Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-03-07-Speech-1-109"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20050307.13.1-109"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs |
substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (2004-09-15--2007-03-13)3
|
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we are asking the Commission whether it would be prepared to negotiate a voluntary agreement with oil companies based in the European Union, in which some of the unexpectedly high profits that have resulted from rising oil prices would be invested in research and development with regard to alternative forms of energy. I have not received a clear answer to this. Whether this would even be sensible is something to be considered. It has been mentioned that companies are already doing just this, albeit on a small scale compared to the huge importance of these issues we are speaking about.
National oil companies have always been profitable, not by accident and not just last year, but for decades. The more than EUR 60 billion profit made last year is so incredible that it even exceeds many countries’ budgets. In the case of my country, it is double. This then is more about countries than just companies.
The huge earnings are of course due to China’s growth, and, in particular, the situation in the Middle East, which is to say the war there. It is public knowledge that oil companies have even sometimes contributed to the outbreak of war or insurrection, with oil prices rising as a consequence. We know that the industry also has cartels and that it is not a very gentlemanly business. War has been waged over oil on many occasions in the Middle East. In other words people have got their hands dirty with this substance of such great importance to us all.
High oil prices are obviously very harmful to the economy and now the question is whether these profits will be used for any sensible purpose, and how sensible. We are insisting that they should be spent on research into alternative energies, which, ultimately, as Mr Chichester said, is of benefit to the companies themselves. In this way we would at the same time be fulfilling our own share of our environmental targets. The Commissioner said that it is difficult to interfere in the business of companies. It is difficult because they are bigger than states, but I would urge you to be courageous, because we have a responsibility to the citizens of Europe and, in fact, the future of all humanity. These are, therefore, not trifling matters. There are actually two alternatives: increase research or raise taxes. One or perhaps both."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples