On 7 October 2014, Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President designate of the EC in charge of Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, appeared before the Committees on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on Employment and Social Affairs, and on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament for a hearing to test his general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio. Jyrki Katainen had the opportunity to make an opening statement.

Brussels

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

statement

KATAINEN, Jyrki (FI, EC)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

hearing

2014 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Jyrki KATAINEN (T)

Hearing of Jyrki KATAINEN (Finland), Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness: extracts from the statement by Jyrki KATAINEN

Arrival of Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness (9 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, <p>"I also belong to a generation which had the chance to join an ERASMUS programme. This changed my life. My family would never have been able to send me abroad to study with other young Europeans, had it not been for ERASMUS".</p>  <p></p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "I have crystalised my chore values to four points: encouragement, civilisation, tolerance and social responsability."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "These four values are my starting point for creating new, inclusive and sustainable growth in Europe."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "We need action on both demand and supply sides. As part of the comprehensive and coordinated policy response involving all EU institutions and instruments. First of all, we need to focus on investment which has fallen by almost 20% since the start of the crisis."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "Well regulated financial markets can ensure that investment goes where it is most needed. We should ensure more diversified sources of finance are available to help European companies grow their business an create jobs."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "We need to open up markets for companies to offer new and better goods and services to consumers. This is true both for the internal market and for markets beyond our frontiers where 90% of future global growth will come from."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "We will support the roll-out of new technologies. Renewable energy and energy efficiency as one example, are sectors where Europe can be world leaders, creating new jobs while making a critical contribution to our climate change objectives and to our own energy security.In particular, I want to support SMEs. They are the real lifeblood of our economy. We need a deeper and fairer internal market with a strengthened industrial base, and a better business environment."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "The most important capital we have is human capital. All Europeans should have the opportunity to maximise their potential through education and training that equips them with skills they need to try in the modern global economy while supporting the most vulnerable."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jyrki KATAINEN, Commissioner-designate for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, "We need an unprecedented mobilisation of public and private sectors. The Commission, the EIB, the Member States to pull together the 300 billion package. As important as the quantity will be the quality of the investments. It is productive, real investment that we need. I don't want 300 billion on a table, but I want 300 billion of real investment to support jobs and growth over the next three years. Let me be clear: we need a fresh impetus for growth, jobs and investment without creating new debt. And for that we will need to mobilise bot public and private money in new ways."