Brussels, 15/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - MEPs were not always very kind when speaking on Tuesday 15 January as they took stock of what had been done by the Cypriot Presidency of the EU Council on Cyprus' economic and budgetary policy. Apart from that, the Cypriot Presidency was generally considered by the European Parliament (EP) as being quite successful (patent, banks, asylum).
Corien Wortmann-Kool (EPP, NL) noted progress made under Cypriot Presidency on various issues (European patent, agreement on 2013 budget, and progress in restoring confidence in the banking sector through a common position on the single supervision mechanism). She also said (our translation throughout): “You ignored the provocation from Ankara”. Here, she was referring to the boycott orchestrated by Turkey on the work of the Cypriot Presidency. Wortmann-Kool took the view that the Cypriot government “does not seem able to contain the crisis” and “did not take the necessary measures allowing a sustainable budgetary policy and structural reforms” (see related article). She added that one can but deplore the lack of effort made to combat money laundering, and concluded: “Aid from the EU rescue fund is needed but this requires Cyprus to commit itself to improving its own finances. After the elections, a new government will be needed to open up new prospects”.
Elisa Ferreira (S&D, Portugal) said that, despite Cyprus' internal economic difficulties, one should be “grateful” for all that was done under the Cypriot Presidency. She spoke of progress made on venture capital and the Two Pack. It is necessary to discuss matters of sovereignty, she added, also calling on the EU to reach a conclusion on rating agencies.
Europe has moved forward in a whole series of areas, said Cecilia Wikström (ALDE, Sweden), who mainly highlighted the asylum package, although it was not possible to conclude due to the lack of resolve on the part of the various member states to take in asylum seekers. Cyprus is a small country that makes a difference, she concluded. Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, Germany) criticised the fact that the country is a tax haven. Gabrielle Zimmer (GUE/NGL, Germany) said the presidency had shown how difficult it was to reconcile the power of a rotating EU presidency with that of a permanent presidency (that of Herman Van Rompuy at the head of the European Council). The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, described the Cypriot Presidency as “very successful”. He said progress had been made last year in combating the economic crisis but added that Europe is, at present, faced with a social crisis. (LC/transl.jl)