| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.11, No.3, 27.1.05 |
| Publication Date | 27/01/2005 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Martin Banks Date: 27/01/05 SOCIALIST MEPs are challenging the European Commission's five-year work-plan over what they see as a lack of concern for social rights and the environment. Commission President José Manuel Barroso told the European Parliament yesterday (26 January) that his team's main objective was to stimulate economic growth. Barroso said there were three main themes to the Commission's strategic plan up to 2009: prosperity, solidarity and security. "Our number one priority is prosperity and to create a new economic dynamism. It is the cornerstone on which sustainability is based and our first task must be to help restore economic growth," he said. But Barroso added that defending social rights and the environment were also "priorities". Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, president of the European Socialist Party, lambasted the Commission's plan for being old-fashioned. "Some of the indicators on the job side are old fashioned and belong to how we thought things should be done in the past century's industrial society. Rasmussen added that the Commission had "one last chance", when it presented a programme on reviving the Lisbon Strategy next week (2 February) to come up with a plan that was "a real response to the needs of the 21st century". Martin Schulz, leader of the Socialist group in Parliament, said that "real policy differences persist between us in many areas". But Hans-Gert Pöttering, leader of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP-ED), described the programme as "realistic and ambitious". "Anyone who neglects the nurturing of European competitiveness will be responsible for the fact that in the future we will have no European social model to preserve." Graham Watson, head of the liberal ALDE group, said that "Europe cannot build its house on unstable foundations". He added that, "we must begin by securing a strong and viable economy where business and innovation can flourish". Article reports on leading MEPs' reactions to the European Commission's strategic objectives for 2005-2009, presented to the European Parliament on 26 January 2005 |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
