Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-02-16-Speech-3-051-000"
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"en.20110216.5.3-051-000"2
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"Madam President, I very much welcome this opportunity to appear before you to talk about a subject which is of particular importance for the Hungarian Presidency: the Europe 2020 Strategy. Indeed, it is of particular importance for all of us.
Let me emphasise some important elements concerning economic governance. The implementation of economic governance reform is a fundamental condition for fighting the crisis and boosting the European economy. This is why the 2020 Strategy is closely linked with what is known as the ‘European semester’: a new key instrument of macroeconomic surveillance, to be applied for the first time under this presidency. This new process started in January 2011 with the presentation of the Commission’s annual growth survey.
The Hungarian Presidency is paying particular attention to ensuring that the European semester runs smoothly and successfully. To that end, we will organise a series of debates in all relevant Council meetings in the run-up to the March European Council.
The General Affairs Council has, in particular, been tasked with preparing a synthesis report for its meeting of 21 March, which will set out the main messages on the work being undertaken in the various sectoral councils. This report will be presented to the European Council in March and will form the basis for the discussions, with the aim of agreeing on a set of priorities for structural reforms and fiscal consolidation.
Following on from the March European Council, Member States will finalise the drafting of the national reform programmes and stability or convergence reports, which will be submitted to the Commission in April. After that, work should be taken forward with a view to elaborating country-specific recommendations which the Member States will take into account when finalising their budgets for 2012 and implementing their growth strategies. I recognise that this calendar is very tight, but we hope to complete it by June or July.
The 2020 Strategy is key in ensuring the future economic success of the European Union. It is closely linked to economic governance reform, which will also play a key role. Unless we remain competitive and can secure strong growth in the future, we will find it increasingly difficult both to maintain a sufficiently high level of social protection internally and to bring Europe’s voice to bear on events externally.
This is the major challenge for Europe in the years to come. I am absolutely sure that we can count on the support of the European Parliament to help us deliver.
It is clear that Europe has to overcome a number of serious challenges if it wishes to remain competitive with the rest of the world. Some of these challenges have been generated by the financial and economic crisis, but some of them are inherent in our limited capacities and determination to fulfil the objectives and targets of the 2010 Lisbon Strategy.
As is often said, crisis can be an opportunity – both in the Ancient Greek and in the Chinese interpretation. It can be an opportunity for a breakthrough, for a solution and to make progress. That is why we believe that the crisis is currently a key factor in motivating Member States to adopt quickly a new European strategy for jobs and smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. This is the Europe 2020 Strategy.
I am convinced that this strategy will play an important role in helping Europe recover from the crisis and emerge stronger, both internally and at international level, by boosting productivity, growth potential, social cohesion and economic governance.
This is essential if we are going to be able to remain competitive globally, not least in the face of rapidly growing markets in Asia. It is also essential if we are to maintain the social model, our way of life, which is a key characteristic of Europe, dear to us all, and which we must preserve.
The 2020 Strategy confirmed five EU headline targets which constitute shared objectives guiding the action of Member States and the Union as regards promoting employment, improving the conditions for innovation, research and development, meeting our climate change and energy objectives, improving education levels and promoting social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty.
As part of meeting these targets, the Commission developed and presented seven flagship initiatives containing the actions it proposes to take to strengthen the single market and to boost growth and jobs: the Digital Agenda for Europe, Innovation Union, Youth on the Move, Resource Efficient Europe, an Industrial Policy for the Globalisation Era, an Agenda for New Skills and Jobs and the European Platform against Poverty.
For each initiative, both the EU and national authorities have to coordinate their efforts so that action at national and European level is mutually reinforcing.
In December 2010, the first implementation report prepared by the Presidency, in close cooperation with the Commission and the incoming Hungarian Presidency, provided an overview of work undertaken since the launch of the strategy in June. The report highlights the most important work done in the Council, in all its forms, regarding the seven flagship initiatives. Furthermore, the report stresses the technologies progress achieved in the various policy areas which play a major role in the new strategy: the single market, cohesion policy and agricultural policy. It also lists the activities and initiatives that have been conducted at EU level in the last six months as regards the five EU headline targets."@en1
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