. We cannot just think about the here and now, or future elections; we have to think about the interests of future generations. That is why decisions also need to be taken which will perhaps be painful now, but which will help shape the future. There must also be a willingness to compromise on national points of view and consider Europe as a whole.
The Union must focus on the essential, and work effectively for it. That means the sort of action that results in added value compared to what the Member States could do alone. This added value can be achieved in the areas of welfare, security and freedom.
If we are to realise these aims we need to start with the right approach. Transparency is essential: our citizens need to know how the decisions that affect them are made. The growing political debate in Europe is in the interests of everyone. You also have a crucial role to play in this.
I am pleased that we in the European Council decided to increase the transparency of Council sittings. Finland, as the country to hold the Presidency, will implement comprehensively the principles adopted by the European Council to increase the transparency of the Council’s work.
Finland will aim to contribute to the issue of transparency in other ways too, in all its practical work and activities. We shall aim to ensure that all essential information is available at our EU Presidency website as quickly as possible. Sometimes practical solutions like this do more to provide genuine access to information than mere political statements.
As the country to hold the Presidency, our collaboration with the European Parliament has got off to a good start. I would like to thank the President and all the other Members of the European Parliament who attended the meeting between the Finnish Government and Parliament in Helsinki. Furthermore, several parliamentary committees and political groups have visited Finland and engaged in productive discussions regarding the aims of our Presidency.
During its Presidency, Finland will steer its resources towards better regulation, that is to say, quality of legislation, and attention to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. This will not merely be a case of pruning legislation. In the European Union we need new legislation, but we must keep existing legislation up-to-date. This way the Union can influence and react dynamically to the changes in the world around it. In this we support the work of the Commission.
The Presidency will invest time and effort in ensuring that decision-making takes careful account of the economic, social and environmental effects of legislative proposals. Our goal will also be to expedite the implementation of Commission proposals that aim to simplify and update legislation.
The work of the Council will be based on the Annual Work Programme for 2006, which we drafted together with Austria. Cooperation between successive Presidencies is very important for continuity. With Austria it has gone well, and we intend to continue the cooperation in just the same positive spirit with Germany, which succeeds us.
The Finnish Presidency is committed to working through the Union agenda and all the issues on it effectively, efficiently and impartially. I shall briefly mention here the issues that the Finnish Presidency intends to highlight in particular, but that does not mean that we would not attend to other matters just as diligently. There is need for progress in all sectors.
Finland wants to promote the debate on the Union’s future. Connected with this debate are the very real issues of the future of the Union’s Constitutional Treaty and EU enlargement.
I am pleased that the European Council decided in June that, with regard to the Constitutional Treaty, it was time to move on from mere reflection to a more proactive stage. This twin-track approach is the right one: we will improve the way the Union functions in line with the current Treaties, whilst at the same time we start to ponder the future of the Constitutional Treaty. During its Presidency, Finland will start consultations relating to the future of the Constitutional Treaty. These consultations with the Member States and EU institutions will form the basis of a report to be produced during the first half of 2007, when Germany has the Presidency.
I am convinced that the Treaty negotiated with the Member States is essential for an expanding Union. In Finland the Government presented a proposal on the ratification of the Treaty to the Finnish Parliament at the start of June, and Parliament will deliberate on the matter in its autumn session. In this way, Finland is adopting a position on the negotiated Treaty.
Union enlargement is one of the key issues for the Finnish Presidency. I am personally convinced that the enlargement of the Union has been a success story. Not only is enlargement a crucial tool for strengthening stability and democracy, it is also one of Europe’s strategic responses to the challenges of globalisation. Recent analyses show that the latest round of enlargement was of clear benefit to both the new and the old Member States.
In June the European Council held an important debate on the Union’s absorption capacity. I am very pleased that this was not set as a new accession criterion. No new accession criteria should be set for applicant countries, but at the same time the existing criteria must be adhered to unconditionally. The bottom line is that the Union should remain an open Community. European states that meet the membership criteria should be able to join.
