Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-07-07-Speech-1-117"
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"en.20080707.17.1-117"2
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"Madam President, I will be supporting this resolution and the majority of the amendments that have been tabled to it, including those on behalf of my colleague Erika Mann.
In my constituency thousands of jobs depend on Airbus directly, particularly in the Filton area of Bristol, and of course across the United Kingdom and in the European Union tens of thousands of jobs depend on the success of Airbus.
I would have criticised Mr Kamall to his face for his approach, which is widely Eurosceptical and anti-European, but as he buggered off within about two minutes of speaking I will not have the opportunity to direct my criticism to himself. I hope it will be reported by one of his colleagues, who will tell him that normally we try and stay to the end of the debates we participate in, rather than call in, speak and then rush off to do your press release.
In 1992 there was an agreement between Boeing and Airbus – or rather between the European Union and the United States – to mutually desist from complaining, even though it was to the advantage of Boeing, who get direct subsidies from the US Government through NASA and the Department of Defense, whereas Airbus merely gets launch loans which have to be repaid with interest. Already EUR 7 billion have been repaid.
In 2004 the United States broke that agreement by referring the whole matter to the WTO. The union Unite and the management in the United Kingdom are united in insisting that we put as much pressure as possible on the United States over this matter.
The criticism from Boeing and from Congress needs to be resisted – and resisted strongly. If we are to lose our competitivity with respect to Airbus, leaving Boeing alone in the world with a monopoly position, then we will see a loss of contracts and a loss of jobs. A negotiated settlement is clearly the best solution and the best way forward – maybe 1992 plus. But, in its absence, we have no alternative but to vigorously defend our position and the interests of Europe’s economy, competitivity and jobs."@en1
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