Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-07-04-Speech-2-272"
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"en.20000704.11.2-272"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Mombaur’s report deals with the energy markets and, as everyone has understood, advocates speeding up the liberalisation of these markets. At this hour in the day and stage in the debate, I think it preferable and far more useful to get straight to the point with what I have to say. Personally, when I think in terms of ‘energy’ I think of security of supply in the long term, the guarantee of public service missions and the contribution to sustainable and environmentally friendly development. If I can, in addition, think in terms of competitiveness, then I certainly take the opportunity to do so, though, I have to admit, it is not my highest priority.
That is why ladies and gentlemen, I do not agree with the rapporteur’s conclusions, or the vision and proposals put forward by Commissioner Bolkestein in ‘Frontier-Free Europe’. Those who are not in favour of accelerating the liberalisation of public utilities are not old fashioned. Those who defend public service do not use fear as an argument to defend their values, and those who are in favour of a universal service are not nostalgic, nervous nationalists, but Europeans.
Mr Mombaur, unlike you, I do not have blind and absolute confidence in market mechanisms. I do not favour price reduction over security. I defend employment first and foremost and what is more, I never lose sight of the fact that public services constitute a unifying element and an element of the European social model that is so dear to your friend Mr Jacques Chirac. They are of course, also a prerequisite for balanced regional planning whose failure or inexistence would cost far more than the savings you hope to achieve.
I would therefore have liked your report to have taken account of the Treaty provisions relating to general interest services and to have included proposals for measures designed to guarantee citizens’ access to public services in energy. This is because, and this is something I should like to stress, public service in energy is a factor in social cohesion, the fight against exclusion, balanced regional development, respect for the environment, security and lastly a prerequisite for national and European independence.
Rapporteur, I cannot deny that you have worked hard on this and even congratulate you on your efforts, but I cannot subscribe to the ideology that underpins your proposals. I hope that the amendments tabled by Mr Harlem Desir and other Members that also share my concerns will be adopted because I personally am not in a position to vote in favour of your report as it stands."@en1
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