Amsterdam, 07/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 7 January, the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, officially presented the priorities of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU, which started on 1 January and will end on 30 June of this year, stressing the need for a united Europe.
“There is no time to lose, Europe is facing a series of highly complex problems, problems which make the need for EU cooperation all the more clear”, the Prime Minister explained at his joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and his Vice-President, the Dutch Commissioner Frans Timmermans, following the traditional meeting between the Commission and the rotating Presidency. “If it is to be strong, the EU must be united”, he added, but stressed that he was fully aware that each member state had its own history and its own interests and that cooperation was not always straightforward. Rutte pledged a “pragmatic and results-orientated” Presidency. “In a Union of 28, it's not always easy to reach an agreement, but we will do our best to achieve tangible results”, the Prime Minister stressed.
Commission Vice-President Timmermans said that the history of the Netherlands had been shaped by the need for internal cohesion and openness to the rest of the world. “This type of approach is really necessary” for the EU, he said.
For the most part, the Dutch Presidency intends to focus on issues which are better resolved at European level than at national level.
Unsurprisingly, the Prime Minister spoke of the management of the migration crisis. The Netherlands wants to reduce the flow of refugees to allow their number to fall “very considerably”. “This is of critical importance, as the current numbers are unsustainable”, Rutte explained. The Prime Minister also called for a fair share-out of the 'burden', through relocation, and to make sure that each member state ensures sufficient reception within its own borders.
The other Dutch priorities are growth and job creation and the fight against extremism and terrorism. As regards the single market, which is another priority, the Presidency intends to work on proposals to reinforce the services sector, but also to create opportunities for SMEs and develop the digital market, including the proposal on copyright. The Netherlands will also promote “equal pay for equal work”, to create a “fairer” single market, Rutte explained. Furthermore, The Hague supports Timmermans' “Better Regulation” proposal. “We hope to have a strong ally for Better Regulation in the Dutch”, Juncker explained, adding that he knew that poor regulation was one of the main concerns of the Dutch government, but also of the population.
The President of the Commission expressed his hopes that the Dutch Presidency would open the debate on the future of Economic and Monetary Union, on the basis of the report of the five presidents, including the President of the Eurogroup - who is also the Dutch Finance Minister, Jeroen Dijsselbloem - and that it will make progress on the European Deposit Insurance Scheme, the capital markets and the Energy Union.
The Commission President stressed that the Dutch priorities are perfectly in tune with those of the Commission. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)