Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-10-11-Speech-3-071"
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"en.20061011.14.3-071"2
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"Mr President, Mrs Lehtomäki, Mr Barroso, we are deeply distressed and outraged by the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya, and we have many questions about the reasons that led to this crime being carried out. It is vital that the Russian authorities get right to the bottom of this tragedy as soon as possible, and we expect the Council to send out the message that it will stand firm in the face of this fresh blow to a profession that pays a heavy cost each year for carrying out its work. Allow me to pay tribute, through Anna Politkovskaya, to all of the journalists who risk their lives throughout the world in order to defend freedom of expression, to which we are so attached.
The Informal Meeting to be held in Lahti on 20 October will provide another opportunity to raise some recurring issues, such as competitiveness, innovation, immigration and energy policy. I fear that competitiveness and innovation will meet the same fate as sustainable development: everyone talks about it, everyone subscribes to it, but when it comes to taking concrete action, good principles go out the window. There are numerous examples of this. I could cite that of Galileo, the usefulness of which was so highly praised, but when it came to planning the budget for it, all of a sudden it was no longer a priority.
With regard to transport infrastructure and rail links, we recommend their being completed for the sake of competitiveness, but we sacrifice them on the budgetary altar. What can be said about the much-hyped ambitions in relation to research when it is clear what kind of support is actually given to innovation? I am thinking not only about financial aid, but also about the application of the laws that encourage investment in Europe and that clear the way for our SMEs to export outside European territory. I therefore expect a great deal from the Council’s commitment to the European Institute of Technology, to which our President of the Commission, Mr Barroso, is, I know, very attached, as, I might add, is our Parliament. Indeed, it is no longer strong commitments that we expect from the Council, but concrete action.
Competitiveness is also the outcome of the regulations that we adopt, which must represent opportunities and not constraints. I expect the European Commission to take these principles as its starting point when it presents its 2007 legislative programme and the Council to follow that trend. I expect Parliament to have the courage to reject proposals that only deal with big ideas without doing anything specific with them. Policies, too, must be competitive, and thus effective.
Competitiveness also means striking a trade balance worldwide. Anti-dumping measures are certainly along these lines, but could we not have other strong political decisions, such as a demand for equivalent quality standards for all goods imported into the European Union?
Finally, on the energy issue, I hope that the discussions with President Putin will enable Europe to implement all of the structures necessary to guarantee the independence of its energy supply. It must also be able to equip itself with renewable energy sources so as to guarantee the independence of its energy supply from a nuclear energy perspective."@en1
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