Toespraak commissievoorzitter Barroso in parlement van Litouwen (en)

Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas)

Vilnius, 29 March 2007

Thank you for this chance to speak to you at a challenging moment for Europe, and for Lithuania.

Lithuania is Europe's success. In many ways. I am honoured to be in this very same hall, where 17 years ago, you declared to the world that you are free again.

Just look where you were then - and where you are now. You should be proud of yourselves. In less than two decades you became a young but robust democracy. And vibrant economy - example to others, including Europeans. A country whose capital will be cultural capital of Europe in less than two years. It's only symbolic that this will coincide with Millennium of your Statehood of Lithuania - because, when you look at this magnificient history, are these 17 years not the best ever in Lithuania's history?

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Europe's founding Treaty of Rome we can look back at past achievements and look forward to new challenges.

Preventing war between Europe's nations was the original core business of the European Union.

In that it has succeeded.

Bringing Europe back together through enlargement was not only a political but a moral obligation. In that we have succeeded.

The European Union has helped to bring back freedom and democracy to all European countries. In that we have succeeded.

The European Union has promoted and sustained higher living standards of our peoples. In that we have succeeded.

But now, new challenges are upon us.

Challenges such as globalisation, climate change, energy security, migration, physical security risks, such as terrorist activity and epidemics.

In the Commission's initiative for a "Citizens' Agenda" of May last year, we launched the idea of a new political strategy for Europe. A Europe of results in the service of the European citizen.

To underpin this new strategy , the Commission proposed a new political start for the Union. We outlined six guiding principles for the Union, to be enshrined in a solemn declaration:

Economic growth and competitiveness to face globalization

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  Solidarity - through strengthened economic and social cohesion;
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  Sustainability - through the fight against climate change and a proper European energy policy;
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  Accountability - greater transparency and access to information as a citizen's right and as an obligation on European institutions;
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  Security - a commitment to protect our peoples while preserving fundamental freedoms; and
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  Global outreach - promoting Europe's values in the world.

As you know, these guiding principles are now at the heart of the Berlin Declaration signed last week.

But let me come back to the immediate work at hand.

We hope that 2008 will bring a clear institutional settlement, so that we can get on with the business at hand. For this, we need an agreement at the European Council this June on a road map to create the conditions for a settlement.

Next year will also see further consolidation of the Union. We hope to see a number of Member States joining the Schengen area and perhaps the euro, as soon as they fulfil the criteria.

Next year, the Commission - spearheaded by your own Iron Lady Dalia Grybauskaite - will be working to present a review of the EU budget which will launch a broad consultation to allow all stakeholders, including individual citizens and national parliaments such as the Seimas, to express their views on the priorities of the Union and the resources needed to tackle them.

One such priority - for 2008 and beyond - is the energy and environment policy nexus.

Energy

You do not need me to tell you what energy security means for Lithuania. And how important Europe's common energy policy will be for you.

Lithuanians and indeed, the Commission - have described your country, evocatively and accurately, as an 'energy island'.

But Lithuania needs energy - and transport - interconnections with the rest of Europe.

We have been following carefully developments in the energy field which affect Lithuania:

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  The interruption in oil supplies from Russia;
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  The deal on the Nordstream pipeline;
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  The need to make progress on gas and electricity connections to the rest of the EU, including the Poland-Lithuania power link.

I can assure you that the Commission will continue to press for engagement with President Putin in a positive, long-term relationship, in particular on energy. A relationship which must include the implementation of Energy Charter principles.

And we are keen to help accelerate work on vital energy and transport links with the rest of the Union.

Indeed, the way in which the Union helps Lithuania to end its energy and transport isolation is a test. A test of one of the fundamental principles of the Union which we have just reaffirmed in Berlin - solidarity.

Environment

But solidarity must also apply between generations. And what legacy to our children and grandchildren is more important than our environment?

This is why the Commission proposed a new and ambitious European environment policy to ensure that we deliver a sustainable world to our children and grandchildren. As you will know, the European Council a few weeks ago gave their full backing to this policy initiative.

It is crucial that Europe sets sharp-edged objectives to cut carbon emissions - and that Europe also creates incentives for others in the world to sign up to them.

This is global warming, not European warming.

We are pushing for a worldwide reduction of 30% of greenhouse gases as part of a new international agreement after Kyoto expires in 2012. But we have also proposed a unilateral European reduction of emissions of at least 20% by 2020.

These reductions are to come from energy savings and more investment in renewable energies, which are to cover 20% of our energy needs by 2020 compared to 7% today.

We want - and our citizens expect us - to lead the rest of the world into a new, low-carbon future.

And to correct our run-away dependence on imported, non-renewable, energy.

Lisbon

We must accelerate our response to globalisation and ageing European populations and speed the development and take-up of new technologies.

The relative weight of individual European countries is rapidly being reduced by the rise of emerging economies such as China and India.

Lithuania, as an open and dynamic trading economy of huge potential, benefits greatlyfrom business with the rest of Europe.

