Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-06-07-Speech-2-235"
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"en.20050607.25.2-235"2
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".
Madam President, Mr Schmit, ladies and gentlemen, I have listened with great interest to your remarks and comments this afternoon. I am struck by how similar your priorities are to those of the Commission, in particular boosting economic growth, job creation, solidarity with the poorest people, those who most need true solidarity in our approach, and also meeting commitments we have made, in other words bringing our commitments, and our finances, into line with our political priorities.
In this debate, you have demonstrated the usefulness of the European budget; you have shown that, very often, spending at European level enables savings at national level and that there is an added value to such spending. Spending at European level very often makes it possible to realise projects that would not otherwise have been achieved. On these two points, the priorities and the usefulness of the budgetary instrument for our Europe, for Europe’s ambitions and for solidarity within Europe, there is therefore considerable convergence between the points of view of the Commission and of the European Parliament.
We have now reached – as we are all aware – a crucial moment, and I think that we could summarise the spirit of today’s debate by saying that we – or in any case most of us, I think – really do want an agreement, and we want a good agreement. We want an ambitious agreement, an ambition for Europe, a Europe that is not a Europe of rebates, and, at the same time, we want a Europe that shows solidarity. That is the conclusion that I, at least, take from this debate. To reach such an agreement, however, we must be prepared to make compromises and, on this subject, I would like to address the Presidency. I am well aware that the Presidency is making extraordinary efforts. I am constantly aware of it. I am in constant contact with the President of the Council, Mr Juncker, and I think that we need to express our gratitude to him, to the Luxembourg Government and to Luxembourg’s diplomats. It is true that the Presidency mainly works with the Member States, but I remember what Mr Schmit has just said. He said that he, personally, could certainly subscribe to the Commission’s initial proposal. I think the same thing with regard to the Böge report, which, I hope, will be voted for tomorrow. Pass your resolution!
I would now call on the Presidency to introduce into this crucial phase of negotiations the message that Parliament will send tomorrow. It is true that contradictions and different points of view have been expressed in this House, but I think that our vote tomorrow will nevertheless express Parliament’s will. As we all agreed during these negotiations, they are not limited to just the Member States – even though their role is decisive, the negotiations are taking place between the Council, Parliament and the Commission. As a result, what we now ask the Presidency – whilst congratulating it on its determination and whilst telling it that we want a compromise and that we are here to help it reach that compromise – is to reach a compromise that is closer to what Parliament will, I hope, vote for tomorrow, and also closer to the Commission’s proposal than to that from certain Member States, even though we recognise that they do have real difficulties that we must not underestimate.
That is my appeal. That is my appeal to the Presidency. It is also my appeal to all MEPs so that we can look forward to this final phase – I hope it is the final one – of negotiations in a spirit of compromise and so that the message that comes out of the next European Council is again a positive one. Once again, Europe will surprise its enemies by showing that, in difficult situations, and particularly in difficult situations, we are capable not only of finding a solution, but of finding a credible solution, in other words a solution that brings together our ambitions and the instruments that we give to the European institutions to achieve those ambitions."@en1
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