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Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to address you this morning at the opening of this IIEA-TEPSA Conference on the Priorities for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first six months of 2013.

I would also like to wish those of you visiting Dublin a very warm welcome and a pleasant stay.

We look forward to welcoming you back to Dublin in 2013.

On behalf of the Government I would also like to thank the IIEA & TEPSA for hosting this important event which is one of the first major associated events of the Irish Presidency calendar.

The IIEA plays a valuable role in supporting and furthering discussion and debate on key foreign policy issues, and in doing so, informing Irish policy across a range of areas.

The IIEA and TEPSA have also held this event in advance of previous Irish Presidencies, including Ireland’s last Presidency in 2004.

Our approach to the Presidency next year will be quite different to our previous terms in office.

The international climate and the financial crisis which continues to dominate the day-to-day agenda of the Union and Governments across Europe is one reason for this.

The institutional framework of the Union has changed also, and we will welcome new counterparts here to Dublin Castle next month including the President of the European Council and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

What has not changed is the Irish Presidency commitment to working pragmatically and constructively with all partners to advance the Union’s agenda.

Ireland has always worked closely with the European Parliament but this is all the more critical now given the Parliament’s broader role in the legislative process.

Over the past year the Irish Government has worked to develop close working relations with contacts in the Parliament and we have welcomed several delegations from key Committees and political groups to Dublin in recent weeks.

We look forward to meeting the Conference of Presidents here in Dublin Castle next week to discuss our Presidency priorities.

In previous Presidencies we have also always aspired to tackle the challenges of the day head-on and to work to address the problems of great concern to citizens and Governments across the EU.

2013 will be no different.

But the effects of the crisis are still being felt right across the Union.

Unemployment remains stubbornly high, particularly the rates of youth joblessness.

Economic recovery still seems some time away, and European Governments are implementing austerity measures right across the Union.

As the budget negotiations continue in Brussels today, it appears that the Union’s Member States are more divided than ever.

Some would argue that the Union has failed to deliver solutions to the problems.

I strongly disagree.

The crisis has proved that our economies are far more interdependent than we previously imagined.

Common problems require joint solutions. No European state can isolate itself from the effects of the crisis no more than a state can manage its way out of the crisis alone.

History has demonstrated for us in the most horrible manner the effects of states looking defensively inward in responding to broader international crises.

This is why the Union is more important than ever in providing the forum to find joint solutions to the problems that face us.

Europe has always been at its strongest when it acts together.

Europe has never been more at peace than when it works together.

This is not idealism, but basic incontestable fact.

That is not to say that the EU response to the crisis has been perfect, but we have learned from mistakes made and indeed, elements of the Irish Presidency programme such as making progress on the Commission’s Banking Union proposals seek to ensure that we legislate to prevent a recurrence of past errors.

EU solidarity also seeks to ensure that states are not left to fend for themselves in an extremely difficult international climate.

Ireland is grateful for the solidarity that other Member States have shown to it in dealing with the crisis, and in working its way back to recovery.

The EU also acts as a bulwark to ensure that rights are not sacrificed as Member States fight the crisis. Membership is the best protection against diluting hard-won rights and a race to the bottom in terms of sustaining social cohesion.

It is true that Ireland has never faced such a challenging Presidency agenda, but the Irish Government looks forward to seizing the opportunities that the Presidency presents to deliver real results for citizens across the Union.

Never before has an Irish Presidency agenda so closely mirrored our domestic priorities.

Since entering office eighteen months ago, the Irish Government has sought to restore stability to the state finances and the broader economy, to support a return to economic growth and to stimulate job creation.

Ireland’s programme for Government and the Irish Government’s Presidency programme are therefore similar in many respects.

Our core aim as Presidency, across every Council formation, will be to seek ways of supporting sustainable jobs and growth in Europe and of restoring economic stability to the European economy.

There is no doubt that the day-to-day agenda of the Presidency will continue to be dominated by the effects of the financial crisis. But more than four years after it began, we must firmly turn our attention to European economic growth and recovery, and social cohesion.

So how are we going to create jobs and growth?

There is no magic quick-fix solution to this problem.

The measures undertaken by Governments across the EU, including here in Ireland, have been tough, and further difficult decisions lie ahead, but European Governments face few other choices.

The crisis has demonstrated not just Europe’s vulnerability to international fiscal downturns, but also the need for the EU to become more globally competitive.

The Compact for Jobs and Growth agreed at the June European Council combined with the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Union’s new economic governance measures provide an excellent framework for economic renewal, recovery and growth, but as a Presidency we wish to move the Union to action.

Effective implementation of these measures, and in particular the new European Semester process, with its influence across several Councils,, including the Education Council, which I will be chairing, will be central to the Presidency’s approach.

We also wish to look at how the EU can stimulate growth and jobs creation both internally and through a new approach to external trade and direct investment.

Let me address the internal market first.

The Single Market has been one of the Union’s great success stories.

It has delivered enormous benefits for consumers and business and bolstered Europe’s competitiveness.

But to reflect the development of eCommerce, it needs to change to reflect evolving market conditions and in particular to ensure that customers reap the benefits of the growing digital economy.

To spur growth in the digital economy and to equip the Single Market into the future, the Presidency will seek to advance measures across different policy formations including Intellectual Property Rights, Cyber security, e-Identification, Data Protection, and high-speed broadband rollout.

The Presidency will also seek to reach agreement on outstanding issues under the existing Single Market Act which include the Professional Qualifications Directive, which my Department is leading on in the Competitiveness Council, and the Posted Workers Directive.

Securing agreement on these proposals would remove obstacles that hinder worker mobility within the Union; this is particularly relevant to younger workers.

We will also seek to make progress to remove other obstacles that hinder our citizens in moving across the EU including pension portability and improved coordination of social security regulations.

But we also need to ensure that Europe is at the forefront of the digital economy and improves its future global economic competitiveness by investing now in supporting its research, development and innovation sectors.

The Presidency will therefore place a high priority on making progress on securing agreement on Horizon 2020, which is the EU’s funding programme for research and innovation for the coming decade.

The benefits of investment today in Horizon 2020 can also deliver solutions to address the needs of an aging European population.

But Horizon 2020 also offers the potential to create skilled and sustainable employment for our citizens, particularly for younger Europeans in cutting-edge sectors.

The Presidency will also seek to progress work on the European Research Area (ERA) and the future development of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology given their potential for job creation and their importance for enhancing the EU’s competitiveness.

Youth unemployment is a major concern for all Member States and it is imperative that we do everything in our power to put in place initiatives and programmes to tackle this issue effectively.

Following the publication of the Youth Transitions package, the Presidency will work to reach agreement on a Youth Guarantee.

I will also attach a strong priority in the Council that I am chairing to securing agreement on the the next generation programme to replace the existing Lifelong Learning, Youth in Action and other higher education programmes. The proposed ‘Erasmus for All’ programme will focus on the mobility of students, pupils and educators, support for policy reform in Member States and co-operation with non-EU countries.

An important theme of the Education Council meeting in May that I will chair will be on identifying ways to promote greater equity of access to higher education.

Improving training, skills and access to education will play a critical role in equipping citizens, particularly young people, to find work and in attracting investment into the EU.

I am determined to work towards preventing the development of a lost generation with the negative long-term personal and social consequences that would have for all Europeans.

The Irish Presidency will also seek to support the future development of the backbone of the EU -the SME sector- by making it easier to do business across the EU and reducing bureaucracy and administration.

To support growth we will work to ensure that SME access to Commission support is facilitated.

This is one of the aims of the EU’s new COSME (Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) initiative, to assist the EU SMEs in becoming better equipped to compete internationally.

The Presidency will also seek to enhance new business and job creation across the EU through the Entrepreneurship Action Plan.

We need to support and encourage a new generation of entrepreneurs who will play an invaluable role not only in strengthening the EU’s competitiveness but will contribute directly to the creation of new and sustainable jobs.

The EU also needs to invest in its infrastructure today to serve the needs of citizens and business tomorrow.

The European Commission’s package of legislative proposals for cohesion policy ensure that EU support is targeted on Europe's long-term goals for growth and jobs.

Given the importance of the policy and the tangible and direct benefits in terms of local and regional development, the Presidency will work intensively with the European Parliament to reach agreement on the six regulations that make up the cohesion package so that investment programmes can be completed in good time to allow funding of projects to begin from 2014.

I have outlined measures aimed at stimulating internal trade and growth, but Ireland, as a strong exporting nation, attaches a high priority to external trade and to how this can contribute to creating growth and employment.

In addition to working to reinvigorate the Union’s internal market, the Presidency will also attach a strong priority to opening new markets with third countries through Free Trade Agreements.

We do not expect results overnight, but we would like to make good progress in prioritising this issue over a longer-term, particularly in relation to EU-US trade.

Our aim in this regard will be to advance a mandate for EU-US trade negotiations.

Ireland will host an informal Ministerial meeting during its Presidency focussed both on EU-US trade, and the potential in other markets that can enhance opportunities for the Union’s exporters.

Economic union has been at the forefront of much discussion and debate but it is imperative that we stress that the EU is also a social union.

Inclusiveness, community and equality are also at the heart of the EU project.

This is why issues including tackling employment will be central Presidency objectives.

But we will also work to make progress on fighting inequality, particularly gender inequality.

In line with the Europe 2020 Strategy we will work to create greater opportunities for young people in Europe and to ensure that social and regional cohesion are given the attention that they deserve in discussions on the EU’s future financing.

Legislation on worker safety and worker mobility will also be priorities in the Presidency programme, as well as measures aimed at strengthening public health.

Much of what I have outlined will not have the desired effect unless we generate consumer, business and investor confidence in the European economy by restoring stability.

