Press Release

THE EUROPE OF 2010



The final decade of the 20th century brought with it the triumph of freedom and democracy and demonstrated the need for establishing a concept of politics at the service of the people. The fall of the Berlin wall signalled the end of a period that, on abolishing individual freedoms, had oppressed millions of people, condemning them to the denial of their rights, to desperation and to misery.

Today, the progress in political freedoms and the breakthroughs in science and technology have broadened the horizons of our lives. Globalisation is the scenario of our future. New opportunities are opening up for all. Policy must channel the necessary reforms so that everyone may avail themselves of these opportunities. Europe, a project of democratic union among nations, must meet the new challenges in order to consolidate the values of freedom and democracy on which it is built.


I. From the Euro to Full Employment

The euro has meant a historic achievement. Europeans today share a stable currency and a single market that offer us more opportunities. The implementation of the Stability Pact is essential in order to ensure the success of the euro - more growth and more employment. But all that is not sufficient. lt is necessary to undertake a finn and sustained process of reform in order to reach the goal of full employment in Europe.

In the search for new jobs, the leading role must be restored to society. Individual initiative is the engine of growth. Reduction of the tax burden is the best means for encouraging the dynamism and competitiveness of the European economy.

We must foster the different forms of work - in particular part-time work - in order to make it easier both to remain in the labour market and to rejoin it. The reforms will be successful if, through dialogue, they are accepted by employers and trade unions alike. Decentralised negotiations between them constitute an adequate response to the requirements of flexibility.


II. A Europe Open to the World

The reuniting of the nations of our continent in the European Union is one of the greatest aspirations of our time. The recovery of their freedom by millions of Europeans makes possible the accession of their countries to the Union and their participation in the project of European integration. It is essential to implement the institutional reforms necessary in order to incorporate these countries as soon as possible into a European Union that is increasingly democratic, transparent and effective. Enlargement is a historie opportunity and a moral duty.

Only a Europe that is open to the world can be successful. Europe must commit itself to the liberalisation and expansion of exchanges with third countries and to the strengthening of historic ties that unite it to the rest of the world. Isolation leads to failure. Europe has a paramount responsibility to attain an intemational order based on freedom, security, justice and development co-operation. Europeans must foster through our external action respect for human rights, political and economic freedoms and the development needed in order to achieve a generalised increase in well-being.

Europe must take on a more active role in international relations. A coherent Common Foreign and Security and Policy will help us to better defend our values and our interests. A more active role by the Union in intemational security will help to strengthen the trans-Atlantic link that has been the basis of Europe's defence for over half a century.


III. The Citizens, at the Centre of the Union

Europe's societies are undergoing profound transformations in every field. In view of them, we reaffirm the principle that people are at the centre of our political action.

All families deserve our respect and protection. We need solutions to ensure compatibility between family and professional life. It is vital to achieve equity of treatment between families with children and partners without children. We need effective policies that help maternity, adoption and child care, beyond tax incentives for married couples. Access to housing must play a central part in family support policies.

Europe must be generous in incorporating into our societies those who come to live and work with us. Discriminatory, racist or xenophobic attitudes have no place in the open Europe to which we aspire. Orderly immigration and integration with full rights for the new Europeans make a contribution to the wealth of our society.

We are facing the ageing of Europe. Europe must modernise its welfare systems if it wants to guarantee the principles that sustain our social model in the 21 st century. We must guarantee a real security for the weakest. Our social security schemes must be financially rationalised. Retirement is a right that must be adjusted to the new life expectancy. Early retirement denies employment opportunities and possibilities for personal realisation.

Europeans demand the creation of a true area of freedom, security and justice. Terrorism, drug trafficking and organised criminal trafficking in people must not be the beneficiaries of the disappearance of the borders. We are committed to the Charter of Fundamental Rights.


IV. The Europe of Knowledge

The Europe of knowledge demands new prominence for education and highlights the importance and the need for ongoing training throughout the lives of all its citizens. The learning of other languages will facilitate the mobility of teachers and students in the Europe of knowledge.

lt is essential to introduce the new technologies into the educational process. That involves active promotion of the use of computers in schools, guaranteed access to Intemet for all students, and adequate preparation for easy movement on the network.

It is vital to reinforce the teaching of the humanities as the backbone of other scientific and instrumental knowledge. Approaches that are exclusively utilitarian and subordinated to immediate demands carry the risk of dehumanising learning.

Europe has scientific and technical foundations in which quality and excellence are the rule. But this wealth of knowledge is not distributed with the necessary speed among individuals and companies. Europe has not sufficiently stimulated the spirit of enterprise, which is the true key to the knowledge society.

Europe must take advantage of the extraordinary enterprising potential of the basic sectors, which until now have been highly regulated and hampered by considerable inefficiency. These sectors can and must be transformed into engines for innovation and development. Likewise, electronic commerce creates an enormous potential for growth and employment for our economy. We must not hinder its development with unnecessary bureaucratic regulation.



We have the chance to attain a more dynamic, cohesive and optimistic Europe by the year 2010. In order to achieve it, it is necessary for all of us to undertake the appropriate reforms and restore the leading role to society. Meeting the challenges of the future constitutes an opportunity to reaffirm our belief in the value of democracy and freedom.