EIN: Transatlantic perspectives to meet European challenges

More than 200 participants gathered today in Porto for the 13th annual Summer University of the European Ideas Network (EIN) to debate global and concrete solutions to current European issues and ways of building closer links between the European Union and the Americas. The conference featured policy-makers, opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, political consultants, journalists and representatives of civil society.

The co-host of the event Paulo Rangel MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group and Head of the PSD Portuguese Delegation in the European Parliament, stated: "Just like during the times when the world was discovered, today as before, international trade is the engine of prosperity. Despite the high level of development in Europe and although the EU represents the world’s largest economy with 25.1% of the world's GDP and 13.4% of world trade, this situation of low growth, low competiveness, high unemployment, high budget and current accounts deficits, has thrown many EU Member States into a very difficult situation. Facing a deep recession and explosive unemployment rates, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership is a source of hope for the EU."

The Head of the CDS-PP Portuguese Delegation in the European Parliament, Nuno Melo MEP, co-hosting the event, pointed out: "The current crisis demonstrates that there is no point in speaking about two Europes anymore: a Europe from the North and another from the South, a Europe that is moving forward and another that is lagging behind, a Europe that is rich and another that is poor, a Europe that always complies and another that never does, a Europe that is Protestant and another that is Catholic. We should talk about one Europe, united in a way that fosters cohesion, solidarity and provides global answers to new challenges."

The EPP Group Vice-Chairman responsible for Political Strategy and the EIN, Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP, highlighted that the EU is experiencing not only an economic crisis but also a crisis of values. "This is why it is essential to change personal attitudes, and our political Group needs to make this effort. We need internal cohesion in order to strengthen our values, change personal attitudes and their foundations", concluded the Spanish Member.