Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-03-24-Speech-3-073"
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"en.20100324.12.3-073"2
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"Madam President, I believe this has been a very important debate: a debate on an issue that is at the heart of European concerns at the moment – the Greece issue – but, beyond that, on the economic situation of the European Union as a whole, a debate at which, by the way Mr Audy, the Presidency of the Council has been present, as agreed in Parliament: I represent the Presidency of the Council here.
I would like to know whether you think that it is not leading the European Union to contribute to the holding of a debate this weekend on no lesser subject than the Europe 2020 strategy, in which, by the way, majority support was generally won for the speeches made in Parliament. The debate was also on governance, as a fundamental element in that regard.
I would like to know whether you think that it is not leading the European Union to have negotiations going on at this moment with this House on the financial supervision package. Furthermore, I would encourage you, Mr García-Margallo, to work with this Presidency so that we can reach an agreement as soon as possible between the Council, which has adopted a position, and Parliament. During the Spanish Presidency, by the way, we want to remove the Directive on ‘hedge funds’ from the European Union and we want to remove it with as much agreement and consensus as possible. I do not think that should be criticised, quite the contrary.
I also think that it is leading the European Union to be very much in agreement and work with the Commission on the proposal that the Commission will submit on the coordination of economic policies in enforcement of Article 136 of the Treaty of Lisbon. Equally, it is leading the European Union for there to be a general policy for getting out of such debt, debt that was essential to the European Union in the face of the crisis and in the face of the social need to tackle the crisis and to protect the most vulnerable. This is unavoidable debt that must be dealt with now, properly, in accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon, in order to get back on track in terms of the Treaty of Lisbon’s parameters.
This is leading the European Union according to the Community method. This is leading the European Union, and leading the European Union means holding a European Council this weekend that will clearly express its support for Greece and for the Greek Government.
With regard to the issue of Greece, about which there has been most debate and to which most reference has been made, the Presidency-in-Office of the Council has very clear ideas. Firstly, Europe is an integration of economic policies: we have integrated economies. Secondly, Europe is based on solidarity and therefore has a strong social content. Thirdly, Europe has economic and financial stability.
These three European characteristics are clearly implied in the Greece issue. That is also why the three ways of seeing Europe take account of and reaffirm one another in the very important statement made by the informal European Council on 11 February 2010. That was, I think, one of the most important statements that has ever been made in the Council, because it is a statement that tackles the problem of Greece by talking about solidarity and the absolute political commitment to the financial stability of the euro area; the commitment to act when necessary to safeguard that stability.
I am sure that this weekend’s European Council, which is the same European Council that met on 11 February, will strengthen and preserve that stability. A strong political message on Europe will be sent out from that European Council; one of support for its economy, support for its currency and, therefore, a message of support for solidarity, because this is what the public is hoping for, although it is true that a number of Eurosceptics are hoping for failure. Such a failure will not come about in the European Council. Rest assured that such a failure will not come about, but that the political commitment to solidarity at the heart of the European Union and at the heart of the euro area will be reaffirmed.
Moreover, we are going to look further ahead. We are going to look at the short and the long term. We are going to talk about how to engineer a coordinated exit from the crisis, bearing in mind that there will not be a complete withdrawal of fiscal stimuli until there is economic recovery. We are also going to talk about more long-term goals, goals which I would like to single out, in particular, the element of economic, territorial and social cohesion; in essence, solidarity. And we are going to talk about where there will be a new form of supervision different from the Lisbon Strategy. There will clearly be changes in this regard: the leadership of the European Council was not in the Lisbon Strategy.
The coordination of economic, employment and social policies that is in the Treaty of Lisbon was not in the Lisbon Strategy. The importance of the Commission’s role – of supervision, tracking, monitoring, control, of laying down requirements to meet the goals – was not in the Lisbon Strategy. The elements of creating incentives with the structural funds were not in the Lisbon Strategy. Clearly, very important progress is therefore being made.
Finally, Madam President, I shall refer to Mr García-Margallo’s speech, which was the only speech aimed directly at the Spanish Presidency by criticising the way in which the European Union is, in his opinion, being led.
I have to tell you, Mr García-Margallo, that the Spanish Presidency of the Council is working in a close and coordinated way – the Community method – with Mr Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, to push forward the essential goals. It is also working closely with the Commission and Parliament.
You referred largely to the economic issue. I would like to ask you whether you think, for example, that adopting a decision such as the one adopted at the European Council – obviously with the participation of the Presidency of the Council – on the political commitment of Europe to the financial stability of the euro area is not leading the European Union."@en1
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