Deense minister Wammen: open en constructief discussiëren over groei in Europa (en)

Yesterday and today, Danish Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen hosted a meeting for the Ministers for European Affairs in Aarhus and Horsens. The meeting was the first opportunity for Ministers to discuss the full range of inputs on ways of promoting growth as preparation for the meeting of the European Council at the end of June. The Ministers also discussed the full text of the Multiannual Financial Framework and had an exchange of views on how the future multiannual EU i budget can help promote growth.

The Ministers for European Affairs met yesterday and today in Aarhus and Horsens for the last informal ministerial meeting during the Danish Presidency. With less than three weeks left of the Presidency, Minister Wammen chaired the meeting where ways of enhancing growth were at the center of attention as the Ministers prepared for the European Council on 28-29 June. Here the EU’s Heads of State and Government will meet and discuss a growth package at the European level. Many proposals were put forward by Member States during the discussion and the Presidency will now use the input when putting together the growth agenda for the Summit.

“Growth and employment has been at the core of our Presidency and recently the debate on growth has gained momentum and will be a main issue at the upcoming Summit. Consolidation, structural reforms and growth measures can and must go hand in hand. Today was the first opportunity for Member States to say what they think the growth agenda should include. We had a very frank and open debate on the various proposals that have been raised in the debate. And we took the first important steps towards a growth package in Europe. I am very satisfied that there was broad support for the growth agenda that the Presidency has worked on” says Minister for European Affairs Nicolai Wammen.

Creating growth through the MFF

The Ministers also had a working session on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) on the basis of “the negotiating box”, which has been drafted by the Presidency through the last five months. The document identifies all the relevant elements for a final deal, but excludes figures and will form the basis for the further negotiations in the latter half of 2012. A final box will be presented at the meeting of the European Council on 28-29 June for a discussion between the EU leaders. At today’s meeting there were good discussions between Member States and with the European Parliament on the structure of the box and outstanding elements.

Minister Wammen says: “We are very close to establishing a comprehensive basis for the final negotiations after todays’ debate on the few outstanding issues. In our discussions we also looked at ways of using the MFF as a tool for growth and jobs. Remember we are talking about a seven year budget framework of around €1000 billion. It’s a lot of money and it’s essential we spend them to promote growth and employment. We simply cannot afford to do otherwise“.

Visit to Aarhus

The Ministers also visited the City of Aarhus on Sunday as part of the two day meeting. Here the Ministers took part in an informal debate on the potential of green growth at the corporate headquarters of the Danish wind energy company, Vestas, together with Vestas CEO Ditlev Engel and Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard i. On Sunday, Minister Wammen and Commissioner Füle also met with the EU’s candidate countries for an informal dialogue on the enlargement process and to get inputs from the candidate countries on how best to create job-rich growth in Europe.

Contact Marie Bender Foltmann, Tel: 41 73 38 93, email: marfol@um.dk