Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-09-Speech-4-063"
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"en.20100909.3.4-063"2
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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this debate is very important, and I am grateful to you, Mr Simpson, for having initiated it.
I could cite countless other examples of phrases and words that are all requirements for the Member States, for businesses and for the Commission, under the supervision of your Parliament and of the Council.
I would also like to say a word about an issue that affects me personally, because for 20 years I was the elected representative of a rural, and indeed very mountainous, region, and we know how important public services are for the most isolated and the weakest people who live in such regions. Mr Gallagher raised this issue, as did Mr Fernandes, Mrs Auconie and Mrs Harkin just now. On the subject of rural areas, I would point out that, where the Member States fail to meet certain minimum requirements, the Commission will use all the instruments at its disposal to ensure that they provide these basic postal services, particularly in rural areas, in pursuance of this territorial cohesion.
I recognise that we need to make progress, without rushing ahead regardless, but we do have to make sure that the provisions in the texts, in the treaty, are respected. That is why, Mr President, the evaluation, study, report and, where necessary, correction, stages must be put to good use. Mr El Khadraoui, Mrs Ticău and Mrs Wils mentioned the first studies. I can confirm that we are going to undertake a first study this year – at the end of this year, Mr El Khadraoui – which will provide all the parties involved with an analysis of the recent developments in the postal markets and which will also cover the most recent employment trends.
We shall not stop there: there is the official report that we are due to present to Parliament and to the Council in 2013, when the entire directive will be implemented by all the Member States. Then, there is this users’ dialogue group, in which you will participate, along with trade unions, businesses and users themselves. The group will hear the group of regulators and examine the impact assessments provided by the Commission.
Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude – and here I am addressing Mrs Thun Und Hohenstein, Mrs Durant and others – I am as committed as you are to ensuring that these directives are implemented correctly, without citizens and users being penalised. I will be as committed as you are to ensuring that the impact assessments are objective, accurate and honest. Moreover, since I am talking about sincerity, I shall repeat what Mr Simpson said: ‘We have to be fair with Europe.’ That is why these studies and the publicity that we will generate in their regard, the debates that we will create around these studies – especially within this users’ dialogue group – are important. I shall undertake to ensure that we are fair with the European Union and with the decisions that we have taken together.
When we talk about jobs in the postal services, when we talk about the quality of distribution, when we talk about territorial cohesion, when we talk about social protection, what impact do European decisions have? What impact do the decisions taken by businesses have? What impact do the policy decisions of governments have? We must say who is responsible for what and not hold the European Union responsible for everything that happens on the ground.
That is also why I want to see this debate and evaluation work through to the end, and it is why, Mrs Durant, ladies and gentlemen, I personally will oversee the creation of the users’ dialogue group. I will do so in order to demonstrate the Commission’s sincerity and sense of purpose in this sphere, which is at the heart of this internal market, as an area of common economic and social life, to which I am committed and for which I am one of the people responsible.
I wish to make two or three points before responding in slightly more depth.
Firstly, as I said earlier and as everyone ought objectively to recognise, this reform, this controlled liberalisation of postal services, has not been carried out in a secretive, hurried or random fashion; it has been carried out in accordance with legitimate democratic processes and with the support of all the governments. Many of you have played a very important part in this: Mr Simpson, you are one of those people, Mr Ferber is another, and I could mention many other names besides.
That is where we are today. This is a gradual reform. As my services pointed out to me, there have been around 20 sectoral studies. Mr de Jong, there has been no hastiness or secretiveness. Mr Tarabella, there has been no rushing ahead regardless, either. Things are being done gradually and in stages. That is the first point.
My second point is that I know what is written in the Treaties and in the texts. Mrs Auconie mentioned a very important term: territorial cohesion. I fought as one of the authors of the old constitution and of the new Treaty of Lisbon – at that time I was European Commissioner for Institutional Reform – to have the words ‘territorial cohesion’ included in the treaty. It was not easy. These are words that mean something, just as, in the Treaty of Lisbon, there are new words on security and the protection of public services.
These are words to which I attach importance, over and above my personal beliefs, which I would like to outline in one sentence: I do not believe that Europe can be summed up as a large free trade area. Europe is not just the internal market. It is a common area of economic, social and human life. Indeed, I returned to the European Commission with that firm belief. It will underpin the work that I do throughout the five years in which I have the honour of being in this role. That is what is in the treaty. I have not forgotten it, and, if need be, I will remind all those who have forgotten it.
And then there are the texts of these directives, ladies and gentlemen. Frankly, I do not believe – I have said this to Mrs Wils and to others – that a moratorium or a sudden suspension of this process would help matters. From my point of view, it would create uncertainty, which would harm businesses and users, and, all things considered, it would be irresponsible. Yet, having said that, having thus confirmed that the process will get under way, we have a duty to check that it gets under way properly and in accordance with what is written in the texts of the directives and in the Treaty on European Union.
Mr Bach and Mrs Auconie mentioned the universal postal service; there are some important words in the texts that are designed to strengthen the provision of the universal service. There are many mechanisms that safeguard this service provision, and we must verify that they are used; this applies to the compensation fund, to designations in the field of public contracts and to other instruments besides. These are words that I have not forgotten, either.
The inclusion of working conditions is also laid down as an essential requirement that must be taken into account when authorising or approving postal operators. As regards social protection – Mr de Jong, Mrs Durant and Mrs Serracchiani raised this issue – it is clearly stated in the third Postal Directive that the Member States have access to instruments in labour law to prevent any possible social dumping, and it is the responsibility of those Member States to respect the principle of subsidiarity and find the best way of guaranteeing this correct level of employment and social protection."@en1
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