Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-04-23-Speech-1-228"
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"en.20070423.22.1-228"2
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"Mr President, can one expect to sort out the world’s problems without first putting one’s own house in order? In the European Union’s case this thought springs readily to mind, if we consider how the problems of the new Member States are dealt with.
We are today debating yet another problem experienced by the new Member States. In this instance the difficulty relates to the potato starch market and only two countries are affected. The figures clearly indicate that the current organisation of this market is artificial, unfair and fails to take account of the real situation. Poland is the leading potato producer in the Union, yet it has become an importer of potato starch. This is not because it is unable to manufacture starch, or that its starch is too expensive or of poor quality. Poland is importing starch as a result of political decisions on the size of quota allocations. We should be ashamed of these decisions, because they are irrational and nonsensical. They have led to a situation in which poorer quality cereal starch is replacing better quality potato starch. Should we really be making the Union a laughing stock and losing credibility at global level?
It has been said that clever people correct their mistakes whilst the stupid thrive on them. The current starch quota allocation most certainly classes as a mistake. I am confident that the Union is capable of correcting it. The construction of the enlarged Europe is often reminiscent of building a house from the roof down, instead of up from the foundations."@en1
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