Brussels, 07/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - Energy security, climate change, reducing bureaucracy, innovation in the internal market and the ageing population: these themes, which correspond to challenges facing the EU in this first decade of the 21st century, were the focus of the 3rd parliamentary meeting on the Lisbon strategy between MEPs and national MPs in Brussels on 5 and 6 February. On Monday, three separate working groups respectively discussed the issues of sustainable energy, innovation in the single market and human capital (training , employment and social aspects) before the results the these discussions were debated on Tuesday in a plenary session, under the auspices of Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the head of the German Chancellery Thomas de Maizière.
On the subject of the discussions held by the sustainable energy working group, German Bundestag member Jürgen Trittin reported a broad consensus on the need for renewable energy and energy efficiency to play a key role in achieving the Lisbon objectives. Mr Trittin also highlighted a consensus on the need to increase the share of renewable energy to 20% of the EU's overall energy supply by 2020, although he added that he had not noted “any agreement on concrete proposals on achieving this objective”. On the issue of nuclear power, the general opinion in the working group had been that of whether or not the use of that source of energy should be a matter for the member states. On the work of the group on innovation, British MEP Malcolm Harbour (PPE-DE) reported that the members were attached to “saving the four freedoms at the base of the member states' internal protectionism market”. Participants also underlined the need for other reforms, in particular in the banking and telecom sectors, and gave broad support to the initiative proposed by the Commission to reduce by 20% the administrative burden on SMEs. On the subject of innovation, the participants agreed that R&D policies must be a priority on the member states' agendas. Finally, Mr Harbour highlighted the difficulties faced by national MPs in promoting the advantages of the single market among European citizens as the “best response to globalisation”. On the discussions in the working group on human capital, member of the Portuguese parliament Maria Manuel Oliviera reported a consensus that “the best way to move forward is to strike a good balance between employment, competitiveness and social cohesion”. On creating jobs and education, she stressed the importance of respecting the principle of equal opportunities, with particular attention paid to women, the disabled, younger people and older people, who face difficulties on the labour market. On the subject of respect for social rights, the group agreed on the need for a balanced approach aimed at achieving a flexible labour market which encourages mobility and is accompanied by a corresponding level of protection of social rights, with the EU providing minimum levels of protection to be observed by all member states.
Opening the debate, President Barroso highlighted the need to strike a balance between competitiveness and social rights . “It is possible to have a flexible Europe which is conducive to business and which still has high social standards", he said, stressing the need, in order to achieve this, to introduce social security nets “to protect, not non-competitive jobs, but people”. Welcoming an encouraging economic upturn, Mr Barroso encouraged the member states to step up reform at Community and national level and to reduce the economic gap between themselves. Mr de Maizière believed that, with the commitment demonstrated by the member states, “Lisbon is now more than just a slogan”. “It is not just a question of policy: we can spend more on R&D, but if young people do not want to study the technology, the money will not help. We need to change the image of certain professions in society”, he said. Mr de Maizière also stressed that reducing the administrative burden was essentially aimed at encouraging job creation, “not to undermine social standards but to ensure the minimum number of disadvantages to citizens and enterprises”. On the energy issues, Mr de Maizière highlighted the importance of dialogue with Russia, and also with the USA to encourage them to “do more” to combat climate change. On transatlantic relations, Mr de Maizière also stressed how important it is that Europeans and Americans “avoid having two sets of standards”, in particular concerning patents, combating piracy and counterfeiting, and regulation of financial markets.
Energy and climate change were at the centre of the debates in plenary. Swedish MEP Lena Ek (ALDE) thought that an objective of 10% biofuels for transportation was a “good idea, but does not go far enough given the projections for the increase in freight and the number of passengers on the roads”. German MEP Jo Leinen (PSE) suggested that a protocol be adopted on climate change alongside a revised Constitutional Treaty. Italian MP Andrea Lulli thought that it was “now, more than ever, time for a European energy policy”. Sotitios Hatzigakis, from the Greek parliament, suggested financing a joint energy policy through the Community budget, in a similar way to that in which the CAP is funded. Gudrun Kopp, from the German Bundestag, does not believe that the climate protection objectives can be reached without recourse to nuclear power. (eh)