Commissievoorzitter Barroso spreekt EP toe over prioriteiten Spaans voorzitterschap (es/en)

José Manuel Durão Barroso

President of the European Commission

Debate on the priorities of the Spanish Presidency

European Parliament

Strasbourg , 20 January 2010

Estos próximos seis meses van a tener a España como Presidencia de turno del Consejo: un país con una gran tradición y compromiso europeístas, presentes tanto en su gobierno como en todas sus fuerzas políticas y su opinión pública, y con un Presidente de gobierno, José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero, cuyas credenciale s europeas son incuestionables.

Los motores institucionales del proyecto europeo estarán en pleno funcionamiento en cuanto el voto de confianza de este Parlamento a la nueva Comisión de a estas dos instituciones una base fuerte y sólida para avanzar con una agenda política ambiciosa. Espero que este voto intervenga muy pronto.

Me gustaría, antes que nada, reafirmar en este momento tan trágico para Haití, nuestra más completa solidaridad y voluntad de ayuda hacia su pueblo y hacia todas las victimas del terremoto.

El terremoto devastador ha estado presente en nuestras mentes desde el pasado 12 de Enero y los esfuerzos para aportar toda la asistencia posible se desplegaron desde el primer momento.

Hasta este momento, la Comisión esta dispuesta a movilizar 130 millones de euros, y el total del esfuerzo de la Unión europea en asistencia inmediata, incluyendo el de los Estados miembros, representa un total de 222 millones de euros, sin contar la asistencia en protección civil. La Comisión podría movilizar 200 millones de euros más en calidad de ayuda a más largo plazo.

Puedo asegurar que la Comisión y la Unión Europea están demostrando con hechos los valores y principios de la solidaridad europea.

Haití es un país del Caribe. En este contexto, me gustaría subrayar que durante este semestre de Presidencia española del Consejo, en materia de relaciones exteriores, tenemos un programa muy ambicioso. Y quiero notar en particular la prioridad de la Presidencia española hacia America Latina y el Caribe. Estoy seguro de poder contar con la vocación especial de España para que la cumbre que se celebrará en Madrid en el próximo mes de Mayo con los países de Latino America y Caribe sea un éxito.

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Let me now turn to the policy priorities for the weeks and months.

Everything points in the direction of determined and united European action. The failed attack on the aircraft at Detroit was a reminder that we need to act together if we are to face up to the threats to security. Copenhagen was a reminder that the global community does not automatically share Europe's level of ambition: as we have been doing in the G20 we need to keep on driving a positive and forward-looking international process.

We all know that the European economy is at a delicate moment. Determined action has succeeded in preventing the worst. But we still face the risk that unemployment will continue to rise. And we need to make the judgement about when to switch the focus to restoring our public finances.

At the same time, we must learn from the crisis. We fully realised that globalisation is a reality and that we need to use it to our advantage. We demonstrated that our social protection systems have been able to respond to exceptional circumstances and by providing new safety nets. But we also saw the clear limits for Member States acting alone. And we saw that coordinated European Union action not only brought results for Europe, but also triggered an unprecedented global response by the G20.

Now we have to shape the right future for Europe, for its economy and its society. The challenges we were facing before the crisis are still there, if anything they were reinforced: how to cope with the consequences of ageing, how to remain competitive in a global world, how to secure the transition to a more sustainable economy, just to mention a few. But I am confident by nature: an economy rebuilding its strengths has a real chance to redirect its energies. A society which has proved robust in the face of economic crisis is one that can build for the future with confidence. And a European economic system whose resilience flows from its single market, its competition rules and the euro will now need these assets as the drivers for recovery.

I see the next six months as a springboard, a springboard to set the goals I've presented in my political guidelines and which we debated last autumn. And, as importantly, the path to achieve those goals.

This will constitute the "Europe 2020" strategy. We need a fundamental reworking of our economy to meet the challenges of the future. To agree on a transformation agenda, with the European Parliament, with Member States, with societies at large. To offer a clear direction towards a competitive, innovative, sustainable, socially inclusive market economy, able to prosper in the global marketplace.

"Europe 2020" must offer both a mid-term vision and short-term action. The more we can shape our immediate measures to put us on the road to our longer-term objectives, the more we will have a head start to future growth.

The renewed Lisbon strategy was able to build an understanding of how structural reform feeds directly into growth and jobs. But the crisis has wiped out many of the gains and we still lag well behind our competitors on our research effort, our investment in education, our share of high tech.

We must now use the "Europe 2020" strategy to create new sources of growth. To unleash the potential of the internal market to drive our economy forward.

That means using knowledge and creativity to generate real value in our economies, unlocking innovation and promoting its market uptake.

It means empowering people for the future with the right skills and with a labour market ready to seize the opportunities for job creation; and targeting action on the big problems, like youth unemployment.

It is obvious that we are facing now an emergency situation from a social and unemployment point of view. This requires a strong focus from the European Union. We need to define together actions at EU level to complement national actions with positive social impact.

It also means an economy shaped for the future - a sustainable and resource efficient economy - as well as productive and innovative. Europe's huge industrial assets need to be re-directed to seizing the first mover advantage in tomorrow's markets. But Europe must be able to retain a solid, modern and competitive industrial base. And of course we must complete our reform of financial markets to put them back at the service of the economy.

This also includes our SME-friendly approach. SMEs are those which can create more jobs in the EU and it is a service that we do to them if we reduce administrative burdens and apply a better smart regulation approach.

In our interconnected economies, we all have an interest in what is happening - at national and European Union level, from one Member State to the next. So "Europe 2020" must bring with it stronger co-ordination mechanisms, a common vision, and an effective, European leadership. This will be one of the distinctive features of "Europe 2020": reinforced co-ordination of economic policies in which the Commission will make full use of the new possibilities given by the Treaty, including those concerning the euro area.

This is the vision I would like to debate with you in the coming weeks. Because one thing we have learnt from the Lisbon strategy is that a European economic strategy needs the full commitment of the European political community. Let's be clear: in the past, some national politicians have resisted stronger mechanisms of governance within the Lisbon strategy. I hope that following the lessons of interdependence not only at global, but also at European level given by the crisis, all European Union governments will now recognise the need for full ownership of "Europe 2020" and for a truly coordinated and coherent action in economic policy, as foreseen in Articles 120 and 121 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Finally, let me add that I see "Europe 2020" also as a way to bring confidence and hope for our citizens. We must not hide that Europe, as most of the developed world, will go through a long period of slow growth if we remain inactive. The phase of "getting worst before getting better" is behind us, but the getting better will be slow. Our citizens, be they households or entrepreneurs should feel that the European Union is part of the solution to their difficulties and anxieties. "Europe 2020" is, for me, also a response to this.

I welcome the initiative to hold an informal European Council on 11 February to have a first discussion. I also think it crucial to find opportunities to discuss these issues with this House, both before and after the Commission presents its outline for "Europe 2020", as soon as it is in functions.

I have focused today on the economic agenda because I see this as our number one priority.

But of course this does not exhaust our agenda. The challenges of the next weeks and months are manifold. Let me just mention of many examples: the follow up of the Copenhagen conference on climate change. While we need some time to collectively reflect on the right strategic orientations for the future of the international process, we should not lower our ambition regarding commitments already taken by the European Union.

We should also intensify our efforts namely through our internal policies of promoting the upgrading and modernisation of the industrial base of our economy, the innovation and the development of new clean technologies, also by putting this matter at the top of our transformational agenda.

This is how to make the best case for the European Union on the global stage: a European Union ready for action, with a clear vision for the future and a determination to get there. The more we are united and effective at home, the more our case will win through internationally.

I am very much looking forward to working with this Parliament to help make the Spanish Presidency of the Council a success, and to ensure that the next six months puts us on the road to realising our common ambitions for Europe.