Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-23-Speech-3-234-000"
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"en.20110323.21.3-234-000"2
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"Mr President, the compromise we have in front of us is a very good step in the right direction. I welcome the consensus we have reached on the right to withdraw and on an information requirement for distance and off-premises contracts. However, we must have the courage to go further, in particular on remedies for lack of conformity, guarantees and unfair clauses.
I have listened carefully to the arguments for years, but my vision has been and remains full harmonisation. I am convinced that common rules are win-win for consumers and business. Transparency, legal certainty and competition increase free choice for the consumer and decrease red tape for business. The challenge is to strike the right balance.
For high consumer protection and low costs for business the Consumer Rights Directive should not become a tug of war between market and people. Nor should we live under a false assumption that national rules protect consumers, while common European rules benefit business. That picture is wrong. There is no way round the fact that extra costs for SMEs will become extra costs for consumers.
Throughout the process the PPE Group has been flexible and constructive. The left has been rigid and obstructive, reducing the debate to a nitpicking exercise of comparative law, bargaining between national rules. I believe instead that the common interest of the European people should prevail. Minimum harmonisation and national exceptions, as advocated by the Social Democrats, simply hinder citizens from taking full advantage of a common market. At a time of crisis, faced with rising protectionism, it is as easy as it is irresponsible to be populist. I fully support Andreas Schwab in his wonderful job and I wish him well in the negotiations ahead.
I conclude by saying that the Consumer Rights Direcive is a milestone in the relaunch of the single market to inject confidence, to boost growth, competitiveness and the jobs that the European people are looking forward to."@en1
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