Decisions taken by Heads of State and Government including the Compact for Jobs and Growth, legislation that reinforces the Stability and Growth Pact, and the Fiscal Treaty which was endorsed earlier this year by the Irish people in a referendum, all give the EU a broad range of tools to address economic issues within the Union.

This is why we will be seeking to effectively implement the European Semester process and to ensure through the Annual Growth Survey process, that Member States stay on track to reach the objectives of sustainable economic growth and social cohesion as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy. This will be an important element of the Education Council meeting in February, that I will chair.

We will also work to make good progress on the Banking Union proposals which are necessary to restore stability and confidence to the financial services sector.

Europe’s economy cannot develop unless our enterprises have access to credit to grow their business.

But the Banking Union proposals also seek to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and we will work to make progress on this dossier during the Presidency.

The final main Presidency theme is the EU’s future financing.

Discussions continue today in Brussels on the Multiannual Financial Framework from 2014 to 2020.

Ireland believes that the Union requires a budget that is both fit for purpose and that can support economic recovery and growth by underpinning areas such as regional cohesion and development and innovation.

The Presidency will stand ready to take on whatever tasks remain on 1 January to ensure that the budget and necessary implementing legislation is in place to support the Union from 2014 in returning to growth and jobs.

I do not propose to go into detail on all other elements of the Presidency programme as these will be covered by other speakers here today.

However, allow me to briefly outline some of the other major sectoral objectives.

Reform of the Common Agriculture and Common Fisheries Policies will be a major focus of the Presidency.

Sectors including agriculture have an important contribution to make to European economic recovery and the delivery of the Europe 2020 objectives of smart, green and inclusive growth.

Successful reform of the Common Agriculture Policy will provide the foundation for further sustainable economic and regional growth and job creation in this area.

The Presidency faces a very heavy legislative agenda in the Environment Council.

A key priority will be to secure agreement on the seventh Environment Action Plan for the coming decade to ensure that the EU develops a more resource-efficient, competitive and low-carbon economy where natural capital is protected and where the health and wellbeing of EU citizens is promoted.

In the foreign affairs area we will work to support the work of High Representative Ashton and the EEAS, particularly in pursuing the Union’s values of democracy, respect for individual rights and human rights abroad.

Unlike our last Presidency when ten new Member States acceded to the Union, we will not see any new enlargement during our coming term in office, but we look forward to preparing for Croatia’s accession in July 2013 and in making good progress on moving the broader enlargement agenda forward.

Much of this, of course, depends on the progress made by candidates themselves.

Ireland has always placed a strong value on development aid and we look forward to making progress on areas including better coordination of Member State policies to deliver better results and to securing agreement on an EU position on the Millennium Development Goals.

The Tánaiste will also outline later plans for other events including a Conference which the Presidency is organising next April in Dublin with the Mary Robinson Foundation on the links between hunger, nutrition and climate change.

There is also a heavy legislative agenda in the Justice and Home Affairs Council.

The main focus will be on moving forward the Data Protection agenda to strengthen confidence of consumers and stimulate the digital economy.

The Minister for Justice will also seek to make progress on the European framework for the freezing/confiscation of criminal assets.

Making progress on the connecting Europe packages of transport, telecoms and energy infrastructure will also be a focus for the Presidency.

I have already mentioned some of the key elements of our approach to stimulating the digital economy including access to high-quality cost-effective broadband and improved cyber security.

Minister Rabbitte will address these issues with you in greater detail later today.

Ireland also looks forward to making good progress during its Presidency to reaching agreement on an action plan for the Atlantic Strategy which offers great potential for improved coordination and growth in a range of areas including renewable energy, marine tourism and sustainable exploitation of the Atlantic’s rich resources.

2013 is also the European Year of Citizens and the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the EU.

It is provides a unique opportunity to reflect on our first four decades of EU membership and to encourage a real public debate about the sort of Union we want to live in.

I know that TEPSA also plays an important and valuable role across the EU within the framework of the Europe for Citizens Programme which will also be a Presidency priority.

To conclude....

As with its previous Presidencies, Ireland will work to drive the EU legislative process forward during its six months in office and to serve as a fair and impartial office-holder.

We will run a cost-effective Presidency focussed on delivering results.

We believe that the Union is at its strongest when it works together.

This is why we will work towards solutions that involve all Member States, and why we will place a strong focus on the Community method of decision-making.

Dublin Castle has been the venue for many defining moments in Irish history, most recently for the historic visit to Ireland of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2011.

The Castle has also figured prominently in our six previous EU Presidencies starting with our first in 1975 and will continue to do so in our seventh in 2013.

There is no doubt that Ireland faces a difficult task ahead and that we will see interesting times within these walls over the coming months, but I can assure you today that the Irish Government is committed to addressing the challenges, and to seizing the opportunities that the Presidency presents in delivering real and long-lasting deliverables for its citizens.