52. Insists that the social partners should be fully involved in drawing up national action plans to combat poverty and setting reference targets at each level of governance;

One potential PPP - SPIRE (Sustainable Process Industry through Resource and Energy Efficiency) and the Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) are under preparation, – cooperate internationally in upstream research projects, where appropriate and useful in increasing European competitiveness and market access, – focus financial support more on the up-scaling and piloting phase instead of only focusing on the research phase, – explore, in the context of the EIP on Raw Materials, and in particular its forthcoming strategic implementation plan, all the options to foster innovation in the steel industry along the raw materials value cha ...[+++]in, including recycling.

With this comprehensive package of inter-linked measures, the Commission seeks to establish a coordinated, EU-based response which ensures that the fundamental principles of Union law and in particular the right of free movement are safeguarded, and which would allow all European interests to be taken into account in securing the Schengen area, while setting limits to unilateral national initiatives which, in isolation, can never be an effective response to common threats.

Any quota shall not be set lower than the average level of imports over the last three representative years for which statistics are available unless a different level is necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury.

In exercising its implementing powers, the Commission should respect the following principles: the need to ensure confidence in financial markets among investors by promoting high standards of transparency in those markets; the need to provide investors with a wide range of competing investments and a level of disclosure and protection tailored to their circumstances; the need to ensure that independent regulatory authorities enforce the rules consistently, especially as regards the fight against economic crime; the need for high levels of transparency and consultation with all market participants and with the European Parliament and the Council; the need to encourage innovation in financial markets if they are to be dynamic and efficie ...[+++]nt; the need to ensure market integrity by close and reactive monitoring of financial innovation; the importance of reducing the cost of, and increasing access to, capital; the balance of costs and benefits to market participants on a long-term basis (including small and medium-sized businesses and small investors) in any implementing measures; the need to foster the international competitiveness of EU financial markets without prejudice to a much-needed extension of international cooperation; the need to achieve a level playing field for all market participants by establishing EU-wide regulations every time it is appropriate; the need to respect differences in national markets where these do not unduly impinge on the cohesion of the single market; and the need to ensure coherence with other Community legislation in this area, as imbalances in information and a lack of transparency may jeopardise the operation of the markets and above all harm consumers and small investors.

The fact that the privatisation of the post office or the railways in those countries of Europe where this has already taken place has demonstrated that the first to suffer from this are the public sector workers and service users, since private operators are ready to sacrifice absolutely everything except their profits, does not prevent the rapporteur’s making so bold as to guarantee that “current safety levels” for rail will be maintained, despite the evidence to the contrary.