Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-11-14-Speech-3-010"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20071114.2.3-010"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, my dear Hans-Gert; President-in-Office of the Council, Manuel Lobo Antunes; Mr President of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in the eyes of our fellow citizens, globalisation is no abstract concept. Globalisation is a reality that affects ordinary Europeans on a daily basis and they look to their governments and institutions for answers to the problems it brings with it.
Our fellow citizens expect a great deal from the European Union in this regard. They expect to be protected and to be given security: physically protected in the face of terrorist threats and protected, too, from the vagaries of the financial markets. They also look to us, however, to guarantee their food supply and food security; yet only last summer a sharp rise in cereal costs sent consumer prices rocketing. European consumers need an assurance that low-priced, imported products will be safe in every respect. This is a particularly topical issue: as the festive season approaches, we must be able to reassure parents and grandparents that the toys they are buying for children’s Christmas stockings will not put their health at risk.
While globalisation must contribute to prosperity, it must also be fair – and it must be subject to ethical rules, for example to prohibit the exploitation of children. Globalisation cannot be built on the backs of those who are weakest: it must be an instrument for combating inequality not only within individual countries but also between countries. Globalisation must be directed at increasing the purchasing power of the poorest in society. We have always spoken out in favour of free trade, but that trade has to be based on strict rules. The European Union’s openness to the rest of the world is a driving force in the global economy and many companies are keen to set up in Europe. They will have to accept our rules and comply with our health, environmental and consumer-protection standards.
In the space of 50 years the European Union has managed to create a functional internal market, in which harmonisation of the Member States’ legislation has always been the rule. The European Union has a role to play in exporting its know-how and helping to raise the production and quality-control standards of its partners. We are already on track to do that with a number of them. The success of the first Transatlantic Economic Council meeting, held last Friday in Washington, is a positive sign, and we now have to step up our efforts to remind Brazil, China and India of their responsibilities. We take a somewhat softer line with Africa.
To meet the external challenges we must, firstly, strengthen our own single market by investing more in research and development and, secondly, ensure better coordination of research and innovation among the Member States. While globalisation offers new opportunities, it also demands adaptation work, for example in terms of education and training throughout people’s working lives.
My group welcomes the new initiatives under the Lisbon Strategy for growth and employment, and likewise the Small Business Act proposed by the Commission, because small and medium-sized enterprises remain extremely important engines of stability and job creation in Europe.
Ladies and gentlemen, we as politicians are increasingly called upon to address the challenge of energy problems. Until it has a common policy for energy security and environmental security, the European Union will remain vulnerable. With the price of oil at almost USD 100 per barrel, this Europe that we live in faces an emergency. We need a European energy policy to guarantee us security of supply and sustainable growth in this sector. We need to undertake a thorough examination of renewable energy sources and to explore the energy-supply potential of civil nuclear power.
All discussion of these issues must be transparent, with a view to raising people’s awareness and securing their support for what we undertake. Ultimately we want cleaner, more efficient and safer energy for Europe. Europe must spell out its interests, not only in terms of trade and the global economy, but also in terms of culture, language and tradition. By working to produce joint solutions to the challenges of globalisation we shall put ourselves in a position to protect the legitimate interests of our fellow citizens, without being protectionist."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples