Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-13-Speech-2-018"
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"en.20071113.4.2-018"2
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"Mr President, with your permission, I would like to start my speech in Irish.
I approve of the Commission’s projected legislative and work programme. The Commission is aiming above all to promote job creation and development in Europe; to make the EU come to grips with the problem of climate change; to bring about a common policy on migration; to give pride of place to EU citizens; and to ensure that the EU acts as a force for good all over the world.
And of course the whole issue of globalisation is one that will concentrate our minds over the next number of years – not just in the short term for 2008 – and I welcome the initiatives taken in particular by the Commission to prepare Europe to deal with the effects and impacts, both positive and negative, of what globalisation will mean.
We can see around the world that there is a threat to democracy also, and the actions that we must take with regard to ensuring that we can best deliver not just aid and assistance to those who are in trouble but also the promotion of the values of democracy, the rule of law, the separation of powers. We have seen in recent weeks that Pakistan, Georgia and other parts of the world are suffering from new forms of resistance towards democratic controls, new threats regarding the freedom of the press, and, most importantly of all, the annihilation of the will of the people to be heard and to be recognised within those networks.
In particular, the continuing crisis around the world – particularly in the developing world with regard to the AIDS, HIV and other areas – requires us to be more imaginative and innovative in how best we can deal with these areas.
But one issue in particular concerns me as we look to the future, in particular the short-term future, and that is the whole question of taxation within the European Union. Many of us have grave concerns with regard to proposals coming forward from the Commission concerning corporation tax, the common consolidated base for corporation tax and, in particular, the relentless desire of certain Commissioners to drive forward the proposal which we – I and others in this House – believe the Commission does not have the legislative or legal basis to move forward on.
I am delighted that the Lisbon Reform Treaty has ensured that the issues of taxation still require unanimity. I am delighted at the fact that no changes can be made without the 27 governments agreeing.
There is a place in Europe for ensuring that there is competition, not just in economic and in environmental terms, but also in the whole area of taxation. This tax competition is healthy, and we must be given assurances that any proposals coming forward will not have a negative impact with regard to economic growth and employment growth, which is so necessary for the peoples of Europe. Even if you look at America there is tax competition within the states and it appears to be working extremely well there.
The last point that I would make is that, as we look to the future and move forward, the peoples of Europe are not asking for more bureaucracy, they are not asking for more regulation. They are asking for vision and a rapid response to the real problems that they face on a day-to-day basis, not some abstract ideologies from an ancient past which I hope we have left behind us."@en1
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