Friday

29th Mar 2024

Agenda

This WEEK in the European Union

  • Mr Barroso ponders how to make the EU more competitive (Photo: European Commission)

Boosting Europe’s economic competitiveness is the Barroso Commission’s main aim for the next five years. The Commission President will unveil his plans to do this before the European Parliament on Wednesday (2 February).

MEPs will hear the Commission’s proposals to reform the so-called Lisbon Strategy – which aimed to make the EU the most competitive, knowledge-based economy in the World by 2010.

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A leaked copy of the draft proposal, obtained by the EUobserver two weeks ago, makes no mention of this ambitious target and aims to refocus the Lisbon Strategy around three core goals: creating jobs, improving knowledge and innovation and "ensuring that Europe remains an attractive location for employment".

According to the document, the relaunch of the strategy might be summarised as "more and better jobs in an innovative and attractive Europe".

The Commission report will incorporate some of the recommendations of the report drawn up by former Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok, who will also be in Brussels this week to address a meeting of the European Venture Capital Association (EVCA) the day before Mr Barroso unveils his plans.

This meeting seeks to share ideas on boosting Europe’s competitiveness through private equity and venture capital.

Also within the context of the Lisbon Strategy, the Commission will on Tuesday launch the "Europass", its attempt to improve labour mobility across the Union and improve competitiveness.

The Europass will offer job-seekers a harmonised format for presenting their qualifications that can be assessed by employers across the EU.

Iraqi elections

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday will give the EU’s reaction to the elections in Iraq taking place on 30 January. Also on the ministers’ agenda is the Middle East, the Balkans, Ukraine, war-torn Sudan and the EU’s continuing response to the Tsunami disaster in south-east Asia.

Also in the domain of foreign affairs, the Romanian foreign minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu will appear before the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament to discuss with MEPs his country’s bid to join the EU.

Commission President José Manual Durao Barroso told Romania’s prime minister last week that the country is still on track to join the EU as expected in 2007 but that much work remains to be done. Corruption and state aid continue to concern the Brussels executive.

In a relatively full agenda for MEPs, Parliamentary committees will also meet to scrutinise the work of several commissioners this week, including Peter Mandelson (trade), Siim Kallas (budgetary control and anti-fraud), Charlie McCreevy (internal market), Günter Verheugen (industry), Jacques Barrot (transport) and Jan Figel (education and culture).

Money talks

Commissioners will also meet two of the World’s richest men this week.

On Tuesday, Günter Verheugen, Charlie McCreevy and Peter Mandelson will meet Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.

And on Friday, regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner will meet renowned financier George Soros, who has accumulated an enormous fortune through currency speculation.

Defence and competition

Finally, two gatherings in Brussels this week will examine Europe’s role in global defence and global competitiveness.

The European Policy Centre will on Wednesday hold a conference entitled, "Europe in the age of global competition". And on Thursday, a group called the New Defence Agenda will host an international conference entitled "towards an EU Strategy for collective security".

Keynote speakers include Gijs de Vries, the EU’s Counter-Terrorism co-ordinator and commissioners Verheugen and Frattini (Justice, Freedom and Security).

Commission prepares to relaunch Lisbon agenda

Ten new policy areas and a "Mr Lisbon" in every member state. These are some of the proposals in a draft document aimed to relaunch the Lisbon Process - the EU's ambitious aim to become the World's most competitive economy by 2010.

Environment, Ukraine imports, fish and Easter this WEEK

This week, expect no more than talks on environment, agriculture and fisheries, including discussions between the Polish and Ukrainian governments over angry protests by Polish farmers objecting to cheap grain imports from Ukraine.

EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK

This week, EU leaders come together in Brussels for their usual two-day summit to discuss defence, enlargement, migration and foreign affairs. EU ministers for foreign affairs and EU affairs will meet earlier in the week to prepare the European Council.

EU summit prep work and von der Leyen's Egypt visit This WEEK

MEPs will hold a debate with EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the next European Council on Tuesday. Later this week, on Sunday, von der Leyen will be in Egypt for talks regarding a potential 'cash-for-migrant-control' deal.

Defence, von der Leyen, women's rights, in focus This WEEK

Ursula von der Leyen is expected to be confirmed as the EPP candidate for president of the next EU Commission. A new defence strategy will be unveiled this week, while the ECB is expected to maintain interest rates.

More farmers, Ukraine aid, Yulia Navalnaya in focus This WEEK

EU agriculture ministers meet in Brussels amid new farmers' protests. MEPs will hear from Alexei Navalny's widow and give the final green light to the €50bn Ukraine facility, while the CBAM proposal faces a formal challenge at a WTO meeting.

Opinion

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

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