Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-04-Speech-1-089"
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"en.20000904.6.1-089"2
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"Mr President, as someone who lives in the Mediterranean, under the Mediterranean sun and who enjoys Mediterranean traditions and culture, I would like to speak up for the countries of that area. The MEDA programme, which largely failed in the first stage, perhaps did not appreciate that the situation of the Mediterranean countries, given the direction that European politics are taking, is extremely difficult. Many Mediterranean countries are less highly developed than other countries, and they face the threat of a single agricultural market, which they will not be able to cope with. In this respect, I would like to refer to the wonderful article by Mr Riccardi of two or three months ago, in which he spoke specifically of the fact that, for reasons of scale, the Mediterranean countries do not attract investment.
It is extremely difficult in those countries to change the agricultural system and, nevertheless, they have to share their products with other countries of North Africa, of the
which belongs to everyone at the same time. Meanwhile the greatest migratory impact originates from these countries. Therefore, we must have a fair policy, and to this end the MEDA programme may be a start, although I believe that, in many cases, it is based on criteria that are important to the northern countries.
Firstly, it is not possible to set up a project without highlighting the great weaknesses of those countries such as, for example, water and desertification. What European policies do we have to combat desertification? We have no clear policy on this issue. Secondly, as far as culture is concerned, more importance is being attached to intermediaries than to the actual beneficiaries and producers of culture. The same thing is happening with many other industrial projects. Numerous NGOs have been created, forming networks with no obvious beneficiaries, when what southern Europe really has to do is wake up.
I therefore support a process of industrialisation based on innovation – we must not turn to the old industries but to innovation – and of supporting projects relating to technological innovation and training. In this respect, I believe it is a mistake to turn to large projects. They would simply make a few people richer. What Mediterranean Europe needs is to wake up, to leave behind its self-absorption and to exploit its own human resources. This will only happen if we support multiple initiatives which together create awareness, a critical mass and a basic system so that, on that basis, many other small initiatives and businesses of all types may be created. Some will be successful and some will fall by the wayside, but if we do not create a policy of multiple initiatives of many types, allowing society to express itself and take advantage of its resources, we will not achieve anything."@en1
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