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Hudghton (Verts/ALE),
on behalf of the Group. – Mr President, my Group has tabled
a number of amendments and requested several separate votes on this
report. This has been done to give Members the opportunity to ensure that
the report clearly favours public service providers, particularly in the
fields of health and social housing provision.
The report affirms our belief
in the importance of high-quality services of general interest that are
accessible to all. It also recognises the right of local authorities to
self-government. So far, so good. However, recital E contends that 'the
internal market, liberalisation and compliance with the rules on
competition have on the whole led to improved access to SGIs, new services
with more choice, better quality and lower costs for consumers'. In our
view this is questionable to say the least.
The report also asserts that
no distinction should be made between public and private enterprises and
that all SGIs should be put out to tender. The rapporteur seemed to
suggest that there was some misunderstanding about this, but that is how
it comes across. This would cause problems for in-house services within
public bodies such as local housing authorities and health boards.
My Group cannot accept a lack
of clarity on this point. On the contrary, we would support an approach
that clearly exempts from the prior notification requirement the kinds of
local services that do not affect the development of trade, and do not
conflict with the interests of the European Union. State-aid rules have
frequently led to difficulties and uncertainty for local authorities and
other public service providers. We ought to have certainty, and we hope
the House votes in favour of that tomorrow. |
