Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-10-Speech-3-020"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20071010.16.3-020"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, last year I spoke to Parliament about what the Commission saw as the motor of progress in today’s European Union and we outlined the so-called ‘twin-track’ approach – an activist policy agenda and an ambitious approach to the Treaty reform were goals that supported each other. There was a lot of consensus in that debate, and I think there were three reasons for that.
We also need a treaty that is as accessible and understandable as possible, with a consolidated text that should be made available as soon as possible after the conclusion of the IGC. During this ratification process, leading up to the European Parliament elections in 2009, the delivery of our policy agenda for Europeans will be equally important in setting the mood, and next week, thanks to the Presidency, we will have a debate on Europe and globalisation. This is very timely: every year it becomes more and more clear that globalisation is central to the concerns of this generation of Europeans. It touches every citizen in one way or another: the goods and services we buy, the television we watch, the energy we use and the work we do. The European Union has been successfully developing a policy which recognises the fundamental link between economic success and social security. But globalisation is not static, as this summer’s turbulence in the financial markets showed all too clearly. We need to adapt constantly to changing circumstances.
Last week, as Mr Lobo Antunes has mentioned, the Commission adopted a paper for this debate that will also set the scene for proposals later this year on reviewing the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. It argues that Europe must shape up for globalisation in order to deal successfully with the pressure it puts on our economies, our institutions and our citizens, but also to seize the opportunities for greater prosperity, for lifting people out of poverty, for new markets for our products, for closer cooperation and for more sharing of values. The paper also states very clearly that globalisation is not some irresistible external force of nature, with the EU as a passive bystander. We can shape globalisation and shape it, to some extent, in our own image. That is our task: to be confident enough about our values, our vision and the tools at our disposal to ensure that Europe succeeds in the age of globalisation.
It also rejects protectionism. Yes to protecting our citizens, but no to protectionism that can only impoverish them. It also serves notice on our partners: we will not be a soft touch; we will defend the European interest. That means a level playing field; it means ensuring that openness is a two-way street; it means making clear that we will not water down our high standards of health, safety, environmental and consumer protection.
The paper is equally uncompromising when it comes to our values. We can prosper in the age of globalisation, but we will want to do it our own way. Our growth will have to be sustainable. We have set ambitious targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and using renewable energy sources, and we will meet them. The meeting will provide an important opportunity to restate Europe’s leadership role in the run-up to Bali.
We will use our social models to spread the benefits of globalisation throughout our society. They are among our biggest assets. They will help our citizens to adapt and equip them for dealing successfully with rapid change. The tripartite social summit just before the informal European Council will provide an excellent opportunity to set the scene.
It is clear that, today, the European Union offers a route for Europeans to make the most of globalisation, to provide a continental context that individual countries cannot match. To deliver this European interest, we have a ready-made tool in the shape of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs. Our economic analysis shows that the Lisbon Strategy is beginning to deliver. The paper points to a number of policy areas that deserve even greater attention during the next three-year cycle up to 2010: education and flexicurity, including more attention to active inclusion policies and adequate social protection; a fifth freedom for ideas and researchers; eco-innovation; a small business act for Europe to help millions of small companies across the EU to grow and create more jobs. None of this is easy, but it is achievable. I know that this Parliament will remain intimately involved in following the progress of the Lisbon Strategy at both EU and national level. Your views on the points sketched out here will be an essential input for the package, which we will adopt in December.
The informal European Council is an important rendezvous at an important time. Let us use the opportunity to show Europeans that the European Union is looking ahead, shaping its policies to meet tomorrow’s challenges and equipping itself with the right tools.
First of all, it reflects a degree of maturity in the European Union, because Europe today touches on so many areas of people’s lives, and this has created expectations. Retreating into a lowest-common-denominator Europe would be a big mistake. Second, I think that the challenge of communicating Europe with and to our citizens demanded a fresh approach, with a more profound awareness of how Europe relates to their social needs, their economic aspirations and their underlying values. Finally, this new approach was based not just on political instinct: it was grounded in the work launched by the Commission in its Plan ‘D’ for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate, in which so many Members of this Parliament took such an active part.
The informal European Council next week will be the twin-track approach in action. On the one hand, we should see the heads of state and government concluding the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) and agreeing a new Reform Treaty. On the other, the Presidency has signalled its intention to deepen the debate on how Europe responds to globalisation.
So, to start with the Reform Treaty: we now have a text in front of us and this is a major achievement. I want to pay tribute to the work of the Portuguese Presidency, as we have to the German presidency, for the way they have moved the process forward calmly and steadily, showing great commitment.
Like my colleague from the Presidency, I also want to pay tribute to Parliament for its constructive role in this last phase. We have worked well together, and, thanks to Mr Brok, Mr Barón Crespo and Mr Duff, we have a better Treaty, in terms of its provisions on rights and citizenship. We will also be giving the Charter of Fundamental Rights full status through a formal proclamation.
Remember how many said that an EU of 27 would never be able to agree a treaty text again. We are on the verge of proving them wrong yet again. The determination of all of us to reach agreement also points to a Europe with plenty of ideas for the future. If we agree a deal next week, the agreement to stick closely to the mandate will have been vindicated. We now have to carry this past the final hurdles. I am sure that the heads of state and government will be fully aware that an atmosphere of recrimination and dispute at Lisbon would do nothing to help the process of ratification.
Of course, we would have liked to avoid opt-outs, but, if that was the price of making progress with an ambitious Reform Treaty, we have to accept it. It is the nature of compromise and negotiation.
I would also like to thank Parliament for having responded rapidly and efficiently to the invitation of the European Council to come up with proposals for its future composition. This is a difficult and sensitive issue for all of you, as it is for Member States, and I would emphasise the need for agreement by both Parliament and the Council.
One last word on the Treaty: political agreement by the European Council is an important step, but, as we all know, it is not the end of the story. I hope we will be able to work together during the ratification process, seeing it as an opportunity to communicate, to explain and to listen about the European Union. Where possible, we should coordinate, as the Commission proposed last week in a new paper entitled ‘Communicating Europe in Partnership’."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples