Strasbourg, 15/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - The success of the European Commission's 2012 work schedule “will depend on the dialogue among the institutions”, stated Commission President José Manuel Barroso as he set out the programme for the European Parliament (EP), which will formulate its stance in December. European governance, convergence, reforms, job-creating sustainable growth, exit from the crisis: the programme is ambitious but the political will exists, Barroso said, and, the previous day, had even allowed opposition in the Council to be overcome on a specific issue - aid for the most needy. Responsibility and solidarity are the watchwords, without forgetting follow-up: the pressure has to be kept up, Barroso argued, for a financial transaction tax, tackling economic crime and VAT fraud, speeding up the completion of the internal market (with regard in particular to the European patent and the digital market). Growth must go hand in hand with the creation of sustainable jobs, Barroso said, highlighting what he calls the “greening obligation”.
The EP would like to believe in the good intentions of the Commission, but the dominant reaction of MEPs was one of scepticism. For the EPP, Joszef Szajer (Hungary) expressed his “confidence and satisfaction”, while regretting that the EP did not have the right to initiate legislation, and calling for progress in an area particularly close to his heart, that of comitology. The verdict from Johannes Swoboda (Austria), on behalf of the S&D Group, was more stark: the situation is difficult, “the financial markets do not like us”, he said, calling for rapid progress on the financial transactions tax and also a comprehensive investment programme for growth (some credits unfortunately remain unused, he said). As for possible amendment of the treaties, Swoboda was clear: the Community method must be observed in this reform. In the same spirit, Andrew Duff (ALDE, UK) was scathing of “too much summitry”, arguing that 2012 must be the year of fiscal solidarity and concrete results on security policy and trade agreements. For the Greens/EFA, Rebecca Harms (Germany) could only see “business as usual” in the Commission programme. She was heavily critical: if two “old European countries” have to be led by technocratic governments, it was also as a result of the laissez-faire attitude of Brussels towards the markets. She added: even technocratic governments will not be able to ensure the success of programmes which focus solely on austerity. They were condemned to failure. And what of “green growth”? What exactly does that mean in agriculture? Harms wanted more information. The Commission programme focuses on real priorities, said Malcolm Harbour (UK), for the ECR Group, pleased to see the deepening of the internal market, the creation of the digital market and smart regulation of objectives which were practically invisible up until now. Harbour was not in favour of a financial transaction tax. This programme takes no account whatsoever of the crisis, argued, on the other hand, Patrick Le Hyaric (France), for the GUE/NGL. In his opinion, the statute of the European Central Bank would have to be amended and a new fund for human and ecological development set up in order to boost the public services of transport, housing and health. The various types of bank must absolutely be differentiated, argued Mario Borghezio (EFD, Italy).
Even within groups, views varied on the Commission programme: Daniel Caspary (EPP, Germany) expressed disappointment. The Commission programme is virtually identical to the previous one, he regretted. On the other side of the Chamber, Patrizia Toia (S&D, Italy) said that, if the Commission is ready to contribute to the recapitalisation of banks, it must make sure that the money goes to the real economy. Marian Harkin (ALDE, Ireland) said: “It can't be just about economics. (…) You can't just appease the markets. You must win the confidence of the citizens”. From the same group, Charles Goerens (Luxembourg) stated: the main challenge is not only recovering from the crisis, but “simply pursuing European construction itself” and the question, “Does the Commission have the authority and coherence needed to affect the course of things?” Goerens said that Barroso's speech would have been “salutary if it had been delivered with the same verve in 2008”. There was scepticism, too, from Sergio Cofferati (S&D, Italy), but for different reasons: he regretted that protection of the rights of workers had not been given sufficient consideration in the Commission programme. The great crisis was not only the banks but also young people, argued Portuguese Green MEP Rui Tavares, calling for more to be done in education and information. (LG/transl.rt)