Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-05-22-Speech-2-192"
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"en.20070522.23.2-192"2
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"Mr President, Mr Gloser, Mrs Ferrero-Waldner, Mr Prodi, ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing a speeding-up of the process of European integration, whether in terms of the relaunch of the institutions, of the new dynamic inspired by Mrs Merkel on climate change and energy or of the implementation of a common immigration policy. Europe is making progress. Europe is demonstrating that it represents a level of decision making that is not just necessary and effective, but also legitimate. Mr Prodi, you have shared with us your vision, your notion of European affairs. Through you, I should like to pay tribute to the historic, and more prevailing than ever, commitment of the Italian people towards European integration.
After a long period of uncertainty, the relaunch of the institutions is taking shape. The German Presidency is right to make this one of its priorities. If Europe is in a position to make effective and democratic decisions, we will be able usefully to decide on common policies. To move quickly and to enable Europe to make progress were the commitments made by the UMP candidate, Nicolas Sarkozy, and such is the mandate given to the new President of the French Republic by the people of France.
This dynamic, which is driven by a Member State that rejected the draft Treaty, already has the support of several other EU Member States and must be turned to good account if progress is to be made. The time for asking questions has passed. What we need now is action and flexibility. We are only four weeks away from the crucial European Council of 21 and 22 June, which must result in a new Treaty being drafted by the end of the year. The ratification of the Treaty by the 27 will be able to take place before the 2009 European elections. Action goes hand in hand with flexibility because, as you have said, bridges must be built between the 18 countries that said ‘Yes’, the two that said ‘No’ and those that have not yet given their opinion. Each country will have to make an effort to form links with the others and to educate its public. Success will only come if we stop relying on semantic issues and concentrate on what is truly important: double majority voting, the extension of qualified majority voting, the principle of subsidiarity and the sharing out of powers between the Union and the Member States, a stable presidency, common representation on the international stage and also the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
As far as the MEPs from the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats are concerned, what Europe needs is to form a political force and to become an autonomous actor on the international stage. Europe needs an economic and commercial identity so as to ensure that our partners comply with the same rules as us, in the fiscal, environmental and social spheres. Europe must ensure that, even within Europe itself, there is no unfair competition among the Member States, particularly in the area of taxation.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are on the right track; what must prevail is the idea of responsibility and of the general interest on the part of political leaders and of public opinion. While we remain firm in terms of our ideals and principles, they will be well served only if pragmatism prevails over dogmatism and if the good faith is stronger than the bad faith and the lax attitudes.
Mr President, I should like briefly to mention the recent EU-Russia Summit in Samara. Many commentators regarded the Summit as a failure for Europe. As far as my group is concerned, the opposite is true, and Europe emerged the winner of this Summit. It was the winner, not against Russia – which is a partner whom we respect – but in terms of affirming our convictions and ideals. We are satisfied because, on the Kosovo Status process, on energy and also on the issue of Estonia’s sovereignty, our leaders hoisted the European flag and expressed themselves strongly and intelligibly.
Mr Prodi, I shall conclude by saying how essential the Euro-Mediterranean dimension is to our parliamentary group. It is in the Mediterranean that our European adventure will succeed or fail. Nothing is so strategic to us, as Europeans, as investing in our relations with the Mediterranean basin, focusing on the development of a region that is endowed with such considerable human resources, and working towards the establishment of peace and stability in the Middle East."@en1
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