Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-14-Speech-3-008"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20071114.2.3-008"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, Secretary of State for European Affairs representing the Presidency of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, globalisation is the central theme for this generation of Europeans. It touches the lives of all our citizens in one way or another, so it is appropriate that it has risen to the top of the European agenda.
Third, there is much to be gained from a rules-based system, and the experience of the European Union leaves it uniquely well placed to provide a good basis for regulation at global level – a concrete way to shape globalisation. Let us be honest: to have open economies, we need some rules. Markets cannot work without institutions, and in the European Union we have, more than any other, the experience of putting together different rules, putting together different national experiences. That is why I really believe that we are better equipped than any other entity in the world to shape globalisation – not to impose, but to propose our model for this globalisation phase we are now entering.
We also have some tools to help us face globalisation with confidence. Never has it been clearer that the euro is a force for stability in the international financial system. The ability to use European Union law to set binding targets for greenhouse gases and renewables gives us also an unrivalled credibility, and we have a well-established lever for reform in Europe in the shape of the renewed Lisbon Strategy.
When we relaunched the Lisbon Strategy in 2005, we sought to refine it in a number of different ways. We increased ownership and accountability by a defined partnership between the Member States and the Commission. We clarified the work to be done by turning to country-specific recommendations. Every Member State now has its own national reform programme and every Member State accepts that there is a collective effort in going on with those reforms. We have also refocused the Union’s financial instruments on growth and jobs.
The results are now bearing fruit. Despite current concerns, performance has improved: almost 6.5 million extra jobs have been created in the European Union of 27 in the last two years; 8 million are expected to be created over the period 2007-2009. The Lisbon reforms have undoubtedly reinforced the growth potential of the European economy.
However, there is no room for complacency: the task is far from finished. Member States and the Union must press ahead with reform. This is the best way to make our economies more resilient in the face of an uncertain economic outlook.
The four priority areas agreed in 2006 provide the right framework for Lisbon: research and innovation; a better business environment (fighting red tape and promoting better conditions for investment); greater employability, and the great issues of energy and climate change. These areas, and the definition of these areas, have given the strategy a much sharper focus. Of course, those areas are also closely interrelated. We will never become a knowledge-based, low-carbon economy without a highly skilled workforce, as well as more research and greater innovation.
So I would like to underline this point about research and innovation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the European Parliament for its support of the Commission demand for the knowledge triangle of research, education and innovation. Indeed, I would like to thank you and draw your attention to the need for our work together to keep the Galileo project as a great European project, and I would also like to thank you for support for the EIT project.
We are moving forward in the need for a European space for knowledge. In fact, in our document one of the novelties was precisely the presentation of the idea of a fifth freedom – the freedom of circulation of knowledge in the European Union.
We will never create a new dynamism without the right climate also for our SMEs. There are 23 million SMEs in Europe. So that is why I believe all those areas taken together can create a virtuous circle helping all our goals at once.
As we prepare for the launch of the next three-year cycle, we must update the strategy in the light of lessons learnt and new circumstances. There must be a greater focus on the social dimension. More investment in education and training for all ages is the best weapon against inequality and social exclusion and, as I said earlier, not everybody is winning from globalisation. If we want to be sure of the support of European Union citizens for our agenda, we should, in due course, take in the concerns regarding the social dimension. That is why, for instance, the Commission has proposed an adjustment to the Globalisation Fund, precisely because we have recognised since the beginning the need to give concrete responses concerning these areas.
As you know, I am personally convinced that the 21st century European agenda must be organised largely around the theme of globalisation, while naturally maintaining the values and principles that have always informed the European project. Globalisation, however, must also be seen as an opportunity for Europe to defend and assert its interests in this increasingly interdependent world. I am therefore very pleased to be taking part in the debate on this issue organised by the European Parliament.
I am particularly encouraged by the agreement of the social partners on the set of flexicurity principles that were proposed by the Commission before the summer. In fact, at the European informal Council in Lisbon, we received very good news about that agreement between the European social partners. I hope that the December European Council can give its support to those principles. This provides a very good basis for each Member State to define a better balance between flexibility and security in their labour markets.
Vigorous implementation of outstanding reforms, stronger emphasis on skills and education, concrete steps to convert Europe into a low-carbon economy: these are, from our point of view, the priorities for the next cycle.
The integrated guidelines provide an important instrument for coordination, a common framework for diverse Member States to pursue their own national reform agendas. Analysis and feedback from Member States show that the guidelines are working. They are the foundation for the Community Lisbon Programme. My feeling is that, while there is a need to update them, if they are not broken we should not fix them.
We also need to do more to ensure that the Lisbon Strategy progresses at an even pace in all Member States: a slower pace of reform in one Member State has obvious knock-ons in the others. We also need more involvement of parliaments, social partners, local and regional authorities.
The commitment of this House to the Lisbon Strategy has been critical in sustaining the momentum. Together with Vice-President Verheugen and with all the College, I very much look forward to deepening our joint work as we move into the next cycle of Lisbon.
The link between globalisation and Lisbon gives us an excellent opportunity to show how, in this day and age, the European economic agenda is not an optional extra: it is the key to unlocking a successful future for Europe. Economic reform, a global vision, a low-carbon economy: these are interlocking goals that need to be pursued in parallel, and only the European Union can provide the reach and coherence that Europe needs so much. Only together can we pursue what we call in our document ‘the European interest’.
Let me conclude by saying that I really believe it is not only the European interest. I really believe that, in the age of globalisation, the world also needs a more committed Europe, with our interests being protected and defended but also with our values – the values of freedom and solidarity – being sustained in this globalisation age.
As the Secretary of State has just said, the Commission document drafted last month on the European interest generated an excellent debate at the Lisbon Informal European Council. I was particularly encouraged by the stimulating consensus reached around our ideas on how to respond to globalisation. I would also like to thank the Portuguese Presidency for its constant support for this global European agenda and for the need to give the Lisbon Strategy a dimension that can respond to the challenges of globalisation.
We also support the idea of a declaration on globalisation at the December European Council. That would be an excellent way to consolidate this consensus, which must also be promoted here in the European Parliament by the drafting of a joint motion for a resolution on such an important issue.
The European Union has in fact been developing a gradual and truly European response to globalisation that has encouraged Europeans to make the most of the phenomenon. This response acknowledges the legitimate concerns of those who are facing change, however, since it must not be forgotten that some people may be adversely affected by it, and we must also have a response for them.
I believe the European interest lies in striking the right balance, but it can in no event be a fearful or a defeatist response, it must be based on confidence. A new interest has in fact arisen in the last few months: turbulence on the financial markets has shown how the health of the European economy is linked to global developments, while extreme climate conditions have shown how serious the potential consequences of climate change are and how a response to this problem is increasingly urgent. Every day we see that jobs in Europe, energy in Europe, the health of our people and quality of life throughout Europe are all influenced by a global dimension.
Mr President, I am convinced that our starting point should be one of confidence. We have the experience of being the world’s largest economy and its largest exporter. We have pioneered innovative ways of tackling new problems – just look at emissions trading – and we have some clear ground rules which have served us well.
First, we have a responsibility to protect our citizens without being protectionist. We should target our policies so that others take the same route as us, to open up. We should not close doors; we should, rather, make others open theirs. Protectionism for Europe, which is the biggest exporter in the world, would be a self-defeating doctrine.
Second, we are open, but we are not naive. This means that we are not in the business of giving a free ride to those who do not respect certain key principles. That was the spirit behind our recent proposals to ensure that the rules on energy investment would apply to third-country companies."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples