Brussels, 13/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Spanish Presidency of the European Council has stated that it wants to put in place “financial inducements” for those member states which apply the new EU economic objectives for after 2010 as part of the new 2020 strategy. The position that Spain will argue to replace the Lisbon Strategy is not about sanctions, but about stimuli, Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs Diego Lopez Garrido told press on Tuesday 12 January. The EU could, then, reward those states which encouraged vocational training by allocating European funding to them, he said, by way of an example. “Discussion has only just begun” and Spain “is not, for the moment, ruling out” binding measures, he added, calling for “as great a consensus as possible”.
These clarifications follow on from criticism by Germany of the idea, launched by José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero on Thursday of last week, of creating a form of “binding” European government on economic issues (see EUROPE 10052).
The new EU 2020 strategy, which will contain a more convergent and coordinated approach to the reform of European economies, will be discussed at the informal meeting of the European Council on 11 February. According to the Barroso II Commission political guidelines, this new strategy will require some immediate and some longer-term action: making a successful exit from the crisis; leading on climate change; developing new sources of sustainable growth and social cohesion; taking forward a people's Europe; and opening a new era for Global Europe. (L.C./transl.rt)