Brussels, 17/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 17 December, the Irish minister for foreign affairs and trade, Eamon Gilmore, and the minister for European affairs, Lucinda Creighton, presented their ambitions for the seventh Irish presidency of the EU (1 January - 30 June 2013) - the presidency of “a recovery country driving recovery in Europe”. Ireland, the first country under an aid programme to take on the presidency of the EU, wants to use its national experience at the European level. Creighton said that they intended to focus on the substance rather than the ceremony and spectacle, and that they wanted to produce tangible results.
The priorities of this presidency are clear - securing stability and ensuring that this leads to growth and jobs. The presidency considers that they must establish in the EU what they have accepted, they must develop their governance, invest in growth and job creation, develop the single market for the future, and renew commitment with external partners.
Ireland wants a recovery centred on people that is conceived to last. The presidency would also like to make progress on banking union and to develop financial regulation, coupled with improved economic coordination, through the process of the European semester - the good management of which will, according to Gilmore, be the main challenge. Gilmore said that they would work towards the re-establishment of growth of the eurozone and euro. He said that Ireland was going to pursue the progress obtained concerning the banking supervision mechanism, and to work on the deposit guarantee or the possibility of recapitalising banks directly. The presidency also considers that jobs - particularly those of young people - are a matter of urgency, when 26 million young Europeans are unemployed. The packages on jobs for young people and social investment, and securing an agreement on decisions in the areas of health with the Health for Growth programme, of mobility (for example the recognition of professional qualifications) and of education with Erasmus for All are also at the centre of the Irish programme.
Ireland also honours investment in growth which supports jobs, and investment the EU's resources. An agreement must be found under the Irish presidency concerning the multiannual financial framework, which must also be approved by the Parliament. Gilmore said that they wanted to obtain an agreement at the beginning of the year and that they were going to help the president of the Council, Herman Van Rompuy, in every way possible. He is aware, however, that a consensus will be difficult, as the positions of the member states are so different. The presidency will work with the European Parliament on the 67 pieces of legislation linked to this budget. It will also lead work in key areas such as the reform of the common agricultural policy or Horizon 2020. In addition, the presidency wants to focus its works on Europe's potential in natural resources on the land and also at the sea (blue growth) and also to focus its work on the green agenda.
The development of the single market is another of the presidency's priorities. The country that hosts large businesses, such as Google or Facebook, also wants to develop the digital economy - particularly as regards data protection. Creighton warned that data protection is one of the most difficult files because it is an enormous task. Cyber-security, the e-signature, the use of broadband and internet access will also be at the centre of the presidency's work. The digital assembly in Dublin in June will be the biggest event of the presidency. The accent will be put on small and medium-sized enterprises, with the objective of improving their access to credit, reducing the burden of red tape, developing public tender opportunities and their competitiveness with the COSME programme (Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs), and dealing with intellectual property and research funds.
Eire, a very outward-looking country, would like to make the EU this way too and wants to develop a win-win commitment with its partners. The presidency wants to develop trade outside Europe, with free trade agreements - particularly with the United States. In Gilmore's view, free trade agreements with Japan, Singapore, Canada and the United States would enable European growth to improve by 2%.
Ireland also wants to invest in enlargement, making progress in the accession negotiations with Iceland and Montenegro, and relaunching negotiations with Turkey. The Balkans will not be left out either as under Ireland's presidency the Commission is due to bring forward its reports in the spring on the opening of accession negotiations with Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and on directives for negotiating a stabilisation and association agreement with Kosovo. The presidency also plans on making progress in development and humanitarian policy - particularly with regard to famine and climate change - and to work on a stronger EU-United Nations relationship. The Irish presidency can be consulted on http://www.eu2013.ei and on Twitter via @eu2013ie. (CG/transl.fl)