Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-02-27-Speech-3-067"
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"en.20020227.6.3-067"2
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"When we come to prepare for a summit of the scale and size and opportunity that is presented by Barcelona, it is necessary to take into account what has happened in the past and to try to predict with some certainty where we need to be in the future: It is wrong for any group of people, whether the Council, the Commission or even this Parliament, to think that we have to come up with new ideas for every single summit.
There are so many things that remain to be done and so many priorities that were set down at Lisbon, Stockholm, or Cardiff that have yet to be completed, to be achieved and to be reached. We ought to focus more on improving the quality of the proposals that we put forward, ensuring that they respond to the demands and needs of the peoples of Europe, and more importantly, ensure that they lay down a solid foundation for the future development of economic prosperity, of stability and of sustainability.
I do not believe that there is a conflict between economic development and sustainable development, nor that we cannot put in place an aggressive taxation policy to create employment, to ensure that business and industry can have a competitive environment in which to succeed and prosper, and that does not necessarily lead to the detriment of social protection, or of investment in social services like education, health and infrastructure development. I would certainly oppose all measures or any ideas towards harmonisation or coordination of tax policy within the European Union. This is an area that is exclusively within the remit of the Member State governments alone, and it is wrong and has been proven wrong many times, that, to use the simple analogy of previous eras, higher taxation means that you can spend more on social protection.
That idea has been turned on its head by the economic realities of existing Member States – also by the performances of other Member States, such as in my own country in particular – Ireland, where an aggressive reduction in taxation policy, reducing the cost of labour and the income tax levy and ensuring that business can survive in a harmonious industrial relations environment with the majority of the earnings that the workers are getting going into their pocket and not going into taxation; while at the same time, increasing the levels of protection that are available for those who are most vulnerable within our society and increasing investments in education and health.
There is a new and different way forward that can succeed and operate for the betterment of the governments and the European Union as a whole, but most importantly for the betterment of the people. What we bring forward from the Lisbon process and the Lisbon summit, most importantly of all, is access to education, training, learning and knowledge. If we do not give the skills to our people in order to take advantage of new employment opportunities that are out there, then we deny them the real human and civil rights of participating fully in society. If anything is to come out of the Barcelona summit, it is a re-endorsement and re-affirmation of the importance of lifelong learning and a knowledge-based society with education and training for all. It is the most important aspect to come."@en1
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