online-casino-greece.com - Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union - Speeches

DPM and FM Venizelos’ statement on the deadly attack on the Brussels Jewish Museum

pmastroperrou — Sun, 25 May 2014 07:04:13 +0000

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos made the following statement regarding the deadly attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels:

“On behalf of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union, I express my abhorrence of and distress at the murderous attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, in the heart of the capital of Europe, which cost the lives of three innocent persons. I send the deep condolences of the Greek people to the families of the victims, and our full support for the government and people of Belgium. This naked act of violence, anti-Semitism and intolerance, at the moment when the European elections are being carried out, strikes at the value core of the European Union and is an affront to all European citizens.”

The Presidency (EU)

DPM & FM Venizelos’ statement at the EP Plenary for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI (Strasbourg 16.04.2014)

ekampaki — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 08:31:50 +0000

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ statement at the EP Plenary in Strasbourg, on 16 April, for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of WWI.

Dedicating today’s sitting of the Plenary to the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, the European Parliament is rightly choosing to end its proceedings with a message to the citizens of the European Union: that it has a historical conscience. An active historical memory is the only sound foundation for major political initiatives like the ones Europe so urgently needs.

The end of history, the end of wars in Europe, at least, and the establishment of “perpetual peace” were not declared for the first time following the break-up of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. They had been declared theoretically before the outbreak of the First World War.

The 100th anniversary of the outbreak of what was once called the Great War finds the European Union on the eve of elections for the new European Parliament; that is, on the verge of shaping a pan-European balance of power that comes to be added to the intergovernmental balance, or rather the inter-state balance, that exists in any case. The anniversary finds the European Union still grappling with the repercussions of the fiscal and financial crisis that broke out in 2007-2008.

For many member states and their societies, the big question is whether there can be a Europe without austerity policies and without high unemployment, particularly among the young. The burning question in all the member states is whether Europe can continue to be identified with democracy, with the rule of law, with a European social state that transcends the demographic and fiscal crisis; whether Europe can retain its identification with pluralism, tolerance, competitiveness, full employment, innovation, creativity, culture; the values that are at the historical, ideological and political foundation of European integration following the tragic experiences of the two World Wars.

This anniversary also finds Europe facing a large number of pending crises in its eastern and southern Neighbourhoods; facing situations that are once again putting the Union to the test as an international political entity. From Syria to Libya, from Iran to Ukraine. A few months ago, no one was talking about an acute crisis in the relations of Europe and of the West in General with Russia, with Ukraine as the focal point.

Now, however, this is the Union’s number-one political and economic issue.

The course of the First World War and America’s participation in this principally European conflict effectively rendered the problem of European peace, stability and security a Euroatlantic problem from 1917 on. The Second World War came to confirm this, and it continues to be a reality reaffirmed by all the pending international and regional crises.

The situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is in the heart of the European continent, continues to demand the special attention of the European Union and the international community as a whole. This means a great deal – 100 years after an incident in Sarajevo sparked the Great War. History does not repeat itself as long as we learn from it; as long as it is a substantial parameter in our analyses and strategy.

The Hellenic Presidency of the Council sees it as a sign of added responsibility that these six months coincide with all of these major historical challenges: From the European Elections and the agreement on the Single Resolution Mechanism for systemic banks, to the crisis in Ukraine.

This semester is shorter, parliamentarily, due to the European elections, but it is more dense. So we have an obligation to present to the peoples of Europe a new, comprehensive and attractive narrative for the integration and prospects of the European Union. Every European political party is putting forward its own version of this narrative, within a democratic and pluralistic process. The technical elements of this narrative are being shaped with difficulty and delays, through compromises – but they are being shaped. I am referring to the Banking Union, the working group on own resources, the ongoing debate on the principle of conditionality.

New tools, like the initiative for the young, are being added to Europe’s financial mechanisms. The stability-growth-jobs triptych is again the centerpiece of the Union. The linking of the Union’s foreign and energy policies comes to be added to the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The Union’s relationship with NATO has been rendered much more balanced and reflexive.

The anniversary of the outbreak of World War I forces us to remember, of course, that the major issues are always political in nature. They concern national, ethnic, linguistic and religious identities and sensitivities. They concern longstanding national priorities. Stereotypes. Geopolitical and geo-economic perceptions.

So it is important for us to stress here today, in Strasbourg, at the European Parliament Plenary, that, 100 years after the outbreak of the First World War, the fundamental and definitive choice of the citizens and peoples of Europe is peace, stability, respect for existing borders, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states of the European continent.

Unfortunately, this is not self-evident. Unfortunately, nothing is self-evident. But it is existentially imperative if we want history to look not to the past, but to the future.

The Presidency (EU)

PM Samaras: Europe is now more united and more stable than ever

pmastroperrou — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 19:52:29 +0000

Multimedia

Dear Friends,

I am deeply moved to welcome you, at a place heavily loaded with History and Symbolism…

Just across the street you can see the Parthenon, an eternal monument of Freedom, Harmony and Democracy.

Few meters beneath it, οn the roots of the hill, you can see the site of the ancient Theater of Dionysus, the place where drama was born, where Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides competed with their plays.

On the other side stands the Pnyx, the famous hill where Pericles, gave his inspiring speeches to the Assembly of the Athenian citizens.

On the northwest side, the rock of Areios Pagos is located, where Apostole Paul introduced the Athenians to Christianity, starting his quest to spread the new religion all over Europe.

Wherever you may turn your face, your eyes will see battle sites, where Ancient Athenians and more recent Greeks, fought fiercly for their Freedom.

Just at the east edge of the Acropolis hill, you can see the Greek flag. During the first days of the Nazi Occupation of Athens, in May 1941, two young Greeks brought down the Nazi flag, in a daring act, bringing hope to the Athenians and heralding the Greek resistance against the occupation; a resistance that was bloody and relentless until the withdrawal of the Nazi troops three years later.

