European Semester: Member States' efforts are bearing fruit, they must continue

"It is important that Member States stick to their commitments. This will help us to get out of the crisis for good, to restore growth and create jobs," said Jean-Paul Gauzès, during a debate on the European Semester of economic policy coordination, on which the European Parliament adopted their position today by a large majority.

"I want to remind you that the majority of the problems we are faced with are due to mistakes made at the national level in the past, sometimes over decades. Blaming the crisis on dark forces, whether on speculators abroad or on a supposedly malicious Troika, would be a serious misdiagnosis. You cannot cure a patient with a bogus diagnosis," said Jean-Paul Gauzes.

For the EPP Group, the approach of the European Commission's country-specific recommendations, geared towards promoting growth and employment, is the right one.

The fiscal consolidation targets, structural reforms and focus on international competitiveness set by Member States, are beginning to bear fruit.

Progress in some countries has allowed them to put an end to their deficit procedures. Today, there are positive developments in Member-State economies, even those under the financial assistance programme," continued the EPP Group spokesperson on economic and monetary affairs.

"I want to clarify one thing: the country-specific recommendations were indeed proposed by the European Commission, but it is the Member States that adopted them in July. So these recommendations are now the Council's recommendations to Member States. All those who make use of them to pass off their own responsibility to others and fuel euroscepticism demonstrate dangerous irresponsibility," concluded Jean-Paul Gauzes.

We are at the second stage of the 2013 European Semester for economic policy coordination, namely the implementation of the 2013 priorities that comes after the Annual Growth Survey earlier this year. Today the European Parliament adopted a report in which it expressed its position on the functioning of the semester and how it could be improved.