Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-04-22-Speech-3-297"
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"en.20090422.52.3-297"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my condolences once again, on behalf of the members of the Italian parliament and all the members of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, to the families of the victims, to the Abruzzo region and its citizens and to Italy. I would also like to say that our Group, which from the outset has been close to the people so tragically hit, will be sending a delegation to the Abruzzo region, led by our chairman, Mr Schulz. The numbers are frightening: it is true, as Mr Albertini said, there is no final count as yet, but we can nonetheless say that there have been around 300 deaths. It is a tragedy: 50 000 evacuees, thousands of houses destroyed, hundreds of public buildings devastated, including schools, and a prestigious cultural, architectural and artistic heritage in ruins.
As the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, said, the response to the events was immediate and effective. This response came from the state, but also from non-state actors; from the world, from volunteers, from communities in Italy and elsewhere, from the provinces, from the regions, from the Red Cross and from the fire service: a truly extraordinary display of solidarity. Perhaps the Italian Government – in fact never mind the ‘perhaps’ – the Italian Government would have done well to take up the suggestion to amalgamate the referendum with the European elections and administrative elections, in order to save some hundreds of millions that could have been spent helping those affected by the earthquake.
There are certain responses Europe must make: firstly, it must activate the Solidarity Fund; we spoke to Vice-President Tajani about this just hours after the tragic events. Secondly, it must re-programme the Structural Funds, and thirdly, Commissioners, it must utilise the unused funds from the previous and new programming periods. Fourthly, it must amend the rules on the Cohesion Policy and the Structural Funds as regards the possibility of reinstating under Objective I, that is to say in the disadvantaged, underdeveloped regions, those regions which, due to exceptionally serious natural events, have seen their GDP, or wealth, drop below 75% of the Community average. So then, we do not want an ad hoc law for the Abruzzo region, but a law applicable to any region that may find itself in this position. Fifthly, we must investigate with the Commission the possibility of tax breaks for the economic activities and construction work which should, we all hope, pick up again in the Abruzzo region. Finally, I call for the implementation of the directive on building materials, which was recently updated and improved by Parliament.
To conclude, a tragedy such as this does not require rhetoric, rather it requires effective, tangible responses, as well as a close eye to ensure that the earthquake rubble does not become the site for further profiteering and illicit practices that line the pockets of the big criminal groups. We must be vigilant and give our best efforts: we must all work so that, with our help, our friends in the Abruzzo region can smile again."@en1
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