Toespraak EP-voorzitter Martin Schulz bij de Europese Raad (en)

European Parliament President Martin Schulz i arrives for the start of a two-day EU summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels. The summit gathering Union's chiefs of state will focus on signing a budgetary pact and discuss Serbia's EU candidacy. ©BELGA/AFP/J-C.Verhaegen

European Parliament President Martin Schulz participated on March 1 in the opening meeting of the European Council held in Brussels. Faced with the crisis, "the peoples of Europe must be partners, not adversaries" he said, expressing his concern at the "stereotypes, prejudice and even scaremongering" the crisis has fostered in "many parts of Europe"and repeating Parliament's call for growth oriented policies.

Speaking to the heads of state and government at the start of their spring summit in Brussels, EP president Schulz, insisted that "a policy based solely on austerity spells disaster", while at the same time, the debate in Europe is being poisoned by "the seeds of discord, resentment and chauvinism".

Moving from austerity to growth

President Schulz called for a shift away from austerity towards growth. Measures are urgently needed to restore growth, create jobs, especially for young, and reform and recapitalise the financial sector. This can be achieved by increasing investment, fighting tax evasion, improving the functioning of the internal market, and fully implementing the Europe 20-20 strategy for growth and jobs. In addition it is important that the EU multiannual budgetary framework has sufficient resources to help implement these policies throughout the EU. President Schulz said cutting EU funds "can only be counter-productive in the long term". The European Parliament should also play a stronger role, especially in the European Semester. The Parliament is currently excluded from this economic policy coordination.

The dangerous temptations

President Schulz, noted "with concern that stereotypes, prejudice and even scaremongering are once again coming to the fore in many parts of Europe. It is unacceptable that there should be second-class citizens in Europe".

So he called upon the European Council to "take a determined stand against ways of thinking which have always spelt disaster for the peoples of Europe and which have the power to destroy the EU".

Enlargment, Schengen, Syria

In his intervention, which traditionally marks the start of each European Council, president Schulz also mentioned the need to give Serbia EU candidate status and accept Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area. He also talked about the Arab Spring, mentioning Parliament's role in helping the democratic transition in those countries, while urging the member states to increase efforts for the UN to take "effective action against Syria".