Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-05-06-Speech-4-008"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20100506.3.4-008"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, President Maystadt, European Investment Bank – Annual Report 2008. This is the title of our current agenda item. This report, however, is about much more than the analysis of the European Investment Bank’s activities of two years ago.
Ladies and gentlemen, we hear it day after day and I believe it should be reinforced that the Union has arrived at the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. The coming into force of the Treaty of Lisbon around six months ago on the one hand, and the global financial and economic crisis, its impact and the reaction of the European Union to it on the other, definitely mean that we have arrived at the end of an era in the life of the Union and the beginning of a new one.
In other words, in the second decade of the 21st century, a new era has begun in the life of the European Union. This report was created in this new era, and I believe we in the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank will have to respond to the most important questions and challenges of this new era. The report is about the activities of a bank, of a financial institution two years ago, and, unusually, we can say that in spite of the circumstances of the global financial and economic crisis, it is possible to be appreciative of a bank’s, a financial institution’s activities. Two years ago, the European Investment Bank responded rapidly and efficiently to the unfolding global financial and economic crisis by strengthening its lending activities, primarily by increasing loans provided to small and medium-sized enterprises, and on the other hand by participating with all the capacity available to it in the implementation of the European Union’s Economic Recovery Plan.
The Treaty of Lisbon came into force six months ago. This provides the means and opportunity to further strengthen the renewal process of the European Investment Bank’s organisational, supervisory and core structure. The Bank made significant progress in this respect as early as 2008, before the Treaty of Lisbon came into force. It is equally noticeable that the European Investment Bank is preparing consciously for the European Union’s post-2014 financial perspective, with the opportunity of joining in the financing of macro-regional strategies and by supporting rural development, new energy sources, green investments and infrastructure development. Another aspect we feel is important, and is therefore featured in the report, is that the European Investment Bank should participate in the financing of the EU 2020 Strategy pending ratification, which focuses on job creation. In fact, it was the consideration of supporting job creation that led the European Investment Bank in the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Finally, I would like to draw your attention to two issues. I consider it vital that the European Investment Bank continues to support the elimination of infrastructural inequalities within the European Union. It is important to support programmes that help balance the infrastructural standards within the EU.
Last but not least, in the past years the European Investment Bank has always received the support required for its activity from the European Parliament. Based on the preparatory work carried out over the past few months, I believe that with the constructive criticisms included in the report the Bank will continue to receive the support required for its activity from the European Parliament. Thank you for your attention and I look forward to the debate with interest."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples