Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-15-Speech-3-039"
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"en.20041215.2.3-039"2
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"Mr President, the next European Council is not just going to give its opinion on Turkey and other issues, but also – as Mr Nicolaï has mentioned – on the broad guidelines for the next financial perspectives.
I would like to point out once again that the financial perspectives are an instrument of budgetary discipline and not an accounting instrument, an instrument that fundamentally serves to provide stability and allows for reasonable medium-term planning of the Union’s policies. This instrument is so important that it appears as a law in the future Constitution.
The Commission yesterday and its President, Mr Barroso, today, have confirmed that they fully accept the proposal of their predecessor. Mr Barroso said a moment ago that the Commission’s proposal is a starting point for negotiations of the financial perspectives. Nevertheless, I would call on the Commission to pursue this objective energetically. In that way, that starting point could also become a finishing point and the Commission would thereby respond to that expression that we mention so often: we cannot create more Europe with fewer resources.
The Council and Parliament must also fulfil their respective responsibilities and face up to the challenges confronting us.
Firstly, economic and social cohesion is not just a principle enshrined in the Treaties and enhanced in the future Constitution, but also a necessary condition for maintaining and protecting the European social model.
Secondly, with regard to the enlargement we have just carried out, we must not spare any effort when it comes to the new citizens of the Union.
Thirdly, five years ago we set some very ambitious objectives. We are at the halfway point and we are very far from achieving, by 2010, a competitive knowledge-based society with full employment, as we proposed in Lisbon and Gothenburg.
Fourthly, we are in the middle of the process of ratifying the European Constitution and the citizens sometimes show even more enthusiasm than their representatives.
Faced with these challenges, we cannot be miserly towards our citizens. We would be making a great mistake if we were to try to incorporate them into this project we call European integration – and everything it represents – while at the same time reducing the Union’s resources. We must continue to build a Europe with the necessary resources, with the resources laid down in the Treaty, and use them efficiently. That would undoubtedly be the best guarantee we can offer future generations of a future of peace, freedom and prosperity."@en1
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