At today’s sitting, the European Union Affairs Committee heard the Government’s overview of the Government’s objectives in the EU during the Spanish presidency and the positions in the development of the strategy “European Union 2020”.

In the opinion of Chairman of the EU Affairs Committee Marko Mihkelson, this time, the Government’s priorities are more ambitious than before and the well-being of the economy and security of Estonia in the next few years will depend largely on how they will be fulfilled.

Mihkelson asserted that, at their next sittings, the European Union Affairs Committee was planning to take a closer look at Estonia’s priorities. More thorough hearings are planned in the issues of both the accession to the euro zone and the creation of the IT-agency in the area of internal security where Estonia is running as a candidate for the home country of the agency.

The Committee is also planning to discuss other priorities, including the Baltic Sea Strategy, the European Neighbourhood Policy, the Eastern Partnership and the strategy “European Union 2020” which as the follow-up strategy of the Lisbon strategy should, in Mihkelson’s opinion, focus on increasing the economic growth and achieving higher employment.

Director for European Union Affairs of the European Union Secretariat of the State Chancellery Juhan Lepassaar introduced the Government’s objectives in the European Union during the Spanish presidency and he asserted that Estonia’s primary objectives are accession to the euro zone, creation of the EU IT-agency in the area of internal security in Estonia, as well as the Baltic Sea Strategy, the Eastern Partnership and the strategy “European Union 2020”.

An overview of the strategy “European Union 2020” was given by Strategy Director of the Strategy Office of the State Chancellery Keit Kasemets in whose words Estonia’s main interest is that an updated and better focused strategy begin to function effectively and focus on the spheres where it is realistically possible to achieve results which increase the competitiveness of the EU. One concrete example of Estonia’s proposals is the achieving of the European Union’s single secure e-services space by 2020 which in its turn would also provide better opportunities for the Estonian undertakings.

The Riigikogu Press Service
Ülo Mattheus, 6316352

 

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