Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-04-07-Speech-3-019"
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"en.20100407.4.3-019"2
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"Mr President, the crisis in Greece of course dominated the headlines following the European Council but the meeting itself also took important first steps in the Europe 2020 initiative. My group, the ECR, wants the euro area to succeed for those who choose to be its members. It is now vital for the European economy as a whole that any instability does not damage trade and the wider European economy.
Of course not all our Member States have yet chosen or will ever choose to join the single currency. The current crisis illustrates why many, including the British Conservative Party, reject membership of the euro with the inevitable one-size-fits-all interest rate policy and exchange rates set by factors that may have nothing to do with domestic economic realities. Certainly the current crisis has revealed some of the underlying problems with the present design of the eurozone. However, in seeking to address these problems, the crisis must not be used as a pretext for extending further the powers of the European Union.
We have already heard dangerously loose talk about the need for more European economic governance. Such a centralisation of power in Brussels is not the solution and would not be acceptable. Greece needs our support and encouragement but asking foreign taxpayers, especially in countries outside the eurozone, to pick up the bill is difficult. Ultimately of course only the Greeks themselves can sort out the problems of the Greek public sector debt and we wish them well in their efforts to find their way out of the crisis.
Turning to the Europe 2020 initiative, we welcome the first tentative steps taken by the Council. We must never forget, as we deal with the current economic and financial crisis, that we were facing enormous economic challenges even before the crisis struck, such as the growth of China and the Far East and our increasing energy insecurity. Our long-term economic prospects depend upon a thorough modernisation of the European economy so that we can thrive in the increasingly competitive global marketplace.
We do not support all aspects of the initiative. Some areas where innovation is required, such as agriculture, have been largely ignored, but we strongly support the broad thrust of the programme and the continued development of the single market in particular. We believe that successful competitive businesses are the central pillar of our economic life; they provide economic prosperity, essential to create jobs and to generate the resources on which so much else depends.
There is a danger that, whilst we all talk about reducing burdens on business, we constantly vote here for specific items doing the opposite, so all the institutions of the European Union, including our own, must play their part. The Commission needs to avoid making proposals which will be a burden on industry and we in this Parliament must show responsibility and exercise self-restraint. Many targets set as part of Europe 2020 will be reviewed at the June meeting.
Let me close today by expressing my hope that support in the European Council for economic freedom and reform will be substantially reinforced in the weeks ahead – I hope also, perhaps, helped by a new Conservative Government in the United Kingdom."@en1
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