The EU heads of state and government of the European People’s Party (EPP), along with the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament - Herman VAN ROMPUY, Jose Manuel BARROSO, and Jerzy BUZEK meet in Meise (Brussels) for the Statutory Summit of the Party.

Brussels

statement

meeting

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

BARNIER, Michel (FR)

BUZEK, Jerzy (EPP, PL)

MERKEL, Angela (DE)

BORISSOV, Boyko (BG)

BERLUSCONI, Silvio (EPP, IT)

REINFELDT, Fredrik (SE)

BALKENENDE, Jan Peter (NL)

European Council meeting 17 June 2010 (T)

EPP leaders meet ahead of the European Council: arrivals and statement by Jerzy BUZEK, EP President

Arrival of Jan Peter BALKENENDE, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

Arrival of Fredrik REINFELDT, Swedish Prime Minister

Arrival of Angela MERKEL, German Chancellor

Arrival of Boyko BORISOV, Bulgarian Prime Minister

Arrival of Silvio BERLUSCONI, Italian Prime Minister

Arrival of Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Prime Minister of Luxembourg

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy Karol BUZEK, EP President, We all know that whether it be on the economy, social issues, the environment, security, energy, research and innovation, it is only at the European level that we can make useful and efficient decisions for our countries. We often speak of a global crisis But a European crisis calls for European responses, not national ones. This is the first time the European Parliament's main political groups have put ideological differences to one side and focused on the core responses to the current crisis facing the European economy. Our economic rules need tightening, our governance structures need strengthening and our budget planning needs restructuring. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy Karol BUZEK, EP President, The current crisis has shown up the weaknesses of the Stability and Growth Pact which now needs reinforcing with realistic sanctions for persistent non-compliance and some form of pre-screening of national budget planning and statistical data. Europe as a whole, but especially the eurozone needs more joined up economic governance, coordinated and led by the European Commission as a purely intergovernmental approach is bound to end in failure. The new growth strategy for 2020 must have more ambition and more incentives to deliver the desired results.