Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-06-22-Speech-3-025-000"
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".
Mr President, President of the Commission, honourable Members, this is the last occasion I have to address this House on behalf of the Council in a plenary debate.
I have been personally involved in fascinating talks with many members of this House. I take this opportunity to thank you all sincerely for this experience. As a Parliament-friendly Presidency, we hope that the results which have brought us to the verge of agreement will not be wasted. The financial markets, European business and, most importantly, our fellow European citizens, expect us to show responsibility and decide and act against indebtedness – the chief predicament of our economies. Finally, we know too that the issue of Greece will be also on the agenda of the European Council.
Let me now turn to Justice and Home Affairs. The European Council will address strategic issues relating to asylum, migration and Schengen; building on the conclusions adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of 9 June 2011.
In the light of recent developments, the European Council will discuss ideas and provide more political guidance and cooperation in the Schengen area. It will also discuss ideas as regards a possible safeguard mechanism. But let me stress that the good functioning of Schengen requires Member States to fully implement the rules and thus enhance mutual trust among themselves. It also requires an effective and updated monitoring and evaluation system.
Let me touch upon the free movement of persons. It belongs to a different chapter of the
than Schengen, yet they are inextricably linked. Both belong to the most visible and popular achievements of European integration. The Member States are aware of this and fully intend to safeguard them. The logic behind Schengen is unchanged: ever more efficient management of the external border is the precondition for travelling without border controls within the Schengen zone.
As you know, there have been intensive negotiations on the Frontex Amending Regulation. We have in Frontex a European tool
which is essential for controlling our external borders. The Presidency welcomes the positive result of the most recent trialogue meeting. Member States are discussing the results this afternoon and we are optimistic that an agreement can be reached in time for the European Council.
Regarding the European Asylum policy: recent developments have put this under strain. Safe and efficient asylum procedures are required for people in need of protection. It is therefore crucial for the Common European Asylum System to be completed by 2012 – a system based on high protection standards combined with fair and effective procedures capable of preventing abuse and allowing for rapid examination of asylum applications in order to ensure its sustainability.
The European Council will also review the progress on the preparation of the plans for capacity development to manage migration flows and refugee flows. The objective must be to address the root causes of irregular migration. To that end, partnerships will be developed with Southern Neighbourhood countries. As a first step, a wide-ranging structured dialogue on migration, mobility and security will be established with those countries, with the aim of securing tangible benefits for them as well as for the EU.
Let me now say some words on Croatia. Closing the accession negotiations with Croatia was listed among the top priorities of our Presidency. As a result of the tremendous efforts made by Croatia, the Commission and the Presidency with the essential support of this House – for which it deserves immense credit – the European Council will call for the conclusion of the accession negotiations with Croatia by the end of June 2011. The signing of the Accession Treaty before the end of the year is being envisaged.
These developments bring a new momentum to the European perspective of the Western Balkans. The European Council will return to this matter at its December 2011 meeting. In this context, it is expected to welcome the arrest of General Mladić and his transfer to The Hague. Serbia has taken a giant step towards EU accession.
Regarding the Southern Neighbourhood: the European Council is expected to endorse the new approach to relations with the EU neighbours which was agreed at Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council. Given the serious developments in parts of the Union’s southern neighbourhood, the European Council is also expected to adopt a declaration on recent events in the region.
In January, we promised to run a Parliament-friendly Presidency. Aware of the consequences of the Lisbon Treaty, we realised that close cooperation with the European Parliament and its members would be essential for the success of any Presidency in the future. The European public looks to the EU for results, without bothering too much with distinguishing between Parliament, Commission and Council. And they are right in doing so. We have a common responsibility and therefore our success or failure is shared.
Among other issues, let me inform you that the European Council is expected to appoint Mario Draghi as the next Governor of the European Central Bank on whom this house takes a vote.
Last but not least, the European Council is likely to endorse the EU Strategy for the Danube Region and the EU Framework of National Roma Integration Strategies, thus realising two further priorities of the Hungarian Presidency.
The Danube Strategy is designed to enhance opportunities for an entire region that embraces a diversity of Member States and third countries in the Western Balkans – nations, peoples and communities alike. With the EU Framework of National Roma Integration Strategies, we will tackle the plight of the Roma people for the first time at European level and turn it into an opportunity for all of us.
A special thanks to this House for producing such an excellent report – the Járóka report – and the decision, which was an excellent base for our work in the Council. Europe thus will show that, in the words of Prime Minister Orbán, it ‘has a heart and not only a brain’.
Mr President, President of the Commission, honourable Members, the Hungarian Presidency chose ‘Strong Europe’ as a motto. Let me express hope that you will agree with the judgment of President Buzek, who recently said ‘after the Hungarian Presidency Europe will be stronger and better’.
Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for your cooperation in the last six months.
The forthcoming European Council marks the end of the Hungarian Presidency. Therefore, this debate is a golden opportunity to give an account of what it has achieved on a number of dossiers, in close cooperation with this House.
Let me start with economic policy. The European Council will bring the first European Semester to a conclusion. It brings together in one policy cycle the two arms of economic recovery: financial stability that is based on fiscal consolidation, reflected in stability and convergence programmes, and structural reforms for a smart, sustainable, socially-inclusive and job-creating growth. Thanks to the excellent cooperation between Commission, Council and Member States in handling national reform programmes and recommendations, the first European Semester has lasted a semester, and not a day longer.
The European Council will be invited to endorse the country-specific recommendations approved by the Council, which should be reflected by all Member States in their national decisions as regards their budgets and structural reforms. Even in the trialogue negotiations, we included a reference to the European semester so that Parliament could be duly informed of these developments.
Regarding the Euro Plus Pact, most of the Member States participating have presented commitments amounting to more than a hundred separate measures in total. Those commitments are a good step towards achieving the objectives of the Pact, which must now be implemented at the national level.
However, the degree of ambition and precision of these initial commitments is uneven. In preparing their next commitments, Member States will ensure a broader scope, a more concrete approach and a higher degree of ambition.
Allow me now to turn to the six legislative proposals on economic governance, called the ‘six-pack’ in our common jargon. I will not go into detail as it is on the plenary agenda in its own right. Let me just remind you that the Hungarian Presidency was given a mandate by the European Council to reach political agreement with Parliament by the end of June. After the adoption of a general approach by the Council in March, we got down to business immediately, engaging in intense trialogue negotiations with Parliament and the Commission.
The three institutions have done immense work. The initial position of Parliament carried approximately 2 000 amendments. By now, we have managed to reduce the outstanding issues to one single major issue and some technicalities. I am convinced that the text we have on the table now is stronger and more suited to preventing future crises. We will inform the President of the European Council accordingly, thus reporting back to the body which gave us this mission."@en1
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