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Speech By European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton to the EMI/PAI Presidency Conference: “Ireland’s priorities for the EU Presidency”

Thank you for the invitation to provide an outline of the emerging priorities for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Council during the first six months of 2013. Today’s Conference provides a timely opportunity to highlight some of the issues that will dominate our Presidency agenda in eight months' time.

The Government strongly believes that membership of the European Union is vital to Ireland’s ongoing recovery and to its future. The Presidency will give Ireland an opportunity to demonstrate that we are a constructive and committed Member State that belongs at the very heart of the EU decision-making process.

We believe that we can help to address the problems that the Union faces, and we look forward to working closely with partners to ensure that the EU emerges from the crisis stronger.

Before discussing the emerging shape of our Presidency programme in detail, I would like to briefly highlight what the Presidency, the seventh since Irish accession to the EU in 1973, means to Ireland.

First and foremost, holding the Presidency offers Ireland a rare and valuable opportunity to manage the EU agenda and to seek ways of advancing legislation and policy that will positively improve the lives of citizens here in Ireland and across the EU.

There are also significant reputational benefits if the Presidency is managed effectively. In spite of its size and limited resources, Ireland developed a reputation for running impartial and effective Presidencies on six previous occasions. 2013 will again give us the chance to demonstrate to our partners our strengths and abilities.

The international media spotlight will focus on the Presidency, particularly during the early part of it, and we will use this to convey important messages about Ireland, its economic recovery and its future potential. I have met the heads of the State agencies who are working to ensure that we make the most of the opportunity presented by the Presidency to promote Irish goods and services and to show that Ireland is a great location in which to invest and to do business.

Ireland’s current economic situation remains difficult and managing the Presidency will incur costs. Against this, however, we must keep in mind the longer-term reputational benefits of an effectively managed Presidency. The Government is strongly committed to keeping costs to the minimum and we have sought ways of reducing expenditure so that the budget will be lower than during Ireland’s last Presidency in 2004 and in line with the lower end of expenditure by other Member States who have recently held the Presidency.

One of the challenges that we have faced in planning for 2013 is that the EU and the role of the Presidency has changed significantly in recent years, particularly following the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty. There is a new permanent President of the European Council, there is a High Representative for Foreign Affairs heading the European External Action Service and the European Parliament now has wider powers in the legislative area.

At the same time, the Union has enlarged to 27 Member States with Croatia likely to become the 28th member in mid-2013.

The international environment in which the EU operates has also changed following the financial and economic crisis and the Arab Spring.

The Union’s competencies have also evolved, so unlike previous Presidencies, all Irish Government Ministers will have some direct involvement in the Presidency.

Finally, there are a range of interlinkages between policy areas. To take just one example, the core environment agenda now stretches into other policy areas with issues ranging from green economic growth to energy supply security and from the links between climate change and poverty to energy efficiency.

In short, we are operating in much more complex policy arena.

While it is still early to be certain about priorities in some policy areas, and we will need to take into account the progress that the Danish and Cypriot Presidencies may make in many areas by the end of this year, Ireland now has to strategically plan for what might arise during the Presidency in 2013. This process is currently underway across Government. With the start of the European Semester process and a busy emerging agenda for the Spring European Council, we will be expected to hit the ground running on 1 January 2013.

In defining our main strategic priorities, we have been mindful of the need to focus on issues that are of strongest concern to citizens and Governments right across the EU today. We need to get the EU economy growing again, through boosting competitiveness and creating jobs. In defining the Presidency programme, we are seeking to identify specific issues across all policy areas from energy policy to education and from finance to fisheries that will help Europe meet the challenges of a changing world.

While the financial crisis will continue to remain a central concern for the EU, attention must now also turn to the challenge of getting the European economy back on track by improving the European Union’s global competitiveness, promoting economic growth and creating jobs. This will be the central theme of the Irish Presidency and this national priority is shared by Governments and citizens across Europe.

At this stage of planning, three strongly interlinked issues that have emerged that will have an impact across all policy areas. Above all, the EU must work to promote sustainable economic growth and job creation. At the same time, the Union must also create the conditions necessary for stability by implementing the EU’s new economic governance rules and procedures. Thirdly, we must ensure that a budget is agreed and that new regulations for spending are in place for the period 2014-2020. This budget, or the Multiannual Financial Framework, is currently the subject of intense negotiations which will continue in the coming months and obviously this is something that will have an influence on the future of a range of policies, including ones such as the Common Agricultural Policy, where we have a clear national interest.

I will now outline some of the issues that it is clear will be live during our Presidency and which will be important to us.

