Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-11-23-Speech-2-466"
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"en.20101123.38.2-466"2
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"Mr President, times are hard for the European economy and for the European project as a whole. We have been devising big strategies such as the climate package, the energy package and the 2020 strategy: schemes after schemes. We still do not seem to know where we want to go and what we want to be.
I wish you good luck.
Why am I saying this? Because wanting to be the best is not sufficient to be the best. The reality is that we are adopting strategies we do not all believe in. No one – or almost no one – is implementing them and no one is ready to finance them.
It seems we have too many strategies and a lack of interest in making them a reality. And this is why I believe it is time to get back to the basics of what made the European project possible and brought us together: simple natural things. The single market should be our big scheme and we should put all our effort into enforcing it, because if we want to be competitive on the world stage, we need more economic integration. The only reasonable way to achieve this is through the single market.
I welcome the Commission work programme, and specifically your proposal on the Single Market Act. But that is not enough. You have the monetary report. You know what is needed – to encourage investment, attract capital and boldly cut bureaucratic expenses. We should focus on simple things which have an obvious impact on Europe’s competitiveness, such as resource efficiency, cutting energy costs, reforming the agriculture policy, and the future of transport.
The Commission and Parliament must work hand in hand and ensure that these means match our will. We are therefore looking forward to an ambitious multiannual financial framework proposal in 2011.
Do we need more regulation to tackle the financial crisis? Yes, but only if the aim is to foster Europe’s competitiveness. In any case, we should avoid adopting an autistic response to the crisis, hoping that the rest of the world will follow.
If the message we are sending to our citizens and to the world is not that the EU is a pragmatic association of ideas, capital and values, we will not become the global player we want to be. Instead of influencing policies in the world, we will be affected by them.
Now a word on the European Semester. The Commission is best placed to identify our strengths and weaknesses when planning work. But you should be careful, because what you are proposing to EU citizens and Member States is that they should believe that Brussels knows better, and that politicians in Brussels are closer to the citizen’ interests than an MP from their constituency. It is a difficult job, and you will commit to this through policy coordination in 2011.
I hope you will succeed in proving this, in boosting growth and jobs – not for some, but for all. Otherwise, we will witness the rise of real anti-Europeanism."@en1
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