Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-11-14-Speech-2-233"
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"en.20061114.36.2-233"2
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".
Madam President, Commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, there is a time for words and there is a time for action. I think that quite a number of those who have spoken this afternoon, on various subjects, have demonstrated the absolute necessity for the European Commission to take action.
We want more innovation, more security, more solidarity and more competitiveness, and I am disappointed to see that the text presented to us by the Commission includes just a few lines on what is certainly the main heading in the European Union's budget, given that the 2007-2013 financial perspective allocates EUR 308 billion to the Structural Funds. However, if we want to provide real answers for ourselves and for our fellow citizens, with the Member States and with the various players, we need to make good use of the tools provided by the financial measures included in the Structural Funds, amounting, as I said, to EUR 308 billion.
What, therefore, is the issue for 2007? Are we going to use the billions at our disposal to give our fellow Europeans real answers in the context of the regulations we adopted in this very House in July, or, mired in administrative mazes and in many and varied problems, are we going to reach 31 December 2007 without having got much further forward? I and my colleagues in the Committee on Regional Development brought these matters up with Mrs Hübner; we are disappointed that the Commission's document before us today pays hardly any attention to how the Commission intends to set out to achieve its objectives.
We want these objectives to take particular account of circumstances in the new Member States, which will receive funds but will also need to be in a position to use those funds wisely. We have made proposals, as Mrs Hübner knows, and we are now waiting for practical responses to help these countries to use this money properly.
There is another point that I, as chairman of the Urban Housing Intergroup, must obviously not neglect: how can towns and cities act as a real driving force in a Europe that needs to be more competitive and more innovative? On this matter, too, we are waiting for further action from the Commission.
Finally, on behalf of my colleague Mr Davies, who cannot be here because he is at another meeting, I would like to say to the Commissioners that the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is partly satisfied with the proposals on the environment, but that, as in the case of the previous point on the Structural Funds, we expect practical implementation – we expect action.
In conclusion, Commissioners, we have no complaints about your communication skills, but we now expect practical action."@en1
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