Whatever the Greeks did in the passage of History, this area where we stand tonight has always been at the epicenter of fighting, at the epicenter of debating, performing, or constructing monuments of aesthetics, logic and philosophy.

Whoever they were fighting against - foreign invaders, hordes of bandits, or sometimes even among themselves - they always protected the Acropolis. And they more or less managed well for centuries. Until Francesco Morozini came along in 1687 and bombed the besieged Ottoman troops on the Acropolis, causing a devastating explosion that brought Parthenon to ruins.

And even then, the remaining parts were preserved for another 150 years, until another vandal came along: Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin, taking away more than half of the sculptures. Some of them, he picked them up from the ground. Some of them, he tore them down from the temple itself!

Since then, the most emblematic world monument of Classical civilization remains mutilated. Since then, the marbles on the Acropolis are calling for the return of the missing marbles! Since then, my country is trying to achieve the reunification of the Parthenon.

Few years after Elgin’s looting, the Greeks revolted against the Ottoman rule and gained their Independence. But the stolen marbles are always missing from the site and from our hearts.

About a mile and a half due west, we have the site of Plato’s Academia.

About a mile due northeast, we have the site of Aristotle’s Lyceum.

About half a mile due southeast, we have the remnants of the Olympian Zeus temple, next to the old city gate, constructed during the days of the Roman Emperor Adrian. And just 20 miles to the north, we have Marathon, the most ancient battlefield of Freedom against Subjugation, won by free citizens, fighting for their dignity.

Dear friends,

This is a sacred ground, indeed! And obviously, not for the Greeks alone…

In a few square miles we have world History and Culture condensed, where epic and drama echo jointly, in centuries of Politics and Warfare, Aesthetic excellence and rhetorical eloquence, philosophical reasoning and mathematical deduction.

This is the birthplace of a unique experiment, a starting point of human endeavor that has become truly universal since and is indeed the cornerstone of our modern societies.

This is the place where members of a community rose to the status of a city, self governed by its own rules; where culture was not a luxury for the few, but a necessity for all citizens; where being able to fight was not an obligation to the ruler, but a duty to the city. Where people gathered in the agora - in the marketplace - not only to buy or sell goods and services, but also to exchange views on everyday issues, as well as on eternal existential questions of the human mind.

In other words, this is the place where democratic legitimacy and democratic traditions have been born.

Now, “democracy” is more than a political system. It is a prerequisite of human dignity, a prerequisite of freedom, both national and political, as well as a prerequisite of social justice.

But democracy cannot go on its own. It is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition…

We also need economic growth; as a matter of fact, sustainable economic growth! As history taught us, time and again, the collapse of an economy, usually leads to the collapse of democracy and the society as a whole. For no democracy can survive chronic social deprivation…

We also need social cohesion, based on justice and opportunities for all. No democracy can survive a sinking middle class and a rising social turmoil.

We also need permanent cultural growth and a common sense of belonging, based on morals and aesthetics of human dignity, global harmony, social solidarity and individual responsibility.

Democracy requires citizens who constantly try to better understand the world, better understand themselves and their place in the world.

Citizens, trying to better themselves and to excel among others, both locally and globally; citizens always trying to surpass poverty, ignorance and isolation; citizens reaching to their limits and going beyond their limits.

So for democracy to work, societies need to learn how to balance:

--their ambitions with their constraints,

--their needs with their dreams,

--their duties with their desires,

--their limited nature with their unlimited potential,

--their virtues and their defects,

--their established beliefs with their drive to question them.

Plato and Aristotle wrote and debated extensively on those questions.

Plato, more of an idealist, defined the dialectics of perfection: The quest of the human soul to better on all counts.

Aristotle, more of a pragmatist, defined virtue on the dialectics of the “middle road”; of balancing between opposing extremes; as the quest of the human mind to comprehend the meaning of its existence cruising between excesses.

But, dear friends, although we are still at the Acropolis museum in Athens, we have already transcended Antiquity: we have arrived in our contemporary world.

I am sure you understand better than anybody else, that referring to the dilemmas I have just mentioned, we are talking about us, about Europe…

We are talking about the epic and the drama, about the historical challenges and the intellectual debates of our modern world! As a matter of fact, we are talking about the elementary questions that drove us to the European Integration; about the basic challenges which still define our existence, our soul and our drive to become the epicenter of world history again.

Seventy years ago, we emerged out of a devastating war more divided than ever! In the debris of the European societies, we led the foundations of our Union.

But we were still divided then. We moved cautiously from the “customs union” to the “common market”, to the “single market”, to the “monetary union”.

We are moving now, cautiously, but steadily, to the political Integration, to the fiscal union, to the banking union. United Europe is not a distant dream any more. It has built its own legacy and it has generated it own dynamics.

Europe is now more united than ever, more stable than ever, inspiring confidence to its peoples and gaining respect by everybody else for the ideals it represents globally.

Europe is a rising world power. Benign enough to generate influence everywhere; and strong enough to have its interests respected and its voice heard.

True, we still have a lot of problems to resolve.

But we have already gone far enough. And we are constantly becoming stronger, learning from our mistakes, correcting our defects and sailing through rough waters with increasing confidence.

Today, we are establishing much more than a common framework for our political union.

We are gradually building a common sense of belonging, a common identity.

We are still different as individual nations.

And we will probably remain so for ever…

Different? yes! But divided? Never again!

However, continuously more integrated vis a vis the rest of the world.

This is the first and most important step of building a common identity: When everyone will identify us as “one Europe”; and when we will learn to look outside our limits, from our common European perspective.

What is the basis of this developing European identity?

It is the same values, principles, ideas and ideals I started with tonight.

The ones that cast their shadow all around us:

Freedom, Democracy, Extroversion, Human dignity, opportunities for all, solidarity to all, responsibility by all. And above all, relentless fight against tyranny!

Idealism, Pragmatism, humane moral standards, the constant quest for perfection, resolving disputes through mutual concessions based on the rule of law; Embracing modesty, but never giving in to intimidation; Holding high aspirations but never excusing arrogance; Proud for what we have achieved, but also compassionate for our fellow citizens or our fellow humans, that are needy or poor, or not so lucky as others.

This is the profile of our New Europe. This is why the United Europe is so intricately connected with this place. It is not Geography alone. It is not History alone. It is our common cultural ties that define us all and bind us all together.

Four years ago Greece found itself in a severe crisis. There were widespread fears then, that such a crisis could become devastating and not only for Greece itself; that it could spread out of Greece and seriously damage our Union.

We heard all kinds of doomsday scenaria: About the, so called, “unavoidable collapse” of Greece; about the so called “unavoidable collapse” of our monetary Union and the European Union itself.

We proved them wrong, big time!

Yes, the numbers were not on our side…

The macro-economic dynamics were not on our side…

But our solidarity proved stronger than the naked numbers.

Our potential proved much more than could be registered by simple accounting.

Our deep commitment to democracy, to progress, to European integration, proved much stronger than the superficial predictions based on models.

The Greeks proved much different from the stereotypes about them and against them. And with our sacrifices, we turned our economy around.

We achieved the largest fiscal adjustment ever, at the shortest period of time.

But we also suffered the biggest GDP loss in Peace time, ever!

We have suffered a lot, and are still suffering. But our economy is now turning around; our society has held together; our democracy has withstood all the pressures. We have delivered and we are moving ahead.

What is the “moral of the story”? The moral is that success will only go to countries which encourage individual initiative and enterprise; not to the ones which attempt to diminish them. And Greece has, by now, become one of those countries.

Our partners have helped us indeed. They have proved that solidarity is not just a “nice word” in our Union. It is the cornerstone of our United Europe.

And you, all of you in this gathering tonight, have played the most crucial role for this Solidarity to materialize.

We, Greeks have turned a painful crisis to an opportunity to change our country and relish our potential.

We, Europeans have turned a trying moment for our Union, to an opportunity to correct past mistakes and to rectify the defects of our institutions.

All Europeans may now be more inter-dependent. But at the same time, we are more independent from the need to constantly borrow. We are standing on our feet, we are unleashing our potential; we are in much better shape to compete world-wide; we are getting more effective in securing our borders and developing our own energy resources.

And we do so without the need to erect any greater external protection. Because we know that our approach to world trade is consistent with the liberalization we preach at home.

We still have a lot to do. We have a long way to go.

But, as Europeans, we are now much more confident, much more self-reliant and self-assured than we were ever before.

We are winning this battle! We have defeated the worst part of ourselves. We have opened the best prospects for our future; for our common future...

What you see around you, ladies and gentlemen, all these monuments and symbols, stretching to all directions, is not just History. It is inspiration for our common future: Of Freedom, Democracy, Compassion, Social Justice, Extroversion, Prosperity for all, Opportunities for all, Responsibility by all.

It is also inspiration for a relentless fight against tyranny, inscribed on those magnificent marble sculptures, inscribed in our History, inscribed in our souls, inscribed in our destiny and in our future.

In a seminal Greek tragedy, the hero warns that “a bundle of sticks is hard to break”. This is exactly what all of us today also believe: that a united Europe, like a bundle of states firmly held together by their common democratic conscience and solidarity for one another, can stand up to any challenge

This is what our common future is all about.

This is what Parthenon, just across the street, is all about….

Not just a monument of our glorious past.

But a “beacon” for our common future.

And by the way, this is not “idealism”. This is pragmatism!

Because when you are trying to better yourself against all odds, when you are fighting an uphill battle and start gaining ground, when you are making sacrifices that start to pay-off, when you believe in yourself and manage to prove yourself, you are a pragmatist!

Pragmatism is not about accepting your ill-fate.

Pragmatism is about shaping up a brighter future.

Fifty years ago the United Europe was an idealistic dream, or that was the “conventional wisdom” of the time…

Four years ago my country was falling apart, and our monetary Union was also on the verge of collapse. Or that was the “conventional wisdom” of the time…

Now a better and stronger Greece is emerging out of the crisis; and our Union is also getting better and stronger than ever.

So pragmatism is not about accepting your fate. It is knowing your limits, going to the limits and even managing to expand your limits, your “degrees of freedom”, your prospects. And do so decisively, but with prudence. Boldly and fearlessly, but with no arrogance. Making sure you count all the numbers correctly, but always with respect to the real people, to their feelings, to their needs and their potential.

This synthesis of idealism and pragmatism, of aesthetic perfection and rationality, this constant balancing between formidable challenges for the human mind and the undiscovered potential of the human soul, is our source of inspiration.

And what is the symbol of all these?

You can see it just across the street.

Look at the Acropolis! From our common past we can see our common future.

And it works!

Thank you very much.

The Presidency (EU)

Statement by ECOFIN President Yannis Stournaras on adoption of amended Savings Taxation Directive

pmastroperrou — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:30:17 +0000

I welcome today’s adoption by the AGRIFISH Council of the Directive amending the EU rules on the taxation of savings income.

This has been a priority of the Greek Presidency, as the amended Directive allows for the extension of the scope to a wider range of savings products and strengthens its effective application, enhancing therefore tax transparency and making a big step forward for the fight against tax fraud and evasion, and, indeed, tax fairness and social justice.

I am very pleased we delivered on our commitment, in line with the mandate and timetable foreseen by our Heads of State and Government, as well as with recent global developments towards a common standard on automatic exchange of information in the area of taxation, and I thank all Member-States for their constructive spirit and strong will to conclude with this dossier.

Economic & Financial Affairs (ECOFIN)

Statement by Minister Yannis Stournaras on the Single Resolution Mechanism

dkostara — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:16:15 +0000

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“The Greek Presidency this morning reached a provisional agreement with representatives of the European Parliament on the Single Resolution Mechanism regulation. This was done in conjunction with the valuable input and contributions by the Chair of the IGC at Ministerial level, Jeroen Dijsselbloem on the aspects of the Single Resolution Fund, which was intrinsic in reaching the overall agreement.

The agreed text will now be submitted to the Member States, and I hope that they will be able to support it.

The regulation will enable the establishment of a single resolution board with broad powers in cases of bank resolution, as well as a single resolution fund. Approval of the text will enable us to also conclude an intergovernmental agreement on the functioning of the fund.

On behalf of the Presidency, I should like to warmly welcome today's agreement on this key element of Europe's Banking Union. I sincerely hope that it will open the way for approval by both Parliament and Council within the timeframe we have set on account of the forthcoming European elections”.

Economic & Financial Affairs (ECOFIN)

Keynote Speech by PM Antonis Samaras at BusinessEurope event (Brussels, 28.1.2014)

ekampaki — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 14:23:05 +0000

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PM Antonis Samaras addressed today (28.1.2014) in Brussels a BusinessEurope Day event entitled “Industry matters”.

Dear President Schulz, dear Presidents, dear colleagues distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am glad to be here today. This is a very important event. Indeed “Industry matters”!

Manufacturing is the engine of growth. We sometimes tend to forget it; but this is what history tells us clearly; especially European History…
And not only History! Current reality, reminds us exactly the same thing.
That there is no growth without strong manufacturing.
Manufacturing brings out the highest contribution to productivity. It brings in the largest input in research and innovation. It has the greatest multiplying effects to the overall economy. It amounts for 57% of all EU exports, incorporating 65% of all its R&D. It is, indeed, the key driver for productivity growth, as it follows closely technological evolution and research innovation.

It is the “most real” economy of all. Modern crises do not start from the industrial economy. On the opposite, the manufacturing sector usually suffers from crises generated elsewhere in the economy, primarily from the financial sector.

On the other hand, strong manufacturing usually stimulates a dynamic and resilient financial sector. It is real business, solid business - less ‘bubble’ - more trust!

The current, outgoing, crisis in Europe confirms just that: Countries with a strong industrial sector have been more resilient to the recession.

The impact of globalization in the industrial sector of Europe is a combination of threats and opportunities. This is a great challenge for both business and government.

We have to cover lost ground from our far away competitors. At the same time, we have to explore the immense opportunities for our products to reach markets and customers at exactly those far away markets in other continents.

I would like to say a couple of words for my country. Greece today has the smallest industrial sector compared to its recent history. Deindustrialisation in Greece was widespread in the early 1990s, as a result of the immensely low production cost of its neighboring new democracies in the Balkans, after the collapse of communism. Equally so, our country, although a member of the European Communities since 1980, had failed to introduce structural and market reforms that would stimulate, if they were taken into consideration earlier, real growth in the economy.

The strong financial crisis that hit Greece four years ago only made things much worse. It forced factories with long history to downsize or close down, resulting to record high unemployment and immense social problems.

Our unemployment today is reaching the incredible level of 27% - 28% and around 60% for the youth.

However, this time we reacted decisively. Our government has implemented extensive structural reforms aiming at transforming a local-demand driven production to an export oriented economy. We have implemented fiscal, labor and market reforms. We have facilitated licensing, we have done a large reform in the public and tax administration which directly affects business and encourages foreign investment. Our bureaucracy today is in fact being transformed from a red tape to a red carpet treatment, especially to foreign investment.

We are very optimistic today. According to all official statistics and surveys by the European Commission, the IMF and the OECD, Greece today has the largest cyclically corrected primary surplus (of over 6%) and the largest structural surplus, compared to an average structural deficit for the eurozone as a whole! On top of that, our trade deficit was brought down from 15% of GDP by 2009, to zero last year, for the first time in decades! We had a double problem of a deficit. We now have a primary surplus and a surplus in the balance of payments for the first time in many decades.

Allow me to move to the broadest picture: The greatest challenge for the European industry is how to deal with competition from regions where the manufacturing sector carries a much lighter labour, social and tax regulatory regime. This is what has caused some 4 million lost jobs since 2008 and the decrease of private investment by 350 billion between 2007-2011, driving unemployment upwards and threatening the social fabric of our Union.

Europe has been seriously affected by the crisis and challenged by competition from emerging markets. The Industry’s share of European GDP has slightly dropped to 15.1% in 2013, versus the goal of 20% in 2020. It suffers from an expensive Euro, which holds down its exporting potential to the rest of the world. Access to finance for small businesses has become increasingly scarce. A very diverse cost of lending in different areas of the European Union, I believe, is distorting competition and is increasing asymmetric differences within the euro area. It is a huge difference from an SME in Greece or in Portugal or in Ireland we have to pay 10% or 11% from an SME that pays 1% or 1,5%.

During the past 10 years, Europe became a less popular place to do business. The drop of foreign investment to almost half of what it used to be in the early 2000s, indicates a very thorny problem. Thus, the need for Europe to react and strengthen its global position is to me imperative.

The bottom-line is that we have to reverse the negative trend, while maintaining our quality advantages!

Since we have the best social model in the world, we have to create the best products in the world. They might be more expensive sometimes, but they should always be better in quality and innovation.

Our European products have to be “the best value for money”, compared to similar products produced elsewhere. This is called, I believe, “competitiveness”! We don’t necessarily have to compete for the lowest price. But we certainly have to produce “the best value for money”.

This simple logic carries a whole chain of implications. Because it demands as a prerequisite to have the best education system, linked to the real economy, as well as the best R&D infrastructure as our president of our Parliament indicated. As an old member of the Committee of budgets myself in the Parliament, I fully agree with Schulz, who insisted on R&D. Of course also on the problem of regulation, trade strategy and worker’s skills. This logic also requires the existence of companies of variable sizes to be able to innovate and lead. Regaining success in the global industrial competition implies that in some sectors we need bigger companies while in other sectors we need smaller companies to face non-European competition.

During this semester, ladies and gentlemen, The Greek Presidency comes at a transition period for Europe. Indeed, we are all on the road to recovery, from an acute crisis, which has, I have to say, however, helped Europe change the most since Maastricht! As the Foreign Minister of my country I was there and I am the one who signed the Maastricht agreement. And I have to tell you that this is the first time that Europe is really changing. And I believe that is why we are fully anchored with the Vice President’s Tajani initiative for the “Industrial Compact”. It will complement the “Compact for Growth and Employment”, as well as, the “Fiscal Compact”, so that we can attain the objectives of the “Europe 2020” strategy.

The report BusinessEurope has presented here today, is a comprehensive policy paper with clear cut policy recommendations for such an “Industrial Compact”. Your proposals cover both the European institutions and the member states.

Let me underline just one thing here. Industrial policy is not – I repeat not – “a soviet type 5year plan”, as some of the critics maintain. The interaction of market forces with the private sector is indeed our understanding of “sustainable growth”.

Industrial policy should make sure that we keep all our competiveness advantages at all levels and all sectors in our internal market.

“Industrial policy” is all about providing the conditions for our investors and our businessmen and our workers and our researchers and our banks and our consumers to make the best choices to maintain our standards and improve our position in world competition.
And it is also a vehicle for closer integration within the European Union.

So, we need to go beyond “conventional wisdom”. We have to start thinking “out of the box”. We have to move beyond the codifications of the existing tools.

Thus “Industrial Compact” addresses the leadership challenge of the European Union in the field of manufacturing. Now that Europe draws its lessons from the outgoing crisis.

The European Council of March 2014, in couple of months, will be crucial for a fruitful debate which will define a clear strategy regarding Industrial Policy and competiveness. Our purpose will not be only to exchange views, but also to decide measures which will strengthen both the business environment and industrial competitiveness in Europe.

The Hellenic Presidency will aim to bring tangible results:

1- By addressing the high cost of energy and the lack of a unified energy market. I believe this is a high priority. We need to mitigate the negative impact of the high cost of energy, twice higher than the USA, Russia while especially E.U. gas is three to four times more expensive than for the USA, the Russian and the Indian competitors.
2- By addressing the high cost of bureaucracy by improving the business environment; identifying burdensome legislation, while also simplifying and stabilizing the tax system.
3- By improving financial access and addressing the consequent lack of liquidity, especially for SME’s. We strongly believe that specialized financial instruments for industry need to be developed in cooperation with the EIB and the EIF.
4- By stimulating investment in innovation, in conjunction with the digital agenda;
5- By investing in knowledge economy and new skills, an element of paramount importance in identifying new growth prospects.
6- By deepening the notion of a single market, which is also imperative both for maximizing the potential of the internal market and for exploiting opportunities in the global market.
Europe is coming out of this crisis stronger and, I believe, wiser. We have to untap our potential in global competition. No other continent is the birthplace of modern civilization, the mother of all sciences, the birthplace of democracy, the ideal place to live and prosper.

Our products carry this fame as an intrinsic value. Europe is by definition a very strong brand name. We absolutely have to make the most out of it.

Thus manufacturing must indeed be placed at the center stage of Europe’s economic recovery.

We do believe in ourselves. We do believe in our potential.

We can exceed our own expectations.

I am sure the sky is our limit and I hope to see you in your next meeting in Athens. I will see you there in the beginning of May.

Again, thank you very much!

The Presidency (EU)

Briefing of Brussels news media by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos

kkalantzopoulou — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 16:30:35 +0000

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Good morning. I welcome you to Greece, to Athens, on the day of the official opening of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

This Presidency is the fifth Hellenic Presidency of the Council since Greece joined the then European Communities in 1981.

The attainments of the previous Presidencies reside mainly in two major issues. The first is the enlargement of the European Union. Because major enlargement waves were associated with our two previous Presidencies. In 1994, when the Hellenic Presidency culminated in the Corfu Summit Meeting, we went from the Europe of 12 to the Europe of 15 member states. We would have had the Europe of 16 if the referendum held at that time in Norway had been positive. And in 2003, during the Presidency that culminated in the Thessaloniki/Halkidiki Summit Meeting, we had the biggest enlargement wave, with the ceremony held here in Athens, and we went to the Europe of 27 and the enlargement policy for the European – Euroatlantic, to be precise – perspective of all the states of the Western Balkans.

The second major attainment is the steps taken in the direction of the institutional integration of the European Union, with our most recent Presidency, in 2003, coinciding with the effort towards the European Constitution, which was not carried through, in the end, but led to the reforms of the Lisbon Treaty; that is, the current institutional architecture of the European Union.

The exercising of the Hellenic Presidency is Greece’s fulfilment of an institutional obligation that it has as a member state of the European Union.

The holding of the Presidency is not a choice. It is an obligation. This provides a response to those who pose the well-intentioned question of how it is possible for the Greece of the crisis – the Greece of the Memorandum, the Greece that is asking its European partners for assistance – to exercise the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The foundation of the institutional existence and functioning of the European Union is the principle of the institutional equality of member states, and the strongest symbolic manifestation of the institutional equality of member states, and thus of their sovereignty, their dignity, is the institution of the rotating Presidency of the Council.

Thus, Greece is fulfilling this obligation and projecting the face of an ordinary European country, institutionally equal, that has historically played what I believe is an important role in the process of European integration.

The Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union is precisely European. We have a full sense of the European nature of this mission, and thus we do not see this mission of ours as being of a national nature.

We do not identify our national priorities – which are obvious, because they have to do with overcoming the crisis – with the European priorities that we must serve as the Presidency.

