Written Statements

White Paper on the future of the EU

It might make sense to open the discussion about the future of Europe with a discussion about its past, its history. Frequently I get the feeling, in this Parliament and elsewhere, that such discussions too often take exclusively an ideological perspective — that of pilgrims intent on reaching the new Jerusalem. Moreover they get bound

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Written Statements

Compatibility with the EU treaties of the proposed ceta agreement

Wide debate that went on internationally about comprehensive trade and investment treaties negotiated during past years has given rise to justified queries. Is the logic underpinning such treaties politically, economically and socially tenable under conditions of globalisation? No matter what one may think about Canada – and I have always been one of its admirers

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Written Statements

Review of the Dutch Presidency: Council and Commission statements

During the last six months, the incoherencies at the heart of the EU’s policymaking have become sharper. Following the terrorist attacks on Brussels, the Dutch referendum on the Ukraine agreement and now Brexit, the EU construct is being increasingly seen as ineffective. We are told that the only viable way forward is by promoting “more”

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Written Statements

Mid-term review of the Investment Plan Session date: 08/06/2016

I am among those who are very disappointed with the outcomes of EFSI’s first year. The Commission’s euphoria about the results cannot be reconciled with the reality. But I am unsurprised things have turned out this way. The financial fundamentals of EFSI, based on relatively insignificant “own” funds, levered extensively through guarantees to surpass 300

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