Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-07-08-Speech-2-322"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080708.35.2-322"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should first of all like to congratulate the three rapporteurs most sincerely for their excellent work. You must forgive me for focusing mainly on the report by my colleague Mr La Russa on the gas directive. There has been some very good collaboration between the rapporteur, Mr La Russa, and the various shadow rapporteurs.
We have already discussed the issue of unbundling, network separation and gas supply. That is not one of the most important or central questions. I am satisfied with the compromise that we have found, even though it is very stringent, because on the one hand it still provides the option of not actually going for full separation, though this is subject to very strict conditions, while on the other the Commission can in any case use a review clause to apply quite a lot of pressure to ensure that competition exists and that competitive conditions are really maintained.
Of course we also need to take a slightly longer-term view of things. In this respect we would agree entirely with the basic views expressed by our colleague Mr Manders in the sense that we need to examine whether perhaps a common European infrastructure can satisfactorily be found. However, that is a possible alternative for the future and one that we cannot yet go into in any detail.
It is important that we should also have derogations, such as those that apply to any major investments where a lot of capital is involved and where we are still unable to say whether this will really lead to a solution, such as in the case of the Nabucco project. Here we also have to be sufficiently flexible. Investments of this kind are on a long-term basis and we do not exactly know when we will reach contract conclusion. That is especially important.
I hope that a majority in this House will support our amendments tomorrow. Otherwise we shall be adopting the report as voted on in respect of transparency, consumer protection, energy and poverty. When I look at what the Commission and the Commission President last said on this subject it would be important if we had a clear declaration in this area, firstly on having transparent information for consumers, which is not always the case, secondly on setting up a help-line for network users, so that they too can request information, thirdly on an independent entry point for complaints, for there are always complaints – and each of us knows of such cases, even if we were not personally affected, which is also quite important – and fourthly on the protection of vulnerable customers, especially pensioners, the handicapped and others.
These are all real concerns, particularly in view of the rising energy prices. I do not understand that on the one hand the committee unfortunately did not take this on board, especially in the gas sector, and that on the other the conservatives and in the end President Barroso himself have been saying repeatedly that we have to strive to help the consumers and, more particularly, the more vulnerable customers. I do not wish to speculate whether this means subsidised rates or some other option. This would also be left to individual countries. The Member States should not always shift responsibility to the Commission but should also be prepared to take their own decisions. However, the European Commission and Parliament should be taking a lead by showing that such an option is possible and probably also beneficial if we are also to protect the social interests of consumers at a time of such high energy prices."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples