On 2nd October 2019, Elisa FERREIRA, from Portugal, Commissioner-designate for Cohesion and Reforms, is heard by the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) in association with the Committees on Budgets (BUDG) and Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test her general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to her portfolio. On this occasion, Elisa FERREIRA has the opportunity to make an opening statement.  The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brussels

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Committee on Budgets

hearing

Committee on Regional Development

FERREIRA, Elisa (S&D, PT, EC)

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Elisa FERREIRA 2019 (T)

Hearing of Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Opening statement by Elisa FERREIRA

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Thank you very much Chairman. Chairman, members, friends. It's a great pleasure for me and an emotional experience for me indeed to be before you today. I'll be continuing and one of the working languages of the commission. But I'll be doing that to try and communicate directly with you. So I'll now start speaking in English.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Twelve years as a member here. And enjoyed every single day. Here in the heart of Europe. What a pleasure to see old colleagues from the ECON, from REGI and from BUDG committees. Today I am honoured to present the proposal for our work together for the next five years.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: As a former member of this Parliament I understand the importance of the work you do. I truly believe that only by joining forces can we build hope and trust in the European project for all Europeans wherever they were born. I pay tribute to my predecessor Corina Cretu. Corina your motto was "no region left behind". I will make it my motto to, adding of course my own energy my own experience.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Today this motto is more relevant than ever. Globalization digital revolution climate change all of them risk leaving regions behind. There may be opportunities in the long term but the change is painful. I saw this pain with my own eyes as a junior economist in the late 80s responsible for a pilot cohesion program. It was a difficult time for the textile industry. And a difficult time for communities or depending on this industry.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms:We have seen it again very recently in the aftermath of 2008. Some of you are still seeing it today. Different industries, different places. But we all know the story. Never forget the closed factories, the lost jobs. Never forget squeezed wages, squeezed pensions. Never forget the bright young people will leave.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Cohesion is at the heart of the European project and reform with cohesion must be at the top of our agenda. As globalization and ever faster technology change put extreme pressure on local economies.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Honourable members I believe in this policy because I have seen its impact on the ground. From my time as a young economist in development to my time as Regional Planning Minister I have seen cohesion policy as the lever of change across Europe and for some regions the only lever available.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: From the Arctic to the Mediterranean, from urban areas to formerly industrial regions, from coal dependent regions to the outermost regions of the EU. From mountain regions to rural areas, from border regions, to brief flood coastal areas Europe must act and be seen by citizens to act.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: An economy that must work for people with intervention tools tailored to the needs of each territory. Helping the transition to a digital green and a gender balanced economy. No region no person left behind. So honourable members. I am honoured and thrilled to be called to this portfolio. Our president elect Ms von der Leyen has entrusted me with six key tasks. Some are rather urgent.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: First the legislative framework. Mr von der Leyen emphasized that I agree the need for swift agreement so that programs can be up and running. On day one I count on your immediate support. Let us work together. A new justice Transition Fund will also be an immediate task inspired by a parliament proposal to support regions where the transition to a climate neutral economy is more challenging namely industrial coal and energy intensive regions. You will be hearing from us soon with a commission proposal in the first 100 days.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: My second task smooth implementation my mission letter is crystal clear The future policy should be modern simple to use and lead to high quality investment. We must work closely with Member States in simplifying and streamlining procedures without jeopardizing the quality of controls. Sectoral and centrally managed programs must also play a role. Taking account of spatial impact and as far as possible creating effective synergies with cohesion policy.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: The commission proposals are ambitious. For example simplified cost options, freeing small beneficiaries from keeping mountains of invoices for years, saving up to 25 percent in administrative costs. We will be checking if these measures deliver as promised. I see you as my ally in delivering these and other simplifications.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: My third task: reforms. Monetary union is challenging particularly when countries differ in competitiveness particularly also when they face different economic and social circumstances. Achieving sustainable long term convergence founded on competitiveness is our key goal. In this context investments and reforms have a crucial role here. Therefore it is high time to restart the discussion of the new on the new investment support instruments.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: The Reform Support Program and the budgetary instrument for convergence and competitiveness for the euro area. The euro is the currency of Europe. We must offer timely support to all those countries which have already joined the single currency as well as to those seriously working to join.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Reforms must be aligned with European semester. But they may they must also be proposed and endorsed by the country concerned. Their scope must be the removal of bottlenecks to sustainable growth and convergence stimulating higher levels of competitiveness through the support of national programs going from modernizing public administration, to reforming the education and training system or improving forest management.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Reform and cohesion must work together. They must reinforce each other not come at each other's expense. Taxpayers should not fund policies which contradict or ignore each other. I am committed to work closely with Parliament and I believe these instruments should follow the community method.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Your support will be key. We must work together to make visible progress in the first 100 days and to adopt the program in time. My fourth task sustainable development of cities and urban areas. The upcoming review of the EU urban agenda is an opportunity.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms:Cities today are often the home of poverty of exclusion inadequate housing, inefficient transport and aggressive damage to environment and climate. These all call for our attention but there is an opportunity to see this can lead must lead in the digital and green economy. The opportunities are there and we must seise them in close cooperation with national and local partners.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: I will kick off the discussion at the city's forum January 2020 in Porto. If you can make it I would love to show you my hometown. My fifth task fully exploit the treaty provisions for the outermost regions. I recognize the specific needs of these regions. They require particular attention. Also mountainous peripheral and cross-border regions. But these regions are special.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: So I welcome the present inclusion of a specific outermost region dimension in no less than 21 different post 2020 legislative proposals from fisheries research from transport to climate change. Some of these points have already passed through block others. We must fight to maintain and again I count on your help. My sixth and final task communication this policy has done so much for so many citizens and still it is not well-known enough.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: My goal is to visit to the regions to understand local concerns and local aspirations to encourage faster and better implementation of projects and to let communities know they are not left behind. In this context I intend to always inform you when I go to your region. In fact I will regularly update you on all my initiatives. I will ensure a special partnership with the European Parliament particularly with committees that are here today.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: This is a priority for the president elect but it is also a priority for me. I have talked about my mission. Let me finish with a few words about myself and what I bring to the table. First I truly believe in this portfolio and I am committed to making it work. My attachment to this policy is deeply personal. I have believed it in every season of my adult life.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: My academic interests long ago masters on regional policy and European integration. I learned compelling arguments for cohesion and reform as well as the intellectual framework. As a junior economist for more than a decade I work with cohesion policy on the ground. I saw its impact on the lives of individuals.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: More recently as Minister for Planning I negotiated with the Portuguese community support framework for 2000-2006. The commissioner then was Michel Barnier prove that cohesion policy prepares you for anything.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: As a member of the European Parliament in the ECON community and then as a central banker, I learned that the complexity of different key economic files and their interconnection. I learned to the wisdom of the old Moto competitiveness and cohesion must grow together for the European project to thrive.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: From academia to program manager from Minister to MEP to central banker I bring all these perspectives. The ability to take different perspectives brings me to the second thing you should know about me. I will be a team player. I will work closely with you. I will work closely with my commission colleagues.

Speaker: I will work closely with regions cities and local people. The eyes of history are upon us. The first female president the first fully gender balance College and the first female candidate for Portuguese Commissioner. We have shown that the glass ceiling can be broken so that competent women can rise to responsible roles. I will rise to this responsibility our team for all the talent will make history proud. Finally I truly believe in this Europe of ours. This started long before my academic work on European integration.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: In my hometown, There is a monument to Willy Brandt one time chancellor of Germany an icon of European democracy. Each time I pass I remember my youth, growing up in a dictatorship. Europe meant to democracy and I shared the Mario Suarez vision of a free Portugal rejoining the European family.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Europe still means democracy to me. Working on the ground I learned that Europe means solidarity because there is no real democracy. If you are deprived of education or health or are socially excluded Europe still means solidarity to me today.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: When I became an MEP I learned that Europe means friendship mutual respect, shared values and the nations united in Variety. Europe still means all that and much more to me today. Honourable members this Europe of democracy of solidarity a friendship and shared values in diversity.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: This Europe calls on us today. As we transition to the digital age to the green economy. This Europe calls us to be bold, bold in promoting cohesion, bold in reforms, so that no person, no region is left behind. Let us answer the call together.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner-designate, Cohesion and Reforms: Chairman I want to respond to that call. It's an honour for me to be a candidate as commissioner in charge of cohesion of reforms. It's a great pleasure for me to respond to your questions. Thank you very much.