Interview Commissievoorzitter Barroso: Europa is goed op weg (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Hongaars voorzitterschap Europese Unie 1e helft 2011 i, gepubliceerd op zondag 8 mei 2011.

During the Hungarian Presidency, important steps have been taken to build a stronger European economy, said José Manuel Barroso i in an interview given to eu2011.hu, on the occasion of the 9 May Europe Day. The President of the European Commission was looking forward to welcoming Croatia in the EU and to seeing the Presidency's report on the Roma strategy. Regarding the future of energy policy, he confirmed the Commission did not promote nuclear, and it was up to the Member States to decide on their energy mix.

Hungary has been presiding over the EU Council for more than four months now. How would you evaluate the term of the Hungarian Presidency so far?

Europe has taken important steps forward during this Presidency, drawing lessons from the economic crisis and building a stronger European economy for the future. The biggest step has been the swift and substantial progress on the six legislative proposals on economic governance. Once this package is formally agreed, the euro area will have strong economic and budgetary coordination to complement the single monetary policy in place since 1999. The Economic and Monetary Union will finally walk on both legs.

Let me mention four other important initiatives on which there has been real progress. Firstly, agreement was reached to use the enhanced cooperation procedure to create a common EU patent. Politically, this was a difficult decision. But I am convinced that it will pave the way to more cost-effective protection of intellectual property in Europe, helping to make our continent more innovation-friendly.

Secondly, decisions have been taken to modernise the EU's energy infrastructure, an absolute prerequisite for improving our competitiveness. Thirdly, the finalisation of the Regulation on the Citizens' Initiative will help to engage people in European decision-making as never before. And finally, the agreement on the Directive on Patients' Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare will help our citizens to understand how to go about getting medical treatment in another Member State.

Strategy on Roma inclusion, enlargement, neighbourhood policy. What can be achieved in these priority fields of the Hungarian Presidency during this term?

We have taken a big step forward under the Hungarian Presidency as regards the Roma strategy, with the setting up of an EU Framework on National Roma Integration Strategies for the period to 2020. I am looking forward to seeing the report on this that the Presidency will submit to the June European Council.

Regarding our Neighbourhood Policy, Hungary has continued during its Presidency to press for deeper relations with our eastern neighbours. The countries of this region should seize the opportunity to accelerate domestic reforms which will help to bring them closer to the EU. In the case of Ukraine, I am pleased that there has been good progress in the talks on an ambitious new Association Agreement.

On enlargement, there has been progress particularly as regards Croatia. I would like to make very clear that the Commission is looking forward to welcoming Croatia as the 28th EU Member State. Its EU accession is in sight, but a final effort is needed.

As I reiterated during my recent visit to the Western Balkans, the EU will deliver on its commitments to candidate and potential candidate countries, provided they in turn fulfil their reform obligations. Ultimately, it is for the leaders of these countries and their citizens to determine the pace and timing of their European future.

You have mentioned the measures adopted to create a stronger European economy which is also a priority of the Presidency. Do you think Europe is now on the right track, and that the economic crisis is overcome?

I sincerely believe that Europe is now on the right track - though the effects of the crisis will, unfortunately, be felt by many citizens and businesses around Europe for some time yet. The Commission is now predicting GDP growth of 1.8% for the EU this year, which is an upward revision compared to our autumn forecast. And the role of domestic demand in sustaining the recovery looks set to increase, which will help to make growth more balanced and sustainable.

The picture on unemployment is more mixed. While it has been falling in some countries, in others it remains unacceptably high. We are playing our part in addressing this by pressing our Member States to improve their competitiveness, modernise their labour markets and fix their public finances. That is the only way boost employment sustainably.

Is the EU now better equipped compared with the past when faced with new crises?

Yes. I am convinced that we have learned the lessons of this crisis. We have understood how interdependent our economies are. Today, it is not only the so-called 'federalists' who are calling for stronger economic governance; it is also the markets. And we are delivering that.

What recently adopted measures would you highlight in this respect?

From now on, the first six months of each year will see intensive policy coordination between the EU Institutions and the Member States on growth-enhancing economic reforms and fiscal consolidation. This is what we call the European Semester. The first one got underway in January, when the Commission presented its very first Annual Growth Survey.

