Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-02-13-Speech-2-107"
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"en.20070213.16.2-107"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, at a time when global problems are piling up, a number of EU Member States are tempted by nationalism. The fact is that the indisputable lesson of the globalisation under way is that even Germany, France, Great Britain or, indeed, Poland are relatively helpless faced with the foreseeable rise of certain large nations.
Everyone concedes that the Treaty of Nice is no longer enough to ensure the effective governance of the EU-27. However, the Constitutional Treaty has collapsed, and not only because of the French and Dutch ‘no’ votes but also because certain Heads of State or Government refuse to honour their signatures. The vision of Europe cannot be summarised solely in terms of the internal market. Our fellow citizens want to see a more social dimension and joint action that is more effective.
European integration began with the European Coal and Steel Community. Last year, China became the world’s top steel manufacturer. In January, China and Russia signed 15 energy cooperation agreements, one of them relating to the construction of two gas pipelines, each with a capacity of 40 billion cubic metres.
This month, India, China and Russia are to take part in a tripartite forum with a view to promoting trade with each other. The United States and Russia have just signed a joint nuclear research agreement. The Chinese, Japanese, Indians, Russians and Americans are cooperating in the development of new technologies designed to combat climate change. Where, then, is Europe in all this? We are far from the solidarity of the now defunct CECA. We are struggling to define an energy policy characterised by solidarity and therefore of a joint character, and this at a time when our energy dependence is increasing. Admittedly, we are giving priority to ambitious objectives, but with deadlines in 2020, 2030 or 2050, that is to say beyond the foreseeable future.
Chancellor Merkel reminded us this morning that the EU was responsible for 15% of total CO2 emissions. According to Commissioner Dimas, our share fell to 14% in 2006 – a figure indicative not of greater efficiency on the part of Europeans but of an increase in the emissions of other industrialised nations.
If it is obvious that Europe must set an example, it is no less obvious that we are not going to be able to overcome global problems on our own. Europe has some aces up its sleeve when it comes to making its presence felt in the global debate. We remain the biggest economic power, generating 30% of gross world product. More than a third of the two thousand largest companies in the world are European. We still lead the world in practically all sectors, with the exceptions of digital technology and biotechnology, and the Lisbon Summit has defined a strategy for remedying these deficiencies. This strategy is still a live one, even if progress is desperately slow, particularly where research and innovation are concerned.
The forthcoming summit will provide the opportunity for a new departure. All the analyses have been carried out, and all the problems are known. The time for practical decisions has come. The political relaunch of Europe must take place by June at the latest. That, at least, is the ambition of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament."@en1
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