The proposals, outlined by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, could alarm other member states because the EU has so far stopped short of taking punitive measures against countries that do not comply with EU targets. EurActiv already gave detailed information about Zapatero's proposals before they were made public (EurActiv 07/01/10).
Zapatero made clear his belief that, after the worst economic crisis in decades, firm moves were needed to increase the 27-country bloc's chances of achieving strong growth under a plan of economic reforms until 2020.
The 2020 strategy will replace an earlier plan that failed in its goal of making the EU, a bloc representing nearly 500 million people, the world's most competitive economy by 2010 and also missed a series of targets set by the bloc's leaders.
"It's absolutely necessary for the 2020 strategy [...] to take on a new nature, a binding nature," Zapatero told reporters in Madrid one week after Spain began its six-month EU presidency, a mainly organisational role in which it can influence policy. He made clear he had not secured the agreement of other member states to make the economic goals binding under the 2020 strategy, but called for such proposals to be discussed at an economic summit in Brussels next month.
"The informal summit on 11 February must bring up, in my opinion, measures including incentives and corrective measures for objectives set out in our economic policy," he said.
"European competitiveness depends on two words - unity and competitiveness. European unity and a competitive economy."
Calls to strengthen EU single market
Spain has put economic recovery at the top of the agenda of its EU presidency and Herman Van Rompuy, president of the Council of EU leaders, has called the 11 February summit to discuss ways to boost growth.
The summit could also give EU leaders a chance to discuss the growing debt problems of member states such as Greece, Ireland and Spain itself, and the threat of rising unemployment.
Asked where binding targets could be set and corrective measures taken, Zapatero gave few details. He also did not say what the corrective measures might entail.
But he suggested they could be imposed in efforts to strengthen the EU's single market, which is intended to guarantee free movement of capital, labour and goods. He also said corrective steps could be enforced in moves to unify energy markets.
(EurActiv with Reuters)
