Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
We will deliver a very clear message: we want Greece staying in the Eurozone.
But at the same time, we are saying also, respecting the commitments they made in the past.
What matters most is long-term sustainable growth.
By using more public money you can create growth. I don’t believe this at all.
The real growth agenda that means increase the capital of the European Investment Bank, that’s about project bonds...
We will be against those measures that will impose taxes or burdens on our economy.
Improve SME financing, to strength entrepreneurship, to reduce regulatory burdens,
to make product markets and labour market working better.
We are a political party which sees economy in a very responsible way,
so there’s no room for populism.
At the May summit of the European People’s Party, leaders adopted a declaration reaffirming their commitment…
…to overcome the current economic difficulties and to restore confidence in the European economy.
Growth will come from sound public finances –we cannot relax our efforts of fiscal consolidation-,
structural reforms –so that Europe becomes more competitive- and also some targeted investment.
I think there is some kind of artificial contradiction between growth and austerity because in fact we need both…
…and once a country is in a situation where it has lost confidence in financial markets,
that country has to do the adjustments to regain the confidence because financial stability is precondition…
…for economic growth.
The situation has changed in a way that now we are not that much talking about the banking crisis but we are talking about debt crisis.
I would like to share this growth-austerity type of thinking by saying that we have lowered some taxes…
…in order to encourage small and medium size businesses to invest more money to R&D…
…and at the same time we have cut our budget;
so the combination is a responsible way to create growth and jobs.
Growth should put stress mostly on jobs; more on jobs than on just GDP,
because when people are employed –young or less young-,
they bring their talents, their… creativity, to the market.
EPP is a growth party. We have been working pro-growth policies over the years…
…and you can see that many of the EPP countries are the ones with the best growth numbers.
Indeed, growth is not a new priority for the EPP.
It is a target they have been focused on since the outbreak of the crisis in 2008…
…and they have already taken steps towards fiscal policy sustainability.
This preparatory meeting gave heads of State and government the opportunity…
…to openly discuss ideas and to share the benefits of their experiences in their different countries.
For me, as leader from Ireland, I see real opportunity, as we've said before,
in terms of the Single Market that Europe should be the engine for development of world trade;
opportunities to be more competitive, reduce cost of businesses, cut off red tape,
being the global hub for research and innovation with so much potential for job creation;
the use of the facility of the ESM, in terms of possibilities of a direct injection into banks assisting sovereigns having to borrow.
These are all areas for discussion.
Prime Minister Gonzi spoke of Malta’s success story, where at around 5%, unemployment is amongst the lowest…
…in the 27 EU member States.
The reason for our success was based in the training of our workers and…
…preparing them for the changes in the market places that are taking place so fast.
So we will be emphasising, wherever possible, the importance on education,
the importance on efficiency, the importance on removal of bureaucracy, the strength of the Internal Market…
…and the opening up of the Internal Market, even more than it has been so far.
I think it is… unwise at this point in time, to introduce any new tax structures into the operation.
On the contrary, we should become a more competitive European economy for us to win in the global market.
You can read the full version of the EPP’s proposals on their website at www.epp.eu
Concrete decisions will be taken at the European Council on the 28 and 29 of June.