The priorities of the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union were presented by Greece’s Permanent Representative to the EU, Ambassador Theodoros Sotiropoulos, at the European Policy Center (EPC) in Brussels, on 29 November 2013. In his speech, the Ambassador said that the current economic and financial crisis has induced the Greek Presidency to work towards safeguarding the common currency, deepening the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), and dealing with recession and unemployment, as well as with migration issues.

 

In this context, the first priority of the Greek Presidency is the full and effective implementation of the Compact for Growth and Jobs. Specific actions include promoting development, particularly through increasing access to loans for SMEs; implementing the initiative to tackle youth unemployment; promoting labour market mobility; advancing talks with the U.S. and other strategic partners on a free trade agreement and taking action to address the social impact of the crisis.

 

The second priority of the Greek Presidency is the deepening of the EMU. In this direction, the Presidency will seek to advance negotiations on the banking union. Given the tight schedule because of the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, the Greek Presidency will strive to put forward legislative measures to tackle issues concerning tax fraud and tax evasion, as well as the Financial Transactions Tax. Special emphasis will be attached to the social dimension of EMU, but also to measures enhancing transparency, accountability and the principle of representation in the functioning of the eurozone.

 

The third priority is the efficient tackling of illegal immigration, while safeguarding respect for human rights, the promotion of legal migration and mobility, as well as synergies between migration and development. In view of the completion of the “Stockholm Program 2010-2014”, the Greek Presidency intends to work towards the adoption of a successor programme for the period 2014-2018, focusing on cooperation with third countries on the issue of management of migratory flows, increasing funding for EU countries that are particularly burdened by the influx of immigrants and promoting the common asylum policy. Τo this end, as the Ambassador noted, the establishment of the “Task Force for the Mediterranean” is an important first step in the right direction. 

 

Finally, the Greek Presidency aims to introduce a horizontal thematic running across the three priorities, namely EU Maritime Policy. The main idea of this thematic is to redefine and re-launch the EU Maritime Policy in all its aspects. The objective will be the adoption of a text on Maritime Policy/Strategy at the June 2014 European Council, highlighting 2 dimensions: security and growth.