Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-05-Speech-2-175"
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"en.20060905.23.2-175"2
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".
I should like to begin by saying that the EU that we know today was founded on an ideal, the main objective of which was winning and maintaining peace. In half a century, Europe has, on the world stage, become a byword for peace, democracy, freedom, solidarity, prosperity and development.
Peace, this prime objective of the European project, has manifestly been achieved, to the extent that we now take the true value of this major victory for granted, so normal has it become to live in peace for over six decades. We are talking about peace that is rooted in freedom, democracy and respect for human rights and the rule of law. Let us compare the European social model with other situations: an example close to home was the great swindle of the totalitarian Communist experiments, which for decades deprived many Europeans of their right to freedom, for most now happily regained.
The brutal reality of Islamic fundamentalism today is a further example of a movement far removed from the core values on which the European social model is based. This report deals essentially with values. The way in which these values are implemented varies from country to country, and we therefore stress the idea that while the European social model is a unity of values, that unity is implemented in a number of different ways.
Globalisation, technological development and demographic change are the main factors behind the difficulties faced, to a greater or lesser extent, by the social protection systems in the different European countries. Hence the need for timely reforms; either the European social model will survive if we take action, or will die if we do nothing.
We know that if there is weak economic growth any structural reform will be doomed from the outset. This is why we have placed major emphasis in the report on the Member States implementing the Lisbon Strategy and on the need to complete the internal market. The following are the areas to be prioritised in the reforms to be undertaken: greater flexibility in the labour market, lifelong learning, more time to pursue an active life, the work-family life balance, changes in sources of funding, and combating poverty and social exclusion.
In the area of competitiveness, we recommend that greater attention be paid to SMEs and to innovation. The general guidelines of the reforms that must be implemented and that have been highlighted in our report are indicative of reformist thinking firmly rooted in the core values of the European social model. As elements that inform all political action, these values are needed now more than ever.
It is therefore important to us that Parliament affirm that the reforms that need to be carried out to the different social protection systems must not under any circumstances affect the core values on which the European social model is based. Parliament’s decision on the content of this report will thus be of relevance beyond the Union because it will be a political affirmation of the defence of values that are important not only to Europe but also to the world. In this regard, I shall quote the International Labour Organisation, which explicitly referred to the European social model as a possible source of inspiration for emerging new powers.
I should finally like to mention my fellow rapporteur, Mr De Rossa, and to thank him for the excellent spirit of cooperation that we enjoyed, which enabled us to work in a way that was both stimulating and pleasant."@en1
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