Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-06-12-Speech-2-312"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20010612.15.2-312"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Madam President, I would like to thank Bill Miller for a very comprehensive and thorough piece of work. It is a pleasure to see our roles reversed, since he shadowed me on the report on the overall strategy for the human resource reforms that this House approved at the end of last year. Together we have gathered the experience on what are absolutely crucial issues, both for the future of the Commission and, indeed, for the future of the European Union as a whole.
It is good, from the point of view of the Legal Affairs Committee, that we are now getting on with the task of making the crucial reforms to the Staff Regulations that will be needed to implement these reforms. We hope to carry them out thoroughly and quickly, as Commissioner Kinnock forwards them to us.
I very much echo what Bill Miller said about the importance of this measure as a one-off package. It does need to be seen in that context. It is encouraging that the Commission realises that this crucial step towards an entirely new human resource policy, means creating a whole new culture where people are promoted on merit, where we have a linear grading structure, where there is not an artificial ceiling for promotion, where there is much more delegated accountability. This is part of that transitional phase and it is encouraging that the Commission wants to tackle this seriously.
The question we have asked in our committee, and the Committee on Budgetary Control and the Committee on Budgets have also looked at this, is whether this is the right package. It is clearly a very generous package, but at the same time it has to be a powerful package because otherwise it will not work. The worst thing we could possibly do is make an offer which nobody takes up. That would frustrate what the Commission is trying to do. In that context I can tell Mr Miller that I am not supporting the two late amendments. They will not be on the EPP voting list. We have a consensus on that.
So we believe this is the right package, but I commend the way that Bill Miller has sought to tighten up some aspects, particularly those relating to Commission officials who may take the retirement package and then go on to take up other jobs. Clearly it is not reasonable that they should effectively be rewarded twice at the European taxpayers' expense. I hope the Commission will accept those sensible provisions that Bill Miller has put into the report.
Finally, I wish again to support the amendments that extend the application of this scheme to both the European Parliament and the political groups. That is a recognition of our dual role. We must not just hold the Commission to account for the progress of these reforms, but also look at our own management policies within this institution. It is quite clear that we have to address exactly the same issues. This is a once-off package that is not setting a precedent for the future reform of pensions policy. You will recall that in my report I attached great importance to the need to reform the standing pensions policy to introduce a permanent early retirement scheme. But this package is disconnected from that, and quite rightly so. This is a very important step in the reform of the Commission and I am pleased to give it, on behalf of my group, our full support."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples