Hongaars voorzitterschap wil succesvolle implementatie Europees semester(en) - Hoofdinhoud

Brussels, 12 January 2011 Hungary committed to successful first implementation of the European Semester

The Hungarian Presidency of the Council is wholeheartedly committed to implementing the first everEuropean Semester i, and welcomes the publication of the Annual Growth Survey (AGS) today by the Commission. The publication of the Annual Growth Survey allows Hungary to immediately start discussions with Member States so that the Spring European Council can provide policy guidance for the preparation of national economic programmes. Well guided economic programmes, in turn, will help Europe recover from the crisis, regain competitiveness and create much needed jobs.

Today the European Commission presented its Annual Growth Survey (AGS), marking the start of the European Semester to be implemented for the first time by the Hungarian Presidency. The AGS and its three accompanying reports outline priority actions to be prepared by Member States in order to ensure coordinated and effective economic policies on the way out from the crisis.

The Hungarian Presidency will now steer discussions on the AGS through the relevant Councils, with a view to preparing an agreement at the March European Council, providing policy guidance for the development of National Reform Programmes and Stability/Convergence Programmes. These programmes will have to be aligned and forward looking, allowing the European Council to make tailor-made policy recommendations for the development of national budgets and economic policies for 2012.

The events since the onset of the crisis have demonstrated that Europe must address the deficiencies of our economic governance system and the underlying structural weaknesses of our economies if we are to regain competitiveness, kick- start growth and create much needed jobs.

This recognition has led to the adoption in 2010 of the concept of the European Semester, which is a new framework for the coordination of the economic policies of Member States, covering fiscal, macroeconomic and structural aspects in a forward looking and integrated manner. The tools of the European Semester are firmly rooted in the commonly agreed Europe 2020 strategy and in the Stability and Growth Pact.

The Hungarian Presidency commits all its resources to implementing the first European Semester smoothly and effectively. We are convinced that the success of the new policy governance cycle is in the common interest of all EU Member States, as only the necessary economic reforms can put the European economy on a sustainable growth path.

The Hungarian Presidency is also aware that fiscal consolidation is necessary but not sufficient in tackling the significant economic challenges ahead of us. Policies aiming at promoting growth and addressing macroeconomic imbalances should go hand in hand with fiscal discipline.