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Debates
Tuesday, 26 September 2006 - Strasbourg
Local Public
Services
Ian Hudghton (Verts/ALE
). –
Mr President, before I was elected to this Parliament I was the leader of
a Scottish local authority which was, if I may say so, a very successful
one in terms of both value for money and meeting local aspirations for
public service provision in the County of Angus.
It was then, and remains today,
the predominant interest of local government to protect its right to local
self-government. It is therefore vital that in any new EU initiative we
put an end to uncertainty. Let us not be satisfied with woolly wording in
relation to vital public service. Let us not interfere in any way with the
principle of local self-government. Let us distinguish clearly between
private enterprise, which is subject to EU competition law, and public
service: services of a local nature provided for the public good, which
have little or no cross-border effect and should be provided free of EU
competition rules.
The setting of standards in
general interest services should also be subject to local decision. Some
local authorities are sceptical of the need for new EU legislation. I say
that if we are to have a framework directive, let us have one that gives
cast-iron guarantees of the rights of local authorities to define,
organise and finance public services in the way they see fit.
I recognise that significant
economic benefits to business will arise from removing barriers to
commercial service provision, but let us not further alienate public
opinion by interfering with or undermining the provision of essential
local public services. |
