Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-17-Speech-5-056"
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"en.20000317.5.5-056"2
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"Mr President, I had not expected to speak today because I represent the south-east of England which is one of the more prosperous regions of England and of Europe. We pay the taxes that make up the grants that other areas receive. We have no Objective 1 funding. What Objective 2 funding we had has been reduced by the present government and the Conver Fund that used to be very helpful is now being phased out. So, why do I speak? Because even in the south-east of England there are pockets of deprivation.
In particular I want to speak of the Isle of Wight, a beautiful island with 130 000 good people but 68% GDP per head of the European average – a very poor region. It gets no support from Europe. Why not? It does not get the grant from Europe because at NUTS II it is classified with Hampshire. Hampshire is a prosperous county – 100% of European average so, no money for the Isle of Wight. Yet, it has a population of 130 000, a bigger population than the Åland Islands which are NUTS II and do get grants from the European Union. The island has taken its case against the British Government that it feels is treating it unfairly, to the High Court in London. I think they might win that case.
As far as Europe is concerned, on my advice, they took their case to the Ombudsman because we believed that EUROSTAT, by refusing to define the Isle of Wight as a separate NUTS II region, was treating the island unfairly. This week, in what I would say is a landmark ruling by the European Ombudsman, he has said that constitutes maladministration by EUROSTAT and by the European Commission. Let me read out his ruling: “In the present case the Commission has not provided the Ombudsman with elements which show that EUROSTAT, when deciding not to classify the Isle of Wight as a separate NUTS II region, has taken into account all relevant factors including Article 158 of the Treaty and the Viola report of the European Parliament”. He has recommended that the Commission and EUROSTAT should look again at this particular problem.
I would ask the Commission to consider fairly this recommendation that has come from the Ombudsman so that I can go back to the people of the Isle of Wight and say that this issue will be looked at again, that they can expect the Commission to treat fairly the particular problems and concerns of the island. Then we can get in on this act of additionality and take up our fight with the British Government to make sure that we get support from Europe and from the British Government to treat fairly an island which to date has not been fairly treated either by the British Government or by the European Union."@en1
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