This is why the Commission has pushed to renew the European strategy for growth and jobs, the Lisbon strategy.

The new Lisbon strategy is designed to drive a more modern and innovation-friendly Europe.

Let me dwell for a moment on one element of the Lisbon strategy which I know concerns you in Lithuania: the exodus of labour, both brains and brawn.

At present, there are some who fear that the opening of labour markets Europe wide will lead to a structural migration of labour from fast-growth but still low-cost economies such as Lithuania to the maturer, higher-wage economies of the EU.

Let me - by way of reassurance - cite the examples of my own country Portugal and Ireland.

At the start, many Portuguese travelled to other EU countries to work on account of higher pay. Portugal was a clear net exporter of labour. Now, with rapid economic growth, Portugal has become a net importer of labour from other Member States.

And take Ireland. As with Portugal, a net exporter of labour on accession to the EU. Now a net importer of labour. Indeed, many Lithuanians are seeking work in Ireland.

But, if we base ourselves on the Irish and Portuguese examples, they will be back as your economy and standard of living draw level with that of the wealthier Member States.

Euro

Let me say a word about the euro, and about Lithuania's path towards the euro.

There is no doubt that the euro is a success. For European business, it is cutting transaction costs and has eliminated currency risks.

For citizens and consumers, it has brought price transparency and has made travelling around Europe more practical.

For Member States' economies, the euro has brought increased competitiveness and stability.

The Commission is very much in favour of Lithuania's adoption of the euro. And the Commission is encouraged by the commitment which Lithuania is showing to the disciplines which accompany adoption of the euro.

We look forward to welcoming you on board as soon as we can.

Good governance, national parliaments

Let me turn now to the question of governance: `who does what' in the European Union. Who regulates the Union? How do we know if new European rules are needed? How do we provide checks and balances?

The way the EU makes rules and decisions has evolved greatly over the years.

It is now clearly more democratic than it was. The European Parliament has co-decision powers in much EU legislation.

This Commission has taken steps to screen more effectively and more transparently all EU initiatives which would involve new rules and resources.

We are doing this is several ways:

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  We are conducting a Europe-wide drive towards to better regulation, including withdrawal of unnecessary and out-of-date proposals already on the table; and a reduction by 25 percent of the administrative costs of European regulations.
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  We in the Commission test more robustly than in the past whether a suggested initiative respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;
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  We have decided to publish individual Impact Assessment Reports so that any interested party may comment;
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  We have decided to send Commission legislative initiatives to national parliaments for a needs test at the same time as they are submitted to the EU institutions.

These innovations are designed to force us to think twice before issuing new European laws.

And to allow national lawmakers - such as you, the Seimas - to exercise influence at an earlier stage of policy-making than before.

It is clear that the parliamentary dimension of the European Union is becoming more important.

Since we decided in September last year to send Commission legislative initiatives to national parliaments for screening, the Commission has received 76 opinions!

The Commission welcomes this engagement by national legislatures and is committed to respond.

But let me add that our `better regulation' drive applies to you as well.

Member States must apply a necessity and proportionality test to their own national legislative initiatives. If governments cramp business with red tape - or if they `gold-plate' European laws - the whole `better regulation' drive will be undermined.

The broader message behind our campaign to cut EU bureaucracy and filter new initiatives is the principle that Europe should only do what it can do better than the Member States acting individually.

Europe should not be the standard or 'default solution' to the continent's problems.

The Commission does not want integration for the sake of integration but to improve the lives of Europe's citizens. That is the ultimate subsidiarity test.

New treaty

The logic I have applied to an individual piece of legislation also applies to a treaty.

Let me very clear about one thing: the current Treaty, the Nice Treaty, is not enough .

The European Union has made full use of the Nice Treaty in pursuing the new and changing European interest. We have achieved concrete results.

But we can do better.

What is more, the Nice Treaty does not fully answer some of the concerns of our citizens regarding accountability and transparency.

On the contrary, we need an institutional settlement which will make the Union not only more effective and cohesive but also more transparent, more democratic and more decentralized.

I am convinced that our citizens want better European governance. The Nice Treaty does not pass the governance test any more.

Ladies and gentlemen.

In conclusion, I want to leave you with three messages:

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  The European Union is strengthened by the accession of Lithuania. Enlargement has added purpose and dynamism to the work of the Union. And Lithuania has shown it is able to punch above its weight.

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  The European Union - and this Commission - seeks to be a purveyor of solutions for its Member States and therefore for Lithuania. European citizens will judge us on results. We expect nothing less.

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  The Union means solidarity. You are no longer an island - not an energy island, not a transport island, not isolated in any way. Lithuania is family. Your issues are our issues.

The division between old Europe and new Europe is a fallacy.

There is now only a new Europe.

The new Europe is a global Europe, a Europe of true solidarity, and a Europe which engages with its peoples and parliaments.

Chairman of the Seimas.

Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Seimas.

Thank you again for this chance to speak to you in the `heart of Lithuania'.

Now it is we who wish to hear from you.