Annual Growth Survey, European Semester and Europe 2020

The European Union has set five ambitious objectives - on employment, innovation, education, social inclusion and climate/energy - to be reached by 2020. Each Member State has adopted its own national targets in each of these areas. As Presidency, Ireland has a specific role in assisting the delivery of this Strategy .

The European Commission’s Annual Growth Survey, begins the annual cycle of the European Semester, the new system of coordinating economic and budgetary policy within the EU. The Survey sets out the Commission’s view of the broad guidelines it believes Member States need to follow to be on track to meet the Europe 2020 targets. The Survey, which will be published towards the end of this year, will heavily influence debate at many of the sectoral Councils during the first two months of the Irish Presidency and this in turn feeds into the agenda of the Spring and June European Councils. Ireland must ensure an overriding focus across all policy formations to ensure the successful management of this complex process.

MFF negotiations

The EU’s budget as outlined in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is of critical importance to the functioning of the EU from 2014-2020. The MFF impacts on many policy areas and will cut across the Irish programme. Our Presidency may well be judged on the basis of progress made on the negotiation of CAP and CFP reform, Horizon 2020, and Cohesion Policy, all dependent on the future shape of the MFF

Creating jobs and promoting sustainable economic growth

In planning for a Presidency in which growth and jobs will be the central theme, priority must be given to legislative proposals in the pipeline which can stimulate economic recovery and job creation but also have a reasonable prospect of succeeding in the legislative process. This will necessitate a focus on strengthening the Single Market, advancing the Digital Agenda, promoting competitiveness through enhanced research, development and innovation, and reducing the regulatory burden on SMEs and industry.

Single Market Act and Digital Single Market

During the second half of 2012 the European Commission will issue a second “Single Market Act” selecting twelve legislative proposals for fast track action to further strengthen the Single Market. Discussion of these proposals is likely to be a feature during the Irish Presidency.

Progress made on Digital Single Market legislation will strengthen Ireland’s profile, complementing the importance that is attached to this issue at a national level. Initiatives including the possibility that the Digital Assembly will be held in Dublin in June 2013 will generate a further positive profile for Ireland in this area which could last well beyond the Presidency.

Research, Development and Innovation

This research, development and innovation area is of very considerable importance, given its potential role in contributing to economic recovery, competitiveness and growth. The Presidency will work with the European Parliament to finalise the Horizon 2020 funding Regulations. The Commission is also seeking the Presidency’s input in seeking ways of improving SME access to programmes in this area. A number of research and innovation conferences are being planned in Ireland during the Presidency to address key innovation policy issues.

Europe – open for business...

The Commission is to propose further measures to reduce the regulatory burden, including possible sectoral targets, which will need to be brought forward into the Irish Presidency. The Government wishes to make progress in this area. Continued consideration is also being given to identifying and advancing policy and legislative issues that will boost the SME sector mainly through the Competitiveness Council.

...and open for trade

Ireland attaches importance to promoting the external trade agenda during the Presidency. The decision to hold an informal meeting of Trade Ministers in Ireland during the Presidency which is intended to focus on EU-US trade, and to organise related business-focussed events, signals the priority that we give to this.

Improving economic governance

The Presidency will help to manage the implementation of the Union’s new economic governance arrangements, and our activities in this area will be very closely scrutinised by media and the markets. We will also face a very heavy financial regulation agenda in 2013. Progress made by Ireland in this area will be clearly relevant to the stability of the financial sector and hence to the role of that sector in restoring the overall health of the Irish economy.

Combating social exclusion

Social security coordination, pensions and fighting poverty will also figure on the Presidency agenda and poverty reduction targets (with related links to employment) are also included in Europe 2020. Ireland’s informal ministerial meeting is likely to focus on the issues of active inclusion in the context of Europe 2020.

Promoting greater quality and equality in education

Priority will be placed on seeking ways of reducing unemployment across the EU by extending access to education and training and integrating the education agenda to a greater extent into the European Semester process to support economic recovery. Ways of improving standards and boosting the European Union’s global competitiveness through the up-skilling and quality of its workforce will also be prioritised.

Sustainability in agriculture and fisheries

While the main focus of the Council will be on CAP and CFP reform in 2013, the agrifood sector is of very significant importance to Ireland in its national recovery. Ireland will seek to use its Presidency to promote innovation in agriculture, environmental sustainability and food security. Competitiveness and innovation in the sector will be reflected in the Europe 2020 and Horizon 2020 processes.

