Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-22-Speech-4-007"
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"Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, when I was in Turin I was able to appreciate the excellent work done by the Foundation, which is a vital and highly effective instrument to promote the development of vocational training systems in EU partner countries. The Commission proposal updates the ETF’s tasks and governance to ensure that its activities are founded on a solid legal basis. In my view, the compromise reached with the Council offers progress in two essential directions.
First, the new regulation will enable the Foundation to operate in all the EU’s partner countries, including those outside the framework of the Neighbourhood Policy and the pre-accession programmes. That is a crucial point. For example, the Union takes decisions that have a direct impact on its ACP partners’ economy. I need not remind Commissioner Michel that this happened recently in the case of the reform of the COM in sugar, which forced those countries radically to diversify their industrial activities. The ETF could have made a useful contribution to that development and can do so in future in similar cases.
The second benefit of the compromise, to which I attach special importance, is that it genuinely involves MEPs in reviewing the Foundation’s activities. That question, however, goes beyond the framework of this agency. Parliament has only one opportunity, often very brief, to look at the way the agencies operate, during the budget and budget discharge votes. In my view, it is no longer possible, especially with the forthcoming entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, for Parliament not to be more seriously involved in the matters with which the agencies deal. That is why, in the specific case of this Foundation, Parliament will henceforth nominate three representatives, without the right to vote, true, but three representatives on the Governing Board, provided they are particularly skilled in the Foundation’s areas of activity. Parliament is free to appoint either external figures or MEPs. It will be up to it to take a responsible decision as to the choice of level of representation on the Governing Board. The main point at this stage is that henceforth the choice is available and that the debate on Parliament’s involvement is launched.
Given the growing number of agencies, it is imperative for all the European institutions to take a close look at the means of monitoring their activities. In that context, I am convinced that we must create a real link between Parliament and the agencies. Similarly, the new regulation aims to formalise the hearings of the Director of the Foundation before the parliamentary committees. For several years now, that Director has appeared before Parliament once a year at the invitation of the Committee on Employment, but that invitation was not formalised in the past. Lastly, the Governing Board will appoint the Director for a period of five years, on the basis of a list of at least three candidates submitted by the Commission; before being appointed the candidate selected by the Governing Board will have to make a statement before the European Parliament’s competent committees and answer questions put by members of those committees.
Let us be honest. On the subject of Parliament’s involvement the compromise we have reached is rather less than what I would have hoped. But we have to look things in the face. As the debate stands now, people are not yet ready to go any further. So it is reasonable to support the negotiated package so that the Foundation can function as soon as possible on solid bases.
I therefore ask Members to adopt Compromise Amendment No 11, which is the result of the trilogue Commissioner Michel mentioned a moment ago, to adopt it in its entirety and not give in to the temptation of an amendment that would upset the balance we have achieved.
I thank the Slovenian Presidency and the Commission for the quality of our dialogue on these matters and, of course, I thank all the shadow rapporteurs for their support."@en1
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