Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-06-Speech-3-301"
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"en.20020206.12.3-301"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, congratulations first to Mr Musotto on a fine report, and I say this against the backdrop of the harsh criticism by the Greens, whose attitude I do not share.
I would like, in my contribution to this discussion, to focus on the future of regional policy. Reference has already been made several times this evening to the reconciliation of two fundamental needs with each other, which must be possible, with a high degree of solidarity towards the new Member States on the one hand, but also, on the other, solidarity with those regions that are at present lagging behind or undergoing economic transition. To put it another way, even if it is generally acknowledged that the regions in all the applicant countries must be supported as a matter of priority, the ‘Objective 1’ regions of the present fifteen Member States, which will, in the course of enlargement, lose their eligibility for support only because of their relatively high standard of living in an enlarged EU, that is, only by dint of the cosmetic use of statistics, should not overnight be excluded from any opportunity to be supported.
Commissioner, it will be necessary over the coming months to discuss how to guarantee equal treatment of these regions, which have yet to complete the process of economic convergence, with the areas being embraced by enlargement. Political and economic considerations mean that future cohesion policy must not concentrate exclusively on regions whose development is lagging furthest behind, but it must also take into account the advantages and disadvantages in urban areas, in areas undergoing socio-economic change, in regions with permanent natural disadvantages and also the cross-border dimension.
The financial means this policy needs must of course be made available. The present threshold of 0.45% of Community GDP must therefore not fall any lower – that too was mentioned several times this evening – in order that cohesion policy may not be jeopardised. At the present time, we have in any case not yet exhausted the possibilities open to us. Everything else must be tested by reference to the new financial framework and in the light of the results of enlargement. I therefore think it inappropriate to be already, as a precaution, articulating demands for the replenishment of funds."@en1
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