Bodrato (PPE-DE). – (IT) Mr President, the reports that we are discussing express concern at the gulf between the Lisbon objectives and the results achieved. The Council and the Commission share these concerns and rightly insist on the importance of confirming a strategy for a knowledge-based economy.

I do, however, believe that, in view of the Spring Summit, the Union’s Financial Perspective needs to be considered and questions must be answered.

The first question concerns the means of achieving a balance between the stability policy which manifests itself in the form of the single currency, and a policy of promoting research, innovation for small businesses and investments in TENs, which will enable the European regions to integrate.

The second question concerns how to address the globalisation of the markets that is challenging even the most modern businesses that have to compete with the US and Japan – that is to say the countries at the forefront of research – and traditional businesses that have to compete with China and economies that have low labour, social policy and environmental policy costs.

The third question concerns developing factors for competitiveness, which help to strengthen the Community’s presence in fundamental research, and also in industrial policy. This community commitment is possible if the Financial Perspective is consistent with the objectives of EU enlargement, and also with growth that is increasingly linked to human capital, product quality and the competitiveness of businesses operating in an ever more open market.

I believe that the political problem turns, in fact, on the ability to bring about the structural reforms and also to take the budgetary decisions that we believe are necessary to give Europe a future.