Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-04-13-Speech-3-388"
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"en.20050413.24.3-388"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I should like to begin by thanking Mr Protasiewicz for dealing with this matter. Mr Protasiewicz represents the same constituency as I do, and in fact there are four speakers from Lower Silesia, which makes it somewhat of a standard bearer for this cause. This is indeed praiseworthy, and I am glad of it.
Not only did enlargement result in many economic benefits for the new Member States, it also led to enormous economic benefits for the Union as a whole, particularly as regards potential benefits. This happened because the new countries offered slightly lower taxes and slightly cheaper labour whilst at the same time the legal framework for conducting economic activity was stabilised thanks to integration. These countries are therefore providing opportunities for the European Union, not threats, as certain speakers have implied. This is the reason why we are alarmed at the situation whereby Polish, Czech, and Hungarian entrepreneurs are coming up against obstacles deliberately placed in their way by administrations, hindering their economic activity on the territory of the old Union. Unfortunately, all the ten countries are affected. Closing the common market to these entrepreneurs amounts to acting to the detriment of the new countries. It is also detrimental to integration because it undermines the level of trust the people of Europe have in the process of integration. Most importantly, however, it is detrimental to the well being of Europe. We all have in mind the conflict over taxes and social policy. We will not endorse the socialist view that competition between social or tax systems amounts to dumping and is detrimental to the well being of all Europeans. Either we adopt a pluralistic approach to taxation and social policy issues in Europe, or we shall lose out to trading partners located far further away than the new countries. I refer to China and India.
The decision may be taken to continue keeping Polish and other entrepreneurs out, but it should be remembered that this will lead to Europe sinking deeper into the mire of economic stagnation. Instead of coming up with vague ideas for the harmonisation of different aspects of economic and tax law, the European Commission should focus on completing the basic task that has been outstanding for some 50 years, namely bringing about the common market."@en1
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