Poolse vicepremier presenteert voorstellen met oplossingen crisis (en)

Source: European Union Council

‘The Polish Presidency has presented to its social partners a report titled “Towards European Consensus on Growth”. It contains proposals of concrete efforts which will help the European Union find its way out of the economic crisis,’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Waldemar Pawlak remarked following a session of the Tripartite Economic Summit. It was held in Brussels on 17th October 2011.

Deputy Prime Minister Pawlak stated that the report drafted by the Polish Presidency showed the areas the EU should improve in order to step up economic growth. ‘We should first and foremost become concerned about the growth of innovativeness, and

that would be served by adopting uniform patent protection throughout the Community,’ the Deputy Prime Minister said. ‘At present, obtaining a patent for an invention in the European Union costs as much as €32,000, whilst in the USA it is about €2,000. The introduction of a single EU patent would considerably lower those costs even to as little as €680.’ he added.

In his view, efforts must be launched by the Member States to take full advantage of the internal market’s potential if the EU economy is to become more flexible, competitive and productive. ‘Building an efficiently functioning, digital single market would make it possible to generate an additional four percent GDP by 2020,’ the Deputy Prime Minister argued. Similarly, by implementing the Services Directive we could obtain a GDP growth of even up to 1.5 percent. On the other hand, by lowering roaming fees, including data transmission, we would acquire greater mobility and trans-border activity. That would facilitate finding employment and conducting business activities,’ he added.

He also called attention to the need to liberalise Europe’s service market and develop its transport, energy and tele-information infrastructure. In Deputy Prime Minister Pawlak’s opinion, also needed are concrete efforts enabling the development of the latent potential of human capital. ‘In the report we refer to designating increased resources for programmes fostering the mobility of students, young scientists and employees, such as Erasmus i or Marie Curie i. We should also increase the professional activation of women. Bridging the gender gap on the labour market can increase the GDP in the euro area even by as much as 13 percent,’ the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised.

He recalled that up till now the time for overcoming the crisis has been devoted by the EU mainly to restoring stable public finances and reforming economic governance. ‘Thanks to the efforts of the Hungarian and Polish Presidencies and active cooperation with the European Parliament, on 4th October the EU Council endorsed a packet of six legal acts bolstering economic governance in the EU,’ he stressed. Their implementation will ensure the stabilisation of the economic environment in which entrepreneurs and citizens function,’ he added. Mr Pawlak emphasised that confidence and social dialogue at the national and European levels will help elaborate and implement common solutions which will strengthen the EU after the crisis and rebuild citizens’ trust.

‘We have agreed with our partners from Denmark and Cyprus that during their Presidency of the European Union Council the topic of “sources of economic growth for the EU” would remain a priority,’ Prime Minister Pawlak said.

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The Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment was set up on 6th March 2003 to enhance the involvement of social partners in implementing the Lisbon Strategy, now the “Europe 2020” strategy. Since spring 2003 meetings have been regularly called ahead of the spring and autumn sessions of the European Council.

The hosts of the Tripartite Social Summit are the Presidency, European Commission and the President of the European Council. Also attending the meetings are the prime ministers of three successive presidencies together with their ministers in charge of employment as well as the EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities and representatives of leading European employees’ and employers’ organisations. Poland has taken part in two summits — during the Belgian Presidency (28th October 2010) and the Hungarian Presidency (24th March 2011).