Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-01-17-Speech-1-044-000"
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"en.20110117.12.1-044-000"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should first of all like to thank the President, who is doing us the honour of chairing a debate on an issue that is so very important for industrial policy and the internal market. I should also like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Stihler, who worked exhaustively on this proposal and, thanks to her commitment, has enabled us to reach an agreement at second reading.
Finally, the Commission felt it necessary to present a statement regarding the departure from the common agreement between the institutions, relating to the deadline to submit an objection to delegated acts. The Commission is keen to stress that the principle laid down in the draft common agreement provides for a two-month period to submit objections, which may be extended by a further two months.
In this case, the Commission holds the view that there are no special circumstances that can justify the violation of this principle. The Commission regrets the fact that the principle agreed in the draft common agreement has not been respected and emphasises in its statement that what has happened in the construction products case cannot set a precedent.
I should like to thank Parliament – including through the President, whom I thank again for having participated in this debate – for the interest with which it examined this simplification proposal. To conclude, I should like to highlight the advantages that we can expect from this new regulation, as well as those created for the producers and users of construction products, as well as national administrations.
We also confirm the Commission’s willingness to adhere to the obligations contained in the text of the regulation, in particular, to draw up the reports that have been requested.
Thank you once again Mr President, and thank you honourable Members for the commitment and cooperation you have shown.
I also wish to express my sincere thanks to all the shadow rapporteurs and the Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Mr Harbour. Your collective efforts were crucial in reaching a turning point in negotiations between the European institutions on this extremely technical dossier.
The Commission welcomes the second-reading compromise between Parliament and the Council since, irrespective of its technical nature, this is a dossier of great importance. The adoption of the regulation on construction products represents an inestimably significant step forward for the entire European construction sector. Construction products account for 3% of gross domestic product in Europe and, in terms of employment, activities related to the construction sector account for 6.5% of Europe’s GDP and 7.5% of employment. Altogether, this means that the construction sector accounts for 10% of the European economy, as the rapporteur noted in her speech.
Furthermore, the adoption of the regulation on construction products constitutes an important step forward in terms of simplifying and improving the legislation, whilst, at the same time, consolidating the internal market for construction products. This was also the first practical application of the principles enshrined in the Small Business Act. In effect, EU law will finally provide European enterprises – and particularly micro-enterprises – with tools that help them rather than the exact opposite, that is to say, forms to fill out, bureaucratic procedures and extra obligations.
I cannot but be satisfied by this outcome, particularly with regard to the solutions provided to three issues that had been thought, in the past, to be more complicated. Firstly, with regard to the issue of hazardous substances, the Commission will draft a report on this important issue, keeping Parliament informed and, if necessary, presenting any further legislative proposals.
Secondly, there is the special treatment reserved for micro-enterprises, which have always been considered essential in order to safeguard the principles of the Small Business Act. The outcome achieved satisfies this criterion as it retains the possibility for simplified procedures for micro-enterprises.
Lastly, various parts of the text recognise the need to reduce the administrative and testing obligations on enterprises, partly by introducing simplified procedures for CE marking, but also by keeping the use of European Technical Assessments optional.
In any case, as indicated by the Statement by the European Commission annexed to the Council’s position at first reading, we will need to check that the chosen solutions are truly the best to deal with existing needs. In particular, we will have to avoid subjecting enterprises – and particularly micro-enterprises – to unjustified or, in any case, unnecessary administrative obligations. We intend to monitor this aspect carefully and will add our conclusions to the report to the European Parliament and the Council, which is to be drawn up five years after the entry into force of this regulation.
I should also like to clarify that the Commission intends to work closely with the European Parliament and, naturally, with the Council, with regard to the implementation of this regulation. To this end, I have asked my services – whom I thank for the contribution they always make to the legislative work of the Commission – to draw up a road map for implementation, which I intend to send to you as soon as possible. This looks, in particular, at the so-called comitology aspects. Parliament is a key partner of the Commission and I can assure you that I intend to continue to work closely with you, including with regard to the next phase in the adoption process. Besides, 14 years in this Chamber were not spent in vain."@en1
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