Press release
New Deal for Europe at the European Parliament: Own Resources for the EU
Brussels, Rue Wiertz 60, European Parliament
Altiero Spinelli Building, Room A3H-1
Tuesday 15 March 12:30-14:30
CIVIL SOCIETY MEETS THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Tomorrow, Tuesday 15 March at 12:30, at the European Parliament building in Brussels, the European citizens, represented by many civil society organizations from all over Europe (with a majority of Italians, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Germans, Belgians and Czechs) will present to the European Parliament the Petition New Deal 4 Europe, which asks the EP to provide for more European budgetary resources for sustainable development, employment and security.
THE PROMOTERS AND THE SUPPORTERS OF THE PETITION NEW DEAL 4 EUROPE ASK THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO INCREASE THE EUROPEAN BUDGET'S OWN RESOURCES IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THE PRESENT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCIES(22 million jobless people, an undefined but very high number of underemployed, an ever greater number of migrants looking for jobs, high costs due to the pollution of the environment).
THEY ASK TO PROMOTE A EUROPEAN SPECIAL PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT FINANCED THROUGH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES (TO BEGIN WITH THE EUROZONE BUDGET) COMING FROM A TAX ON FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS, A CARBON TAX AND THE ISSUING OF EURO PROJECT BONDS.
In order to finance a sizable investment plan that steps up the European Fund for strategic investments, gives more strength to and complements the Juncker Plan, it is necessary to raise the European Budget's resources from the present 1% to 3,5% of the European GDP.
The ND4E Petition (www.newdeal4europe.eu) comes at the right moment. In spring, the European Parliament will be called to take a decision on the increase of the EU own resources (the Monti Report).
But the citizens that support the Petition give also and in the first place an indication of the strategic sectors to which the investments should be addressed, in order to impart a turnabout to our development model and reaffirm a social model which is unique in the world. They ask to create new and stable jobs, in particular for the young, in the sectors of renewable energies, training, a European civilian service, the protection of the natural, artistic, historical and cultural patrimony, and of security.
The European campaign was promoted and supported by 68 Non-Governmental Organizations, 126 Mayors of important European cities (among them the Mayors of Turin, Paris, Rome, Lyons, Lille), 18 Trade Unions (among them the UGT and CCOO in Spain, the CFDT and CFTC in France, the CGIL-CISL-UIL in Italy, the trade union of the staff of European institutions U4U, and smaller ones like the Cross-border Trade Union Alps-Leman), 47 Personalities of the worldofculture (among them the late Ulrich Beck and the film director Ken Loach), 48 European MPs, and 5 out of six top candidates (Schulz, Keller, Bové, Verhofstadt and Tsipras)to the 2014 European elections of the main European parties.
Tomorrow morning, the ND4E Promoting Organizations will be welcomed by the Members of European ParliamentGianni Pittella, Jo Leinen, Soledad Cabezón, Elly Schlein, Mercedes Bresso, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Daniele Viotti, Renata Briano, Brando Benifei.
Lucio Levi, of the University of Turin and Editor of the review The Federalist Debate, will present the Petition as its first signatory.
On behalf of the civil society promoting Organizations, views will be expressed by:
Mariano Fandos, Secrétaire confédéral, Confédération française démocratique du travail
Wolfgang G. Wettach, German Green Party
Raffaella Bolini, Responsible for international relations of ARCI
Silvana Roseto, CGIL-CISL-UIL Trade Unions, Italy
Pierre-Jean Coulon, Confédération Française Travailleurs Chrétiens
Claude Denagtergal, ETUC Advisor
Giuseppe Gulia, General Secretary, Federation ACLI International
Isabel Caño, Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT)
Georges Vlandas, President of U4U
Simone Fissolo, President Gioventù Federalista Europea (GFE-Italia)
Nicole Fondeneige, Pacte civique
Mauro Albrizio, Lega ambiente
Virgilio Dastoli, President of Italian Council of European Movement (CIME)
Catherine Vieilledent,General Secretary, Groupe Europe
Members of the ND4E European Committee:
Jean-Francis Billion, Coordinator French Committee ND4E, Comité directeur UEF-France
Domènec Devesa, Vice-President UEF-Spain, Spanish Committee ND4E
Francesco Franco, Belgian Committee ND4E
Paolo Ponzano, ND4E Italian Committee
In the present phase of the debate on the future of Europe, this meeting between representative democracy and participatory democracy is an important signal: the Europe of tomorrow cannot come out of European Summits alone (and from national referendums), but must originate from initiatives of the European civil society. Only thus can Europe regain the consensus it has lost.
_ end of press release _
Campaign “New Deal 4 Europe”
www.newdeal4europe.eu
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