Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-15-Speech-2-023"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20010515.2.2-023"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, Commissioner, rapporteur, I would like to start by replying to the previous speaker, for I too am dissatisfied with the term ‘social market economy’. There is no need for the word ‘social’. In my view, the market economy, with its rules, is not only the climate in which the fundamental economic right of people – the freedom of contract and trade – is guaranteed, it is also the economic environment which is most conducive to the generation of wealth and employment.
Turning now to Mr von Wogau's report, I would like to make a few specific points: I have a positive comment to make on point 12, for example, which takes quite an encouraging view of the work of the European Central Bank. I would like to expand on this. Without going into a detailed analysis of the choices made regarding interest rates or monetary policy, I feel that this is one occasion when it must be stressed that the attempt by the governments and also by many political groupings present in this Parliament to force the European Central Bank and President Duisenberg to work towards goals, which are not the most suitable for supporting economic growth, must be opposed. There are such wide gaps between the various European economies in terms of productivity and efficiency that, in my opinion, this is the area that we need to concentrate on if we want to secure a competitive future for the economies of the leading countries, for we will certainly not achieve this by taking the deceptive shortcut of lowering interest rates.
A second point on which I would like to focus relates to point 8, which concerns the need to adapt pension systems to changes in demographic conditions. I believe that, in this matter, the European Parliament must call strongly, first and foremost upon the Member States but also upon the Commission, in so far as it is able, to adopt a more responsible approach. Their responsibility is to achieve, through radical reforms and as soon as possible, a pension system that is financially sustainable and fair towards future generations. Currently, in a large number of countries – such as Italy, for example – the pension contributions of workers, particularly young workers, are being used irresponsibly to finance the pensions of people who are 54 or 55 years old, who may well be doing two jobs, an illegal job or an undeclared job. In my opinion, this must be a priority for Europe, a priority of economic efficiency but, first and foremost, a priority of fairness towards all generations. There are countries, such as Italy, in which obligatory pension contributions exceed 30% of income, although the people paying these contributions will receive much lower pensions.
With regard to another issue, the labour market, we must be firmer in our demands on the European countries. It has been said in this Chamber that there is a risk of causing job insecurity, but I believe that precisely the flexibility and substantial use of flexibility tools in the labour market, together with a re-evaluation of the rules governing permanent employment, re-establish a balance between atypical employment, precarious employment and permanent employment. This is necessary because it is the only way to achieve an increasingly balanced labour market.
Lastly, I would like to make a point on a subject which is just as problematic – I would not go as far as to say critical but certainly problematic – the prospect of political economic policy coordination mechanisms aimed at bringing about convergence of fiscal and budgetary policies. In my opinion, we need to focus on the fact that convergence of fiscal and budgetary policies has to be one of the European Union's objectives. I feel that having different contrasting models, different solutions to observe, doing, so to speak, a little benchmarking – and the case of Ireland is, in my opinion, a negative precedent – is a positive, not a negative thing for the European Union."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples