Auroi (Verts/ALE), in writing. – (FR) The Commission’s proposal came at the right time: on the eve of enlargement, people are worried about the possible consequences of a 25-nation Europe for their lives, starting with their employment.

While European policies more often than not sing the praises of SMEs and of flexibility at the same time as sometimes adopting measures such as the software patent that make the lives of SMEs impossible, I welcome an initiative that acknowledges the continued status of our industries as major economic and social players.

I also welcome the work of the rapporteur who, in choosing to place her document in the context both of the three pillars of sustainable development and of the conclusions of the Lisbon and Gothenburg European Summits, emphasises the importance of an industrial policy that is social and environmental. The Right has attempted to remove these emphases, fortunately without success. The profound changes that are to come in the industrial fabric are so many opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of certain activities.

Unfortunately, the document continued to contain a paragraph – which the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance voted against, because it viewed fuel cells and hydrogen as alternative energy sources – which called both for investment in nanotechnologies, with no legal framework and no idea of the health and environmental consequences (one has only to think of the consequences of GMOs) and for investment in the security and defence industry. Apart from this paragraph, the Greens will support this report.