Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-02-14-Speech-2-183"
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"en.20060214.26.2-183"2
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".
Mr President, Mr Bartenstein, Mrs Gebhardt, ladies and gentlemen, this week is a crucial stage for the services directive, for the completion of the internal market and for our strategy for growth and jobs in Europe. I am therefore delighted to see that the European Parliament is prepared to express an opinion on this proposal and to accept its responsibilities to the citizens of Europe. I would especially like to thank Mrs Gebhardt and all the Members most directly involved, particularly the shadow rapporteurs, who, over the past few months, have done some admirable work to enable us to reach the stage we are at today.
It is they that have the most to gain from this directive. Even though this is just the first step, I really do not think that there is any strategy more social than one that creates high-quality jobs.
Before I pass the floor to Mr McCreevy, I would like, with your permission, Mr President, to wish you all a fruitful, constructive and positive debate. Let us work together to produce a services directive that will translate our ambitions for Europe into reality in a balanced way: an enlarged Europe, a more modern and more competitive Europe, a Europe founded on the four basic freedoms bequeathed to us by our founding fathers.
Today's debate and the vote to be held on Thursday represent an important moment for the future of the European Union, and this, may I say, even goes beyond the very important matter of services in the internal market. There is no doubt that we still have much to do if our economies are to be able to make the basic freedoms laid down in the Treaty a reality and to benefit from them. In a moment, Commissioner McCreevy will remind you of the progress made on this matter.
Before that, however, I would like to stress a very important aspect that goes far beyond the purely economic dimension: is the enlarged European Union of 25 Member States capable of reaching agreement on appropriate solutions to deal with extremely difficult and sensitive problems? I would add to that, can we deal, in particular, with the problems that are seen as most sensitive by public opinion? Let me be quite clear: I am convinced - and the Commission shares this view - that it is desirable to achieve strong consensus within Parliament in favour of this directive, a strong consensus that, we hope, will enable us to reach agreement in the Council and to create the conditions for convergence between our three institutions. I am confident that, this week, Parliament will be able to give shape to the acute sense of responsibility that it has demonstrated throughout this process.
As you know - and we must be frank in this matter - this directive, which was presented in January 2004 by the Commission of my predecessor, Mr Prodi, gave rise to some serious concerns in some parts of our Member States and, in general, within European public opinion. Even though they were based on legitimate fears relating to the protection of the social acquis, some of these criticisms were based on real misunderstandings. However, in some cases these criticisms also fed polemics entirely unrelated to the directive itself.
I, and the Commission over which I preside, have always made it absolutely clear that we do indeed want a real internal market in services. We want a market that works and that brings added value to our economy. We now want to translate into reality the principles of the four freedoms bequeathed to us by the founding fathers of Europe. We also want to respond to the legitimate concerns that have been raised.
The result will therefore be, if you please, ladies and gentlemen, the fruit of a compromise. By definition, we need a compromise – a compromise that honours and respects the principles of the Treaty and forms part of our programme for growth and jobs. In this regard, the Commission is prepared to support, and to include in its revised proposal, all the elements constituting a step forward on the path to creating a true internal market in services that are supported by a large majority within this Parliament.
Following almost two years of debate, it is now high time to leave the divisions behind us, to build bridges and to create the conditions for an agreement. It is time to prove to our citizens that the Union of 25 Member States does work, that it is conscious of its common destiny, and that it is able to achieve results in everybody's interests. We now need to understand what is realistic and feasible at this stage.
Following a difficult year in 2005, we are now on the way to restoring trust in the European Union. We must work on pragmatic solutions to respond to the real problems of our citizens. If the first reading in plenary on the services directive leads, on Thursday, to a vote that balances the demands of competition against our social concerns, it will be a victory not only for you, ladies and gentlemen, in the European Parliament, but also for the Union as a whole.
Ladies and gentlemen, you need have no doubts about our ambitions for Europe. On that subject, let us be quite clear on the economic question. Is it acceptable that we have 20 million unemployed within the European Union? Do we need any stronger arguments to justify our initiative? Is that not one of the main reasons for the lack of confidence in the EU? Today, the two main sectors that can create jobs in Europe are services and small and medium-sized enterprises. We must therefore give priority to those sectors, by creating a true market in services and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises."@en1
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