Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-01-19-Speech-3-049-000"
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"en.20110119.5.3-049-000"2
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"Mr President, the start of 2011 is an historic moment for Hungary as it takes over the helm of the Council of the European Union for the first time, but it is also a critical moment for the European Union as a whole. The Hungarian Presidency comes at a time that demands a special sense of responsibility regarding the tasks ahead for Europe.
Energy will also be an important area in the coming months and already at the European Council meeting on 4 February. The Commission already has a series of important energy initiatives on the table which will feed into the February European Council. These include the energy agenda 2020, our communication on energy infrastructure priorities. We will soon be adopting a ‘resource-efficient Europe’ flagship initiative in which energy also features strongly.
The Commission intends to develop its work around the following five axes: a strong energy policy as a key to competitive and sustainable growth and energy security; the internal market in energy as an asset; building the European Union’s new energy infrastructure; making decisive progress on energy efficiency; and developing an effective and united new approach to external energy policy.
Support from the Presidency and the European Parliament will also be essential to ensure an agreement on the European Union Patent. As requested by several Member States, the Commission adopted a proposal for enhanced cooperation in this field on 14 December. The Commission appreciates Hungary’s commitment to taking forward work on the EU patent under its Presidency.
Negotiations with Croatia are now in the final phase. Conclusion of negotiations under the Hungarian Presidency is an ambitious goal, especially considering the remaining requirements Croatia still needs to fulfil. This will require an all-out push on Croatia’s side.
I welcome the fact that the Hungarian Presidency considers the social and economic integration of Roma as one of its priorities. The Commission set up a Roma taskforce to analyse the use and effectiveness of EU and national funds in all Member States for Roma inclusion. Building on this work, the Commission will present a European Union framework for national Roma integration strategies in April.
The new Presidency will also put the spotlight on our Danube strategy. The Danube region has great potential that has not yet been properly exploited due to ineffective cooperation. The aim is to develop a more coordinated approach to bring European added value to this region. The Commission welcomes the Presidency’s commitment to this strategy. Hungary has already contributed significantly to its preparation, including producing policy papers and hosting a conference in Budapest which I had the pleasure of attending. It will be in charge of guiding it through the Council and launching the Danube strategy implementation.
Finally, the debate on cohesion policy will intensify in the coming months. The Commission welcomes the intention of the Presidency to discuss the proposals set out in the fifth cohesion report. We will present legislative proposals for future cohesion policy this summer, following proposals on the next financial framework. The fifth Cohesion Forum, to take place at the end of January in Brussels, will allow for a major stakeholder discussion. It is encouraging that Prime Minister Orbán himself will participate. Effectiveness and European added value must be the driving principles of the reform. The Commission is convinced that cohesion policy needs to underpin more strongly the policy priorities and reform agenda of Europe 2020. I count on the support of the Presidency in this work. It is our common interest and responsibility to make funding more effective. Only in this way can we defend an ambitious budget for cohesion policy.
Since I know this is a matter of political concern, let me add a final comment on Hungary’s media law. The principle of freedom of the press is a sacred one in the European Union. I stated this in Brussels and in Budapest when I had the honour to be received there by Prime Minister Orbán. The Commission has looked at the law and this week will write to the Hungarian authorities to seek clarification on certain aspects that could create legal problems and that have raised some concerns. On the basis of the Hungarian authorities’ answers, we will assess the situation further. The Prime Minister has already made it quite clear that adjustments will be made should the Commission decide after this legal assessment that changes need to be made.
Prime Minister Orbán has just said he is a politician. I am sure that he is a very committed politician and I think you can agree that, leaving aside the legal issues – which will be dealt with in an objective and impartial manner because we will treat Hungary exactly like any other Member State – we must also concern ourselves with the political aspects. Hungary, like any Member State taking on the rotating Presidency, needs to have the full backing of all the other Member States and the European institutions to make the Presidency a success. I hope that Prime Minister Orbán will take this into consideration.
I have no doubt that this Presidency must be a success, coming at such a critical time for the European Union. Let us allow the proper procedures to take their course and, at the same time, let us give our full support to Hungary as it takes on this heavy responsibility. During my recent visit to Hungary, I received messages from young people who said that they were proud that their country for the first time had the responsibility of leading the Council of the European Union. Let us make Hungary closer to Europe and Europe closer to Hungary.
It is particularly appropriate that the Hungarian Presidency has chosen as its motto ‘strong Europe’. Europe is at its strongest and most effective when we are united, when we act in a coordinated manner with strong institutions, when we show a common resolve to steer a course through these stormy waters, and when we show that, by working together, we are capable of finding solutions to the most pressing problems.
There is a lot to do. The Hungarian Presidency can count on every assistance from the European Commission in pushing forward its priorities. It is only by achieving these goals together that we will build a strong Europe, a Europe which delivers growth and jobs, which preserves and reaffirms our values – namely, the sacred values of freedom and justice – and which positions our societies to thrive in a changing world.
This is important to remember because we are not out of the woods yet. There can be no backtracking and no return to business as usual. We must implement our reforms without delay and develop the innovative policies needed to make the Europe 2020 vision a reality. So I look forward to working in partnership with Prime Minister Orbán and with the Hungarian Presidency to make sure that it is a successful one. Let me tell Prime Minister Orbán here and now that he can count on the Commission’s full support on this.
At the same time, the Commission hopes very much that it can count on the support of the Hungarian Presidency. A fruitful partnership is particularly important in the areas of financial services, economic governance, the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy, energy and the internal market. So I am pleased that the Presidency’s priorities fully reflect this.
A strong partnership with the European Parliament is also essential, as in some cases, fast-tracking of proposals will be important. For example, we must have the new tools for reinforced economic governance at our disposal as soon as possible. A clear target has been set by the European Council to deliver by June 2011. The rhythm of work already set by the Hungarian Presidency and the comments we have just heard from the Prime Minister are encouraging in this respect.
As we start this new Presidency, a comprehensive EU agenda and appropriate governance tools are already in place. The European Semester, Europe 2020 strategy and its flagship initiatives and the Single Market Act – all these key initiatives have been discussed and endorsed by the EU institutions. But, of course, we need to do more and it is now also time to act decisively to implement a comprehensive programme.
The European Semester is at the heart of the reformed economic strategy of the European Union. Its proper implementation will be a major task in the months ahead. The Commission kick-started the Semester by adopting the Annual Growth Survey last week. Following discussions in several Council formations, the process will culminate at the European Council in March, which will provide essential policy guidance for Member States, to be reflected in their stability and convergence programmes as well as their national reform programmes, both of which we are expecting in April.
Since we have already discussed this in the previous debate, I will not go into detail, but, of course, the priorities are macro-economic stability, namely, fiscal consolidation, structural reform and, of course, frontloaded economic growth, employment being, of course, our most important concern.
Final agreement on the European crisis management resolution mechanism will also be a key deliverable during the Hungarian Presidency. The Hungarian Presidency will also have an important role to play in shepherding through our efforts to relaunch the single market. Following the public consultation launched by the Commission on the Single Market Act, the EU institutions will be asked to agree on a definitive action plan to be realised by the end of 2012."@en1
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