Plea for Europe 2020 changes

26th March 2010

© PAP Tusk has asked for changes to be made Share:

In the lead up to Thursday’s opening of the EU economic summit, Prime Minister Donald Tusk appealed to leaders of the community’s 27 members to make changes to the Europe 2020 strategy. He also met with prime ministers from other central European nations to discuss ways to further regional interests at the two-day meeting.

Tusk sent a letter to the leaders of all the EU member states explaining Poland’s concerns over the 10-year economic strategy set to replace the one adopted in Lisbon a decade ago. The new plan was released in draft form in early March and is due to be adopted during the current summit meeting.  

The Europe 2020 plan calls for development in the coming decade of a greener, more competitive, knowledge-based economy. It does not go far enough for Warsaw in promoting efforts to reduce regional economic disparities, like those dividing “new” and “old” EU countries.

According to Gazeta Wyborcza, the letter sent by Tusk proposes the EU continue prioritizing infrastructure investments to secure future economic growth. "Last year, the EU allocated EUR 1 bln to develop broadband internet. The US devoted 7 billion dollars for the same purpose," Tusk writes.

Gaining support for continued EU funding of investments in transport and energy infrastructure is another goal of Poland’s delegation at the meeting. "Our priorities relate to Polish economic development, particularly on road, rail, energy, internet and broadband,” Minister for European Affairs Mikolaj Dowgielewicz told Polskie Radio.

In a separate lobbying effort, the leaders of the so-called Vysehrad Group – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic - met with EC head Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday ahead of the summit opening.

They discussed the common needs of central European countries and the role they could play in providing aid to Greece, according to TVN24.

At the meeting with Barroso, Tusk proposed drawing on the IMF as a source of funds to help Greece, a position also supported by Germany. The EU could then provide supplementary aid, as needed.

Greece’s problems are likely to be a hot topic at the general summit meeting, since member states have expressed division on the question of what sort of aid package, if any, the EU should offer.

Tusk expressed Poland’s readiness to take part in providing financial support to Greece. “Poland is ready to participate in any European assistance package for Greece that extends beyond Eurozone members,” he said.

EU Commissioner Olli Rehn suggested that a “final solution” needs to be found at the meeting for how to deal with the question of aid for Greece.

“We are prepared to take part in such a solidarity aid package to the extent that our means allow,” Tusk said in response.