Motion for a resolution - B6-0162/2006Motion for a resolution
B6-0162/2006

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

9.3.2006

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure, by
on the input to the Spring 2006 European Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy

Procedure : 2005/2652(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B6-0162/2006

B6‑0162/2006

European Parliament resolution on the input to the Spring 2006 European Council in relation to the Lisbon Strategy

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to its resolution of 9 March 2005 on the mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy[1],

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 12 April 2005 on the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs 2005-2008[2],

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 20 July 2005 on Common Actions for Growth and Employment: The Community Lisbon Programme[3],

–   having regard to the 25 national Lisbon reform programmes as presented by the Member States,

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 25 January 2006 entitled 'Annual Progress Report on Growth and Jobs',

–   having regard to the European Council conclusions of March 2000, March 2001, March 2005 and October 2005,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

General observations

1.  Notes with satisfaction that the revival of the Lisbon Strategy which was agreed by last year's European Spring Council has led to the presentation of national action plans proposed by all Member States, focusing on priority areas like R&D and innovation and education; reiterates its satisfaction at the fact that this has led to a clarification of responsibilities at European and national level and a better understanding and sharing of this complex strategic approach;

2.  Stresses, however, that effective and rapid implementation of the NRP is necessary; stresses that economic growth requires, inter alia, a supportive economic framework; asks the Member States and the Union, therefore, to assess whether tax systems, research and industrial policy set incentives properly and to agree on a coherent European investment strategy, focusing on the Commission's four proposed priorities, including R&D, Innovation, Education, Life-Long Learning, and Social Services, as well as the creation of an environment favourable to business;

3.  Insists that political commitments to these four priority areas are incompatible with the financial perspective which would make major cuts in spending proposals on key Lisbon programmes and budget headings;

National action plans and European growth and employment strategy

4.  Stresses the importance of fully accomplishing the internal market by taking full advantage of its four core principles, namely the free movement of capital, goods, persons and services; stresses in this context that adopting the Services Directive is crucial to opening the EU’s vast services market and contributing to a strong European economy and long-term job creation in accordance with the revised Lisbon strategy;

5.  Takes the view that placing the emphasis solely on the competitiveness and growth aspects as such would be a mistake, since public support for the Lisbon Strategy presupposes a genuine social dimension;

6.  Notes the diverse national approaches to the integrated guidelines taken in national action plans; believes in the need to set a common structure as the basis for the national action plans, allowing a better comparative analysis of the impact of the proposed actions at Member State level, as well as an open and constructive dialogue at European level on the progress achieved;

7.  Is convinced that research, innovation, promotion of entrepreneurship, improving the competitiveness of SMEs and the provision of adequate transport, energy and telecommunications networks are key concepts for delivering the Lisbon Strategy on a regional and local governance level;

8.  Believes that the long term-stability and sustainability of public finances are a precondition for achieving the aims put forward in the Lisbon Strategy; calls on the EU to bring together the Union's fragmented growth strategies into a single coherent and comprehensive strategy, to make the European Union a global leader in a new generation of products and production methods, integrating information and communication technologies and resource-efficient technologies for sustainable development;

9.  Welcomes the fact that many Member States indicate plans for closer cooperation between the public and private sectors, whether in research, public-private partnership or education, in their national action plans;

10.  Points to the potential offered by eco-innovations and environmental technologies, for which global demand is growing steadily, to foster growth and employment and to have positive effects on employment with a view to shifting the burden of taxation from labour to resource use and environmental degradation; calls upon the Commission and Member States to further explore these synergies;

11.  Believes that national parliaments are the appropriate forum to discuss, legitimise and communicate national goals and promote public debate, in order to define the National Action Plans; calls on the European Council and the Commission to jointly establish clear procedures to identify legislation in need of simplification or codification; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to come forward with a proposal for a strategy on how and where to apply co-regulation and voluntary agreements;

12.  Calls on the Member States to ensure speedy and accurate transposition of EU legislation and effective implementation of the NRP, including timely information to allow the European Parliament to take follow-up action; believes that the budgetary impact of those measures should be evaluated; requests a truly independent impact assessment and better stakeholder consultation;

13.  Welcomes the clarification of the responsibilities and competences of the different institutional and economic and social actors at European, national and regional levels, and believes this to be crucial for developing a genuine sense of ownership, as well as visibility and accountability among those involved; emphasises that a solid institutional framework is the basis for increased trust among citizens; believes that successful experiences should be highlighted and shared and best practice encouraged; emphasises the relevance of both the setting of a clear time-frame for implementation and definition of targets, as well as an efficient monitoring scheme; values fair competition as being a positive element in improving overall European competitiveness, wealth and high social standards;

14.  Believes that a well-functioning internal market, as well as a well-functioning labour market, within the 25 Member States, safeguarding social and environmental standards, are a vital means of freeing Europe's competitive potential, economic growth and job creation; calls upon the Member States to move as fast as possible towards total freedom of movement for citizens and workers within the EU together with determined action to promote quality of work in all its aspects; attaches great importance to developing stronger actions against poverty and promotion of social inclusion;

15.  Believes also that unlocking business potential for SMEs will create new opportunities to bring young people into business, strengthen innovation systems and encourage private-sector investment in R&D;

16.  Calls for a focused set of environmental-pressure indicators to be included in the evaluation and presentation of national Lisbon programmes and the Lisbon-related documents of the Commission and Council;

17.  Notes that indicators are of crucial importance not only for assessment but also for monitoring of policy action at national and European levels;

18.  Considers that the Union lacks the basic data needed to compare its overall economic, environmental and social situation with those of other regions and countries, and requests the Commission to bring forward proposals for such overviews;

19.  Calls on the Commission to ensure that the European structural funds are used in line with the Lisbon priorities, to monitor, in particular, European regions systematically to track their performances in achieving the Lisbon goals, given that this information and statistical data make it possible for the regions to establish an effective benchmark between them and consequently define best practice;

20.  Recalls that the completion of the TEN-T will play a vital role in fulfilling the targets set out in the Lisbon Agenda and that, in order to support this growth, the EU urgently needs efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable transport networks covering rail, road, inland waterway and maritime transport, as well as ports and airports; calls therefore on all the parties involved to ensure that completion of the TEN-T becomes a reality;

Ageing Population / Demographic challenges

21.  Notes that, in addition to providing new opportunities for our societies, extended life expectancy could give rise to inter-generational tensions because of social security and pension system funding problems related to a rapid increase in the inactive population and a reduction in or, at best, stabilisation of, the active population; recognises that each state in the Union will have to make its own choices concerning social security and pension systems; observes that low economic growth, excessive debt and high unemployment will dramatically accentuate this demographic challenge; concludes that, to minimise the negative consequences of demographic change, it will be essential to implement the Lisbon strategy in full, to create an inclusive society based on high employment, high productivity, innovation and health promotion;

22.  Stresses that delaying action or failure to address environmental challenges is likely to induce higher costs, with negative effects on the quality of life as well as the financial burden on future generations; calls on the Commission therefore to intensify its work on identifying and quantifying the cost of inaction at Member State and Community level, as well as on the positive effects of preventive action, a perspective hardly to be found in the national or the Community Lisbon programmes;

23.  Considers that demographic change will require new and enhanced educational and social infrastructure for young and elderly people alike, including increased facilities for life-long learning, affordable childcare, nursing care and care for the elderly; reminds the Member States of the commitment that they entered into at the Barcelona Summit in 2002 whereby, by 2010, they are to provide day-care places for more than 33% of children under the age of three and for 90% of children between the age of three and school starting age;

24.  Recalls that modernising the social state across the EU is a political imperative; insists that it is equally important to put the social dimension of our economies – social rights, protection and social dialogue – at the core of how we ensure that people can face up to economic change with self-confidence and ease; confirms that reforms must be combined with and supported by a balance between flexibility and employment security (flexicurity);

25.  Takes the view that European society must seize the opportunity to utilise the expertise and skills of a generation of ‘senior citizens’; calls on the Commission and Member States to develop ‘active ageing strategies’, including measures to facilitate their integration, such as incentives for a more gradual shift from work to retirement; requests the Commission to disseminate best practices of Member States in preparing for retirement and in moving into freely chosen new areas of activity;

26.  Considers that, in order to attain the Lisbon Strategy goals, suitable measures should be taken for the elderly generations to be able to cope with technological innovations, avoid finding themselves in a position of vulnerability and social exclusion and be more actively involved in the labour market;

27.  Calls on the Commission to relaunch its strategy for new sources of jobs, in particular by inviting Member States to promote local Community-based services, social services, personal services, cultural services and environmental professions; takes the view that unbureaucratic initiatives along the lines of the ‘chèques services’ in France are likely to create many new jobs and indeed eliminate undeclared working;

28.  Calls on Member States to act vigorously to identify all obstacles to birth rate growth, including obstacles outside the work place, such as tax policies, access to the housing market, as well as childcare and shopping hours; stresses the need to promote flexible working hours, enabling people to combine work and family life, which should not be the corollary of abandoning one’s career, but should result from a free choice; underlines that a healthy environment and health promotion in general are key elements for long-term economic growth and social welfare;

29.  Stresses that, apart from the issue of the ageing population, a fundamental problem of solidarity between generations exists in all those Member States that finance current public expenditure by borrowing; insists that the concept of sustainable development must be understood as precluding the imposition on future generations of an unaffordable debt burden; underlines the need for a long-term perspective, in which we ought to avoid further burdening the young and future generations with excessive financial debts;

30.  Considers that healthcare aspects of demographic change are of extreme importance and need to be addressed in both their human and financial aspects; emphasises that, because of an ageing population, the demand for health and long-term care services is increasing; is convinced that investment in measures for preventing long-term illness is important; recalls that the longer people are in a position to enjoy good health, the longer they can remain active and work;

31.  Considers that immigration policies should promote successful economic, social and legal integration of migrants, with a view to alleviating Europe’s demographic challenge, but recognises that this in itself will not resolve all the questions related to demographic change; considers that a successful policy of legal immigration also depends on the implementation of a comprehensive and pro-active strategy to achieve full integration, covering a range of social, economic and civic measures, induction programmes and language training;

32.  Points out that immigration policies which give priority to skilled workers also generate the opposite direct effect of weakening the economies of those countries from whence such skilled immigrants have come, and that the challenges of demographic change can only be solved in the short term; points out, nevertheless, that there should be a detailed assessment of the impact of immigration policies which give priority to skilled workers on the economies of their countries of origin;

Innovation and Research / IPR / Life-Long Learning

33.  Believes that innovation is one of the main cornerstones of wealth creation, growth and jobs, strengthens Europe’s competitiveness and contributes to achieving the overall policy of sustainable development;

34.  Believes that the EU and Member State budgets should give effect to the Lisbon strategic priorities by reinforcing Europe’s innovation and research capacity and expanding life-long learning, including the use of new financial instruments; insists, however, on focusing such policies on areas of general interest;

35.  Encourages the Commission to put forward pilot projects in the field of R&D that would allow the creation of a European perspective and develop European thinking in this field;

36.  Notes that the public sector is lagging behind the Lisbon Objectives for R&D, and that, in general, the private sector is also a long way from meeting the target of investing 2% of GDP in R&D; calls, therefore, on the private sector to step up its efforts to meet its part of the 3% objective;

37.  Notes that medium-sized companies in particular are not investing enough in research; calls on the Member States to redouble efforts on policy to encourage innovation in medium-sized enterprises, but also in the 20 million European small businesses which are spearheading economic growth and job creation in Europe; considers improved access for SMEs to the 7th framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration (RTD) as crucial for strengthening SMEs’ capacity to create jobs;

38.  Notes that the fact that Europe is lagging behind Japan and the USA in research and development is reflected in the imbalance in the proportion of researchers working in the private sector (80% in the US, 50% in Europe); calls for measures to improve the mobility of researchers and provide better infrastructure, in order to attract more students to scientific careers;

39.  Calls for measures to equip Europe's universities with a view to matching the highest standards of research, to strengthen cooperation between universities and the industrial and commercial sectors and to ensure better communication, dissemination and application of the outcomes of research;

40.  Considers life-long learning a necessity; considers also that, to ensure that European industry is competitive, the quality of education and training systems must be reinforced at various stages in life and access to higher education facilitated; believes that education and training systems must target those areas where Europe is lacking skilled people and respond to the requirements and gaps of a rapidly changing labour market and technological society;

41.  Calls on the Member States to focus first and foremost on the school drop-out rate at primary and secondary level and to improve what is on offer as regards education and continuing learning; notes huge differences between Member States;

42.  Considers that the number of Internet users is constantly increasing; takes the view that all young Europeans must have the possibility of mastering electronic tools; calls on the Member States to ensure that, by 2010 at the latest, a computer is available to every pupil in the European Union, informatics are fully integrated in school programmes and take-up and effective use are universal in schools:

43.  Stresses the need for reforming the current intellectual property rights legislation; notes that the cost of registering a patent in the EU varies between € 37 500 and € 57 000 while the same process only costs around € 10 000 in the USA and that the length and complexity of the patent procedures are major obstacles to small SMEs; calls on the Commission to ensure proper protection of intellectual property rights and to present as soon as possible a proposal for harmonisation and mutual recognition of patent laws in Member States to create greater legal certainty and promote innovation;

44.  Strongly supports the First Framework Programme on Competitiveness and Innovation (CIP) and stresses that objectives, actions and financial means are inseparably linked to a credible commitment to the Lisbon Strategy; calls on the Commission to make this Programme (CIP) a successful cornerstone of the EU’s innovation policy; stresses the need to reinforce the CIP financial instruments operated by the European Investment Fund to enhance SME finance with venture capital and guarantees and extend its activities to the financing of Technology Transfer; highlights the fact that Parliament identified innovation as a core priority in the financial perspective and calls on the European Council not to ignore this continuous pledge;

45.  Notes that, of the world's 20 largest biotechnology enterprises, 19 are American and 1 Swiss and that the EU can no longer afford to fall further behind in this area; calls on the Commission to apply the subsidiarity principle also to the area of research, and to support fundamental research in all Member States;

Energy Policies

46.  Considers that a coherent and efficient energy policy is essential for economic growth in Europe and the durable prosperity of European citizens; notes in particular that energy security constitutes a strategic responsibility in view of Europe’s dependence on imports from third countries; and insists that measures be taken to ensure a secure long-term balance between supply and demand;

47.  Agrees with the Council conclusion that a shared view on a strategy for security of supply should respect Member States’ geographical, economic, regional, climate and structural differences, promote further market opening in the EU, be consistent with sustainable development as well as climate change commitments within the energy sector, and add value over action by individual Member States;

48.  Calls on the Commission, in view of the Hampton Court summit’s decision to ask the it to develop a revitalised Community energy policy, to expedite its drafting of proposals on the subject; calls on the Commission to take much more determined action to ensure competitive, low and non-CO2 emitting energy sources and environmentally friendly supplies of energy, sufficiently diversified to avoid over-dependence on one form of energy;

49.  Looks forward, therefore, to the Spring European Council discussions on energy issues, which should lead in particular to concrete actions in the field of energy saving, resource efficiency and further promotion of renewable energy, thereby also contributing to the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol and beyond;

50.  Insists that Research & Development and innovation in the energy field should remain a priority; calls for a long-term commitment by Member States to increased funding of R&D and to the creation of a European Energy Research Area; recognises that a change in approaches to energy use should lead to a reduction by some 20% of current energy consumption in Europe, with no approach being ruled out as a matter of course;

51.  Stresses, therefore, that the European Union should invest significant resources in developing cleaner and more efficient technologies, such as clean carbon and CO2 sequestration, new energy sources and improving nuclear safety, among other things in search of technological breakthroughs;

52.  Notes the considerable potential for energy efficiency gains, reductions in polluting emissions and a world-wide market for new equipment and systems from clean coal technology, and calls for industry and the Seventh Framework Programme of Research (7FP) to achieve a successful demonstration of clean coal power systems;

53.  Calls for increased efforts to ensure that Member States implement existing legislation on the internal energy market and that the established targets for renewables, biofuels and energy efficiency are fully met; welcomes the directive on energy efficiency and energy services adopted on 13 December 2005, and calls for its rapid and consistent implementation throughout the EU;

54.  Considers that increased investments in cleaner and more efficient technology are crucial and that the EU could also benefit greatly by exporting these technologies to countries whose exponential increase in energy consumption will force them to invest considerable amounts in efficiency improvements;

55.  Calls on the Commission and the Council to offer wide-ranging cooperation on energy policy to all countries consuming high volumes of oil and natural gas, starting with the US, Japan, China and India; takes the view that such cooperation could ease tensions concerning oil and natural gas pricing, in particular if a code of good conduct not only were to eliminate rivalries in the major production regions, but also led at the same time to an exchange of best technologies with regard to energy savings, energy efficiency and environmental friendly energy sources;

56.  Recalls that Europe possesses globally acknowledged expertise in the area of nuclear energy, which is one possible response to energy dependence and climate change; this expertise relates inter alia to the efficiency and quality of production installations, and to decommissioning processes (‘decommissioning to greenfield’, in IAEA terminology);

57.  Considers that the fight against climate change is creating economic and social opportunities which can help to bolster the sustainable-development strategy – the third Lisbon pillar; considers that the evolution of the Kyoto framework after 2012 needs active consideration now to allow the markets to take into account the cost of carbon in major investment programmes;

58.  Recognises the role that nuclear energy currently plays in maintaining security of electricity supply, as a significant part of the energy mix and for avoiding an estimated 312 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year (7% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the EU); points out that current estimates project a 12% increase in EU CO2 emissions by 2020, well short of the Kyoto target 8% reduction;

59.  Is aware that long-term energy security is not possible without an economically and ecologically meaningful development of renewable energies; calls on the Commission to establish market-based incentives in order to make renewable energies economic as rapidly as possible; and on a long-term basis to thereby reduce dependence on politically unstable exporting countries; realises that RES can technically provide a limited percentage of energy supply;

60.  Encourages the Commission, when evaluating the energy question, to consider it from different perspectives, such as energy mix, market evolution, investments, research funds, as well as the possibility of creating and developing a system providing an exchange of information between Member States;

61.  Considers that the lack of interconnections between Member States’ infrastructures is a barrier to the single market and calls on the Member States to complete the TENs energy networks in order to tackle this problem; considers that, at national level, Member States should ensure that generation plants are as evenly distributed across their territory and as close to the main consumption points as possible;

62.  Deplores the fact that the European Council intends to cut back the appropriations for trans-European networks called for by Parliament under the next financial perspective; recommends using the possibilities offered by the forthcoming launch of the Galileo system to improve electronic traffic flow management, which will necessitate the gradual introduction of an electronic toll system, preventing congestion and involving users in paying the real price of mobility;

63.  Welcomes with interest the integrated approach followed by the CARS21 High-Level Group as well as its conclusions, and expects the Commission to be guided by the road map adopted in order to submit proposals promptly to reduce pollutant emissions from light- and heavy-duty vehicles, in particular through improvements to vehicle technology (hybrid vehicles) and the use of second-generation biofuels (derivable from a wide variety of raw materials); calls on the Member States to be guided by Sweden’s initiative to make it compulsory for all service stations to sell biofuels;

64.  Believes that European agriculture could find new markets thanks to the promotion of the crops being used to produce biofuel, which will contribute indirectly to the maintenance of food safety in Europe;

65  Draws attention also to the already existing examples in Europe of use of biomass for heating and electrical supply, which highlight the existing capacities for alternatives and the inter-relation of energy, environment and agriculture, to the ultimate benefit of citizens and their quality of life, as well as of the economic sectors involved, in the framework of sustainable development;

66.  Stresses the importance of fully accomplishing the internal market with proper and non-discriminatory competition and pursuing the liberalisation of energy markets by 2007 as agreed by Member States;

67.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.