Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-03-15-Speech-3-070"
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"en.20060315.3.3-070"2
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"Mr President, this debate is about the spring summit and we have a fine resolution with splendid recommendations. After all, the European public are still being promised more growth and more jobs, but let us not pull the wool over each other’s eyes, for paper can wait. When after the summit, next week, the Heads of Government return to their capitals, they must also take with them ownership of Lisbon, for it is the Member States, in tandem with the social partners, national and regional politicians, who will ultimately bring about an increase in employment.
The message to the Member States is both simple and clear. The internal market must become a reality, come what may. More should be done in the area of research and development; innovation must be supported and education and training must be organised on a more efficient and better-quality footing. The Lisbon Strategy also has a social dimension, though. We will not become competitive if we reduce our principles and values on solidarity with the weakest, our citizens’ own responsibility, social justice or wages to such a level that we start to compete with our Asian competitors. That is not the European answer that will inspire public confidence.
Reforms are necessary, though. Demographic change, in the shape of an ageing population and a declining birth rate, must be addressed. We should summon up the nerve to scrutinise the ways in which social security systems are funded, for the demographic reality is drawing nearer at ever-increasing speed. There is no point in pondering an entrepreneur-friendly climate or lifelong learning, if we fail to deliver. There is work to be done.
We have arranged the European structural programmes in such a way as to ensure that three quarters, or 55 billion, will contribute to the Lisbon objectives, and if the funds for those programmes are lacking, or if the Member States are not prepared to pay up, then I have to conclude that growth and employment in line with Lisbon will not be achieved.
As far as the ageing population and the declining numbers of young people are concerned, we will need to adjust social security and employment policy in such a way that active young people and fit elderly people can make their contributions to society in the near future, to prosperity and happiness for our citizens."@en1
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