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In Lough Erne, the European Union will be fully engaged to find common solutions to the pressing challenges on the agenda, ranging from measures to support the global economy and create jobs, from promoting greater transparency in taxation to foreign and security issues like the fight against terrorism and achieving a political solution to the appalling crisis in Syria. Promoting fairness and sustainable growth, jobs and development will be at the heart of the EU's ambition for this G8 summit under UK with a special focus on the three T's: trade, tax and transparency.
President Van Rompuy stated: "This G8 summit comes at a time with important economic and political challenges for the G8 and the rest of the world. The promotion of growth and jobs is the top priority for the G8. In the EU, financial stability has been restored and the existential threat to the euro area is over. We are now focusing our efforts to ensure more growth and to fight unemployment, especially among the youth. At the same time, the European Union is fully committed to help solving the most urgent problems in foreign policy, notably Syria."
President José Manuel Barroso said: "The European Union is coming to this G8 summit to promote global fairness: through unimpeded international trade as a vital engine for growth, jobs and development; by stepping up the global fight against tax evasion and avoidance, through automatic exchange of information; and through stronger transparency on revenue streams from extractive industries and forestry, on land governance and on government data. I am confident that this summit under UK presidency will provide the momentum to move forward on these important priorities."
The G8 summit will start with a discussion of the global economy including trade, where European Council President Van Rompuy and European Commission President Barroso will explain the state of play of the EU's response to the economic crisis, and the progress achieved in the eurozone since the Camp David summit in 2012.
On the trade, tax and transparency - the so-called "3 Ts agenda" put forward by the G8 UK Presidency - the EU will underline the importance to promote free, fair and open trade as an engine for growth and job creation, as reaffirmed in the European Council meeting of 8 February this year. They will also call for a reinforced global effort in the fight against tax evasion and fraud building on the new political momentum in Europe, as expressed at the European Council meeting of 22 May, and worldwide.