Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-06-13-Speech-3-011-000"
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"Mr President, the European Council meeting on 28 and 29 June is due to take important decisions on measures to help stimulate economic growth and employment. This is a key element of our overall strategy to ensure that Europe emerges from the current situation with increased growth and a stronger economic basis. To put it very simply, Europe needs growth and Europe needs jobs.
In putting the box together, we have listened carefully to delegations in Council meetings. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Parliament’s representatives who have taken part in our work. We have excellent cooperation with the representatives of Parliament, and before every meeting at which the MFF has been on the agenda, we have met with Parliament’s representatives, we have told Ministers what Parliament’s views are and we have also met afterwards. It is also important to stress – and I want to make this very clear – that we must, of course, all follow the legislative procedures laid down in the Treaty, including with regard to codecision. It is also important to say that there is no final deal before there is agreement between the Council and Parliament.
In order to ensure further progress in the MFF negotiations, thereby fulfilling the mandate given by the European Council in December, the Presidency has put forward a proposal regarding the structure of the budget, including the placement of instruments that the Commission has proposed to place outside the MFF. It is very important for me to say today that this proposal on the structure of the MFF only relates to the placement of instruments. It does not in any way prejudge the size of the budget or decision-making procedures for those instruments, nor does it prejudge the expenditure level for the headings in which some of those instruments are included. Therefore, the Presidency’s proposal does not entail a reduction in the budget or in the degree of flexibility in the Commission’s proposal. The point of departure for the Presidency is that the proposed amounts for these instruments are transferred, with the instruments, into the relevant headings.
Just two days ago, we had a very fruitful discussion on this proposal for a balanced package and structure at the informal General Affairs Council meeting in Horsens in Denmark. I was particularly pleased that Members of the European Parliament were present and gave us very useful input in this regard. I noted the emphasis that the European Parliament put on ensuring a transparent budget where as many expenditure items as possible are subject to the Community method.
As a final note, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the good cooperation between Parliament and the Council on this dossier.
The informal meeting of Heads of State on 23 May, as well as the informal General Affairs Council meeting on 10 and 11 June, paved the way for the preparation of a comprehensive package of measures as part of the growth initiative for Europe. I would like to point to some of the various elements that can be included in this package.
On economic policy, job creation is a priority for all of us. Growth is not enough in itself. It must lead to new jobs and we need to do more. The Council welcomes the Commission’s employment package, which certainly contains many interesting ideas, not least to promote youth employment and labour mobility. Let me also give a couple of concrete examples of how some of the proposals already on the table can boost employment. First, adoption of the energy efficiency directive can create up to 400 000 new jobs. Second, new trade agreements with third countries may create about two million new jobs, and a reform of the single market will create even more millions of jobs. As you know, there are roughly the same number of unemployed people across Europe as we have small and medium-sized enterprises. If we could only create one more job in each of these SMEs, we would have taken a giant step towards addressing the unemployment issue.
The Danish Presidency has been committed to making progress on all legislative files which have the potential to deliver growth and employment. On a number of dossiers, we have advanced well and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Parliament for a very constructive partnership with the Presidency on this agenda. This applies, for instance, to the case of roaming regulation and standardisation, where the Council has been able to reach agreement with the European Parliament. We are also on track on issues such as venture capital and social entrepreneurship.
The June European Council will also conclude the European Semester through the endorsement of country-specific recommendations set out by the Commission in its proposal of 30 May. Our objective is to guide Member States in their structural reforms, employment policies and national budgets with the overall aim of ensuring that fiscal consolidation and growth go hand in hand. I would like to thank Parliament for the way in which it has offered strong support for the growth and employment agenda, as its motions for resolutions confirm.
We also need to step up efforts to boost the financing of the economy. I am very pleased that the Council and Parliament were able to agree on the project bond pilot phase which will start this summer. The Commission has also proposed a EUR 10 billion increase in paid-in capital to the EIB as part of a new EU growth initiative. Furthermore, efforts should be made regarding better targeting of Structural Funds to foster growth and convergence. The Commission will report on this issue later this month.
Another key element to our growth agenda is external economic policy. The European Council will discuss how the Union can better use a trade and investment relationship with key partners as an engine for growth.
The second major item on the June European Council agenda is the multiannual financial framework (MFF). As you know, the MFF package is a top priority for us and, from the very beginning of our Presidency, we have been aiming to make as much progress as possible on this dossier. We based our work on the mandate given to us by the December 2011 European Council, and that is to press ahead with the work aimed at developing a basis for the final stage of negotiations to be discussed at the June European Council. We have taken this mandate very seriously.
While the aim of the Presidency has not been to reach a final compromise on this package, all our efforts are directed towards preparing the ground for a first serious and substantial discussion in June and delivering a fully integrated negotiating box containing all the elements for the final agreement, which should help lead to the adoption of the MFF at the end of this year. The MFF dossier constitutes a great opportunity to make the EU budget respond better to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges and needs. It is also essential that the next MFF is fully geared towards growth and job-enhancing policies."@en1
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