Brussels, 03/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 3 July, MEPs described the outcome of the Danish Presidency as mixed, welcoming progress in some areas, like the energy efficiency directive, but unhappy about how Schengen area matters had been managed.
The Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning Schmidt, said that her country had tried to make progress one step at a time to build Europe based on solidarity, adding that the Danish Presidency had always worked to achieve more Europe, rather than less.
Thorning-Schmidt listed the progress achieved on each point over the six months of the presidency, saying that adoption of the growth and jobs pact, although it does not solve everything, meant there is light at the end of the tunnel for Europe in the current crisis, and it was time now to put the pact into practice. She explained that progress had been made to get Europe to become more dynamic, like measures on research and education, strengthening the single market with the historic compromise on the European patent, lower roaming charges and agreement on risk-capital. To make Europe more responsible, the Danish prime minister said that the Presidency had worked on budget discipline with important measures like agreement at the Council of Ministers on the two items of legislation adjusting the stability and growth pact (which is currently being negotiated by the EU institutions). Thorning-Schmidt said that progress had also been made on the green economy, which had been a top priority for the Danes. Serbia had become an official EU candidate country and negotiations are about to start with Montenegro.
Progress on the green economy and budget negotiations. The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, congratulated the Danish Presidency for its huge efforts to ensure a stable Europe in these difficult times, and its work on growth and protecting the environment. Praising the work on the upcoming multiannual financial framework (MFF), he regretted that the negotiating box did not contain everything that will be required. Progress on the MFF was also hailed by the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, who said he was very optimistic that the matter could be solved by the end of the year although he had been sceptical at first. There is now a mood of close cooperation and trust that has led to remarkable progress, he said. Lambert van Nistelrooij (EPP, the Netherlands) said the shortfalls in connection with the powers of the EP were being negotiated in terms of the EU budget.
Dan Jorgensen (S&D, Denmark) welcomed tangible progress that would have a positive impact on people in Europe, while Arturs Krisjanis Karins (EPP, Latvia) was pleased that the Danish Presidency had made progress in areas out of the public eye that could easily have been overlooked in the current crisis. Echoing the leader of the S&D Group, Hannes Swoboda of Austria, he praised the work on energy (imports from outside the EU, energy efficiency and “green jobs). British eurosceptic Martin Callanan praised Denmark for burying the financial transaction tax, refusing to start negotiating the pregnant worker directive and ensuring tight control of the EU (as a net contributor).
No progress on Schengen. The presidents of the EU and the Commission and a number of MEPs criticised the Council of Ministers' decision about management of the Schengen Area of Free Circulation of Individuals. Barroso said a Schengen assessment mechanism was needed with a strong EU dimension and the Commission could not go along with the end result. Schulz said the decision could not be accepted by the Parliament and was one of the big controversial areas of the Danish Presidency. The problem, he said, had not been Denmark as such, but the Council of Ministers chaired by Denmark, which had taken a highly provocative stand.
Other areas of criticism included measures to stimulate growth and the agreement on the European patent. Søren Bo Søndergaard (GUE, Denmark) said that the growth pact was a sticking plaster on a wooden leg and the promises of economic growth had not been kept.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (ALDE, Germany) and Raffaele Baldassarre (EPP, Italy) criticised the patents agreement and the way the Council of Ministers had amended it. Daniël van der Stoep (NI, the Netherlands) said 2012 was the sign of the failure of Europe and the failure of the euro. (CG/transl.fl)