Strategic Priorities 2012: Fehér requires increased participation

“The European Parliament is making clear its demands to have its say,” said CESI Vice President József Fehér enthusiastically about the plenary debate for European Commission’s programme on 15th November in Strasbourg. “The MEPs are the elected representatives of Europe’s citizens. It is good that they keep an eye on the European Commission,” said Fehér. The MEPs pointed out that above all the Europe 2020 strategy needs to be implemented quickly and furthermore, as of 2014, parliament must be included in preparations for the financial framework, which stretches over several years.

Thanks to the Lisbon Treaty, parliament now has the right to discuss the following years work programme with the European Commission directly and to set out some of its own priorities. “Members of parliament are the mouthpieces of the people. It is important that they are able to directly participate in the big decisions and do more than just offer their opinion,” said the CESI Vice President. Parliament must also play a part in determining the priorities for the new budget for 2013. “The budget plays a crucial role in determining in which direction the European Union develops. In order for decisions to be accepted, it is also important that parliament is able to reach a majority vote.”

Both the European Commission and the European Parliament want to set out their priorities for the initiatives and programmes of the Europe 2020 strategy in 2012. According to Fehér, “The next months and years will be decisive in overcoming the crisis in Europe without witnessing a break-up of European social cohesion.” He also goes on to say that the “Youth on the Move” and “Agenda for New Skills and Jobs” initiatives are particularly suited to making the job market more crisis-proof. The former is intended to better prepare young people for the demands of the job market whilst the latter is meant to help restructure the job market so that it conforms to the needs of both employees and international markets. However, these goals can only be achieved with good, public infrastructure, explained the CESI Vice President. “Europe is facing some serious challenges. We need modern and well-equipped public services to achieve necessary development and to offer continued support to what has already been achieved.”