Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-09-28-Speech-3-366-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20110928.22.3-366-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"−
Mr President, I would like to provide some information and clarify a few points following the comments made by some of you, not to convince those who are already convinced of the need to keep this programme going, but perhaps to send messages to those who need to hear them.
It is not yet too late but, in a few months’ time, it could be. I hope that will not be the case.
Some say that a social policy programme is, perhaps, a programme at national level. Why should this programme not fall within social policy? As I have already said, the Commission has made its choice: for the period 2014-2020, it proposes to include the budget for this programme in social inclusion and cohesion policy. That is possible. Should it be a national matter? I think it is a political decision that needs to be taken here and, in my opinion, the majority is going to opt for the period 2014-2020.
The question we are currently asking ourselves concerns the years 2012 and 2013. For that period, Parliament, like the Council, was in agreement, when adopting the budget, that the programme would fall under the common agricultural policy (CAP). It is true that things have changed, but I wish to confirm and further strengthen the idea that the Court of Justice of the European Union does not call a regulation into question. The Court of Justice of the European Union simply requests that a regulation in force be complied with. The Commission is now proposing to amend this regulation so that we can make progress. It is not up to the Court of Justice to take political decisions. I think there are bodies in Europe to do that. The Commission calls on the institutions that have to take political decisions to take them. The Commission has done its work by putting forward a legislative proposal taking account of the observations of the Court of Justice, However the Court of Justice does not limit purchases on the markets. It simply says that the regulation currently in force does not permit them. So let us change the regulation. A regulation is made to be amended.
The fact that this programme will be integrated into social policy as of 2014 does not prevent us from taking the decision today – as I said – with a common legal basis. We are maintaining the legal basis for agriculture because, for 2012, we have stocks of more than EUR 100 million. For 2012, therefore, this programme cannot fall within social policy alone, because we have stocks.
The Commission proposes to maintain the dual legal basis – the CAP and social policy. That is what it will propose at the Employment and Social Affairs Council, which will take place early next week. I hope that the Employment and Social Affairs Council or the next Agricultural Council will arrive at a decision.
Comments were also made concerning cofinancing. A number of Member States were unable to afford the cofinancing proposed by the Commission in the legislative proposal on the table. As I have said on a number of occasions, the Commission is prepared to look again at this cofinancing idea if that is what is blocking the decision. It is my hope that we will be able to take a decision, because I know that the Polish Presidency is just as determined as the Commission.
As regards the effectiveness of these funds – an issue raised by Mr Nicholson – and waste, we will have a chance to see how, as of 2014, we will be able to improve the functioning of this programme. As to its effectiveness, it is one of the programmes for which figures are available: 440 million tonnes are being distributed to 18 million beneficiaries. There are clearly beneficiaries behind the use of this money. This money – these EUR 500 million a year – which we have used until now, is often used as leverage to collect products that are not wasted. As you know, mass distribution retail shops also frequently contribute, along with food banks, to topping up reserves intended for the most deprived. This money is also used as leverage. In the Member States, the overall value of the programme is well in excess of EUR 500 million, but this money is used as leverage.
Those are the points I wanted to make, once again, in the hope – and I could almost say the conviction – that, with the Council, we will be able to find a majority of MEPs to enable this programme to continue."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata | |
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples