EP hearing of Commissioner-designate Erkki Liikanen
Nominee Commissioner Erkki Liikanen told MEPs that reducing Europe's 'unacceptable' unemployment rate was his top priority at his confirmation hearing in Brussels on 31 August. Mr Liikanen, whose portfolio would comprise Enterprise, including innovation policy, and the Information Society, repeatedly compared Europe to the USA where the unemployment rate is lower and where the Information Society has been wholeheartedly embraced. He stressed the importance of creating a new enterprise culture in Europe and improving the competitiveness of Europe's industry. To achieve this objective he promised to open the Information Society to European citizens by supporting training and encouraging the use of the Internet and e-commerce. He pointed to Europe's 'excessive administrative burden', and promised to simplify procedures and reduce costs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises, which he highlighted as the 'engine of job creation'. 'It is not acceptable', he said, 'that it costs three times as much and takes seven times as long to start a new business in the European Union as in the US.' He pointed to EU telecommunications policy, which was liberalised in 1998, as a 'European success story', saying it was an example of how Europe can take the lead if given the opportunity. Mr Liikanen promised to use the same approach when it came to encouraging the use of e-commerce and information and communications technologies in industry. However he warned against excessive European legislation. He said: 'I don't believe that the Commission can manage businesses. What we can do is try and work together with Member States to simplify legal procedures and reduce administrative burdens on smaller businesses.' Mr Liikanen was generally well received by MEPs despite the reservations of some, notably the British Conservatives, that he had been part of the outgoing team of Commissioners. He welcomed the question from British Tory MEP John Purvis on his role in the van Buitenen affair and the administration of budgets in the old Commission. He said it gave him an opportunity to 'put the record straight'. The now exonerated Commission official Paul van Buitenen was suspended from his position following the release of a 34-page dossier to Green MEPs exposing fraud in the Leonardo da Vinci programme technical assistance office. Mr Liikanen said the decision to suspend him was taken by the Director-General concerned. Mr Liikanen was informed at the time, and on the expiry of his suspension, Mr Liikanen secured another post for him in a different Directorate-General. Mr van Buitenen is now free to apply for other jobs, he added. When asked by independent MEP Daniela Raschhoffer about his definition of personal responsibility, Mr Liikanen said he would resign if asked to do so by the European Parliament. Mr Liikanen, the outgoing budget commissioner, was asked by MEPs Eryl McNally and Astrid Thors how he would improve the efficiency of the use of EU funds. He advocated the simplification of contracts and the concentration of EU funds to fewer areas. He said: 'In my experience when you try to do too many things, you fail.' In future, he said he would be in favour of clearer objectives, a decentralisation of authority, better use of evaluations and simplified administrative procedures.