Influencing the EU Agenda
On 25 June 2005, Council Vienna adopted the PES Priorities for the EU Policy Agenda 2006.
In April 2004, the Party of European Socialists presented its Election Manifesto for the 2004 European parliamentary elections: “Growing Stronger Together”.
This Manifesto
presented five PES commitments for the coming political term:
- Boost Europe’s growth, fight poverty and create more and better jobs;
- Bring the European Union closer to its citizens;
- Manage migration and pursue social integration;
- Build a more secure, sustainable, peaceful and just world;
- Promote Europe as an area of democracy and equality.
Following the European Parliament elections and the investiture of the European Commission, the PES addressed its objectives in relation to the EU policy agenda to the EU institutions in our political declaration “Developing Europe 2005-2009” of December 2004. We established that three principles should guide us in the achievement of our manifesto commitments and shape what Europe delivers to its citizens in this political term. These principles are prosperity; equality; solidarity:
We set out that, in order to ensure its future development, the EU has to pursue four objectives in the next five years:
A Europe of social progress and full employment
A safe and protected environment
A Europe of freedom, security and justice
A stronger Europe for a peaceful world
As the declaration asserts, the pursuit of these objectives will require specific and realistic action. This will form the basis of our influence and actions at European level in this political term.
The PES has begun in the implementation of its five-year objectives, through timely actions that relate to political developments in the European Union.
Since December 2004, the PES has been active in ensuring that the Lisbon Strategy, the EU’s only development plan, delivers on the concerns of ordinary people in its mid-term review of this year. The PES declaration “Developing Europe by creating more and better jobs” of February 2005 was important in ensuring the inclusion of social and environmental concerns in the Lisbon Strategy by the European Council of March 2005.
PES Priorities for the EU Agenda 2006
In the aim of achieving step-by-step progress in the implementation of our five-year objectives for the EU policy agenda, the PES will present annual policy priorities, on which the EU should focus its work programmes.
PES priorities for the EU agenda 2006 are:
The PES commissioned a report from an independent High Level Group, chaired by then EU Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy, to present policy recommendations in relation to the EU policy agenda 2004-2009. The final report “A Europe of progress” was published in November 2004.
