Mit - Index

Mit - SINFO March 2008 No.5 - Index

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sinfo february 08 2
Janez Janša / Prime Minister and current President of the European
Council/: EU well-equipped to keep tackling current
challenges, Brussels, 14 March (The press conference at the end of
the spring European Council meeting):
The conclusions confirm the tasks we have set ourselves in three
key areas. With them we have given the European Union the
wherewithal to continue to tackle the most pressing challenges
we face at the moment. The new three-year Lisbon Strategy cycle
has been launched, fundamental principles for the adoption of
the energy and climate change package have been confirmed
and responses to current challenges relating to increasing the
stability of the financial markets have been agreed.
Jose Manuel Barroso /The President of the European Commission/:
I congratulate Slovenia on its first Presidency at the
EU Summit, Brussels, 14 March. I congratulate the Slovenian Prime
Minister, Janez Janša, and his team for the very professional Presidency.
The success of a Presidency is best judged on the basis
of decisions − not by the number of pages, but by the content.
If you read the decisions, you will agree that they are very substantive
and that they deal with very difficult issues. The Presidency
has clarified the decisions and achieved major progress in
all those areas in comparison to the general agreement a year
ago. This was a general agreement on goals which now have to
be realised.
Danilo Türk /President of Slovenia/: Europe can become well
managed mosaic, London, 12 March: Europe cannot ever become
a melting pot for different nations, religions and other communities,
it can however become a well managed mosaic. The way in
which this is to be done, how we need solve the problems time is
facing us with - these are the topics discussed at the conference
Living Together Summit which I attended as one of the keynote
speakers.
Andrej Bajuk /Finance Minister/: Globalisation, ageing main
EU challenges, Berlin, 12 March: Faced with the twin challenges of
globalisation and the ageing population, EU countries must figure
out how to ensure the sustainability of their welfare models. Preserving
and improving the welfare models would require alternative
taxes, more efficient taxation and ≈broad and just structures« on
the income side. On the revenue side it is necessary to improve efficiency
of spending and place greater emphasis on human resources
and education.There are different welfare models and political priorities
across the Member States, but all countries ultimately face
the same challenges. Hence the consensus on how to tackle them
in the form of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs.
Žiga Turk /Development Minister/: Europe could in fact lead a
third industrial revolution, Brdo pri Kranju, 11 March: Europe could
in fact lead a third industrial revolution, transforming its economy
from carbon-based to being based on renewable energy. The key
to the success of measures to cut carbon emissions and move
toward renewable energy was a change in mindset. It is time for
≈going from words to actions« to undertake the reforms that
would make Europe more competitive, including by supporting
small and medium enterprises, curbing protectionism and bolstering
market mechanisms.