Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-02-19-Speech-2-025"
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"en.20080219.5.2-025"2
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".
Madam President, Commissioner Verheugen, Mr Vizjak, allow me to begin by wishing Malcolm Harbour a happy birthday. I am delighted that we are able to give him this fine birthday present. We could actually call this Internal Market Week, and of course it is very important to devote attention to the internal market. Yesterday we had two good major reports from Mr Newton Dunn and Mrs Fourtou on the Customs Code and customs cooperation, which also play an important role in the context of today’s agenda. We can also say for sure that we have one or two adjustment knobs here for the market and for consumers which are now being integrated into a coherent control panel. That is a good thing.
The three reports on the table and the oral question that Arlene McCarthy asked on behalf of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection are a piece of work that reflects well on the European Parliament. For this we should express our thanks to the rapporteurs and all Members of this House. I would also like to say a special word of thanks to Mia De Vits and Barbara Weiler from my Group, because they have not been mentioned yet, and of course to our own rapporteur, Christel Schaldemose. To you too, of course, Mr Stubb – there is no way I could forget to mention you – and the same goes for Mr Brie.
I believe that through this package we are making a valuable and essential contribution to the completion of the legislation governing the internal market. At the same time we are enhancing consumer protection within the market. The Socialist Group attaches particular importance to the pursuit of that goal.
We are, however, far from finished. We must continue to keep a vigilant eye on the safety of the products traded in the internal market. In this respect may I convey my special thanks to Commissioner Verheugen for the very clear and unequivocal approach to the future of the CE mark, in other words to how we can achieve better marking of products in the internal market and in the European Union. That is a very important aim if the consumers and citizens of the European Union are to regard and respect it in a true sense as their Union. That is a very important point in this context.
We keenly await the findings of the study and their aftermath, and I am very pleased that you so clearly stated, Mr Verheugen, that this study is very high on the list of priorities of the European Commission. That is good news, for the confusing CE mark has often served to deceive and misinform consumers, and that is quite wrong. We certainly must put a stop to this.
I am also pleased that, in the reports before us and in the agreement we concluded with the Council, we have managed to ensure the continued existence of national quality marks – subject, of course, to the proviso that these national marks actually enhance consumer protection and are not misused or misinterpreted for protectionist purposes.
The second condition – and we are well on our way to fulfilling it – is that we should eventually have a European safety mark which is at least equal if not superior to these national symbols. Only then can we talk about abolishing the national marks.
It is also important that we are holding this vote today, and I reiterate my sincere thanks to the Minister, Mr Vizjak. I know how difficult it was in the Council too, because we certainly exerted heavy pressure on the Council. It would have liked more time for negotiations with Parliament – I am fully aware of that. I appreciate that you went all out to ensure that we could still vote this week, and that is a good thing, because it makes the situation clear-cut. For that I would like to express my very special thanks."@en1
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