Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-12-03-Speech-3-090"
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"en.20031203.7.3-090"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner Solbes, ladies and gentlemen, I have noted how, regarding the Stability and Growth Pact, exaggerated statements were made and hasty conclusions were drawn in some cases. I am also referring to Mr Poettering: I do not think that Mr Tremonti invited the Member States to run up debts, but rather to look more at the substance than the procedures of what has happened. Nor do I agree with Mr Watson’s speech when he talks of a watered-down Pact. The Italian Presidency has taken it out of the water in which it was drowning. Even less do I feel that I can agree with those who claim that the Pact is dead.
If, instead, we look at the facts, we have to agree that, on the contrary, the Pact is still alive and that the Italian Presidency has succeeded in saving it, even in a situation where there were very real difficulties. The Presidency has succeeded in obtaining the unanimous adoption, including, therefore, endorsement even from the most rigorous States, of conclusions which contain important commitments on respecting the Pact, budgetary discipline and implementing structural reforms. This has not been discussed in the Member States, still less in the European Parliament.
As regards the Commission recommendation, the issue is a simple one: the Commission presented recommendations which, while fully respecting the Treaty, were put to the vote in the Council. The Council rejected them since the majority required by the same Treaty was not reached. What should the Italian Presidency have done? Taken note of the rejection of the Commission recommendations without adopting any other act? Left France and Germany free to act? Rendered the whole process to date invalid? I believe that, in this case, there really should have been talk of a dead Pact and of the Council’s irresponsible behaviour.
Instead, the Italian Presidency chose the only way to save the Pact. Faced with the impossibility of adopting the Commission recommendations, it proposed to adopt the Conclusions in which France and Germany committed to updating the measures for reducing the deficit and to temporarily suspend the procedure."@en1
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