Barroso: Poland’s presidency - good omen for Europe

July 11, 2011

The euro debt crisis, Schengen border controls and carbon emission reduction were the key topics of the joint session of the Polish government and the College of EU Commissioners held on Friday in the Chancellery of the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a week after Poland took over the rotating Presidency of the European Union Council.
PM Tusk had a one-on-one meeting with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and then they both led talks involving 26 EU commissioners and Polish Cabinet ministers
Some other issues discussed during the session included ways to stimulate EU's economic growth, steps toward EU enlargement, immigration policy, the EU's long-term budget, energy policy, unified EU patent policy, the Single Market Act, establishing the European Endowment for Democracy, the new regulation on the Cohesion Policy, and the Common Agricultural Policy legislative package.
Tusk told a news conference following the talks that Poland's presidency will "apply all forces to help Europe come out of the crisis painlessly".
"Today's meeting has confirmed our mutual intentions of strong collaboration aimed at making the majority of our decision the ones that are the most EU-oriented in character", Polish PM Tusk said.
President Barroso stressed the importance of a good cooperation between the Presidency and the Commission and said that Poland's Presidency was a good omen for Europe.
"At this moment, Europe is full of pessimism. Some most extreme forces question the essence of the EU, with which they contribute badly to their own states. I do hope that the Polish optimism and enthusiasm will become very contagious", Mr. Barroso added.

Source: The Warsaw Voice