Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-05-22-Speech-2-020-000"
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"en.20120522.4.2-020-000"2
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"Mr President, development is not a luxury but a duty. Today, growth is a universally acknowledged priority. Yet this was not the case until recently, and my group can be rightly proud of having consistently pressed on this matter, in calling for some significant changes to the focus of European policy.
As has already been mentioned, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – which are the productive backbone of the economy – need not only the urgent interventions that will be discussed later but also long-term measures to cultivate the human capital of the young men and women of Europe. These measures must send them the message that a business-oriented outlook and a spirit of enterprise mean more than a career or a question of personal success or adventure. Indeed, these attitudes are also useful to society, because they help to create – through a model of development based on widespread enterprise – the conditions for fairer and more sustainable growth, as Ms Krehl has already said. For we want to see development that is innovative, and that is both able to seize all the new opportunities and sustainable in environmental and social terms.
As regards the long-term efforts, in terms of training, I would also advocate revisiting technical colleges, which are a real asset in Europe, one that we have neglected for too long. These are a great resource and a great way of learning about science and technology, and therefore of getting a taste for creating something new through your own ingenuity.
As for resources, while still on the subject of urgent action – and I address these remarks especially to the Commission but also to the Council, which together with Parliament, must make a decision on the Structural Funds Regulation – it will be essential to coordinate resources. Shall we be able to use the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) funds (the financial instruments for SMEs), the research funds and the Structural Funds in a complementary approach? If we use these resources wisely, in a complementary fashion, then we shall be able to get the most from them; otherwise, we shall risk spreading them too thinly.
The Structural Funds are indispensable, and they are intrinsically focused on this priority. Nevertheless, Commissioner, while recognising the importance of thematic concentration, I believe that it is also important that the regional authorities should be able to contribute to the planning and decision-making process, because while it is true that many regions need guidance, many others are quite capable of planning and setting priorities.
The regions are key, for they are the engine room of progress, of business growth, of the spirit of new employment, and of the desire to participate, including on the part of all the economic, social and community bodies. Hence, the regions are the main resource where EU policies and the policies of the local authorities must come together. I must emphasise, then, the importance of coordinating resources.
And finally, as regards the definition of SMEs – a subject on which the Member States will have their say, and therefore the Council will need to as well – in my view, what counts is not only the structural elements – employment and turnover – but also the quality of the small and medium-sized enterprises, which operate locally but think globally. I therefore ask that special consideration be given to the fundamental nature of small businesses and their support network."@en1
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