Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-02-21-Speech-4-022"
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"en.20080221.3.4-022"2
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"Madam President, I wish to begin my speech by thanking Mrs Kallenbach and Mr Guellec in particular for their work on these reports leading to a majority agreement within the context of the Committee on Regional Development.
European cohesion policy has been an example of a successful EU policy, which has abided by the principles on which it is based, and which has helped to remove inequalities.
Countries such as Spain have achieved indisputable results in terms of convergence thanks to the cohesion policy. We would therefore reaffirm its role in enhancing the potential of Member States for development and job creation through progress in training human capital.
Nevertheless, we must also admit that territorial inequalities still exist, and therefore we must give a firm response if we are to move forward with a policy that has to tackle new challenges such as ageing or depopulation processes in certain areas, especially rural areas.
We must deal with the remaining challenges in order to reduce regional and interregional disparities and secure economic and technological growth, and this means that our focus on compliance with the Lisbon Strategy must be a priority issue, while not neglecting other matters such as demographic change.
If EU regional policy is to secure balanced sustainable development, it must be carried out in close cooperation with regional players and in coordination with other policies. We are likewise aware of the need to push forward specific measures in order to reduce disparities between accessible regions and those with structural disadvantages: mountainous areas, islands, or sparsely populated areas.
With a view to the future, therefore, it is absolutely essential to reinforce cohesion policy with major economic resources to cope with all the challenges involved.
Yesterday we adopted the Lisbon Treaty in Parliament by a large majority, and today we must drive forward a new component of the Treaty, setting out territorial cohesion as a basic EU objective to make progress towards a more prosperous future for Europe."@en1
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