Jerzy Buzek, member of the European Parliament for 10 years, ex-President of the institution and newly elected Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy spoke in an interview for EurActiv.ro about the most important challenges of the next mandate. Energy, with clean technologies: the hottest topic, secondly coming - the Digital Agenda. He revealed plans to complete the trilogue on the new telecom package until the end of the year and to start implementing it in 2015.

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Photo: Jerzy Buzek -Facebook

Ioana Morovan - reporting from Strasbourg

EurActiv.ro: Which are the most sensible challenges of your new mandate, as Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), for the next 5 years?

Jerzy Buzek: Energy, which means above all raising the security of energy supply and lowering energy prices – the prerequisites for a competitive economy. They are likely to be the most important issues for the next term of 5 years. They encompass the possibility – written down in our Treaty – to make full use of all indigenous energy resources, be it shale gas, renewables, coal which is still essential for some Member States, or oil and natural gas. All of these energy sources have their advantages and disadvantages and costs. But we must ensure that any of these sources is used in the cleanest possible, sustainable way. This makes the development and deployment of clean energy technologies our top priority. 

 

EurActiv.ro: The program presented by Jean-Claude Juncker includes a clear priority for achieving a digital single market and a telecom single market. What would be your Committee contribution on this goals?

Jerzy Buzek: We are currently working on the new legislative package for the telecom market, called "Connected continent". The package is just on the table and it definitely will be one of the most important working topics for this year. The telecom single market is among the most important tools to achieve competitiveness of our economy. The Parliament adopted a text at first reading in April and we currently we are waiting for a statement of the Council. It would be optimal to finish the Trilogue between the Parliament, Council and Commission until the end of this year.

 

EurActiv.ro: What main aspects are important within the new legislative package? 

Jerzy Buzek: Our proposals for the negotiations in Trilogue procedure include: simplification of regulations for companies, more coordination of spectrum use,  protection of open internet and guarantees for neutrality of the internet. And of course we want to abolish retail roaming charges - by 2016 the latest.

 

EurActiv.ro: Could you mention any priorities also in the industry area, also covered by the ITRE Committee.

Jerzy Buzek: Indeed, the third major challenge for the next 5 years mandate is the re-industrialisation of Europe. Experience shows that the highly industrialised countries tackled the crisis much better than the ones with service-focused economies. Reindustrialisation should be our tool to bring a stable economic growth back to Europe. And having achieved that, we will be able to re-boost employment and create so needed jobs.

 

Short Bio

Jerzy Buzek is acting as a Member of European Parliament since 2004. Recently, he was elected Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. He was President of the European Parliament from 2009 until 2012. In 2009, Buzek was elected President of the European Parliament on behalf of the European People's Party (EPP) with 555 votes of the 644 votes cast, the largest majority ever, becoming the first president from the former Eastern Bloc. Two main priorities, during his term in the office: human rights and the promotion of the Eastern partnership. His term of office lasted two and a half years until, due to a political deal, Social Democrat MEP Martin Schulz took over.

 

Links: 

See more details about the text adopted in the plenary session of European Parliament here 

 

See details on the procedure steps of the legislative package on telecom market here 

 

See the official profile of Jerzy Buzek here