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New Impetus for a Strong and Sustainable European Union

by Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering

Creative Courage

The challenges EU is facing are manifold. Priorities are: the European Union’s Single Market needs to be developed further and the Eurozone must become more stable; the free movement of workers as the Social Pillar of the EU; far-reaching reforms in the areas of security and defence; the relationshipswith our neighbours and new kinds of cooperation, although there have been initial important achievements towards the refugee crisis, we need a common European Asylum and Migration policy. This paper seeks to show potential steps to reach these objectives.

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Hans-Gert Pöttering

The EUROPEAN UNION’S SINGLE MARKET: POLITICAL COURAGE INSTEAD OF DESPAIR

  1. More effective enforcement of single market rules.
  2. The EU should promote and influence digitalisation – by completing the digital internal market.
  3. We need to promote free trade initiatives with partners such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico or Mercosur.

THE FREE MOVEMENT OF WORKERS AS THE EU’S SOCIAL PILLAR

  1. The fundamental freedoms are already a social pillar of the EU. A European Unemployment Insurance Fund must help to increase cross-border mobility.
  2. EU-citizens must be able to benefit directly from the services of an Employment Agency.
  3. EU subsidies for language acquisition and mobility are good investments.

THE FUTURE OF THE EUROZONE: CURRENCY AREAS ARE NOT BUILT OVERNIGHT

  1. The Eurozone will develop into a Union of Stability, if fiscal liability and political responsibilities coincide. Based on this, solidarity and subsidiarity remain the two sides of the same coin.
  2. A credible no-bail-out clause requires an insolvency regulation for the states of the Eurozone and an orderly procedure to exit from the Euro zone as last resort.
  3. An ESM that has been developed into an EMF and a European Finance Minister play an important part as institutional support of this Eurozone architecture and its binding regulations and they can also enjoy the confidence of financial markets, even in times of crisis.
  4. Coordinating the economic policy of EU Member States remains an important task for the „competitive social market economy” (Treaty of Lisbon).

WORKING FOR A MORE EFFECTIVE SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICY

  1. The EU must improve its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) because of the critical security situation.
  2. Structures and processes cannot be an end in themselves, mbut should be used to provide additional effective military capabilities.
  3. The EU and its Member States should invest more funds in defence – and harmonise the procurement and use of its defence capabilities.
  4. As the most compelling objective of CSDP is military crisis management mon the periphery of Europe, we need to pursue the aim of a European Defence Force.

ENCOURAGING POSSIBILITIES FOR AN IMPROVED EUROPEAN REFUGEE, A SLYUM AND MIGRATION POLICY

  1. The protection of EU coasts and borders must be further extended.
  2. In the “hotspots” where migration pressure is strongest, a flexible European Asylum Mission should be set up.
  3. We need more extensive asylum regulation at European level. A European Asylum Status is required.
  4. Migration partnerships with Third Countries must be intensified.

STABILISATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

  1. Having achieved major progress, EU candidate countries should enjoy some advance-benefits of EU-Membership.
  2. The EU must develop an attractive alternative to full membership, such as belonging to a “European Stability Area.”
  3. Reform pioneers from the Maghreb should enjoy improved access to the European Market, especially for agricultural goods.

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Editor

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V.

erscheinungsort

Berlin Deutschland