Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-03-Speech-3-079"
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"en.20000503.5.3-079"2
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"Mr President, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen, it is common knowledge that, at regional level in the European Union, there is a close connection between low per capita income, high unemployment and distance from mainland Europe or geographical remoteness, which is currently a serious problem, but which has existed since the industrial revolution of the 19th century, due to underdeveloped communications. This is a vicious circle, which can only be broken by a political and economic joint action which addresses all the issues that are causing this underdevelopment.
The trans-European networks policy is not, however, being implemented in such a way as to resolve this crucial issue, despite the fact that it was introduced with the specific aim of establishing direct links between remote countries and the Union’s central regions. The basic aim of the specific projects and budgets of the trans-European networks, as well as those financed by the Structural and Cohesion Funds, which resulted from a policy that was greatly desired by the Member States, yet poorly accepted and supported by the Commission, was to establish direct links between those regions that have a higher per capita income. In doing so, they rode roughshod over the regulations currently in force, with the damaging consequences with which we are all familiar.
The debate on the report by Mr Hatzidakis, whom I congratulate, provides us with a good opportunity to get to grips with the political dimension of the current situation and to try to find a solution to it, in line with the decisive reform of the trans-European networks policy which is due to be implemented in the 2000-2006 period.
It is therefore the intention of our political group, as the amendments that have been presented have highlighted, to ensure that the networks are compatible with sustainable development and that the reform corresponds to the objective of uniting the whole Community by prioritising the remote regions, which have hitherto been neglected. Finally, it is our intention to upgrade the railways and to bring about the decentralisation of the networks, particularly with regard to airports and ports. The concentration of road, airport and port networks is causing serious congestion and environmental problems which we must prevent.
I hope that we will be able to bring about the changes that the European Union needs in order to achieve the regional balance and social cohesion that we are advocating.
We must be aware that, at this precise moment, Regional Development Plans are being approved for the period 2000-2006 which will contribute to isolating even further the Objective 1 regions, which desperately need a modern connection to the whole of Europe, including high speed rail links. Amongst these regions are my own country, Galicia, and the entire north-western Iberian Peninsula, covering both Spain and Portugal, an Atlantic region which is crucial to the whole of Europe."@en1
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