Minister-president Spanje: spaans voorzitterschap heeft geprobeerd vertrouwen en eenheid te creëren in de EU (en)
The President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero i, during his review of the first six months of the year at the European Parliament i in Strasbourg. EFE
The President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, highlighted that the Spanish Presidency has tried to generate “confidence and unity” in the EU, as well as making “substantial progress” in the economic union, during his review of the first six months of the year at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
During his address, Rodríguez Zapatero recalled that in January his two main goals were to implement the Treaty of Lisbon and to tackle the economic crisis in order to lay the foundations for a recovery with which Europe would gain competitiveness and maintain the welfare state.
"If the Spanish Presidency has taught us anything, it is that we need as much EU methodology as possible; we must strengthen the role of the great EU institutions in their joint responsibility for important European matters", he stated.
Economic measures
According to Rodríguez Zapatero, the crisis required the promotion of a joint economic policy, and during this six-month term "hugely significant" results have been achieved.
The clearest evidence of this, said Rodríguez Zapatero, was the bailout of Greece or the financial stability instrument; two decisions in addition to the 2020 Strategy with EU economic goals for the coming decade and new principles to ensure it is achieved and to avoid the problems experienced with the Lisbon Strategy.
During his address he also emphasised the agreement of the EU-27 to be more demanding in fulfilling the Stability and Growth Pact, with corrective and preventative measures, and he pointed out that it was the Spanish Presidency that had first mentioned the possibility of setting sanctions.
He praised the future financial regulation package that will supervise all financial products and create prevention mechanisms for systematic risks, and also the decision to publish the “stress tests” on financial institutions, an example of transparency that he believes will allow "some of the trust that has been called into question during this period, to be restored".
“Today we can practically say that the financial supervision part has been improved and that in a few months we will have a new supervision framework that will cover all financial products, with prevention mechanisms”, said Rodríguez Zapatero. “In short, substantial progress in the economic union”.
Treaty of Lisbon
Regarding the Treaty of Lisbon, he said that Spain, the first rotating presidency that has had to apply the treaty, had been "faithful" to it, "with a high degree of political generosity and commitment" to guarantee the new institutional balance.
According to the Spanish President, the Treaty demands great political will from all governments to give responsibility to these new institutions, the Parliament and the Commission.
He added that this "more perfect Union" will not be real unless Europe is seen to speak with a single voice in the world.
Summits
After reviewing the summits held with third countries during the Spanish Presidency, in which he highlighted the agreements signed with Latin America, he played down the importance of the cancellation of the summit between the EU and the United States as said that "important" agreements had been reached with this country on terrorism, such as the Swift agreement, and in the economic field, such as the "Open Skies" agreement.
Rodríguez Zapatero said that the Union for the Mediterranean Summit was cancelled in agreement with EU institutions due to the conflict in the Middle East and the risk of failure for the EU.
He also gave an overview to the European Parliament of the progress made in the accession negotiations with the countries that hope to join the EU and he listed the agreements promoting equality, such as the protection order for victims of gender violence.
In the area of international cooperation, Rodríguez Zapatero highlighted the “significant” EU presence during the earthquakes that devastated Haiti and Chile.