Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-12-Speech-1-079-000"
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"en.20110912.21.1-079-000"2
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".
Mr President, firstly, I would like to say that I am in complete agreement with Ms Merkies, Mr Lange and the rapporteur, Mr Bütikofer. They have already said that the efficient use of resources, recycling and urban mining are extremely important investments in jobs and growth and in the protection and management of our environment, but with innovation, a modern way of thinking and a modern form of action as the tools to achieve this. At the same time, I would like to highlight a completely different perspective that is crucial to the electorate that I represent in this Parliament.
The first thing I did when Parliament began working on issues relating to raw materials was to travel to one of the main centres for raw materials in Europe, namely Norrbotten in northern Sweden. There I met the real experts who know what raw materials mean for growth, jobs and industrial development. I spoke to researchers, industry representatives and the trade unions. They described how this age-old sector is now blooming once again, how new mines are being opened and old mines revived, how prospecting is being carried out, techniques are being developed and quality is being improved. This is a result of global demand increasing once again. Globalisation has quite simply returned to Europe. Demand is coming from the world outside Europe, while at the same time we need to succeed in supplying our own industry. This is extremely exciting. I have to say to Commissioner Tajani that there is no need to go to Greenland. We have the whole of northern Europe, where there is a great deal of advanced technology, research, high-quality raw materials and a working environment that is also very good for those who work in this section of the industry. I believe that we can do a great deal more of this without needing to look further north to start with.
I also see the raw materials strategy as recognition by the EU of the crucial role that northern Europe plays with regard to industrial development and prosperity. That is important.
However, one of the most important lessons I learned from my visit to northern Sweden was the importance of a well-functioning infrastructure, both for regions rich in raw materials and for centres of industry. That is vital for effective and green growth.
With this report, Parliament is demanding that the new guidelines for the EU’s Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) infrastructure programme take account of the need to link raw material resources to industrial centres. The Commission must listen to this and come up with specific proposals.
Another important issue is of course the prospects for development, which several other speakers have already mentioned. A key starting point is that extraction of raw materials and trade with countries outside the EU must, of course, be based on equal partnerships. We must not contribute to a development that involves supporting a regression to neocolonial times, a return to the old colonial era. That is a route we must not go down. We do not need to, as there are enormous riches and many good partnerships for us to enter into."@en1
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