Brussels, 04/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she was pleased that the Franco-German proposal for a “Competitiveness Pact” had been accepted “in principle” by all the member states. “There is agreement in the European Council on a Competitiveness Pact, even though we have not yet spoken about the fine detail”, which will be discussed - and probably agreed - at the informal summit of euro area heads of state and government due to be held at the start of March (but “not before 9 March” when the new Irish government, after the elections on 25 February, will be in the process of being formed), Merkel told press after the European Council. Then, once the 17 euro area countries have agreed on “one, two, three or four” objectives which will be rooted in the Pact, the other, non-euro area, member states will be able to decide for themselves whether or not to join, on condition, of course, that they share and respect the objectives agreed by the 17, she explained. There is now “broad consensus” on the Competitiveness Pact, and the details will be sorted out later, she said in summary. She did not want to indicate the precise objectives she would like to see included in the Pact. German ideas carried in the press over recent days, such as harmonisation of an older retirement age and an end to index-linking of wages (measures opposed by several member stares, see related article) “were no more than examples. Everything is up for discussion, nothing has been decided”, she stressed.
One thing is certain, the chancellor made clear: the Competiveness Pact will not involve “any transfer of sovereignty to Europe”. “It will simply be a matter of coordinating (economic policies) among member states - intergovernmental cooperation, without any transfer of power” to the EU, she insisted. (H.B./transl.rt)