Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-01-28-Speech-3-090"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20040128.7.3-090"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, I believe we are all aware that today’s discussion marks the conclusion of an historic step forward in European integration.
I believe that what we have achieved today is very important, and that it is this very mixture of a vision of creating a European Single Sky and of realism, which has guided our action, both in Parliament and in the Commission, and also – I would like to point out – in the Council, which has allowed us to take pleasure today in a positive result, which is an extremely important step, which we all know will be followed by further steps, but which is the first step in this new frontier of the Single European Sky.
We have broken a taboo, according to Mr Lisi, and we would perhaps have liked to have gone even further and to have created more common ground, and I am sure that in the coming years there will be modifications to these two regulations, to this legislative package, with a view to improving it. Once the degree of trust increases, and the application and reality of the Single Sky becomes the norm, and we all see how we can combine the elements relating to the concepts of sovereignty and defence, which are present in airspace, with more appropriate, efficient and safer management of airspace within European civil aviation.
In this regard, I would like in particular to thank the honourable Member, Mr President, because it is true – Mr Dimitrakopoulos – that your work during the conciliation procedure was key. Also key was the work, as I said a moment ago, of the two rapporteurs, Mr Fava and Mrs Sanders-ten Holte and all the people responsible within the Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism.
I would like to say that for the Commission, and for me personally, this is one of the three great initiatives which I will always remember from my time in the European Commission. Then we are going to talk about another one, the GALILEO Programme, as soon as we finish this debate. With this initiative, together with GALILEO and certain others – perhaps maritime safety, despite the fact that some people do not yet see it like this – we have carried out a genuine revolution and we have changed the limits, the borders, of Europe.
By means of this initiative we are Europeanising our airspace, which was previously not European. Through this initiative, we are truly creating a European airspace, we are creating a European sky, furthermore combining guarantees for States.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am just going to make a brief comment: there are certain Members who say that on the whole issue of functional blocks there should be Community competence;
although it is not exactly the same, it is as if the Commission had full competences in relation to defining road routes or railway networks and in relation to constructing them. We must also take account of the will of the States. It cannot be done in a contradictory manner, the Commission must provide this European thinking and this European component which is perhaps not always present in the national view, but it is obvious that without the Member States we cannot carry out this kind of action.
I would like to say that Eurocontrol, throughout these years, has also made very great progress. And I believe we have contributed something to these improvements because Eurocontrol is aware of the process and the impetus that exists and, in this regard, I am extremely pleased that we have been able to finally achieve full Community participation in Eurocontrol, which has been extremely important, as well as the organisation of its cooperation in the whole Single Sky process.
I will end by saying just one thing: what the Commission has never done in relation to this initiative has been to throw in the towel. Some have perhaps done so at certain times, but the Commission, and myself personally, have not done so.
As I have said, I began in January 2000, with a series of meetings in which civilian and military chiefs participated, when no progress had yet been made on defence aspects, though over recent years progress has been made. There was no COPS or anything like it but nevertheless they came and, I would insist, at that time, it was believed that our initiative was impossible. We have been able to separate the issues and resolve what could be resolved and not paralyse everything as a result of trying to resolve everything. Because we all know that one way to ensure that nothing happens is to try and achieve perfection overnight."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples