Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-05-14-Speech-2-318"
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"en.20020514.13.2-318"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to restrict my comments to the report by Mr Bruno Trentin. First of all, I would like to thank him unreservedly for the excellent contribution that the European Parliament will make, through this report, to the broad economic policy guidelines. I shall make two points.
My first point is that, like the Commission and the Council, the European Parliament attaches great importance to the drafting of the broad economic policy guidelines. To put it simply, if this is to remain a purely academic exercise, we are wasting our time. The broad economic policy guidelines will only be meaningful if the national parliaments can be involved from the outset; so that, when drawing up the budgets of the Member States, they can bear the broad guidelines in mind. They will only be meaningful if, from the outset, the governments – particularly those of the eurozone – agree to increase coordination of their economic policies, whether this is in terms of the budget, taxation or in the area of structural policies. Otherwise, what we are doing is pointless. And we realise this when it is almost too late, when the Commission is forced to put in place early warning systems. We have a useful tool, we must use it to improve coordination.
In the same spirit, my second point relates to the contribution that the European Parliament can make to the broad economic policy guidelines. We hope that, through the Convention perhaps, but also by using a specific method, the amendments that Parliament has drawn up are taken into greater account when the broad economic policy guidelines are finalised. And in this respect, I would like to highlight three of the amendments which have been proposed to you by your committee.
The first is Amendment No 6 which relates to the role of social partners and macro-economic dialogue in order to promote an employment policy. I believe that it is absolutely essential. The second is Amendment No 7, and I urge some Member States to examine this closely when they come to cut taxes, as we can only contemplate reducing taxes if there is a harmonious balance involving the lowering of debt and re-balancing in favour of public investment.
The third amendment will come as no surprise to you. It in fact relates to two amendments, Amendments Nos 16 and 18, which quite rightly stress the importance that we must give to services of general interest, in terms of their contribution to social and territorial cohesion of the Union, and their ability to create jobs."@en1
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