Brussels, 19/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - Despite the desire of the Social Democrats to delay voting, on Tuesday 19 April, the European Parliament (EP) economic and monetary affairs committee approved the six texts which make up the legislative package aiming to strengthen economic governance in Europe. This is the first time that MEPs have been joint legislators on this key issue, which is central to the European response to the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone. The position set out by MEPs, to which EUROPE will return, will serve as a mandate for each of the six rapporteurs in inter-institutional negotiations which begin this Wednesday with the Hungarian Presidency.
On behalf of the S&D Group, Udo Bullmann (Germany) said that the compromises among the political groups required further development, though some last minute progress had been made. He called for the vote to be postponed until the EP was in a position to be able to “speak with one voice”. It would be scandalous if the EP position was “weak” against the Council, he said. Jean-Paul Gauzès (EPP, France), on the other hand, indicated that his group was in favour of holding the vote. He said the Council had already done a great deal of work on this issue: it was, then, up to the EP to have its voice heard “swiftly” so that citizens understand the role it has to play. In mid-March, the Council reached political agreement on the economic governance package (see EUROPE 10337). The European Council set a target of having the legislative package formally adopted by June.
The start of voting was disturbed by whistles by demonstrators who were quickly removed. Around the EP, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) had organised a demonstration against the austerity measures advocated at European level. The GUE/NGL Group said it would reject en masse the economic governance package. “With this package, the EU is forcing citizens to pay the costs of the crisis, after having raised billions of euro to save the very banking system that caused it”, it said in a press release. Like the S&D Group (see EUROPE 10359), it believed that the measures suggested will bring “economic and social austerity” and will “negatively impact on the already weak recovery in growth” if not accompanied by a “major investment plan”, it warned. (M.B./transl.rt)