XL - Eiropas Parlaments - Europa

16-02-2011 15
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.
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IN THE CHAIR: JERZY BUZEK
President
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President. − Mr President-in-Office, thank you for your introductory speech. We are talking about a very important issue:
the Europe 2020 Strategy. We are in a crisis and the unemployment rate is very high, which is the biggest threat for our
citizens. Employment policy is therefore absolutely crucial, including under the 2020 Strategy. We welcome the
Commissioner responsible for that area, Mr László Andor, to the European Parliament.
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László Andor, Member of the Commission. − Mr President, as you know, the Commission adopted the first Annual
Growth Survey in connection with the Europe 2020 strategy last month. The Annual Growth Survey makes a break with
the past and sets in motion the first cycle of economic policy coordination under the European Semester.
The main idea behind the European Semester is very simple: to ensure the stability of economic and monetary union, we
have no choice but to carry out ex-ante coordination of economic policies within the EU. The recent debt crisis in some
euro area countries illustrates this all too clearly. This more robust and demanding approach shows that the European
Union recognises how closely interlinked the Member States’ economies are and how policy choices in one Member State
can have an impact on the others.
Managing the European Semester will be a real test for the EU. Strengthening political ownership of the Strategy and local
partnerships has been a key priority for us. The challenge now is to demonstrate that the Union can collectively identify
the key policy reforms most urgently needed and provide the right policy responses.
The Annual Growth Survey is very clear about the top priorities. It sets out an integrated approach to recovery with 10
priority actions under three main headings: first, a rigorous fiscal consolidation and restructuring of the financial sector to
step up macroeconomic stability; second, structural reforms for higher employment; and finally, growth-enhancing
measures.
We have taken good note of your concerns on the key messages of the Annual Growth Survey, to the effect that they may
seem to depart from the Integrated Guidelines. However, I want to be clear on this. The Commission has deliberately
chosen to focus this year’s Annual Growth Survey on the most immediate challenges stemming from the current economic
crisis and on the need to frontload the reforms that are necessary for economic recovery and job creation. The Annual
Growth Survey is fully consistent with the Integrated Guidelines, including the Employment Guidelines.
I welcome Parliament’s support to the Commission’s proposal to maintain the Employment Guidelines unchanged for
2011. Indeed, it is vital to ensure a stable policy framework until the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 Strategy in 2014
for Member States to have enough time to implement the necessary reforms.
The Employment Guidelines also provide the basis for the draft Joint Employment Report (part of the Annual Growth
Survey), which identifies the most urgent measures in the area of employment, including: first, introducing employmentfriendly
taxation systems, namely by shifting taxes away from labour; second, reducing labour market segmentation; third,
removing barriers to balancing private and work life; fourth, supporting unemployed people, through high-quality training
and job search services, to get back into work and go into self-employment; and finally, increasing the participation of
older workers in labour markets.
More importantly, the Employment Guidelines will form the basis for possible country-specific recommendations which
the Council may address to Member States on the basis of Article 148 of the Treaty.