Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-11-18-Speech-2-071"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20081118.4.2-071"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, many thanks for your attention and the questions you have put to us. I should like to address several points, one by one.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I have paid close attention to and taken great interest in listening to all the many detailed speeches that have been given. On the basis of the opinion that you are going to give, and I would like to thank once again the chairman, Mr Parish, the whole committee and the rapporteur, for the work that has been done, my task is going to be to secure a dynamic political compromise that enables us to adapt the common agricultural policy, while safeguarding it, in the new global context in which we find ourselves. That is the task on which we are going to work with Mariann Fischer Boel and all her colleagues, whom I thank for the spirit that we have fostered between us over the past months.
I should perhaps like to say a final word to take up a comment made just now by Mrs Aubert, who mentioned the situation of food insecurity. The Presidency is fully aware that we cannot discuss the common agricultural policy as if we were in a fortress, turning in on ourselves in Europe. It was precisely in this spirit that, on 3 July, we organised, at the European Parliament, a conference with the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, the Director-General of the World Bank, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, many MEPs and Commissioner Louis Michel, on the question: ‘Who will feed the world?’ In the same spirit, we shall organise on 28 November a working meeting, again with Louis Michel, on the link between agriculture and development.
I, like the Presidency, am therefore paying close attention to what is being said about agriculture in order to preserve the European Union’s agricultural and regional food model, which has supported the common agricultural policy for 50 years, but keeping a clear and empathetic perspective on what is happening in other parts of the world.
Firstly, I would like to talk about modulation, which was mentioned by Mr Goepel, and by Mr Baco, Mr Sanzarello and Mrs Lulling a moment ago. The issue of the rate of modulation will be, I can assure you, a key element of any compromise. I have taken note of Parliament’s desire for a compromise solution to be found. I would add that progressive modulation that is too severe could certainly cause problems for several Member States, but we must be well aware that the very principle of progressive modulation responds to a highly publicised social need. We, together with Mariann Fischer Boel, must therefore find a compromise and, in that respect, I believe that the position proposed by your rapporteur will shed light on this compromise. As for modulation, the issue of the rate of cofinancing for additional modulation is another element that must be included in the package. You have proposed 100%, which is to say no national cofinancing. That is very ambitious, but I believe that it is the right way to go.
Next, I should like to address the issue of new challenges. I fully understood the position of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, considering
support of the dairy sector as one of these new challenges financed by modulation. I believe that this is one of the avenues on which we will work with Mariann Fischer Boel.
Another key issue, ladies and gentlemen, which is wide-ranging and very problematic, is that mentioned by Mr Capoulas Santos, who would like a prudent and moderate approach, a sentiment echoed by Mr Goepel and Mrs Mathieu, and Mr Le Foll just now. I have mentioned just a few names, but many of you could speak on this issue, the issue of milk quotas. There are two problems to be solved: increasing quotas and the rate of increase, and support measures.
With regard to increasing quotas, I have observed that the debates in Parliament have revealed greatly differing positions. To be honest, the situation is the same within the Council of Ministers. The solution you are recommending – 1% per year between 2009 and 2010 – and then to make a decision on the basis of a report on continuing the increase, is a prudent approach, in line with the wishes of your rapporteur, Mr Capoulas Santos. At the same time, there is the issue of medium-term visibility for agricultural enterprises, as for enterprises in general. That requires plotting a course from now until 2015, and, ultimately, my feeling is that the Commission’s proposal is close to a balance. We are going to work on it, and on support measures in particular, since everyone agrees on support for sensitive regions. The recommended solution of using Article 68 to implement more structural measures, would, I believe, give us a useful range of tools to support this sector. With regard to how the financial instruments to be implemented would work, I believe that a discussion is required to find a solution that is acceptable to everyone. I am, of course, thinking of the ‘Milk fund’.
I would like to say a word, Mr President, on instruments to regulate the market. I have noted the requests seeking to retain instruments to regulate the market and effective instruments. I, like you, believe that, in this new global context that many of us have referred to, for agriculture and for food, this production sector, this real economy that affects people’s food supply, needs instruments for intervention in the event of serious market instability, and from this point of view, intervention is an important aspect of the negotiation.
Many Member States, like many MEPs, want to revise the Commission’s initial proposals and to discuss them again. We are also going to seek a compromise that allows us to retain a genuine and effective safety net.
Lastly, I should like to talk about Article 68. There have been many debates here in Parliament, as in the Council, and a strong demand to open up the possibilities for applying this article, which arouses a great deal of interest, while preserving its commonality. Opening up the possibilities for applying this article would perhaps –certainly in my opinion – enable a move towards supporting the kinds of production such as those in the sheep sector, which has been mentioned and which needs support.
Here too, we are working with the Commissioner along these lines, just as we are going to look for solutions to improve financing conditions. I am thinking, in particular, of the demands made by many representatives of new Member States, for more fairness and equity."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples