Verbatim report of proceedings

Wednesday, 31 March 2004 - Strasbourg

European Council / Security

  Randzio-Plath (PSE). – (DE) Mr President, in one respect this Spring Summit has given us renewed hope. We can say: ‘Ropes away, full steam ahead with the good ship European Constitution!’ I very much hope that it will be possible to find a satisfactory solution to the critical points that have already been mentioned by others here today. The fact is that we need this European Constitution in order to make it clear that Europe is not only a market, that we are not just an economic and currency union, and that not only do we have a single currency, but we also want to speak with one voice as a Community of values and rights.

We must also speak with one voice in another area, in which the diversity of voices is much too great. The Lisbon strategy is not yet lost. We are still interested in sustainable growth, full employment and social cohesion. However we are far from the objectives which we have set ourselves: the economic spring has not yet arrived, we have mass unemployment with more than 14 million people unemployed, and more than 55 million people are living on the edge of poverty, and, if we consider investments, we must really speak of an ‘investment moratorium’ in Europe. Internal demand has not been stimulated either; certainly it is not just because of the feeling of uncertainty as a result of globalisation, or the uncertainty as to how Europe will advance, but also because of the fears of terrorist attacks, that European consumers’ willingness to buy leaves much to be desired. We also lack the necessary stimulus actually to achieve production growth, which we can implement only through a higher purchasing rate, that is to say, through a reduction of unemployment, in the European Union. The European Union needs a new dynamism. Even if it were to be the case that tomorrow the European Central Bank, in view of the low inflation rates and the low growth of money supply, were to use its scope for manoeuvre and reduce interest rates, even that would not be sufficient. Further political measures are required. This does not mean speeches at summits, or agreements reached at them. It means implementation measures in the Member States. We will lose success and credibility if nothing is done about this!

Mr President, Europe needs more projects like the Airbus, which has shown that public-private partnerships, different countries, different employees, different companies can work together. Why cannot Europe organise other successful projects with these values, which would really create hope, which would really create specific jobs, which would quite specifically promote the European lead in specific technologies of the future? For this, the investment drive, the Quickstart programme, is certainly a step in the right direction, but it is not sufficient; it is simply too little. We must continue to strive for reforms; we must dismantle barriers to trade and in particular services, but we must also concentrate on investment, and the Pact must not be an obstacle to this.

The continued lack of a Community patent is also a deterrent factor for leaders in research and development. Although the Heads of State or Government have now seriously promised that it will come, it still cannot come this year! Only visible and specific results will convince the citizens of Europe of the advantages and added value of Europe. Europe is once again at the crossroads. Either we increase the rate of purchasing, muster optimism and dynamism and banish unemployment, or the credibility of the European unification process is in jeopardy.