Strasbourg, 28/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on Tuesday 28 April, the French economy Minister, Emmanuel Macron, and his German opposite number, Sigmar Gabriel, presented a Franco-German project to finance 'start-ups', proposing that it be supported under the Juncker investment plan.
Macron said that the two ministers presented a joint project aiming to set in place a corporate venture fund to finance start-ups throughout the EU. “There are many start-ups being created in the EU, but many of them struggle to keep going”, he explained, stressing the need to “raise money together” at European level in order to support them. France and Germany want to see the Juncker investment plan up and running as soon as possible.
The two ministers also laid great emphasis on the need for the EU to ensure the “technical and political” rules for electronic platforms, to develop standards in the field of digital and also to take action on data protection.
During his time in Strasbourg, Macron met MEPs from the economic and monetary affairs and budget parliamentary committees to take stock of the reforms underway in France. It was a “pedagogical exercise”, according to a member of his entourage. Amongst other things, the French minister referred to the reform of employment law, continued employment agreements, the conference on SMEs and micro-enterprises he hopes to host in June, and the consultation on unemployment insurance to follow. “Our aim is to reform the country from the bottom up, within a European context”, Macron told the press. He noted that the MEPs had paid both “attention” and “vigilance” to his comments. He concluded by saying: “I am determined to see solid majority support in favour of these reforms”.
On the sidelines of the plenary session at Strasbourg, the two ministers met the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, and the leaders of the political groups of the European Parliament. (Jean Comte)