Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-05-Speech-2-008"
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"en.20020205.2.2-008"2
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"Mr President, I want to begin by thanking the rapporteur, my Swedish colleague Olle Schmidt, for a very good report. It sheds light upon the important areas of Europe’s future development, which the EIB has a major responsibility for promoting within the framework of its powers. The report also addresses the demands Parliament should make upon the EIB as Europe’s financing institution. I therefore want to confine myself to highlighting a few more of those aspects I consider to be most significant. I am thinking of the candidate countries, the way in which projects are prioritised, small and medium-sized enterprises and supervision of the EIB.
Where the candidate countries are concerned, it is extremely important that there should be a significant increase in their share of the total loans of EUR 36 billion. In 2000, they had access to EUR 2.9 billion. In view of the forthcoming enlargement of the European family, there must be an increase if it is to be possible to achieve the objective set at the Lisbon Summit.
When it comes to prioritising projects, it is important to safeguard Europe’s competitiveness and therefore prioritise infrastructure in the broad sense of the word. That applies, then, to communication not only in the traditional sense of roads, connecting links and the availability of energy-efficient transport systems for goods and people, but also in the sense of telecommunications, IT, e-commerce, education, increased knowledge and support for new technology.
Small and medium-sized enterprises at present account for more than 60 per cent of EU jobs. In an enlarged EU, they will probably account for a significantly higher percentage. Of the 18 million companies in the EU, 99% are small and medium-sized enterprises employing 66% of the workforce. More than 90% of these companies have fewer than ten employees. If, like many new companies, the existing small and medium-sized enterprises are to be given the opportunity to grow and become larger, or simply become large companies, more must be done in terms of supplying information, contributing to projects and providing access to venture capital.
The rapporteur has proposed that the Commission be called upon to give the ECB powers to exercise supervision over the EIB. I agree with that. The Bank has no national connection and cannot therefore be compared with a private commercial bank. The ECB is therefore a suitable supervisory body until such time as a possible European finance inspectorate is established.
In view of the objective set by the Lisbon Summit, priority must be given to those projects which lead to economic growth, development and increased employment in an enlarged Europe and which attach major importance to small and medium-sized enterprises’ opportunities for growth. Competitiveness and staying power should be the guiding principles here.
Greater demands must be made upon the EIB in terms of providing information and evaluating projects and the importance of proper professional supervision and auditing must be emphasised."@en1
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