The debate was opened by Staffan Nilsson, EESC president, who said that the EESC would stand behind the Danish Presidency to help it respond to the needs of citizens. He praised Denmark's decision to run a no-frills presidency that would cut down on transport and representation costs. "Whatever the amount of money spent, we count on a presidency that is efficient and effective and aims to find the best solutions", he said.
"Because of the exceptional challenges facing Europe, the Presidency regards the Committee as a key partner in its efforts to get Europe out of the crisis", said Mr Wammen and added that the value of the Committee stemmed from its representing workers, employers and civil society groups, who all "keep the wheel of Europe turning".
"Denmark will act as an honest broker in our Presidency dealings", declared Mr Wammen. Representing a country from outside the eurozone, he underlined the importance of keeping the EU27 together, ensuring that countries do not drift apart and stopping "clubs of 17 or 10" from surfacing.
The most immediate task was to tackle the unsustainable debt levels in some EU countries, he said. Yet cuts alone would not pull Europe out of "the worst economic crisis since World War II", he cautioned, calling for the right balance to be struck between belt-tightening and growth-boosting measures.
Turning to potential sources of growth, he pointed to the untapped potential of the single market and the vast opportunities offered by the greening of the European economy. In a bid to improve the business climate in the EU, the Presidency aims to modernise accounting rules and improve access to venture capital. The growth that these measures would generate must, however, be decoupled from energy growth so that Europe can make a real move towards a low-carbon society, said Mr Wammen. Not only would this give Europe first-mover advantage, it would also create new knowledge-intensive jobs, he added.
Press release
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