Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-23-Speech-1-110"
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"en.20001023.9.1-110"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner Monti, ladies and gentlemen, a European, open, competitive and coordinated market economy needs an effective competition policy. Without a properly administered competition policy, neither the European Union’s economy nor its external manifestation, in the form of the euro, will ever be able to achieve its full potential. Only a company that is competitive in the Internal Market without State aid can also be competitive in the global market. However, in shaping European competition policy we have to ensure that it does not limit the opportunities for companies to succeed in the wider, global economy as well. As Mrs Riis-Jørgensen quite rightly emphasises in her report and speech, there is a danger, particularly with regard to the small Member States, that too narrow a concept of the market is used to define a dominant market position, which makes it harder for companies in small Member States to become sufficiently large players in the area of global competition. Besides, a dominant market position is not even a problem unless there is evidence that this position is being abused. Only if the dominant market position leads to adversity with regard to consumers and competitors must we tackle the situation using stringent measures, as you, Mr Monti, have done. As Mrs Riis-Jørgensen states in point 15 of her report, we have to focus on the harm caused as a result of measures restricting competition, and not so much on what sort of economic players are involved. Special account must be taken of the position of small and medium-sized enterprises. Small-scale State aid might be more harmful to an SME than people think if the market is a small one. For that reason it is good that this report of Mrs Riis-Jørgensen’s also emphasises the importance of this.
In his report, my colleague, Mr Evans, thanks you, Mr Monti, for having got to grips with the issue of State aid policy. Massive amounts of State aid are still a problem in many sectors. Although State aid may, on the surface, seem a good solution, when viewed in the longer term it very rarely produces lasting positive results. I certainly do not want to condemn all State aid. There is also aid that is necessary, as laid down the Treaties. In the long run, however, levels of State aid will have to fall. State aids lead to the postponement of inevitable structural change, to the distortion of competition, and breed inefficiency. In a sense, State aids prop up Potemkin villages, which at some stage will come crashing down. Then it is the private consumer and the taxpayer who foot the bill."@en1
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