The Commission Work Programme For 2015 – 16.01.2015

My vote is conditioned by the following reservation:
The European Commission work programme 2015 is condensed and to the point. As such, it can only be welcome. The programme also rightly acknowledges the need for urgent action to stimulate new investment.
The question remains whether the proposal to set up a new strategic investment fund can make much difference. The fund is being built out of monies that have already been appropriated. They will be jacked up by private commitments, still to materialize up to a total envelope of 315 billion euros.
In reality no fresh money is involved. Yet the need for a substantial injection of investment funds is most urgent.
Contrast this with the $ 788 billion fund voted by the Obama administration in the US covering the years 2009 – 2011 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Of this amount, $ 224 billion went as grants to the states.
Clearly, the strategic fund proposed in the Commission programme is too little, and comes too late. I hope that those of us who believe so will be proved wrong.

Il-programm ta’ ħidma tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea għall-2015

Il-vot tiegħi huwa kkundizzjonat permezz ta’ din ir-riserva:
Il-programm ta’ ħidma tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea għall-2015 huwa mimli u jmur dritt għall-punt. Minn dan il-lat, nistgħu biss nagħtuh merħba. Ġustament, il-programm jirrikonoxxi wkoll il-ħtieġa għal azzjoni urġenti biex jiġi stimulat investiment ġdid.

Il-mistoqsija tibqa’ jekk il-proposta biex jitwaqqaf fond Ewropew ġdid għal investimenti strateġiċi tistax tagħmel differenza. Il-fond qed jinbena minn flejjes li diġà ġew allokati. Huma se jkunu mwieżna b’impenji privati, li għad irridu jimmaterjalizzaw għal pakkett totali ta’ 315 biljun ewro.

Fil-verita’ ma hemm l-ebda flejjes ġodda involuti. Madankollu l-ħtieġa li jiġu misjuba u mħaddma fondi sostanzjali ta’ investiment hija mill-aktar urġenti.

Dan għandu jitqabbel mal-fond ta’ $788 biljun ivvotat mill-amministrazzjoni Obama fl-Istati Uniti għas-snin 2009-2011 taħt l-Att Amerikan tal-2009 għall-Irkupru u r-Rinvestiment. Minn dan l-ammont, $224 biljun ġew mgħoddija lill-istati.

Huwa ċar illi l-fond strateġiku propost fil-programm tal-Kummissjoni hu ftit wisq u wasal tard wisq. Nittamma’ li għad insibu kif dawk minna li jemmnu hekk għandhom żball.

F’ dawn iċ-ċirkostanzi nqis li l-aktar haġa korretta hi li nastjeni fuq din il-votazzjoni finali.