European Parliament Socialist Group fonds - European University ...

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III acc:OI'd_e ~itll the ohJIllUV" which the soolalhtl set themeel,vee
lQ t~tt Appeal to the IlectQtate, the newly ~lected sootali,t Members
have taklQ a number at initiative. on meaaur.a to combat pollution and
to ~te VOQlu.er intere.t.. rhe•• propo.ala blar the stamp of the
$OCiali.t.' political rllOlve to detine and implement an environmental
and eonlu.er poliey in 1tne with their economic and social objective.,
and lriee veral.
DurLn9 the dlbate on the budget, therefore, the Secialiete endeavoured
to en.ure the 9r••t.,t polsible coordination Of the community's antipollution
mealure. by tabling amendments for the creation of an environment
fund. To the ._ end they propose(J that a report be drawn up on the
etate of the environment in the community.
such a report should provide
the opportunity for a critical review of Community policy and for making
prope.all to improve the quelity of life, conserve naturaL reeources and
incr.ae. 80lidarity between the Member States.
Di.cussing & report on the protection of workers in the event of
.erious accident. in firme using toxic sUbetance., the European Soeialist
Hembere etre•••d the nead for an overalL approach to safety problems at
and around places of work and emphssized that work hazards muat be counterbolanced
by the concepts of liability ana oompensation. In the Bame regard
w. supported the Commiesion'e proposals for improving the protection of
workers Bgainet hezarde connected with expo.ure to toxic and dangerous
products at plecae of work.
Finally, in the intereet of making progress on consumers' rights.
we devoted special attention to consideration
fcr coneUllen, draWll 'Jp by the Commission for
of the second action programme
the period 1980 to 1985.
On the initiatIve of the rapporteur, who is
a socialist, it ~ae decided
to consult inter••ted bodies, in particular
th~ consumer organizations
and the E~ropean Trade Union Confederation,
at a public hearing. In this
way we aim to in~olve the parties concerned
in the Community's deeisiondebate
betwa," the various Community
making process and so to make the
Institution. more dmocratic.
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Any free trade policy must n~ce.sariLy be accompanied by the abolItion
of the numerous barriors to the freo movement of people and goode, which
continue to annoy the gener~1 pubLic. Yet the intereet. of the various
usere of tran.port facilities, at national and international level, have
long been neglected. NationaL salf-in~rest, which flnds expression in
the CounciL of Ministers, and the sometimes resigned attitude of the
commission as a result of many fruitless endeavoure, have so for prevented
a common transport policy worthy of the name from being devised and put
in hand.
The European Socialists, however, have never abandoned the attempt
to arrive at a goneral defiMition of transport poLicy. parLiament has
submitted on several Dccasio~s r~latively comprenensive praposala for a
common transport policy, frequentiy at the suggestion of socialist Members
of Parliament, both on its own initiative and in response to Commission
proposals; these proposaLs were not just a synthesis of transport
legislation in the Member States, but embodied.ncw ideas forming an
integral approach to ths modernization of transport policy in Europe.
It is in this context that ths Committee on Transport of the
directly-elected European ParLiament has begun its work.
Socialiet members of the committee have been partiCUlarLy active.
They have tabled a resolution on problems raised by trans-Alpine traffic.
This wBe the practical outcome of the work of the joint working party
on problems raised by trans-Alpine traffic, which WdB composed of
Socialist Members of the European parliament and members of parliament
from Switzerland and Austria. this resolution shouLd emphasize the
Community'S responsibility in ,elation to third cauntries, which, with
r~qard to goode in transit, havs an important role to pLay in the
develo~nt of the European community.
OM the init1ati~. of socialist Membere, the Committee on Transport
ha. drawn up an opinion on the preLiminary draft general budget of the
8uropean communities for 1980, calling for the Community to provide
appropriations to .upport transport infrastructure project•.
1M addition, as We heve
hearing, we aim to establish
the consumere and worksrs,
shown by proposing the holding of a public
special links with the peopls We represent,
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Finally, and again at the initiative of the Socialists, the Committee
on Tranlport has invited ths Director-Gensral of Eurocontrol, togsther
with staff and trade union representativee, to consider the situation of
Burocontrol and its implications tor air tranaport .afsty in Europe.
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