European Parliament
Bernadette Vergnaud (PSE ),
in writing
(FR)
I should like to congratulate Mrs Thyssen, who has done an excellent piece of work. I thank her all the more because she has been willing to incorporate the amendments that I had tabled concerning relations between consumers and craft enterprises.
Craft workers play a vital role everyday in terms of giving information and advice to consumers, with whom they are in direct contact.
I am also satisfied that the two programmes have been kept separate: health and consumer protection. These policies are of equal importance to people, and each of the programmes can only be reinforced by this.
Nevertheless, I am still extremely worried about the Council’s proposals concerning the Community’s budget for 2007 to 2013, which would lead in a few years time to a drastic reduction in the current policy for consumer protection at European level. It is unthinkable that this budget should be reduced to EUR 5 million a year in 2009, that is to say one cent a year for each European consumer. This is by no means enough to finance a consumer protection policy worthy of the name and, moreover, of fundamental importance to people’s daily lives.
Nonetheless, I am voting in favour of this report.

