Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-30-Speech-1-079"

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"Mr President, Commissioner, as draftsman, at first reading, of the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market on this report, I intend to concentrate on the environmental issues and the issue of sustainable development. Commissioner Bolkenstein thought we could look forward to a happy ending to the long journey towards sound legislation when it came to public procurement. Yes, we can agree upon the fact that the process is coming to an end, but how happy it will be is, I think, something that will be decided in the vote. The Council too has a big influence in this area, of course. I am concerned about the amendments tabled by the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market, because they run directly counter to what we said at first reading. We are all agreed that public procurement is a major economic factor in the EU, accounting for 14-16% of gross national income. When account is taken of the economy, account should not, however, only be taken of the financially most advantageous tender. What is needed is a broader economic definition, also embracing the conservation of natural resources, clean water, clean air and biodiversity. That is precisely what the Commission and the EU in general have said, for example in Johannesburg, namely that public procurement must contribute to sustainable development. It is odd that this has passed certain people in this Chamber by. I heard Mr Lehne say that environment issues must be handled in their own terms and economic issues likewise, but that is to miss the whole point. Public procurement, in which our common resources and common tax money are used, must contribute to sustainable development. It is therefore of the very greatest importance that we amend the proposal before us from the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market and remedy the ways in which it has deteriorated since the first reading. The Council’s common position contained incompatible elements and was unacceptable at least where Articles 53 and 55 were concerned. Together with MEPs from other groups, we have tabled amendments concerning the environmental criteria, production methods and the whole life-cycle perspective upon products, environmental labelling and certification. I think that the European Parliament should be ashamed if we did not adapt our view of public procurement to the prevailing view of sustainable development in the EU as a whole. This must become a natural part of public procurement."@en1

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