Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-07-03-Speech-2-054-000"
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"en.20120703.5.2-054-000"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, today we are discussing the thirtieth European Council dedicated to the crisis. Although, in comparison to previous meetings, we are closer to reaching the desired solution, the road map towards European political integration is still not forthcoming.
That is why I repeat my call for a politically integrated Europe, not an intergovernmental Europe, as was supported by the Council in the Schengen case, or again last week concerning the issue of patents. For as long as the Community method is not our governance rule, nor that of the Council, Europe will lose ground. I know you have a difficult job, Mr Van Rompuy, but fear not! Make proposals with us, with Parliament and the Commission, to these Heads of State or Government who, as I said, do not have the capacity for reflection as they are obligated to manage their very difficult issues on a daily basis in each of their respective countries. We need a much more integrated Europe. We must compare what works, the countries that cope – because there are some – and apply their example to those that work less well.
There you have what I want us to put on the table, Mr Barroso, during the next two months. We will reflect further on this during the holidays and then we will make proposals in September, if the markets allow us to do so.
Of course, this time, substantial progress has been achieved. Following the country-specific economic recommendations proposed by the Commission, the document presented by Mr Van Rompuy is a step in the right direction, as it finally refers to political Europe as the ultimate aim. He mentions a preparation period spread over 10 years. Yet, each of us knows that Europe will not survive between now and 2022 without budgetary, fiscal and social integration.
I often wonder what political development the Twenty-Seven will judge sufficiently serious in order to consent to shared sovereignty. I wonder what graver problems are necessary, other than unemployment, the difficulties experienced by our companies, the prohibitive interest rates that our Member States must pay, in order to prove that a single currency must include a common economic policy.
Having said that, the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) is satisfied with the advances contained in the Growth and Employment Pact, even though this contains some of the long-standing proposals already put forward by this Parliament and the Commission. In this respect, I would like to say to you, Mr Barroso, that you must continue, together with Parliament, to put whatever is needed on the table, because when the Heads of State or Government come together, they are unable to find a solution. For each of them, it is a question of survival in their own countries. Therefore, we need Parliament, together with the Commission and Mr Van Rompuy, to come forward with, and put on the table, concrete proposals so that when governments find themselves strangled by the markets and suchlike, they may have a solution, as was the case with the ‘six-pack’ and the ‘two-pack’.
My group supports the system of banking supervision, the proposal for a European guarantee and the European banking union project. Our fellow citizens must know that their savings are protected at all levels and that the instruments used to guarantee them are going in the right direction. Here too, we must strengthen protection. We need to guarantee the savings deposits of people who have worked all their lives, and you know we have problems with this issue at the moment. What now remains is the implementation of the instruments. That is why I again call upon the Commission, the Guardian of the Treaties, to ensure this happens.
The PPE Group also supports the EUR 10 billion increase in capital from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Indeed, we must ensure that the 23 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can finance their projects, keep their employees, in the first instance and, above all, be able to hire new staff. Although the provisions on the single market remain insufficient, project bonds, which were decided upon last Friday, are a step in the right direction. I welcome this move, insofar as it does not consist of supplementary funds that no longer exist, but rather better use of existing European funds.
I would like to highlight here that last month, the Latvian Prime Minister once again came to speak to our group in order to tell us that, faced with the imperative of budgetary cuts that were being forced upon him, he has only been able to restart his country’s economy thanks to European funds. This is an example that must be repeated. The Latvian Prime Minister did it and he informed his citizens. Thanks to European solidarity, combined with the courage of its leaders, this country has restored growth and employment. Just because it is a small country does not mean that we cannot emulate this example. We do not talk enough about these amazing examples for Europe.
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, once again we see that the solution to the majority of our problems lies in having more Europe. It is for that reason that my group places so much importance on the next multiannual financial framework, which is presently under discussion, as it will allow us to continue to finance our common policies. These funds constitute the base of European solidarity and are an essential instrument for growth and employment.
In the 1950s, European integration was necessary to guarantee peace and security in our continent. Today, this same integration is essential in order to protect our European social model which we have patiently constructed. It is essential in order to defend our common interests in international trade. It is essential for the promotion of our values and our humanist ideals, human rights, human dignity, transparency and the rule of law."@en1
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