Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-13-Speech-2-195"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070313.20.2-195"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Honourable Members, I feel it is abundantly clear that the Barcelona targets are appropriate and that the debate has confirmed that there is broad consensus on this issue. There is also no doubt that a number of countries are a long way from meeting the targets and that we must do all we can to encourage the Member States to rectify this.
The advantages of the Barcelona Strategy are clear but I should like, if I may, to go over them once again. Firstly, without responsible childcare structures, it is not possible to achieve basic targets on gender equality. Secondly, without such arrangements the issue of demographic ageing cannot be addressed in a responsible manner.
Two questions clearly emerged from the debate: the first of which was whether the Commission has followed up the Barcelona Strategy. As I stressed in my report as part of the Lisbon Strategy, the answer is yes. The second question concerned measures with which to compare individual countries. Individual countries are currently compared on the basis of data that they give on an individual basis and, concerning methodology, it is difficult to compare these data. It is easy to monitor development in one’s own country but comparing one country with another is extremely difficult. This situation is unsatisfactory, and we are therefore working on ways of making the various individual viewpoints ready for assessment, which should be completed by the end of the year.
There was also a third question that came through, which was whether or not, in the framework of the Barcelona Strategy, we are aiming for parental choice. Yes, in accordance with the objectives as they are formulated, this is clearly the case. The Member States should endeavour to provide childcare by 2010 for at least 90% of children from three years up to school age; that is, to provide care or to give parents the choice of whether or not to take up this opportunity. In this regard the purpose of the objective is abundantly clear.
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this debate. I feel it is clear that there is still a great deal still to do, but that we are capable of accomplishing a great deal."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples