Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-13-Speech-2-070"
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"en.20071113.4.2-070"2
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"Mr President, I should first like to express my thanks to all of you for your comments, whether detailed or general, whether critical or supportive of the Commission’s proposal for the work programme for next year. The scope of this discussion illustrates also the scope of all the tasks and missions and activities of the European institutions. It ranges from comments on fisheries policy or fishing agreements with Tanzania to the peace process in the Middle East – the whole range of activities that we are engaged in.
I will not be able to go into all the details that have been mentioned in this debate; I am sure that the dialogue will continue in the relevant committees and the European Parliament as well. Just to repeat what is in our proposal: in the energy package are four different initiatives. You have touched upon that because it is a policy paper concentrating on the internal energy market, on security of supply and technological developments.
There will be a revision of the Oil Stocks Directive. There will be a complete review of the Directive on the energy performance of buildings; this was a particular question during this debate. There will also be a review of the Energy Taxation Directive, as taxation can be used to favour environmentally-friendly consumption.
The next issue that we find constantly at the top of our political agenda, not only in the European Commission but I am sure also in this House and in all governments around Europe, is of course migration.
President Barroso explained very clearly how we address this issue. I can assure you that almost every week, thanks to our colleague Mr Frattini, we find this issue on the Commission’s agenda, with discussions on stream and proposals on stream to address the issue of migration. You know that the policy on legal migration will not be represented next year because we have already adopted a number of proposals on legal migration, so this is not the main focus for next year.
However, there will be two priority initiatives in 2008: there will be a directive on the conditions of entry and residence of seasonal workers and there will also be a directive on the entry, the temporary stay and residence of intracorporate transfers and remunerated trainees. That is what you can expect in this particular area.
On the principal position of the Commission on these issues, I would just refer you to what President Barroso said in the debate. Therefore, you will find that these issues remain at the top of our agenda for next year.
On the external front – because you also mentioned the whole range of external issues and the activities and events where the European Union is expected to participate and play an important role – we have three strategic initiatives for next year. We have a strategy paper on enlargement; we have a series of reports on the progress made in the European Neighbourhood Policy – since many of you mentioned that – and we also have a communication on concrete follow-up measures to the EU-Africa strategy. Therefore, we will have ample opportunities to discuss the external issues during next year.
I can tell you, since this is the second Commission mandate on my part, that I see much more focus – and this has been mentioned in the debate – on implementation. We have a daily struggle to make sure that we focus on implementation, and a legal act is only as good as its implementation. This is where we will continue to focus.
I can also tell you that it is not true that we are not reaching out. If we look at the latest Eurobarometer figures, they have never been so positive towards the concrete results that we have been able to deliver. When the debate in the European Parliament and the concrete delivery become visible and the results become visible to the citizens, that is when we will also see our democratic legitimacy increased, and that is what we have to focus on.
We will also add a citizens’ summary to our proposals for next year. Before the end of this year we will present a new internet strategy, since some of you have asked for this. At the beginning of next year we will also come with a new audiovisual strategy. It is important that we focus together on a number of communication priorities, and you will see proposals for interinstitutional communication priorities in our work programme.
I think also that this debate underlines that the overall objectives that the Barroso Commission has set itself remain valid and urgent. It has to do with prosperity, security, solidarity and – in everything we do – the role of the European Union on the global scene. This also came out very clearly in the last statements.
Finally, next year is the Year of Intercultural Dialogue, which will be launched under the Slovenian Presidency at the beginning of January. There will be a prelaunch in December, with participation from the European Parliament, and we expect the active involvement of the European Parliament throughout the year.
I thank you again for this debate. If some issues about which you feel strongly are missing from the legislative and work programme, that does not mean that they have been put aside: the Commission will continue to provide monthly planning updates, including initiatives that have not been highlighted or initiatives which become necessary to respond to unforeseen events.
The dialogue between you, in the European Parliament, and the Commission does not stop today: we will continue working together in the positive spirit that has characterised this whole exercise and procedure and our shared ambition expressed in the work programme. I see that we diverge less than we converge and that we have a similar view on the overall objectives and priorities for the year 2008. I also hope that your motion for a resolution will endorse it and we will provide an excellent basis for continued cooperation.
I have now followed this procedure and engaged with the European Parliament, in the committees and also here in plenary. I think we can say that the way this procedure has improved has also improved the quality of our proposal for a new legislative and work programme. I appreciate also that all my fellow Commissioners have visited their committees; I think that we have appreciated this highly in some of the details that we have been able to add or change in this process. I hope that we can continue to make it even more political, and your comments have shown that we are here to discuss the political content and the overall balance. It also comes out clearly that the various political groups might have different views on this overall balance.
I would like to comment on the content in relation to four or five particular issues. First of all these issues come back almost every week on the agenda of the European Commission. To start with the Lisbon Process and the growth in jobs: I think, for the first time, we are getting very visible results. It is not correct to say that this is a total failure and that we cannot see improvements. We have created a clearer focus for the Lisbon Agenda. We have created more of a political ownership and we have a kind of scoreboard where we make country-specific recommendations – positive or negative comments on what each and every Member State does. This continues to be the way forward: more focus, more political ownership, higher visibility of the actions. This is a long-term goal, a long-term objective of the European Union, but we have to continue to put pressure on Member States to deliver.
Another area concerns social issues and the social agenda which, judging by their comments, is of concern especially to the PSE Group in Parliament. Here, we also had some specific questions on services of general interest. The Commission has long recognised the importance of services of general interest and we have had years of debate on this particular issue.
We are very pleased that the Treaty of Lisbon and the Protocol on services of general interest have been agreed. Next week, and as part of our review of the internal market, the Commission will adopt a communication outlining how we will deal with services of general interest. I hope that Parliament will study our communication very seriously, together with its accompanying documents explaining how and when state aid rules apply to these services of general interest, and also how public procurement rules apply.
Let me be clear in saying that the Commission does not want to close the debate. It wants the debate to focus on the problems at stake so that we can also concentrate our efforts on providing concrete solutions. So this discussion will continue and we hope for the contribution of Parliament in this debate.
The other big issue where I thank you for your detailed comments has to do with energy."@en1
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"(The President interrupted the speaker to call for quiet in the Chamber.)"1
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