Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-09-03-Speech-3-415"

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"en.20080903.28.3-415"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, rapporteur, ladies and gentlemen, I think that the proposal on the table is better than the document presented last time. It contains much more scope for decentralisation of responsibilities. This also increases the role of Member States – and, as a member of the Committee on Regional Development, it is this that I should like to discuss once more. What strikes me is that the position of ports is very clearly defined on the one hand, but that on the other the necessary hinterland connection lags behind in a number of cases. One example is Antwerp here in Belgium and the Ruhr area. The activation of the Iron Rhine – the railway link that would finally put an end to the constant stream of containers that cars find in front of them on the motorway – has been under discussion for years. The situation is ridiculous: things could be different, but the main responsibility lies with the nation-states. This also goes for the Netherlands, where the Betuwe Line – in which billions of euros were invested – has been laid from Antwerp to the Ruhr area. Imagine my amazement: the optimum interconnection is lacking at the German border. Surely this is something we need to discuss. In view of the growth in international transport via the ports, those arteries, we must adopt a stricter integrated approach. I know that the European Commission is working on a document regarding the territorial cohesion that must be realised not only in Western Europe, the old Member States, but also in the new Member States and beyond. There is easily scope for a little more direction in this. I am not talking about hard law and regulations, but a way to review each other’s responsibilities. Nor am I talking about spending money from the Structural Funds. Billions of euros are being channelled into port development and clusters without coordinating this properly with the hinterland. This is the message I wish to convey. May I ask the Commissioner whether this priority area features in the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion to be presented in October?"@en1
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