Brussels, 31/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Promoting economic growth, improving the EU's energy, food and military security and defending Europe's openness will be the three main priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of this year, according to the work programme adopted by the government in Warsaw on Tuesday 31 May.
A European budget for growth, completing the internal market. The Polish Presidency will seek to foster economic growth by further developing the internal market, including the electronic market, by making greater use of the EU budget to build a competitive Europe, the programme states. After strengthening economic governance, “it is the time to introduce a new model of economic growth, one that will allow the Union to secure an appropriate level of economic development for the coming decades and guarantee the well-being of EU citizens”, Poland says. It adds: “If Europe is to be competitive on the global scale, it must not concentrate solely on public finance and limiting budget deficits. Additional action is required”. For Poland, the new EU multiannual framework (2014-2020) - on which negotiations will be launched under Polish Presidency - should be designed in such a way that it serves as a proactive instrument to support sustainable economic growth in Europe. “The new EU budget should be an investment tool serving the implementation of the 'EUROPE 2020' strategy”, says the Polish government. At the same time, cohesion policy should remain “a key policy of the Union”, it states. Reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) “will be another important issue” for the Polish Presidency. “Completing the single market” in order to make full use of its potential will be another task the Presidency is ready to take on, including in the areas of electronic services and eCommerce. The Presidency wants to begin work on better harmonising national eCommerce rules in order to make it easier to carry out transactions by internet. It intends also to improve conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises, including access to capital.
Improving “security” in Europe in energy, food and military terms. The Polish Presidency intends to lay the foundations of an “external energy policy” for the EU. “The Polish government is confident that the position of the EU in relation to major producers, consumers and transit states of energy resources can be made considerably stronger”, the work programme of the incoming Presidency states. The reform of the CAP will increase Europe's food security, the Polish government goes on to say. The new CAP, it says, should remain market-oriented, while taking account of public common goods, including food security and rural development. Lastly, the Polish Presidency intends to work on the security of the EU's external borders. It will seek to make Frontex more effective in supporting member states in times of crisis, such as currently in North Africa and the Middle East. On the military level, one of the Presidency's objectives will be to enhance the EU's military and civil capability. The direct EU-NATO dialogue should be “consolidated”, Poland says.
“Europe benefitting from openness”. The forthcoming Polish Presidency will support the EU's external and security policy, including pursuit of the enlargement process (the aim is to conclude accession negotiations with Croatia and to sign the treaty of accession) and the strengthening of links with neighbourhood countries. With regard to the countries of the Eastern Partnership, Poland wants to take forward talks on association agreements and free-trade agreements. It is aiming even to finalise negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, if this is at all possible. It hopes that “key political decisions” on visa liberalisation with neighbouring states to the east will be taken at the Eastern Partnership summit scheduled to take place in Warsaw in September. Poland is hoping, too, that negotiations on a new partnership agreement with Russia can be completed before the end of the year. With regard to southern neighbourhood states, Poland will continue to pursue and support EU efforts to help the transitions to democracy and the socio-economic reforms taking place. In this context, the Polish government will keep a careful eye on respect for the rights of minorities, “including Christians”, in these countries. It believes that more must be done to prevent discrimination of this sort. (H.B./transl.rt)