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EU leaders agree on anti-crisis package, energy scheme, Egypt position
Source: Xinhua |
February 5, 2011, Saturday
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European Union (EU) leaders have agreed to adopt a comprehensive anti-crisis package in March, complete the 27-nation bloc's internal energy market by 2014, and urge Egypt to immediately begin democratic transition as the first summit of this year concluded in Brussels yesterday.
Apart from reinforcing the current temporary bailout fund and paving way for the permanent replacement, the main elements of the comprehensive package also include an agreement on stronger economic governance, stress tests in the banking sector, the implementation of measures to strengthen budgetary positions and growth prospects in the euro zone as well as existing programs in Greece and Ireland.
"The outlook (of the economic situation in Europe and in the euro zone) has substantially improved... The decisions taken last year are clearly paying off. However, we are aware that there is still a lot of homework to do," Van Rompuy said in the summit's press conference.
"It is not a time for complacencies. We will draw the lessons from the crisis," he said.
Leaders from the euro zone also discussed how to achieve a stronger economic convergence, by working closer together in national policies increasing competitiveness, Van Rompuy said.
The debt crisis, which saw the bailouts of Greece and Ireland and threatened to further sink the euro, has dominated EU summits for a year.
As for the scheduled topic of energy and innovation issues that were somehow eclipsed by the debt crisis and the unrest in Egypt, the EU leaders also pledged to complete the internal energy market and the European Research Area by 2014.
The leaders adopted an energy strategy to complete the internal energy market and diversify its energy supply.
"Safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy contributing to European competitiveness remains a priority for Europe. Action at the EU level can and must bring added value to that objective," the leaders said in a statement.
According to the European Commission, a truly integrated EU energy market could contribute to 0.6-0.8 percent of increase in the bloc's gross domestic product (GDP) and create five million jobs by 2020.
The European Commission's proposal to modernize and expand Europe's energy infrastructure and interconnect networks across borders was also echoed by the leaders.
The leaders stressed that the EU should diversify its routes of supply and sources of energy. The EU imports more than half of its energy supplies, accounting for 2.5 percent of its GDP, with 32 percent of oil imports and 40 percent of gas imports coming from Russia.
The leaders also concluded that innovation could contribute to tackling the most critical societal challenge and that Europe would need a unified research area to attract talent and investment.
"Remaining gaps must therefore be addressed rapidly and the European Research Area completed by 2014 to create a genuine single market for knowledge, research and innovation," the leaders said.
The surge of anti-government demonstrations in Egypt unsurprisingly forced itself onto the top agenda of the one-day informal summit, as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other heavyweight EU leaders, both addressed the situation in Egypt upon their arrivals for the summit. Ashton was also scheduled to visit Egypt and Tunisia soon.
The leaders later issued a declaration on Egypt and the region in the afternoon, urging Egyptian authorities to begin an orderly transition to a broad based government.
"The citizens' democratic aspirations should be addressed through dialogue and political reform with full respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and through free and fair elections," the declaration said.
Egyptian anti-government protesters gathered Friday demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak despite Vice President Omar Suleiman's struggle to open dialogues with opposition parties. Clashes between Mubarak supporters and protesters killed at least three people and wounded some 600 on Wednesday.
"The European Council condemned in the strongest terms the violence and all those who use and encourage violence... The European Council called on the Egyptian authorities to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people with political reform not repression," the declaration said.
The EU called on all parties in Egypt to engage in a meaningful dialogue, adding that it was determined to lend its full support to the transition processes towards democratic governance, pluralism, improved opportunities for economic prosperity and social inclusion, and strengthened regional stability.
Apart from reinforcing the current temporary bailout fund and paving way for the permanent replacement, the main elements of the comprehensive package also include an agreement on stronger economic governance, stress tests in the banking sector, the implementation of measures to strengthen budgetary positions and growth prospects in the euro zone as well as existing programs in Greece and Ireland.
"The outlook (of the economic situation in Europe and in the euro zone) has substantially improved... The decisions taken last year are clearly paying off. However, we are aware that there is still a lot of homework to do," Van Rompuy said in the summit's press conference.
"It is not a time for complacencies. We will draw the lessons from the crisis," he said.
Leaders from the euro zone also discussed how to achieve a stronger economic convergence, by working closer together in national policies increasing competitiveness, Van Rompuy said.
The debt crisis, which saw the bailouts of Greece and Ireland and threatened to further sink the euro, has dominated EU summits for a year.
As for the scheduled topic of energy and innovation issues that were somehow eclipsed by the debt crisis and the unrest in Egypt, the EU leaders also pledged to complete the internal energy market and the European Research Area by 2014.
The leaders adopted an energy strategy to complete the internal energy market and diversify its energy supply.
"Safe, secure, sustainable and affordable energy contributing to European competitiveness remains a priority for Europe. Action at the EU level can and must bring added value to that objective," the leaders said in a statement.
According to the European Commission, a truly integrated EU energy market could contribute to 0.6-0.8 percent of increase in the bloc's gross domestic product (GDP) and create five million jobs by 2020.
The European Commission's proposal to modernize and expand Europe's energy infrastructure and interconnect networks across borders was also echoed by the leaders.
The leaders stressed that the EU should diversify its routes of supply and sources of energy. The EU imports more than half of its energy supplies, accounting for 2.5 percent of its GDP, with 32 percent of oil imports and 40 percent of gas imports coming from Russia.
The leaders also concluded that innovation could contribute to tackling the most critical societal challenge and that Europe would need a unified research area to attract talent and investment.
"Remaining gaps must therefore be addressed rapidly and the European Research Area completed by 2014 to create a genuine single market for knowledge, research and innovation," the leaders said.
The surge of anti-government demonstrations in Egypt unsurprisingly forced itself onto the top agenda of the one-day informal summit, as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other heavyweight EU leaders, both addressed the situation in Egypt upon their arrivals for the summit. Ashton was also scheduled to visit Egypt and Tunisia soon.
The leaders later issued a declaration on Egypt and the region in the afternoon, urging Egyptian authorities to begin an orderly transition to a broad based government.
"The citizens' democratic aspirations should be addressed through dialogue and political reform with full respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms, and through free and fair elections," the declaration said.
Egyptian anti-government protesters gathered Friday demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak despite Vice President Omar Suleiman's struggle to open dialogues with opposition parties. Clashes between Mubarak supporters and protesters killed at least three people and wounded some 600 on Wednesday.
"The European Council condemned in the strongest terms the violence and all those who use and encourage violence... The European Council called on the Egyptian authorities to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people with political reform not repression," the declaration said.
The EU called on all parties in Egypt to engage in a meaningful dialogue, adding that it was determined to lend its full support to the transition processes towards democratic governance, pluralism, improved opportunities for economic prosperity and social inclusion, and strengthened regional stability.
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