The recovery strategy must give all necessary means for a decisive answer to the COVID-19 shock, and move our continent closer to its green, digital, and resilience objectives, they agreed.
Meeting Chair and Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Tytti Tuppurainen, said:
“The EU needs a functional, well-balanced recovery plan and we need it fast – everyone can agree on that. The economic forecasts are dim and in every Member State people are looking to EU leaders for action to kickstart the recovery. This is the challenge that lies ahead. We believe that a deal can, and must be reached. We need this for jobs, we need this for our people, we need this for our common future. The clock is ticking, for a sustainable European solution.
“Socialists and democrats want a strong deal which ties this recovery into our green, digital, and resilience ambitions. It must promote a better Europe, not the austerity we have seen in the past.
“Today we have been discussing the valuable role new own resources will play in the recovery and the sustainability of the EU’s budget. The other fundamental issue is the Rule of Law. The EU financial framework and the Recovery Fund must be accompanied by a strong rule of law mechanism. This is essential for the EU’s future. We need to come out of this crisis together. Europe needs to continue to develop along the path we have chosen together, respecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.”
Europe ministers from the PES convened to coordinate before today’s EU GAC meeting, which takes place ahead of a full European Council meeting on Friday which will discuss Europe’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
At the meeting, German Minister of State for Europe, Michael Roth, briefed the participants on the priorities of the German presidency for the next six months.
The meeting was attended by:
- Tytti Tuppurainen, Chair, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering, Finland
- Jeppe Kofod, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Denmark
- Michael Roth, Minister of State for Europe, Germany
- Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds, Malta
- Ana Paula Zacarias, State Secretary for European Affairs, Portugal
- Juan González-Barba, State Secretary for the European Union, Spain
- Hans Dahlgren, Minister of EU Affairs, Sweden
- Maros Sefcovic, Vice President on Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, European Commission
- Iratxe García Pérez, President of the S&D Group, MEP, European Parliament
- Pedro Marques MEP, S&D and PES Coordinator for the implementation of our progressive Commission Work Programme. S&D Group and PES
- Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General, PES