During our Presidency a decision will be taken on the accession date for Romania and Bulgaria. Membership negotiations with Turkey and Croatia will also be taken forward on the basis of the progress they have made and the Commission reports.
Ever since Finland joined the EU it has supported efforts to make the work of the Union’s institutions more effective and improve the close cooperation that exists between them. As the country to hold the Presidency, we will work in close and effective cooperation with the European Parliament. By that I do not just refer to Parliament’s role in the codecision procedure as a legislator on an equal footing with the Council, but in a wider context, promoting the key aims of the Union.
The Finnish Presidency will also support the European Perspective of the Western Balkans. The current year will in many ways be crucial for the future of the Western Balkans. The process concerning the status of Kosovo is likely to reach a conclusive phase in the autumn. The Presidency hopes that the parties will achieve results in the exacting negotiations entered into under Martti Ahtisaari by the end of the year.
A vital area during the Finnish Presidency will be the competitiveness of the Union and its Member States and their success in global competition. These we will make efforts to address over a broad spectrum during our Presidency in the various formations of the Council.
A fundamental question is where Europe will find the foundations for economic growth. Finland’s answer is that it will be found in such areas as innovation, energy solutions, the quality of work and productivity, openness in global trade, immigration and a competent social security system.
It is the Member States which have the principal responsibility for competitiveness. The onus is on them. The Union must have its own part to play too. Finland will strive to achieve results with regard to the Seventh Framework Programme for research. The same goes for the regulation on chemicals, REACH, the Services Directive, the Working Time Directive and the regulation on international roaming.
We want to make headway in developing a wide-ranging innovation policy. In Council legislation work and at the meeting of the Heads of State and Government in Lahti we will focus on initiatives designed to create a favourable environment for generating innovation and adopting it effectively. We are talking about a demand-driven innovation policy. The Heads of State and Government at Lahti can expedite the necessary decision-making process.
If there is to be a wide-ranging innovation policy there will have to be more effective cooperation and decision-making in the Union, for example, in standardisation, in the protection of intellectual property, and in the development of the financial markets. It will be just as important to add momentum to student and researcher mobility, enhance cooperation between universities and expedite the creation of European centres of excellence. I would also like to stress how important the positive effect of competition resulting from an open global economy is on innovation.
Europe needs to boost the mobility of its intellectual and material resources. The cornerstone of innovation policy is the Union’s internal market and its further development.
The obstacles to an internal market that functions effectively must be removed, so that the benefits of economic integration can be fully felt. The internal market is the very foundation of the EU. This should not be forgotten. The market in services is of major importance in this, and it is excellent that we are nearing a settlement on the Services Directive. The role of the European Parliament has been crucial. I hope that the directive can be finally adopted immediately at second reading in the European Parliament.
External relations regarding energy are also on the agenda at the meeting of the Heads of State and Government in Lahti. The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has been invited to the dinner that takes place after the meeting, where he and EU leaders will have an opportunity for some informal discussions.
Europe’s economic success depends very much on securing a reliable supply of energy at a reasonable price. All Member States are affected by the challenges of rising energy prices, reliability of supply and climate change. Energy policy choices are largely national affairs. The European Union, however, needs common energy policy guidelines, and, in particular, a coherent policy on external relations with regard to energy. During the Finnish Presidency we want to promote the strategic debate on how we need to make our objectives on energy policy visible in the Union’s external relations.
Finland’s own national parliament, the
is celebrating a special anniversary. This year it is 100 years since the unicameral parliament was founded and universal suffrage established. Everyone, men and women alike, at the same time had the right to vote and the right to stand for election. We are proud of this landmark in the history of our democracy.
