Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-13-Speech-1-116"
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"en.20060213.12.1-116"2
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".
Mr President, Mr Hökmark’s remarks make sense, and I could not agree more with them. It is a pleasure to take part in the discussion about the report on the State Aid Action Plan prepared by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. I can assure you that, after your remarks, it is an even greater pleasure. As has been said, it is of fundamental importance to handle State aid in the correct way. If it is not handled in the correct way, it is an instrument which, instead of providing a solution, can have the opposite effect. I would like to congratulate the rapporteur on his clear and balanced report.
I greatly appreciate the interest and involvement of the European Parliament in the process of reforming the rules of State aid. This is – as has been mentioned before – a crucial project. It is a high priority for me during this term in office. You may remember that the consultation on State aid reform was launched here in Strasbourg last June. Today, again, Strasbourg is the place where we are continuing the debate and, hopefully, will come to a conclusion as to which direction we can go with the review. I am happy to say that the consultation on State aid reform will be completed with your report.
The Commission has received many comments on the State Aid Action Plan, from many different stakeholders across Europe. For me, your comments are an essential complement to what I have heard from elsewhere in Europe. I am very pleased that Parliament, like the great majority of stakeholders, is supportive, in general, of the Commission’s plans.
I will not repeat the content of the reform programme, which was touched upon by the rapporteur. In the spirit of the Lisbon Strategy, we want State aid reform to help Member States get the best value for money by focusing state resources on measures that will contribute to sustainable economic growth and to more and better jobs for the future. State aid is taxpayers’ money, so we need to take into account that we can explain it to those who want it and those who obtain it. We also want to improve the procedures and administration of State aid policy, as was rightly touched upon by the rapporteur.
One important message in the report is the need for legal certainty. I fully share the concern that, if we are not successful in making that legal certainty visible, then we will have failed. The Commission will explain further how it intends to use economics for State aid policy. Market failure is not a magic word; it is, rather, a methodology to analyse the problems within markets. I agree with the report’s focus on the need for transparency of aid. On services of general economic interest, the Commission has no competence to interpret the jurisprudence. Nevertheless – I got your message, Mr President! – the Commission will try to give guidance when adopting decisions on individual cases in this field.
I look forward to your questions and comments, and I will do my utmost to respond to them."@en1
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