Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-01-23-Speech-3-012"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080123.6.3-012"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Madam President, may I express my warm thanks to the President of the Commission and to the Commission for the work they have done. Reference has already been made to the fact that the right environmental and economic objectives have been set and are being pursued. In implementing the package, as the previous speaker said, we must take a careful look at specific points. You know, Mr Barroso, that we are very sceptical about biofuels as far as the current state of the art is concerned. We need to invest far more in research and development – and this applies to the next few budgets too – if the second generation is to become a reality in the shortest possible time and tip the balance decisively in favour of a cleaner environment. It is absolutely crucial that the use of biofuels should demonstrably constitute a net gain for the environment.
As far as emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases are concerned, many will say – and I agree with them – that a 20% reduction is not enough to guarantee the achievement of the goals to which we aspire in the struggle against climate change. On the other hand, I wholeheartedly subscribe to your argument that there is no point in Europe going it alone and taking all the risks while others stay on the sidelines, unwilling to join in, for we have no wish to export dirty technology and jobs. We want to develop clean technology in Europe and to export it too, so that we can maintain a clean global environment together. That must be our aim.
That, Mr Barroso, is why we need transparent and coherent international agreements and why we need them as quickly as possible. Should that goal prove unattainable, we are in favour of giving some thought of our own to the matter. This, I believe, is an area in which the Commission has been too hesitant. I certainly agree that the decisions need not be made until later, but I do believe that now is the time to think about what we do if international agreements do not materialise. Will there then be import levies? These, of course, would have to be WTO-compliant. Would we perhaps think about introducing a CO2 tax after all? That idea has already received some consideration in the Council and the Commission. Whatever else we do, we must exert heavy pressure to ensure that both the environmental and economic dimensions are taken into account. While I do not take every chorus of protest from industry at face value, consideration must be given to the legitimate interests of industry and labour. You said that will happen. We shall have to keep an eye on that in the legislative process.
What we really must achieve, Mr President and ladies and gentlemen of the Commission, is what we managed in the case of REACH, namely an alliance not only of environmentalists but also of industry and labour that is designed to reconcile their respective interests. REACH offers a good example of such an alliance. Mr Sacconi and many others played their part in ensuring that this Parliament and this Commission brought the REACH framework to fruition. The environmental goals must guide us, but at the same time we must give due consideration to economic issues with a view to safeguarding clean industry and a clean economy in Europe."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples