José Sócrates: voorgestelde doelen top over toekomst van Europa gehaald (en)

«We have accomplished all the proposed objectives for this Summit. Yesterday, we closed the Treaty of Lisbon. Today, we discuss the future of Europe», declared José Sócrates, Portuguese prime minister and president of the European Council, during the press conference at the end of the Lisbon Informal Summit.

To José Sócrates, «Europe is more confident and better prepared» to face the challenges of globalisation. The current president of the Council of the EU also stressed that, after this Informal Council, all the 27 European leaders believe that Europe must «lead the debate on globalisation».

This debate deals not only with the «redesigning of world institutions, so that they can face, more efficiently, the challenges of globalisation», but also with the launching of a new agenda on innovation, education and environmental and climate issues.

The Portuguese prime minister also said that, during the Summit on 13 and 14 December, a decision will be taken on the creation of a group of experts to analyse Europe's challenges within the context of globalisation, and a EU declaration on this theme will be approved.

José Sócrates declared as well that after this Summit Europe has reinforced its strength in the world. «We will be stronger when attending summits with Russia, China or India», he said.

«The Portuguese Presidency wrote an important page in Europe's History», declared José Manuel Barroso. The president of the European Commission also stressed that Portugal can be proud of its presidency.

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