EU Summit was a Disappointment for Supporters of Open Markets
Monday, 27 March 2006
Conservative Leader in the European Parliament, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, has said the EU's spring summit in Brussels failed to take the necessary steps to open Europe's markets and embrace globalisation. The current rise in protectionist actions by some Member States should have been addressed head-on.
He said:
"This summit was supposed to be about kick-starting Europe's economy by providing a more liberalising Services directive and finding ways of extending the European single market. Instead, Ministers have sat around talking about the need to make Europe's economy more competitive whilst taking little in the way of tangible action.
"Conservative MEPs voted for the most liberalising agenda in services in the recent vote in the European Parliament. I called on Tony Blair and his fellow leaders to do the same today. It seems they have flunked that opportunity.
"The next time the EU decides to hold a summit on economic competitiveness, it would be wise for governments to decide whether they are serious about liberalisation and reform."
ENDS
