Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-11-13-Speech-2-081"
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"en.20011113.6.2-081"2
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"Mr President, I am concerned about a number of aspects in the Langen report. Initially we have to address this question of services of general interest from the point of view of the rights of citizens, for the rights of consumers are a subset of those rights. Citizenship confers rights which entitle one to various essential needs such as water, which is essential to human life. Water cannot be treated within the European Union simply as a commodity to be bought and sold.
Europe is committed to the idea of a distinct social model based on solidarity. It is therefore essential that we have a legal framework, a regulatory framework, within which the Commission and Member States can address the question of competition as it affects social services, public services, and services of general interest. It is part of a democratic agenda for the European Union to ensure that we are accountable, that the services we provide are accountable, and that we have a Europe which is developed as a socially inclusive Europe.
The economy has to be an instrument to serve the people, not simply to serve the market. Rights of the consumer being defined on the basis of purchasing power is not an adequate way to develop a cohesive social Europe. It is a Europe where politics is denigrated because it is simply based on people's capacity to buy or not to buy."@en1
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