Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-27-Speech-2-160"
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"en.20050927.18.2-160"2
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"Mr President, territorial cohesion is a strategic aim of the European Union, and one of the most important of these, as it promotes harmonious and unified development. Nonetheless, it remains a dream. In particular, following the recent accession of 10 much poorer countries, the disparity between the development of individual regions has become even more marked. For example, if the British Inner London region boasting 270% of average GDP for the Union is compared with the Lubelski district in Poland whose GDP is barely 30% of average for the Union, one can appreciate how much still remains to be done.
The European Union needs a Community strategy for cohesion, and the territorial aspect should be taken into account when implementing all Community policies. All aspects of territorial cooperation should be strengthened. I refer to cooperation at cross-border level and also at inter-regional and supra-national levels. Stronger cooperation and partnership between urban centres, their periphery and rural areas is also needed.
In a European Union founded on solidarity, regional development must be based on programmes that ensure equal treatment for all regions. In practice, this means that the citizens should have appropriate access to public services and to services provided in the general economic interest. The House is well aware that we are nowhere near attaining that objective. Consequently, the failure to agree on a new budget for the Union and the lack of a new Financial Perspective are particularly worrying.
Actions aimed at achieving territorial cohesion across the Union must be improved, and Parliament must become more involved in monitoring progress towards genuine territorial cohesion. If this does not happen, disparities in the development of individual regions are bound to increase. Ladies and gentlemen, I appeal to you to help create a cohesive Europe founded on solidarity. I am sure none of us would advocate a Europe in which we were subdivided into the rich and the poor."@en1
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