Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-07-04-Speech-1-208-000"
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"en.20110704.27.1-208-000"2
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"− Mr President, did you know that retail provides almost 20 million jobs and continued to employ throughout the crisis? Our report is about creating more jobs in Europe. The time has come to recognise that retailers are drivers of growth. Did you know, and can you imagine, that if you buy a toy in one Member State for your child, you have to retest it to get additional certification in another Member State? Did you know that you have to repack a cheese to market it on a cross-border basis? What a waste.
Our report is about removing borders and barriers to the free movement of goods and services. This is the backbone of European integration and the single market. For the first time we are putting retail on the map of EU policy-making. This has never been done before. I am very grateful to shadows and colleagues who have made a great contribution in making a cross-political commitment to call for an action plan for retail, based on a long-term and holistic approach.
I am really glad that this has been anchored in the new Single Market Act. We are not shying away from controversial issues: unfair commercial practices, private labels, extra fees, to name but a few, as well as tax and trade laws. I know how many colleagues care about people and consumers with reduced mobility or who live in remote and isolated areas or in town centres. We are calling for action on this as well.
Actually our entire report is a call for action. We are asking Member States to implement and enforce existing internal market legislation and competition law, goods packages, service directives, the Small Business Act and to remove the hidden and hideous new restrictions that have been put up in recent years.
We call on the Commission to take tough measures against breaches of internal market legislation, to crack down on unfair commercial practices, to create a true common European payment area and to remove obstacles, especially for e-commerce. We asked the stakeholders to accept their shared responsibility – with regard to the environment and corporate social responsibility – and to continue to innovate as they are doing. They also have to invest more in skills and competence-building.
I am really grateful that colleagues in committee overwhelmingly trusted my line, based on self-regulation. Measures imposed top-down and parachuted will not yield better results or be more efficient than measures that the retailers throughout the supply chain would themselves adopt, share, shape and own. This will require much more commitment from us in public-private partnerships.
This is my first report. In eight months of consultation it has been a fantastic journey, which has already produced results. We have seen more direct, more intense and more constructive dialogue from people whose relationships used to be solely confrontational. I am very encouraged to see these signs of commitment and shared responsibility from the retail community.
Please, colleagues, let us give voluntary initiative a chance. But we also want to see concrete results. The time for denial is over. That is why, in the report, we gave ourselves an instrument to continue to assess progress and keep all parties engaged with the yearly retail round table. This is a living report.
From the Vikings to Venice, trade has always been a force of progress, economic development and peace. Let us keep up our commitment to putting the real economy at the centre of the political agenda. We should not give in to the wind of protectionism that is blowing throughout Europe. We should keep our commitment and stand up for a truly border-free Europe."@en1
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