Energy consumption and the choice of energy sources are closely related to the most serious threat to the environment of our time, climate change. With regard to climate policy, it is especially important to promote the discussions on the development of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change after 2012. The Finnish Presidency will try internationally to promote discussion that could result in the EU’s objective of establishing an ambitious regime for climate change that covers all major countries. A comprehensive approach would not only work to promote a response to the climate challenge which is as effective as possible but would protect EU competitiveness.
Both these issues, energy and climate change, will be high on the agenda at summits with third countries during the Finnish Presidency, including the 10th ASEM Summit between the EU and Asian countries, to take place in Helsinki.
I am well aware that millions of Europeans fear global competition and that, as a result, they also oppose many changes. This fear was in evidence in the debate on the Services Directive, for example. It needs to be taken seriously. I would stress that we should not try and boost competitiveness in Europe no matter what the cost and regardless of the consequences. There needs to be a balance between reform, social security and environmental sustainability. Frequently, however, new working methods and modern technology benefit both economic growth and social welfare, and reduce emissions into the environment.
To preserve Europe’s welfare societies we will need to boost competitiveness, reduce unemployment, and improve labour productivity. The results are to be achieved through close cooperation with the social partners. A new balance between flexibility and security is the goal here. Finland will therefore host an extraordinary social summit just prior to the Lahti meeting of Heads of State and Government, where these issues will be discussed.
The Union’s external relations are linked to the economy, as its external action is based on its economic strength. We are an attractive trading partner, and that means that we have influence. The EU has become a global actor, which cannot afford to pause to reflect when dealing with external affairs.
During the Finnish Presidency, the EU’s international role will be consolidated and the coherence in the way it acts and functions will be reinforced. The Union has a far more comprehensive range of tools at its disposal than many other global players. They must be used with consistency, whether it is regarding policy on external relations, trade, development cooperation or human rights. The voice of the Union will only be heard around the world as one of unity if the Union is united.
We intend to develop the Union’s crisis management further. Rapid deployment troops must be fully ready to respond by the start of 2007. Coordination of civil and military crisis management will continue.
EU relations with Russia and the Northern Dimension will be priority areas during the Finnish Presidency. The Western Balkans, transatlantic relations and Asia will also be high on the agenda.
EU-Russian relations will not just be limited to the issues of trade and energy: the aim is for a broad-based partnership, in which European values and global interests unite us. The goal will be Russia’s ever closer involvement in democratic European cooperation in the various sectors of society. For that we need more dialogue between the EU countries and Russia, as well as student exchanges, cultural collaborations, and the active involvement of civil society.
During the Finnish Presidency there will be discussions regarding the new framework for the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which expires at the end of next year. Regarding the Northern Dimension, we have now come a long way: the political framework agreement is to be signed in the autumn. The development of the Northern Dimension is also of value in respect of other forms of cooperation in the Baltic region.
In Finland, the parliament is closely involved in the handling of EU affairs, and it has a lot of influence. Perhaps this experience that we have of fruitful cooperation with our parliament has in turn made it so natural for us Finns to engage in close cooperation with the European Parliament too. There is no overlap in the work of the European Parliament and that of the national parliaments: each has its own role to play in Union affairs. Basically, however, they have the same fundamental mission: to strengthen democracy in the Union.
In addition to all this, we will obviously devote our efforts to the crises in the Middle East and other regions. We are very concerned about the situation in the Palestinian territories, on which important separate talks are being held today. In external relations the unexpected is the rule rather than the exception. Finland is also ready to take its presidential responsibilities seriously should the unexpected occur.
During the Finnish Presidency, a thorough political evaluation will be carried out on the progress achieved in the area of freedom, security and justice. We need concrete action, effective decision-making and the rigid implementation nationally of the decisions that have already been taken. In 1999 the Tampere Summit showed the way for the ambitious and democratic development of justice and home affairs. Now, in 2006, the assessment of the Hague Programme will provide an opportunity actively to push ahead with European cooperation in this area.
