Otherwise we will merely waste a great deal of this energy supply that we are so expensively putting in place. That is not good economics, especially in a time of crisis.

In order to avoid distortions of competition – and I think this is especially important – the manufacturer, who has invested substantial sums in researching the effects of rational phytopharmaceuticals, should be permitted to draw attention to his special efforts as part of the registration process, thus benefiting consumers through the provision of better product information.

The first call for applications for the post of Director of the Food Safety Agency, published at great expense, has had to be reissued, for instance, because no suitably qualified individual would have anything to do with the situation.

And secondly, the necessary concern for farmers and all employees of the meat industry, whose work is being jeopardised by the frightening – and mounting – burden of restrictions that are being heaped upon them in the name of the precautionary principle. Despite the fact that, several years ago, the fifth quarter or meat by-products were re-processed and sold, which met slaughterhouses’ overheads. We now send these by-products – and quite rightly, I am sure – to be destroyed at great expense. As a result, meat is constantly becoming more expensive for consumers whilst farmers are no longer paid a fair price for their animals.

Consequently, terminals which already operate a suitable quality system need not incur high costs to install another, equivalent system.

This Regulation imposes the equality of charges for cross-border and national payments and should thus lead to a reduction of the charges for cross-border payments and in particular of cross-border credit transfers, which was a major public concern.