Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-02-19-Speech-2-028"
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"en.20080219.5.2-028"2
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".
Madam President, may I wish Mr Harbour a happy birthday. Here’s to our continuing fruitful cooperation! And of course I want to thank all three rapporteurs. As you may know, I was the shadow rapporteur for my group on all three reports, which is why I know how untiring your efforts have been to improve key aspects of this proposal from the Commission. At the same time I would like to thank Commissioner Verheugen, who pointed out once again that the proposal is leaving Parliament in better shape than it arrived. I think that is a significant comment, for we have all worked hard on this legislation. We have truly done our best to improve conditions not only for businesses but for consumers too.
This package has three elements. The main purpose of the Regulation on the mutual recognition of lawfully marketed goods is to remove non-tariff barriers, which could also be termed protectionist barriers. In committee, however, we maintained a balance, to which Mr Verheugen referred and to which I also attach great importance, although it has sometimes been overlooked in this debate. On the one hand, non-tariff barriers are to be removed, while, on the other hand, it should remain a matter for the Member States, naturally enough, to determine whether certain conditions apply. In Germany, for example, we have an issue with Nazi symbols. So if there are particular problems with certain products that cannot be recognised in individual Member States for ethical reasons, those Member States must retain the right to ban such products. The balance has been maintained. I consider this very important because it is the only way in which wide acceptance of the internal market and the principle of a single market can be engendered among consumers as well as among the relevant entrepreneurs. In this respect we have taken a giant step forward.
I also consider it important to have established contact points but also to have demonstrated that these will not create any additional red tape, given that contact points have already been set up under the Services Directive and in connection with the mutual recognition of vocational qualifications. The more contact points we establish, the greater could be the burden for individual Member States. In this respect too, we have acted very responsibly.
Another important thing, in our view, was the need to say – as, of course, we did – that mutual recognition could only work if the conditions governing market access were the same in all Member States. There were undoubtedly diverse conditions in the Member States. Some were inclined to privatise or partially privatise market surveillance; some opted for certification, the certification body being more or less private. We have made it crystal-clear that market accreditation cannot be anything other than a public responsibility, and we have given greater responsibility to the individual Member States. I regard that as a very important step.
Market surveillance, of course, is also the key to establishing and maintaining product safety in the European Union. When we talk about tightening directives and regulations, we should always be well aware that a directive or regulation is only as effective as the instruments that ultimately verify its observance, in this case the market-surveillance mechanisms in the Member States. In this respect the Member States will now be under a greater obligation to develop, fund and staff their systems of market surveillance. I believe this is a very important condition. In the coming years, Parliament must continue to exercise vigilance so as to ensure that tighter market surveillance does actually materialise.
Another important aspect is the toolbox, for which Mrs Schaldemose was responsible. This framework decision gives us a toolbox for future directives, which will ensure greater legal consistency on key issues, establishing a clear and coherent position on the CE mark in particular but also on the status of importers in the trade chain. We have increased the responsibility of importers throughout the European Union. That was another very important step forward.
On the whole, we can be very content with the package on the table today. It also enjoys broad support from all the political groups.
Let me conclude by expressing my thanks to the Slovenian Presidency of the Council. Without the strong support of the Slovenian Presidency we should never have managed to conclude this matter within the short time available to us before first reading. My special thanks go to the Commission and the secretarial staff of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection. Without them we surely could not have kept to the timetable and produced a genuine compromise in time for first reading."@en1
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