The public expect effective action on the part of the European Union in the fight against international criminality, people trafficking and terrorism. During the Finnish Presidency the political will of the Member States to commit to more effective decision-making, especially in the area of policing and crime, will be put to the test. The work can be improved if the Member States are ready to switch to a system of qualified majority decisions and communitisation in this area. The most recent European Council called on us to consider this in conjunction with the Commission.
I would like to emphasise that cooperation on policing and crime is not just a way of scoring points. We do not intend to get the Constitutional Treaty through by the backdoor, because the changes can be implemented on the basis of the Treaty of Nice.
Finland would also like to endorse the implementation of the principle of mutual recognition in judicial cooperation. If judgments and decisions by the legal authorities in another Member State are implemented as they stand, this can be a very real way of boosting the efficiency of large-scale, cross-border criminal investigations and speeding up legal proceedings. A good example of this is the European arrest warrant, which has resulted in shortening the time it has taken to extradite suspects from more than six months to as little as just one day.
Recent events, such as those in the Canary Islands and Malta, have once again made illegal immigration headline news. We need to take a thorough look at the range of options that the Union has, including agreement on common policies on legal immigration. More effective border control is just one part of the solution, albeit an important one. The importance of cooperation with the countries of origin and transit involved in illegal immigration cannot be overstated. We need to ensure that the Union’s common asylum system is in place by 2010. The Union must be able to guarantee protection to those who need it, with reference to comparable procedures and legislation. Attention also needs to be paid to the external dimension of questions relating to migration and partnership with our neighbours.
As I said at the beginning, cooperation between the institutions at both European and national level must be developed further. Today I would like to thank you in particular for this opportunity to present the priorities of the Finnish Presidency and discuss with you how they may be promoted. I await your comments with interest both today and at any time in the future, in this plenary and in other contexts.
The debate on Europe’s development is an important one, regardless of the political differences. The leaders of the political groups in the European Parliament, for example at the public meeting in Helsinki at the start of June, have demonstrated the will and ability to move forward with the European agenda. We in Finland too are used to engaging in productive cross-party political cooperation. It is also a natural thing to do at European level.
I hope that working together, as we will be during the next six months, will produce the best possible results. I look forward to being here again in the European Parliament in connection with the summits that are to be held during the Finnish Presidency.
We live in a time of enormous challenges. The Union needs to look to the future, boldly embrace reform, and demonstrate the political will needed to develop Europe. I believe that in many cases the right answer is more Europe, not less.
During its Presidency, Finland will endeavour to persuade the Union to look outwards and ahead. We must reflect on what sort of a Union we want to see 10 to 20 years from now, and how that is to be achieved. As Europeans, we need to identify the historical forces of change in our time, and respond to and embrace them. It is a major challenge for the EU to face up to the reality of globalisation.
As it is about to begin, this Presidency has already been described as a sort of transitional phase. It would deal with the day-to-day business and prepare for a time when the preconditions for tackling the Union’s major issues are close at hand. It needs to be said very clearly, however, that, although the European Union might be in something of a wait-and-see mood, the rest of the world around us is not going to come to a halt. It would be the wrong way to treat Europe’s future generations if we were to close our eyes to the historic challenges we face and just wait around for a better time to come. That time is here and now.
The world that surrounds the Union is changing and if we are not careful we will lag further and further behind. That would be disastrous, above all for the future of our children and future generations. For their sake, Europe must stop looking inwards and consider its position in the global context in the longer term. The world around us will not wait. Our future requires us to take concrete action now, even though its effects will only be visible later on.
In recent years participation in decision-making in the Union has left something to be desired and the public are more critical about that than before. I nevertheless dismiss the pessimistic talk of a crisis in the Union; instead, I believe that the problems we have at present can be overcome. The agreement reached on the Financial Framework and progress with the Services Directive are examples of the Union being able to take important decisions when the political will is there. I believe that it is there in all the Union’s institutions.
The European Union is a community of values, which exists for the people. That is why its reduced legitimacy and its diminished justification and credibility in the eyes of the people must be taken seriously."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples