I congratulate Mr Rosati our rapporteur for his fine work. I thank our other shadow rapporteurs for their valuable inputs.
The analyses and conclusions in the Annual Growth Survey are well in line with the parameters of the Stability and Growth Pact.
However, I must register some unease at aspects of our proceedings.
As of now we lack a real understanding as to why the economic performance of national economies has remained so dull, indeed stagnant.
Similarly we cannot grasp the real reason why the investment gap in the eurozone has remained so significant.
True: we see glimmers of growth now and wish for the best.
Rightly much emphasis is being placed on the flexibility that is presently being read into SGP rules. The too rigid application of these rules has been counterproductive.
Let us hope that flexibility will be applied equally and fairly to all economies, not just the bigger ones.
So let me repeat that structural reforms are necessary but (as I said elsewhere), they do not, should not mean an erosion of the European social model. Where structural reforms refer to elimination of monopolies, freer access to the provision of services, curtailment and digitalisation of government bueaucracy, incentivising those who produce, streamlining public procurement practices, the encouragement of public-private partnerships – such reforms should be given full support.
Yet, it seems to me that we still do not have a viable approach to tackle regional and national divergences within the eurozone, and they have been increasing.
I am uneasy because having a nineteen economy system working to the model of quasi-balance in all national budgets is not axiomatically the optimal way to run a currency area.
Yes, we have jargon laden discourse to correct for so-called macroeconomic imbalances. But there is a vagueness about how to implement corrective action on its basis.
There still is no valid reply to the question: are country specific recommendations designed to satisfy eurozone or national priorities?
Therefore I am not too surprised that so many CSRs are ignored by national parliaments and governments.
In the absence of a central treasury to regulate transfers between centre and periphery much of the exercise that we are carrying out could be compared to that of a circus performer on a high rope juggling with nineteen balls.
Of course in order to succeed, even such a juggling operation needs commitment, discipline and a high level of competence.

Translation – MARCH 11, PLENARY, Annual Growth Survey DEBATE

Nifraħ lis-sur Rosati ir-rapporteur tagħna għax-xogħol tajjeb tiegħu. Nirringrazzja lir-rapporteurs l-oħra dell għall-kontribut siewi tagħhom.
L-analiżi u l-konkluzjonijiet tal-Annual Growth Survey huma fil-linja tad-direzzjoni mogħtija mill-Patt għal Stabbiltà u Tkabbir.
Madankollu, ikolli nirreġistra ftit tal-inkwiet dwar aspetti ta’ dak li qed inwettqu.
Sa issa, għad ma għandniex għarfien reali dwar ir-raġuni li għaliha r-riżultati fl-ekonomiji nazzjonali tagħna baqgħu daqshekk ċassi, anzi staġnati.
Bl-istess mod, għad ma nafux ir-raġuni vera għaliex in-nuqqas ta’ investiment fiż-żona ewro baqa’ daqstant qawwi.
Veru: qed naraw it-tnemnim ta’ tkabbir ekonomiku ġdid issa u qed nittamaw għall-aħjar.
Bir-raġun, qed tingħata emfażi kbira lill-flessibiltà li bħalissa daħlet fl-interpretazzjoni tar-regoli tal-Patt ta’ Stabbiltà u Tkabbir. It-tħaddim riġidu żżejjed ta’ dawn ir-regoli kien qed jagħti riżultati ħżiena.
Ejja nittamaw li l-flessibiltà titħaddem b’mod ugwali u ġust għall-ekonomiji kollha, mhux biss il-kbar.
Allura ħalli nirrepeti li r-riformi strutturali huma meħtieġa imma li (kif għedt f’imkien ieħor) m’għandhomx ifissru li l-mudell soċjali Ewropew se jiġi mdgħajjef minħabba fihom. Fejn ir-riformi strutturali jikkonċernaw it-tneħħija tal-monopolji, l-aċċess dejjem aħjar għas-servizzi, it-tneħħija tal-burkorazija tal-gvern waqt li din tiġi diġitilizzata, l-inċentivar ta’ min qiegħed jipproduċi, it-tħaffif tal-modi li bihom il-gvernijiet jixtru l-bżonnijiet tat-tmexxija tagħhom, it-tħajjir tal-“private-public partnerships” — dawn ir-riformi jistħoqqilhom jingħataw kull appoġġ.
Madankollu jidhirli li m’għandniex metodu vijabbli li bih nistgħu naffaċċjaw id-diverġenzi reġjonali u nazzjonali fi ħdan iż-żona ewro, diverġenzi li baqgħu jiżdiedu.
Inħoss inkwiet għax sistema magħmula minn dsatax-il ekonomija li qed iżżomm ma’ mudell fejn il-baġits nazzjonali jridu joperaw kemm jista’ jkun f’bilanċ, mhix b’mod ovvju l-aħjar manjiera kif tmexxi żona b’munita waħda.
Iva, nużaw diskors kollu teknika biex nikkoreġu għall-hekk imsejħa żbilanċi makroekonomiċi. Imma għadna vagi dwar kif tista’ tiġi mħaddma azzjoni korrettiva skont il-kriterji tagħha.
Għad ma hemmx tweġiba valida għall-mistoqsija: ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet li jsiru lil kull pajjiż isiru biex jissodisfaw il-prioritajiet taż-żona ewro jew prioritajiet nazzjonali?
Għalkekk ma tantx jien sorpriż li ħafna minn dawn ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet jispiċċaw injorati mill-parlamenti nazzjonali u mill-gvernijiet.
Fl-assenza ta’ teżor ċentrali li jirregola t-trasferimenti finanzjarji li jsiru bejn iċ-ċentru u l-periferija, parti kbira mill-eżerċizzju li nagħmlu hawn tista’ titqabbel ma’ dik ta’ artist ta’ ċirklu li qed jilgħab b’dsatax-ilballun fl-istess ħin minn fuq ħabel miżmum fil-għoli.
Dażgur: biex tirnexxi f’logħba bħal din, trid ukoll sens ta’ impenn, dixxiplina u livell ta’ kompetenza għoli.

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