„Împreună pentru redresarea Europei”

Publicat de Nicolae Tomescu, 5 iulie 2020, 10:16

• strong message of unity to the eurosceptics of this world – within and without the

  European Union –– this is it!

  “Together for Europe’s recovery”! is the motto of our Presidency, and it means so  much more than “just” getting the pandemic under control. “Impreuna pentru redresarea Europei!” If we succeed in mastering this crisis in a true spirit of European solidarity, we will greatly enhance Europe´s general international standing and its sovereignty in a multipolar world.

  Let me now walk you through some of the key priorities for this Presidency:

  Priority Nr 1: Fighting the pandemic – both in its health-related as well as social  and economic implications. On the one hand, we need a coordinated EU exit strategy when lifting remaining restrictions and keeping any resurgence of the pandemic under control. But more than anything else, we need an agreement on the size and structure of the comprehensive Economic recovery program.

  “Next Generation Europe”, the program suggested by the EU Com, closely inter-wined with the provisions of the new Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2021-27, describes the scope of this historic task. Partners need to agree not only on the overall volume of this program, but also on the ratio of loans, on the one hand, to grants and guarantees on the other, as well as on some other criteria closely linked to our strategic goals.

  I believe it’s fair to say that the Joint German-French proposal of 18 May, agreed  upon between Chancellor Merkel and President Macron (the 500 bn € package), was a major step forward (my Minister even publicly called it “revolutionary progress”). Why? Because both were able to pragmatically strike a deal despite their previously fundamentally divergent approaches. For the sake of securing unity and solidarity in Europe, Germany has come a long way, and we would certainly hope this sets the tone for others to follow this example.

  Beyond that, we are strongly attached to a number of other political objectives, all priorities in their own right, but whose strategic importance should also be properly reflected in the allocation of new funds provided by the recovery program:

   The “Green Deal”

  Recovery measures should be seen as an opportunity to invest in “Green Recovery” and to enhance sustainability when coping with consequences of climate change.

  • European digital and technological sovereignty  The pandemic has made it blatantly clear that we need a resilient, value-based digital transformation and the build-up of an efficient and trustworthy European data infrastructure.

  • Rule of Law

  We see merit in the Commission’s proposal to adequately link EU spending with respect for the rule of law. This should be seen as a transparency and confidence-building measure and serve as evidence that EU spending in Member States is protected.

  After the summer break, the next big issue on the agenda will be Brexit. Negotiations on the EU’s future relationship with the UK will enter into their last and crucial phase. While we strongly hope for an ambitious and comprehensive new partnership and a solid agreement on core issues like “level playing field”, fishing rights and  governance, here again maintaining unity among partners will be of over-arching political importance.

  These are the main portfolios under immediate time constraint during this Presidency. Allow me to briefly sketch out which other issues, largely not less important, will be on the agenda, and I’ll start with the domain most directly linked to  your portfolio, Minister Aurescu:

  Foreign, Security and Neighborhood policy.

  We will keep working towards revitalizing the High-Level Political Dialogue between the EU and the US against the background of the fundamental strategic importance of the transatlantic partnership.

  We wish to strengthen the EU’s role as a powerful international actor in its  relationship with China, which is both a rival and a partner in the global context. We hope that the EU-CHN Leaders’ Meeting – originally scheduled for September – will take place at a later stage, and in the form of a physical meeting.

  The same, by the way, applies to the envisaged EU-African Union Summit scheduled for the end of October, where we wish to demonstrate our strong support for our neighboring continent Africa.

  In our relationship with the Russian Federation, we will follow-up on a stock-taking exercise regarding the implementation of the five EU principles.

  We will continue to pay special attention to international crises scenarios. This includes active work on key dossiers in Libya, the Sahel, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran, Syria and the Middle East Peace Process.

  On the Western Balkans, the EU-Summit in early May under the Croatian Council Presidency sent a strong signal of solidarity to the region, which we want to build upon. We will seek to finalize the negotiation framework and start first accession talks with Northern Macedonia and, if possible, Albania, once it fulfills the necessary conditions.

  A similarly strong sign of support was sent to our Eastern Partners by the EU-leaders’  VTC of June 18th, on the basis of which we will be working towards a physical EaP-Summit in March 2021. Special focus will be given to further developments in the neighboring Republic of Moldova. A deepening relationship with the EU remains the target for which we see tangible progress especially in the areas of Rule of Law,

  good governance and fight against corruption as key factors.

  Migration

  We see the urgent need for a new impulse on the European refugee and migration policy, based on real shared responsibility. Internally, we aim for a Common European Asylum System which efficiently curbs secondary migration and alleviates the burden on front-line member states. Externally, European migration policy should strengthen cooperation and equal partnerships with countries of origin and transit.

  Social Europe

  The impact of COVID-19 on particularly vulnerable groups of our populations has brought the issue of social cohesion to the fore-front of our agenda. As young people are particularly hard hit by the crisis, we are committed to redouble our efforts on youth unemployment. On gender equality, we wish to focus on equal pay for equal work, on empowering women in leadership positions and on combating gender- based violence.

  Finally, we want to make progress in the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, e.g. within the EU framework for national minimum wages, adequate working conditions and minimum security schemes. Especially against the background of the serious short-comings in the area of the seasonal and temporary workforce in Europe during the pandemic, including in Germany, it may be worth

  mentioning that we are determined to give this objective additional attention during our Presidency.

  Culture and education

  This is another area severely affected by the pandemic. We will accompany our political activities with a multi-faceted, innovative cultural program aimed at enhancing our political objectives through educational art work. On 1 July, Earth Speakr, an EU-wide participatory artwork created by the renowned Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, was launched. It aims at encouraging young people to actively participate in a discussion about the future of the EU and our planet, using their preferred forms of communication.

  Here I end my brief sketch of relevant challenges on the Presidency´s agenda, and no doubt there will be many more. When and how best to deal with them – time and further developments of the pandemic will show. But let me conclude by repeating once again what I consider the main and overarching challenge right now:

  To secure solidarity among partners in reacting to the pandemic, and by doing so to enhance European sovereignty in a global setting. If we manage to live up to this challenge, this year has the potential to send a strong, even historic message of European cohesion to partners and rivals alike. No success assured, no “money back guarantee” for efforts spent, sober expectation management is certainly needed, but I can assure you that we will try our utmost to make it happen. And, Minister, we certainly count on your support and your spirit of solidarity in this endeavor.

  “Together for Europe’s recovery”!

  “Împreună pentru redresarea Europei!”