Energy efficiency to underpin Europe’s economic recovery

In addition to handling the significant legislative agenda, Ireland will use the Presidency to focus attention on the application of new and developing technologies to boost energy efficiency, sustainability and distribution. This will form the basis of the agenda for the informal Ministerial meeting being planned in Dublin in March 2013. This will also be used to promote Ireland’s reputation as a centre for energy research and development and to seek ways of increasing energy efficiency and security to underpin the EU’s economic recovery.

Connecting Europe

Ongoing negotiations on the Connecting Europe Facility Guidelines will determine how €50bn will be invested across the areas of transport, energy infrastructure and telecoms. The Transport, Telecoms and Energy Council will also provide Ireland with an opportunity to make progress on issues that will support the European economy including trans-European telecoms networks, a pan-European framework for electronic identification, authentication and signature, and proposals on web accessibility. The Presidency will also seek to prioritise new measures to reduce high speed broadband rollout costs.

Promoting greater safety in transport

The 4th Railways Package (which will propose liberalisation of the rail networks) is of particular importance to larger Member States and Ireland’s actions in this area will be subject to close scrutiny. This and the Aviation package are closely related to the jobs and growth agenda. Proposed legislation on air passenger rights will also attract considerable public and industry scrutiny during the Presidency. Recent maritime and road tragedies in Europe highlight the need for safer transport in Europe and this issue will be the subject of a transport Conference planned for June 2013 in Dublin.

A healthier Europe

The new Clinical Trials Directive and a new medical Devices Directive (with its national importance as an Irish export driver) will form the centrepiece of Presidency health agenda. Decisions in these areas will support the creation of high-skill jobs in Ireland and help to make the Union a global leader in this area. Ireland’s approach to innovation in health (Europe 2020) and the proposed eHealth week will also place a spotlight on Ireland’s role in the pharmaceuticals and medical devices area.

...and a healthier environment

The main emphasis of the busy environment agenda during the Presidency will be bringing forward the 7th Environment Action programme and making progress on discussions on climate change policy (post-Durban). The informal Environment Ministerial meeting being held in Dublin will consider measures aimed at protecting human health and the natural environment from the impact of air pollution and will link in with the Energy informal Ministerial meeting on green technologies and energy efficiency. The agenda will also provide an opportunity to discuss environmental policies in the Europe 2020 Strategy including the creation of a sustainable green economy for the EU and its role in job creation.

A safer Europe

The Justice and Home Affairs agenda during the Presidency will focus on making the EU safer for its citizens. It will include proposals on tackling organised crime including through measures on criminal asset recovery. A package of measures on Victims’ Rights may also figure prominently on the Presidency agenda.

Helping the world’s poorest

The informal meeting of Development Ministers early in 2013 will link in with the environment agenda and will prepare the ground for a Conference during the second half of the Presidency on issues relating to climate change and development.

Europe for citizens

The Presidency also coincides with the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the EU. 2013 is also likely to be designated as the European Year of Citizens. This presents the opportunity to promote discussion of Ireland’s membership of the EU and Ireland’s place in Europe, a debate I believe strongly we need at a national and local level. More broadly, the it presents an opportunity to consider what it means to be a citizen of the European Union in the early 21 st Century and to reflect on how best we can address together the concerns of all our citizens across the Union.

Concluding remarks

This was a very broad run-through of some of the issues that are emerging on Ireland’s Presidency agenda. My summary was, by no means, complete, and the programme is evolving all the time, and by its nature, will continue to do so until the end of this year.

While I have briefly listed some of the legislation and issues that we wish to prioritise, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the ongoing EU agenda. 2014 will be a European Parliament election year and a new Commission will be appointed. There will be pressure on the 2013 Presidencies to make progress on a great deal of legislation. One of our priorities will be, therefore, to act as an effective manager and to ensure that ongoing policy discussions and legislation are on the right track and that the EU’s institutional machinery does not stall during our Presidency. In a Union of 27 Member States and several institutions, this is a major challenge in itself and will be one of the yardsticks by which our Presidency will be measured.

In conclusion, we want our Presidency to be viewed as fair, honest and workmanlike with a focus on results. We wish to work closely and cooperatively with our partners and the institutions, espousing the Community method which guarantees fairness to all Member States, regardless of size. Above all, we wish to constructively move the EU agenda forward through consensus. These are the elements that have served Ireland, and the EU, in the past, and which we will seek to replicate in 2013.

I opened my remarks earlier by stressing the many challenges that Ireland and the EU face. Working together, Member States and the institutions can meet these challenges. I look also forward to working with you to ensure that Ireland delivers a successful Presidency.