Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-04-04-Speech-2-177"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20060404.21.2-177"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, Commissioners, I am bound to express the tremendous disappointment I felt following your presentation of the Commission communication today. The amended text of the directive on services lacks precision and its wording is frequently unclear. Countries opposed to a free market in services are bound to take advantage of these shortcomings.
Commissioner McCreevy, at a meeting of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection two weeks ago, you stated that the excellent must not be allowed to stand in the way of the good. That is certainly true, but do you really believe that this draft, which represents the outcome of two years’ work on the liberalisation of the market in services within the European Union, is actually good? Do you consider that the directive as it stands is an appropriate response to the expectations of the European economy at a time when global competition is becoming ever more intense?
I find it hard to understand the stance adopted by the governments of certain Member States of the old Fifteen. They are pursuing a short-sighted and selfish policy, and are hindering competition within the European Union. As to the inaction and peculiar apathy demonstrated by the European Commission, I simply cannot come to terms with that at all. The Commission is supposed to be governed first and foremost by the interests of the European Union as a whole. It is supposed to strive to achieve at least the aims enshrined in the Lisbon Strategy.
Two months ago the European Parliament turned the draft directive upside down, as Mrs Gebhardt so aptly put it at the time. This was the result of a most unfortunate compromise between the two largest political groups in the House. Nonetheless, the Commission did then assure advocates of a free market in services that alternative arrangements would be made to compensate for the removal of liberal provisions from the draft. I refer in particular to Article 24 and Article 25, which were intended to eliminate the barriers currently encountered by posted workers.
It is now clear that the European Commission has failed to honour this promise. To all intents and purposes, the document it has prepared on posting workers is simply a description of the barriers now in place. It does not contain proposals for sanctions of any kind against countries blocking posted workers. It is, however, incumbent on the Commission to make radical changes to its policy towards countries that are blatantly infringing Community law on the freedom to provide services.
Finally, I should like to wish you every success in creating a free market within the European Union, Commissioners. Success in this endeavour is crucial for you and for the Union as a whole, but it calls for greater courage and determination on the part of the Commission."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples