Alternate Foreign Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou participated in the Informal EU General Affairs Council in Budapest on Friday, 14 January 2011.
The Informal Council, which was the first of the Hungarian Presidency, saw the presentation of the Presidency’s priorities, as well as preparation for the 4-February European Council, which will focus on energy strategy and innovation.
In her address to the Council, Ms. Xenogiannakopoulou raised the following issues:
· The need for a stronger and more effective answer from the EU within the framework of a cohesive approach that will stabilize the eurozone and send a strong message of determination to the markets. She referred in particular to the need for additional measures to be taken, including the issuing of Eurobonds, as has been proposed by the Greek Prime Minister.
· The drawing up of a plan for the recovery of the European economy and a strategy for balanced and sustainable development, in order to break the vicious cycle of the debt and recession crisis.
· The importance of the new, post-2013 financial perspectives, stressing the need for adequate funding of the Community Budget so that the necessary means will be available for the Cohesion Policy, the CAP, and the EU’s overall development and social policy. Within the framework of the discussion on the new revenues, Ms. Xenogiannakopoulou raised the issue of establishing a tax on transactions and a “green tax”. She underscored in particular the importance of the Cohesion Policy for development, solidarity and confrontation of the repercussions of the crisis and recession.
· The need for revision of Dublin II and the development of the EU policy on asylum and migration so as to strengthen solidarity and fair burden-sharing for countries like Greece, which is under excessive pressure from illegal migration. She briefed the Council on Greece’s initiatives concerning revision of the institutional framework for asylum, the establishment of the asylum service, the policy on integration of migrants, and the strengthening of border control for confronting illegal migration.
She briefed the Council specifically on the Greek government’s initiative for raising artificial barriers along sections of Greece’s land border in Evros, within the framework of the overall effort.
She also expressed support for the Hungarian Presidency’s initiative for a European Strategy for integration of Roma, as well as the European Danube Region Strategy. She informed the Council that Greece has presented “Agenda 2014” for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and is drawing up a corresponding initiative for a regional strategy for the Balkans.
January 17, 2011