Crisis, credible answers

The European Union is seeking viable and effective answers to overcome the crisis that has been holding the Old continent in its grips for the past five years. Last week’s European Council confirmed a set of lines of action (creation of single banking supervision, stepping up monetary and banking union, control of national debt, intervention for growth and employment) for which sufficient time and funds are needed. In the meantime negotiations for the 2013 community budget and for the multiannual financial budget 2014-2020 are under way. The EU budget should be understood as one of the useful tools to give new breath to Europe, to the economic system, to the single market, to territorial cohesion, to small and medium enterprises, and to employment. During the plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg (October 22-23 and 25-26) EU institutions once more addressed these themes.The States’ responsibility. "A deep conscience examination is needed. It should be admitted that the crisis is underestimated in many Member States. Some Countries are highly indebted, and thus corrective austerity policies cannot be ignored. It isn’t a decision of the EU. Rather, it’s the result of bad policies carried out in some capital countries. Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, in a speech delivered in Strasbourg on October 23rd was straightforward, and in clear terms demanded that national governments assume their responsibilities. "Over the past two-three years we made steps forward to counter the crisis", underlined Van Rompuy responding to MEPs’ objections. "But a lot remains to be done. Most of all, we need to pass from decisions to facts". "Single banking union" confirmed by the European Council last week, "is a revolutionary change. But now we ought to proceed with caution. The European Central Bank will need a few months to organize it", the speaker pointed out. "We proceed with a gradual philosophy", the president outlined. "Some results are already visible", such as "the decrease of the spread" in various countries. "We are committed in restoring confidence in economic stakeholders, citizens, and enterprises". During the debate with MEPs President Van Rompuy welcomed some of the conclusions of the latest summit, although some MEPs, notably euro-sceptics and British conservatives conveyed their opposition. Employment and the social dimension. "This European Council was certainly a progress in terms of the confirmation of previous decisions" on banking union and on economic and monetary union, Commission president José Manuel Barroso, Commission president, said at the plenary. But there is the need for a "broader response to the crisis". Barroso welcomed the MEPs’ proposals to step up the "social dimension" in the response to recession. "Employment and the social dimension are key aspects of the problems we are addressing". Themes addressed by MEPs – namely, with varying interesting insights, by the leaders of the EPP group, of the Socialists & Democrats, Liberal-Democrats and Greens – include the need for joint action by EU27 and not only by the 17 euro zone countries; on the Multiannual Financial Framework (EU budget 2014-2020) adequate funding is requested for European challenges; MEPs call upon member States to respects the commitments undertaken in June for growth and employment. MEPs discussed the role of the United Kingdom in Community Europe. "It isn’t honest to say that the euro is a cause of the crisis – Barroso concluded – we are thinking of the situation of the debts and the States public budgets…". "Europe is a part of the solution, and that’s why it is necessary to adopt the necessary economic and financial tools".A budget for Europe. The works of the European Parliament follow an agenda that includes the establishment of 2013 as the "European Year of Citizens", the enforcement of passengers’ rights, the "Single European Sky" directive, the Erasmus programme (whose future is at risk owing a scarcity in funds), consular protection, the next elections in Belarus and Georgia. The EP thus conveyed its opinion on the next community budget, whereby the EP and the EU Council of Ministers are seeking to reconcile their opposing views in ongoing negotiations. To this regard, the general rapporteur for the budget, Italian MEP Giovanni La Via, after the assembly vote said: "The European parliament has decided to restore the budget plan of the Commission and to increase resources, in a selective manner, of some budget areas strictly linked to growth policies and to the creation of employment, especially for the young". For the rapporteur, we "cannot consider endangering the implementation of some European projects. I think I’m not exaggerating when I say that we are facing a problem of credibility and reliability of the European Union".