Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-10-25-Speech-2-500-000"
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"en.20111025.29.2-500-000"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner, through you, my anger is directed at the entire Commission and at the Heads of State or Government in Europe. As happens every day in the financial sphere, today we find ourselves again confronted with industrial groups that are exploiting States, that are exploiting regions.
After demanding tax relief, financial aid for employment and research, and free CO
emission allowances, yesterday they promised us investment only to today shut up shop without sparing a thought for the impact that this might have on the men and women whose skills and commitment were the group’s main asset. And all this for what? To satisfy the thirst for profit – which we refer to in French as ‘
’, or greed – of the shareholder. In this case, I can speak in the singular because I am referring to Lakshmi Mittal, the owner of ArcelorMittal, who, not too long ago, was the fifth richest man in the world.
These decisions highlight the urgency of a European response because, if we want to regain our economic sovereignty, we have to act at European level. Indeed, although companies like ArcelorMittal, Nokia and BNP Paribas – and I could mention many others – may be able to exploit Member States and their regions, it is much more difficult for them to do so when they are confronted with a united Europe.
What does working together mean? It means an integrated tax policy, not just a common corporate tax base, but harmonised rates, ensuring that we can no longer compete against each other. The same applies to social and environmental standards. It also means establishing a common industrial policy rather than one that is fragmented among the Member States.
Of course, the European Union is not going to turn into a steel empire overnight, but by spending its budget in the right way, it can orientate its industrial development. It is high time that we stopped subsidising certain activities – we recently voted in favour of coal mining subsidies – that are, in fact, diverting resources that could be invested in the technologies of the future, including steel manufacturing.
European action must also prepare for when things go wrong. We need binding rules, a binding legislative framework that imposes a pan-European process on these multinational companies, inviting them to base their choices on objective facts and to take decisions in conjunction with all of the social partners. It is in this framework, too, that we must demand a return on all of the tax, social and environmental subsidies that these companies have been able to enjoy."@en1
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"2"1
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