Furthermore, once our new economic governance is in place, we will have better tools to ensure that Member States maintain sound public finances - and to address macro-economic imbalances and divergences in competitiveness within Europe.

Think of financial regulation also. Two years ago, most people would have thought it impossible to have a unanimous agreement amongst Member States on an EU supervisory architecture for the financial sector. Since 1 January we have had one, with strong regulatory authorities to oversee markets, banks and insurers.

And last but not least, we have the financial backstops to help out euro area countries in need, as has been the case of Greece, Ireland and now Portugal. The temporary mechanisms we have put in place will be replaced from 1 July, 2013 by the permanent European Stability Mechanism, which will have an effective lending capacity of €500bn - available only on the basis of strict conditionality.

Following the adoption of a specific Euro pact for a group of countries, don't you sense a certain division is starting in Europe, towards a two-tier Union?

The Euro+ Pact has been agreed among the euro area countries, but it is open to all Member States that wish to take part - and in fact, six non-euro area countries have signed up. The Pact in no way undermines or lessens the commitments made by the EU as a whole to structural reforms or to fiscal consolidation. It supplements and complements them.

Now, if the "Euro+ Pact" had excluded non-euro area Member States, or been established as a purely intergovernmental agreement, then I would have had concerns. But fortunately we were able to ensure that this was not the case. Instead, the Pact states clearly that it will strengthen the existing economic governance in the EU - and that the Commission will have a strong central role in monitoring the implementation of commitments made.

What do you think of Hungary's choice not to join the Euro+ pact?

The Euro+ Pact is an expression of political will, not a legal obligation. Hungary has opted not to join and I respect this choice.

The new treaties of the European Union have been in effect for almost one year and a half. Do you think the innovations brought about by the Lisbon Treaty proved to be useful?

Our response to the economic crisis is a good example of the usefulness of the Lisbon Treaty. We can now take decisions more quickly and with greater democratic scrutiny. The Treaty also puts citizens at the centre of the European project: the EU is better equipped to meet people's expectations in the fields of energy, climate change, cross-border crime and migration. And we are better placed to defend Europe's interests on the global stage.

There has been much debate on the new Lisbon configuration. To what extent has your role changed?

The enhanced role of the Commission in several areas, such as the economy, justice and home affairs, and the external dimension, has of course also impacted on the role of its president, while the political developments in the EU have also been significant for the evolution of my role over the past six years.

The new roles of European Council President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who is also Vice-President of the Commission, as well as and the increased powers of the European Parliament have also created a new institutional dynamic.

I believe that these changes strengthen the position of the Commission within a more stable and coherent system. But I was keen to further increase the accountability of the Commission and clarify our role to European citizens. That is why I proposed that I should take part in a regular ‘Question Hour’ in the European Parliament. It is also why I initiated an annual ‘State of the Union’ address at the Parliament each September, to present our priorities directly to Europe’s elected representatives and to demonstrate our willingness to engage first hand in a political debate on those priorities.

One of the main priorities of the Presidency and a very pressing issue for Europe to face is energy security. The situation at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant has made several governments rethink their position on the use of atomic energy. How will the recent events affect the Union’s energy policy?

First of all, we did not only start to care about the security of nuclear plants following the Fukushima accident. Nonetheless, it was decided in March that the Commission would prepare stress tests for European nuclear plants, together with Member States and national regulators. We need safety guarantees in case of technical failures, and contingency plans in case all systems fail. We will carry out a stringent risk and safety assessment this year of all EU nuclear facilities and will press for similar commitments from other countries, working through the International Atomic Energy Agency and the G-20.

How can diversification and emission objectives be achieved, should EU member states decide to reduce their exposure to nuclear energy?

Nuclear power currently provides around 30% of the EU's electricity, but that situation differs widely from country to country. The Commission does not promote nuclear: it is for Member States to decide on their overall energy mix and whether this should include nuclear.

We are working hard to diversify and improve the security of Europe's energy supply. We are doing this through a multi-faceted approach: promoting renewables, taking steps to increase energy efficiency, modernising and interconnecting our energy infrastructures. All of this is in the framework of our commitment to cut emissions by 20% by 2020 - or by 30%, provided our global partners also show the same level of ambition.