Summit EU action must follow words on climate & Energy

8 March 2007


The PES believes that by focusing on climate change EU leaders are taking a big step forward, unimaginable even a year ago, but PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen warned that “it must not degenerate after the Summit into delays and disputes over detail.”

He added “The PES strongly supports many of the proposed agreement. An integrated climate and energy policy, targets for emissions reductions, an action plan with targets for energy efficiency, renewables and bio-fuels are all essential.  These are things that Europe’s social democratic political family, the PES, has been calling for. These are measures set out in the PES common energy policy adopted at our Congress in December 2006.” 

“Europe can be confident that these measures are positive for our future.  There are huge economic, social and environmental benefits in tackling climate change and securing a sustainable energy supply for the future. Greater energy efficiency and more renewable energy will boost Europe’s competitiveness, create jobs, and save energy costs for families and businesses.”

Commenting on the likely conclusions of the Summit on social and economic reform the PES president said “The EU’s approach to jobs and growth remains unbalanced despite nice words about strengthening the social dimension and modernizing Europe’s social model. There are specific commitments when it comes to the internal market and better regulation – but none for social Europe.” 

“The European social democratic family has our own reform plan, our own agenda for a New Social Europe. At our Congress last December our member parties unanimously adopted 10 principles for a New Social Europe. We are already seeing some wording in the draft council conclusions that we like, but we want a much clearer commitment to build a New Social Europe than is likely to be found in tomorrow’s conclusions.”

“It is not enough to have an internal market review, a budget review, and social reality stocktaking and revised Lisbon guidelines. These are important but they are missing a vital ingredient: a New Social Europe strategy also needs to be developed. I call on the European Union to create a strategy for a New Social Europe and adopt it at next year’s Spring Summit.” 


FOR MORE INFORMATION: Julian Scola, Press Officer
Party of European Socialists, Rue due Trône, 98, B-1050 Brussels
Mobile +32 486 117 394,