As the Presidency, we will serve the agenda of the Council of the European Union, in cooperation with the permanent Presidencies, which now play a very important role: the permanent Presidency of the European Council; the High Representative, and thus the permanent Presidency of the Foreign Affairs Council; the permanent Presidency of the Eurogroup, for the countries participating in the Eurozone.

We will move in collaboration with the Secretariat General of the Council, in close cooperation with the European Commission, and, of course, in very close cooperation with the European Parliament, the competencies and role of which we fully respect.

This cooperation on our part has already been organized – I think in a very good manner. Moreover, we know that holding the Presidency in the first half of 2014 is a great responsibility for Greece, given that it is a pre-election period.

It is the semester that leads up to the European elections in May for a new European Parliament and the major debate on the choice of the persons who will take up the major political and institutional positions in the European structure.

We will see the opening of the debate on the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the High Representative. So it is very important that the Presidency be exercised during this pre-election semester, which will be short, contracted in parliamentary terms, because the European Parliament will complete its work and its term ahead of the elections.

So we have about four months to use in the legislative and parliamentary procedures with the European Parliament, but this semester will be very intensive and dense in political terms, because the great debate is opening on the future of Europe, on the response to Euroscepticism, on the response we must give to young Europeans who want jobs, opportunities for growth; who want a Europe that means something in their lives.

Naturally, it is obvious that these six months are very critical to us, as Greece, on the national level, because these are the six months of our turnaround out of the crisis, after everything that we have achieved, but this is a matter that concerns the Greek government as one of any of the member-state governments, and not as the Presidency of the Council.

From the materials you have studied and from the briefings you have attended so far, you are aware of the Presidency’s four major priorities.

Naturally, there are more specific priorities in each of the Council configurations; priorities that have been determined in cooperation with the Commission and the corresponding European Parliament Committees.

The Presidency’s main priorities – in brief outline form – are the priorities of all European citizens and all European societies.

The first is growth, the creation of jobs – particularly jobs for the young – and the safeguarding of the European Union’s social cohesion and social dimension. In reality, this is discussed at every meeting of the European Council.

The second major priority – and this is compulsory as well – is the integration of economic governance institutions in the European Union and in the Eurozone, with the critical issue being the banking union, the supervisory mechanism, the resolution mechanism, and the European deposit guarantee mechanism, so that there can really be an open European banking market.

The third priority is the protection of Europe’s borders, mobility, confronting of migration flows. This is something that concerns first and foremost the countries on Europe’s external borders, like Greece; the countries in the South, the Mediterranean; countries with extensive coastlines, like Greece and Italy, or island countries like Malta and Cyprus. You are aware that many important initiatives are being taken currently on the level of the Council and the European Council.

The fourth, horizontal priority is the sea: integrated maritime policy. A policy for blue growth, for the environment, energy, renewable energy sources; for fisheries, for maritime spatial planning, as well as for maritime zones, in accordance with the International Law of the Sea.

Technically, as Mr. Kourkoulas will have the opportunity to explain, we are prepared. You will have the opportunity to visit Zappeion Hall, at which nearly all the events hosted in Athens are to take place. Our Presidency is frugal, it has a limited budget – the smallest in comparison to all the previous Presidencies.

We want to be practical, specific, to fulfil this institutional obligation effectively, so that we can hand it on to the Italian Presidency, which follows ours, and with which we are in very close cooperation, because the Hellenic and Italian Presidencies, together, comprise a Mediterranean year in the European Union.

The Presidency (EU)

Greek Presidency presentation of priorities on Economic and Financial Affairs - Finance Minister Ioannis Stournaras’ Speech

kkalantzopoulou — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 12:22:49 +0000

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Finance Minister Ιοannis Stournaras presented the priorities of the Greek Presidency of the Council of Economic and Financial Affairs, at a news conference today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here is what Minister Stournaras said to foreign media representatives.

I would like to welcome you to Greece and thank you for your presence in today’s briefing on issues regarding the Greek Presidency, and, in my capacity as the ECOFIN Chairman, on issues regarding the Economic and Financial Affairs Council.
Over the next six months we will have the opportunity to meet on a regular basis. I am, therefore, looking forward to a constructive cooperation with you.
I am very glad to speak before journalists with wide experience and deep understanding of the European affairs. Your contribution will be highly appreciated for a successful presidency.
In the run up to the European elections in May, we have to seize the momentum to bring closer every European citizen, increase ownership and raise awareness, in every part of Europe, on the decisions made at the European level with a direct impact on their everyday life.
By assuming the Presidency of the European Union, Greece will face a real challenge.
A number of issues, we will be dealing with, are complex and demanding, especially considering the tight timeframe.
You are all aware that the European Parliament will conclude its work in April in view of the May elections. Therefore, our Presidency will be de facto frontloaded.
Europe is still in the process of fiscal consolidation while the first signs of recovery are already visible. Unemployment has stabilised, although at unacceptably high levels, particularly in countries that are under adjustment programmes. Broader social condition remains tough. For this reason we need to focus on the promotion of social cohesion and the safeguarding of stability and welfare for everyone.
The need for restoring normal lending conditions to the economy is crucial for supporting return to growth and stimulating job creation.
Greece has come a long way since 2009.
Thanks to the sacrifices of the Greek people and the support of our European partners, we managed to stand on our feet, and reaffirmed our mutual commitment towards the European value of solidarity.
We assume the Greek Presidency, not as a country in crisis, but as a country in recovery.
We wish to contribute to the deepening and strengthening of our economic and political partnership, building on the significant results of the Lithuanian Presidency.
Indeed, the Lithuanian Presidency has successfully launched and completed many key initiatives through a complex legislative process and deserves warm congratulations.
At this point, I would like to take the opportunity to praise my Lithuanian colleague, Mr Rimantas Šadžius, who has managed to handle very delicate issues and met them with a high sense of responsibility and sound knowledge.

Deepening of the EMU: Coordination of Economic Policies and Social Dimension
By assuming the Presidency of the ECOFIN Council, Greece will work towards further deepening the integration of the EMU and strengthening the coordination of national economic and fiscal policies, in order to preserve the integrity of the common currency and promote the necessary growth-enhancing reforms.
In the same context, the Greek Presidency will focus on ways of strengthening the social dimension of the EMU; we consider this dimension a prerequisite for cohesion and solidarity in the Eurozone.

European Semester
Following Ireland’s successful management of the European semester process, Greece will seek to effectively manage the fourth European Semester.
Our aim is to enhance the credibility of the procedure and promote the systematic evaluation of reforms in the EU, in particular in policy areas identified by the December European Council, such as reinforcing tax and other incentives for job creation, continuing the modernization of education and training systems and fostering innovation.
This year, the European Commission is planning to submit Country Specific Recommendations after the European Parliament elections. This will be a challenging exercise for our Presidency, since we will have to manage the process within a very strict timeframe. It is for this reason that we urge all parties involved to demonstrate constructive cooperation and strong engagement.

Banking Union
Completing the banking union is a prerequisite for strengthening trust and increasing liquidity in the European economy, as well as safeguarding financial stability in Europe.
Following the final agreement recently reached by the legislators on the Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive (DGS) and the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRR), the Greek Presidency will seek to progress further the creation of a strong and successful banking union.
We particularly welcome the agreement reached in the Council on the Single Resolution Mechanism. Finalizing the SRM framework is a major priority of the Greek EU Council Presidency. Therefore, we look forward to a fruitful cooperation at the trilogues with the European Parliament and the Commission. We will strive to bring close Council’s and Parliament’s positions and to have a deal acceptable by all parties.
We are fully aware that we will have a little more than three months to complete it.
Therefore, time is of the essence and we should all be quite flexible and show a sense of responsibility, advocating the need to build a stronger eurozone and to reinforce citizen’s trust.

Long – term financing of the economy
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) constitute the backbone of the European economy, representing 99% of all European firms, corresponding to 58% of total turnover in the EU and accounting for 70% of employment in the EU.
Hence, their healthy growth is a key driver for EU competitiveness and investment.
Acknowledging the crucial role of the SMEs, the Greek Presidency will advance discussions for the financing of the economy, in particular SMEs’ facilitation of access to financing, aiming to enhance sustainable growth and promote the creation of new jobs.
We consider as particularly important a number of initiatives, such as the joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the financing of the economy, especially the facilitation of access to financing for SMEs, the recommendations of the High Level Expert Group for the financing of growth, the capital increase of the European Investment Fund and the Long-term Investment Funds Regulation related to the financing of infrastructure projects and SMEs.

Taxation
In the area of taxation, the Council's work will not be affected by the termination of the current legislative term.Ιt is highly important to carry on with the appropriate actions, at the European level, against taxation practices which undermine citizens’ and investors’ confidence and encourage tax fraud and tax evasion. In relation to third countries, we will strive to promote the exchange of best practices, avoid harmful tax practices and exploit the full benefits of the internal market.
During the next six months, the Greek Presidency will promote all pending legislative or other initiatives to tackle these problems.
At the same time, we acknowledge the potential link between the digitalisation of the economy and the ongoing work in the Council on tackling tax evasion, tax fraud and aggressive tax planning. Therefore, the Greek Presidency will follow up discussions, in the context of the High Level Working Group, as regards tax aspects of the digital economy.

Reform of the financial sector supervisory framework
The work of the Greek Presidency will also aim to revise the regulatory framework for the supervision of the financial sector, in order to strengthen trust and increase liquidity in the European economy.
The Greek Presidency will contribute to a more secure and competitive European payments market, which will allow lower charges, transparency and a wide range of facilities for the benefit of consumers. In this respect, the Greek Presidency will work towards the adoption of the Payment Accounts Directive which will maximise the benefits of the Single Market for the European consumers.
In the area of capital markets, the Presidency will put emphasis to the completion of work on legislative proposals, relating to the reform of capital markets supervision (Markets in Financial Instruments- MiFID/ MiFIR) as well as to the promotion of discussions on the benchmarking legislative proposal, which provides sufficient protection for both consumers and investors.
Regarding the insurance sector, the Greek Presidency will work on promoting coordination, transparency and supervision of the private and occupational insurance sector and its selling practices, through the integration and implementation of the relevant supervisory frameworks.

The annual EU Budget for 2014
In the area of the EU Budget, the Ministry of Finance has set the following priorities:
(a)    To ensure the smooth execution of the 2014 EU Budget, on the basis of the principle of sound financial management.
(b)    To establish the guidelines for the 2015 EU Budget, by taking into account only feasible assumptions and realistic estimations, so as to avoid consecutive amendments during its implementation.
(c)    To conduct the discussions on the discharge to the European Commission for the 2012 EU Budget execution.
(d)     To protect the EU’s economic interests.
(e)    To further elaborate and evaluate the future revision of the Own Resources System, under the scope of ensuring the smooth and timely financing of EU policies.

EU Representation in the G20
Finally, the Greek Presidency will work on the effective and thorough preparation of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meetings within the ECOFIN Council.
We look forward to a close cooperation with the Government of Australia, which has assumed the G20 Presidency.
During our Presidency, two G20 Finance Ministers meetings have been planned, which I will be attending: the first meeting will be held on 22-23 February in Sydney and the second on 11 April in Washington.
The Greek Presidency will contribute to the formulation of the EU’s common position on G20 priority issues, such as economic growth and job creation, financing of long-term investments and tax transparency.

