BRUSSELS – The European Council has agreed on a roadmap for the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union, based on deeper integration and reinforced solidarity. This process will begin with the completion, strengthening and implementation of the new enhanced economic governance, as well as the adoption of the Single Supervisory Mechanism and of the new rules on recovery and resolution and on deposit guarantees. This will be completed by the establishment of a single resolution mechanism. A number of other important issues will be further examined by the June 2013 European Council, concerning the coordination of national reforms, the social dimension of EMU, the feasibility and modalities of mutually agreed contracts for competitiveness and growth, and solidarity mechanisms and measures to promote the deepening of the Single Market and to protect its integrity. Throughout this process, democratic legitimacy and accountability will be ensured.
The immediate priority is to complete and implement the framework for stronger economic governance, including the “six-pack”, the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance (TSCG) and the “two-pack”. Following the decisive progress achieved on the key elements of the “two-pack”, the European Council calls for its rapid adoption by the co-legislators
The European Council launched work on the 2013 European Semester on the basis of the Commission’s Annual Growth Survey. It decided to launch work on the further development of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy and will return to this issue in December 2013.
The move comes as the European Union struggles over debt loads, and issues in several member countries.
The Council states, “In the light of the fundamental challenges facing it, the Economic and Monetary Union needs to be strengthened to ensure economic and social welfare as well as stability and sustained prosperity. Economic policies must be fully geared towards promoting strong, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, ensuring fiscal discipline, enhancing competitiveness and boosting employment, and in particular youth employment, in order for Europe to remain a highly competitive social market economy and to preserve the European social model”.
“The process of completing EMU will build on the EU’s institutional and legal framework. It will be open and transparent towards Member States not using the single currency. Throughout the process the integrity of the Single Market will be fully respected, including in the different legislative proposals which will be made. It is also important to ensure a level playing field between Member States which take part in the SSM and those which do not”.
