Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-04-20-Speech-2-195"
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"en.20100420.8.2-195"2
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"Madam President, High Representative, I would like to say that the report, as adopted by the committee, on the one hand, acknowledges the efforts made by the Spanish Presidency of the European Union – which I do not see in this Chamber, which surprises me given that we are talking about a Latin American matter – and, on the other hand, welcomes the Commission communication entitled ‘The European Union and Latin America: Global Players in Partnership’. I think it is difficult to find two regions that have more in common in terms of values and interests than Europe and Latin America.
The figures, Madam President, are very well known: together, they have more than a billion citizens, account for more than 25% of global gross domestic product and, along with the Caribbean countries, include almost one third of the countries that make up the United Nations.
It is also well known, although the figures show a slight decline, that the European Union is the main donor of development aid, the main investor in the region and the second largest trading partner in Latin America, and the largest in Mercosur and Chile.
However, more importantly than the figures, we consider Latin America to be more than a market for Europe, and we therefore share a whole series of principles and values, which are pluralist and representative democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, freedom of expression, the constitutional state, the rule of law, respect for due process and the rejection of all forms of dictatorship and authoritarian rule.
This summit, Mrs Ashton, comes at a very remarkable time in the calendar for the European Union and Latin America. It is a remarkable time for the European Union, because having gone through the reform process, with the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon, we are a little engrossed in overcoming and contemplating our own problems, with the economic and monetary crisis. We have seen that, for the first time, the International Monetary Fund is not having to rescue a Latin American country, but a European Member State that is part of the Monetary Union.
When we look at the European Union’s growth rates for last year, we see that, on average, we had a negative growth of 5%, while Latin America had a negative growth of 1.8%. When we look at the forecasts for growth for next year, we see that the European Union is expected to have an average growth of 0.7%, and Latin America of 5%. This means that the next summit is not going to be a North-South summit, like the previous summits, but a summit between equals. In that respect, I think that we should look back, if only briefly, and feel satisfied at what has been achieved in the last few years.
It is clear, however, that a great deal still remains to be done. In that respect, Mrs Ashton, between 2000 and 2010, the European Union concluded association agreements with Mexico and Chile, but the United States concluded agreements with the whole of Central America, with Colombia and Peru, and also with various Mercosur countries. We therefore need to make up for lost time quickly, and in some way seek strategic partnerships with Mexico and Chile, apply the future developments clause in these agreements, and conclude the agreements with Central America, where we need to introduce greater measures of generosity. At the same time, Parliament welcomes the initiatives that you have put forward to establish the Europe-Latin America Foundation and also the financial investment facility.
This summit is not, however, just another summit, Mrs Ashton. At this one, a very clear issue is going to be at stake. If we continue to lose our share of trade with the region, which has declined from 25% to just over 15% because of countries such as China, we are going to become irrelevant. Therefore, in line with the Spanish Presidency, I ask you, as High Representative and a Vice-President of the Commission, to send out a clear and very definite message regarding the commitment of this new Europe that we are building towards our old friends in Latin America."@en1
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