Madrid, 19/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The main goal of the EPP-ED Group at the European Parliament for the next legislative period 2004-2009 will be to ensure competitiveness and prosperity for the EU, tabling on research development. During four days, from Monday to Thursday, the political group discussed its priorities for the future within the framework of its political days organised in Madrid. The EPP-ED considers that only a competitive and economically strong EU will be able to achieve its other priorities, i.e. develop a social market economy that is also environmentally friendly, ensure the security of European securities, strengthen the role of Europe on the international scene and guarantee sound management for Community funds.
The priorities of the group are taken up in a document which, as its president German national Hans-Gert Pöttering explained, forms a basis for discussion, a "package of ideas", which will later serve to establish the electoral programme of the EPP-ED, soon to be discussed at an extraordinary meeting. The EPP-ED also plans to develop an "effective" communication campaign to rally citizens with a view to the European elections of June 2004. Triumphantly praising his group with an enthusiasm worthy of an electoral campaign and saying "we have the best collaborators, the best ideas and the most positive results" although remaining aware of how difficult it is to mobilise citizens for elections, Austrian national Othmar Karas, EPP-ED Treasurer, established a communication strategy for the group, a strategy that is not only external (with the organisation of events for making its goals known) but also internal (via the creation of public relations teams within the EPP-ED).
EPP-ED members present welcomed the document presented by Mr Pöttering as well as the communication strategy presented by Mr Karas. Several MEPs, including Marie-Thérèse Hermange, from France, nonetheless requested that a reference to the "norms and values defended by the EPP-ED" be added to the document. The request was heard by Mr Pöttering who pointed out that a preamble added to the text would refer to this.
We give below the main lines of EPP-ED priorities:
Promoting EU competitiveness: The EPP-ED hopes to create an area of knowledge tabling on education, training and above all research. To this end, it mainly proposes to allocate at least 3% of GDP to European research efforts (compared to 1.9% at present) and to place emphasis on: facilitated access to the new technologies for SME, fundamental research, medical research and research on food quality. The EPP-ED considers that a favourable environment should be created to develop the entrepreneurial spirit by defining a very clear roadmap for implementing the Lisbon strategy by 2010, and by completing liberalisation of the internal energy market. Finally, in order to create a business-friendly environment, red tape must be cut back, the Charter for SMEs should be implemented and competitive tax systems and a lower rate of taxation should be promoted, and transeuropean transport networks should be developed.
Sustainable development: The EPP-ED mainly supports: - an effective system of environmental responsibility based on the polluter-pays principle; - the establishment of a roadmap for rapid implementation of the Kyoto Protocol; - the promotion of energy production and clean transport; - job creation; - the promotion of social inclusion of young people, the elderly and women; - measures to face population ageing (delaying the retirement age by promoting a rise in birth rates); - promotion of quality tourism and European culture (with specific attention on Central and Eastern Europe); - and development of sustainable agriculture.
Security of European citizens: The EPP-ED mainly wants to: - strengthen police and judicial cooperation; - combat illegal immigration and improve the management of EU external borders (the EPP-ED supports, for example, the creation of a border control corps); - and a common asylum policy with clear procedures and a coherent visa policy. The EPP-ED also includes among its priorities the strong fight against terrorism (mainly by allowing the assets of Europeans involved in terrorist activities to be frozen) and measures to compensate victims of terrorism. Finally, the Group considers that the security of citizens should also be ensured through: - guaranteeing healthy and safe food; - improving health protection (by creating a European centre for the prevention and control of diseases); - and improving the legal protection of European citizens.
Europe in the world: The EU must: - strengthen its cooperation with its "new neighbours" (Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus); - establish a long term overall policy for Caucasus; - strengthen its relations with the United States; - give fresh impetus to the Barcelona Process (which is applied to the Mediterranean countries) - intensify cooperation with Asia (by giving absolute priority to China); -
- develop a European security strategy and a real European defence policy that above all increases its military capabilities; - ensure a firm financial commitment for developing countries (devoting 0.7M of GNP to development aid while making aid subject to compliance with human rights and democracy).
Sound financial management of Community funds: The EPP-ED mainly considers as necessary: - the political responsibility of Commissioners for funds administered in the context of their respective portfolios; - reform of the Court of Auditors appointment procedure; - holding the Council responsible for the financing of operational aspects of its activities; - reinforcing the powers of the Committee on Budgetary Control (by allowing it, for example, to have access to all documents at the European Commission); - and the fight against fraud at every level by strengthening the independence of OLAF compared to the Commission and creating a European prosecutor's office.