“France is taking on the EU presidency at a turning point for Europe”

JOSEPH DAUL, président du groupe du Parti populaire européen et des Démocrates européens. 

Is business doing enough to tackle climate change?

In an ideal world, some business sectors such as energy producers, energy intensive industries or car manufacturers could be doing more to tackle the problem. However, we should never forget that it is the market, i.e. our choices as consumers, which largely determine the behaviour of business.
This is where politics comes in. EU governments have to create the right legal framework to tackle the problem. The German EU presidency launched the process and the French presidency will strive to put the proposals into effect. The European Parliament will be co-legislator and we are determined to cooperate closely with the Council and the Commission to reach agreement on the climate change and energy package as quickly as possible.
Also, European environmental technology is currently a world leader. We have to encourage this development to help the environment and create more jobs and opportunities for Europeans.
Until recently climate and environmental policy has been dominated by the Green movement. But swallowing the green agenda can be dangerous, because it is a bureaucratic, inflexible top-down approach. It is based on scarcity and limitation. We must move from the politics of limitation to the politics of possibilities. The EPP-ED group will look for pragmatic ways to do this.

Should the EU be so concerned about the loss of manufacturing jobs to other parts of the world such as India and China?

With globalisation, certain manufacturing jobs have moved to the emerging economies of India and China. European manufacturers can compete by moving up the value chain, making high end products which require specialised skills. This is already the case in a number of European industries.
European consumers are benefiting from falling prices thanks to cheap imports but price is not the only criteria. European consumers are sensitive to the quality of products and understand that quality comes at a premium.
We also have to ensure that free trade remains fair trade. Manufacturers from India or China should not be allowed to dump their products on the European market, so we must continue to use our trade defence instruments where necessary.

What are your hopes and fears for France’s presidency?

France will take over the EU presidency at a turning point for Europe, and will have the difficult task of preparing the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty, with the deep institutional changes that it will bring.
The French presidency will also continue the negotiations on the energy and climate change package. We welcome the presidency's plan for a European Immigration Pact. Our group believes that this is a good response to the challenges Europe faces in the field of immigration.
The French government will have to work closely with the Council and the European Parliament. I have no doubt about France's willingness to stick to the rules of negotiation and compromise. I am very happy that the President of the Republic has met with leaders of all political groups in the Parliament to prepare the presidency.
Contrary to what has often been said, France proves in the way it is preparing its presidency that it is definitely deeply European, not only in its rhetoric, but also in its deeds.

This section is supported by the EPP-ED group (http://www.epp-ed.eu)