ACCA’s recommendations for the upcoming Belgian Presidency include among other issues: implementing the Lisbon Treaty and Europe 2020 framework, accounting standards, corporate governance and EU crisis resolution mechanisms.
1 July 2010 will see Belgium begin its six-month stint as rotating president of the European Union’s Council. In order to see Europe through a period of change, says ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the new presidency must realise the long-standing goal of a coherent EU voice: both at home and abroad.
With little over one month to go before Spain hands over the mantle, ACCA has drawn up its recommendations for the coming six months. These cover:
· Implementing the Lisbon Treaty and Europe 2020 framework
· Support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
· Better Regulation
· Accounting standards
· Financial regulation and corporate governance
· EU budget priorities
· EU crisis resolution mechanisms
· Sustainability and climate change
“In-house, the roll-out of the Lisbon Treaty and the ‘Europe 2020’ development strategy, as well as the upcoming budgetary review, will need continuous oversight and impetus,” says Roger Acton, ACCA’s Regional Director of Europe and the Americas. “And at a global level, the presidency must redeem the disappointing outcome of the Copenhagen climate change summit, where Europe appeared fractured and failed to secure any binding commitments. Belgium needs to articulate a single, strong voice on the EU’s behalf at the Mexico summit in December.”
However, ACCA warns that Belgium may be distracted from its EU remit by its own political woes. “The re-ignition of linguistic disputes in April means that Belgium’s assumption of the presidency could coincide with domestic elections,” says Roger Acton. “The process of forming a government may well be protracted, and preclude for that time the level of leadership required to push through the EU’s internal and external agendas.”
“The Greek debt crisis threw usually latent divisions between member states into sharp relief. But now more so than ever, the EU must act as a unit. There are important opportunities and challenges coming up over the next six months, and Europe cannot let them slip by.”
© ACCA - Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
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