Economic & Financial Affairs (ECOFIN)

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Greek Presidency presentation of priorities on Economic and Financial Affairs 8.1.2014

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Venizelos’ New Year’s message as Greece assumes the Presidency of the Council of the EU

pchoros — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 14:51:31 +0000

Greece assumes the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, and it does so with a keen sense of its responsibility to its EU partners and all European citizens. Because the next six months will be a major turning point, not only for Greece itself, as it emerges from a crisis that has exacted many hard sacrifices from the Greek people, but also for the Union as a whole, as we make our final arguments in the debate on the future of our Union, ahead of the May 2014 European elections.

The Hellenic Presidency’s priorities reflect the needs and concerns of all European citizens: growth and jobs, with a focus on alleviating unemployment – particularly among the young – and boosting job-creating investments in the real economy; deepening European and Eurozone economic governance, which means working towards implementation of the agreement on the banking union and pursuing the European deposit guarantee scheme; and security of our common borders, including policies and initiatives for confronting illegal migration, as well as for promoting growth-oriented mobility within an area of freedom, security and justice.

Recognizing the vital role the multifaceted maritime sector must play in Europe’s recovery from the current crisis and its return to long-term sustainable growth and competitiveness within the global economy, our Presidency has also adopted a horizontal priority that overlaps all of our other focal points: An integrated maritime policy for the European Union. This includes pursuing the adoption of an EU Maritime Security Strategy, as well as building the framework for “blue growth” in sectors from fisheries and tourism to transport, maritime spatial planning, and alternative forms of energy.

The Hellenic Presidency’s objectives are ambitious, but feasible, and our partners may rest assured that we will pursue them effectively and with resolve. But at the same time, there is very real uncertainty as to the new European social and political landscape into which the labours of our Presidency are to be absorbed; the landscape that will result from the European elections in May.

The citizens of Europe are experiencing this uncertainty on the levels of diminishing financial and job security, eroding social cohesion, rising Euroscepticism. They are experiencing it as the absence of a viable historical narrative in which they have a real voice in the Union’s legislative and executive institutions; a new narrative that reasserts the values of the European social state, democracy, solidarity, a European model for competitiveness and sustainable growth.

So the Hellenic Presidency will also be an institutional voice in the crucial political conversation Europe will be carrying out over the next five months. On behalf of the Hellenic Presidency and the Greek people, I wish all European citizens – not just politicians, civil society and interest-group actors – the fortitude and vision to participate actively and productively in our conversation on the future of Europe, which is our common quest.

As our motto says, United we sail further!

A happy and healthy New Year to all!

The Presidency (EU)

Prime Minister Samaras’ remarks at the European Council

kkalantzopoulou — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 11:02:18 +0000

Multimedia

Allow me to thank Dalia and the Lithuanian Presidency for the excellent work demonstrated and concrete results produced. I want to assure everybody that we will maintain momentum on the progress the Lithuanian Presidency has achieved. As a matter of fact, we had already a meeting with Dalia last week in Athens, to coordinate a smooth transition.

The Greek Presidency will firstly aim to achieve tangible results on pending issues. We are called to tackle the economic and financial crisis, by safeguarding our common currency through the deepening of the EMU and by dealing with recession and unemployment through boosting growth. At the same time, security challenges in our external borders are forcing us to deal comprehensively with immigration issues; both for legitimate asylum seekers and for illegal immigrants.

In a nutshell, our efforts during the Presidency will focus on the following:

(A) Promoting growth, employment and cohesion. Specifically:

Completing pending legislation for boosting the growth oriented sector of the Multiannual Financial Framework.
Promoting the completion of Single Market Act I and II with emphasis on the deployment of high-speed broadband, on e-invoicing for public procurement and on all other elements which bring us closer to a true digital single market by 2015, as Herman so rightly pointed out in his letter.
Implementing decisions to increase the lending capacity of SMEs - the key providers of jobs in the European economy.
Implementing the Youth Initiative, to stimulate jobs for the most vulnerable part of our population.
Taking action on external trade to accelerate ongoing talks on Trade Agreements with the US and other strategic partners.

(B) Deepening the Union, especially the EMU, by introducing policies and actions to improve deficiencies in the Euro area architecture, which surfaced during the current crisis.

On the Banking Union, the Greek Presidency will build upon the political agreement on the Single Resolution Mechanism regulation reached within the Council yesterday. Finalizing the trilogues on the SRM framework with the European Parliament on schedule, is a top priority of our Presidency. We congratulate the Lithuanian Presidency for the excellent results they achieved in finalizing both directives on bank recovery and deposit guarantee. At the same time, we will promote, as a matter of urgency, issues concerning tax fraud and tax evasion, as well as the Financial Transactions Tax.

On Deepening the EMU, our aim is to lay the foundations of well coordinated EMU, with the right balance between solidity and solidarity and the institutional autonomy of its members. Our work will be guided by today’s Conclusions on the Partnerships for Growth, Jobs, Competitiveness which built upon Herman’s Roadmap and the Commission's Blueprint.

(C) Migration, border management and mobility of Union citizens, in the context of enhancing European security, both internally and externally.

Developing an area of Freedom, Justice and Security will be a major objective for the Greek presidency. Our approach has 3 targets: (a) stopping/reducing illegal migration in an efficient way, while safeguarding respect for human rights and combating the criminal networks of smuggling and trafficking (b) improving and better organizing legal migration and facilitated mobility. (c) coordinating effective repatriation policies for the illegal immigrants. d) enhancing synergies between immigration and growth by attracting educated and talented human resources.

(D) EU Sea Policies-Horizontal Thematic.

Our presidency will introduce a horizontal initiative encompassing all issues relevant for EU Sea policies. The main idea of this thematic is to redefine and relaunch the EU Maritime Policy in all its aspects, not being confined to issues of growth and development The objective will be the adoption of a text on Maritime Strategy at the June 2014 European Council, highlighting Security, Growth including Energy.

On all the above issues and especially on Immigration flows and Maritime policies, we have agreed with Enrico Letta to closely work together, so that our two successive presidencies will become mostly effective and create the best one year synergy as possible!

The European Council (EC)