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L'UE AU SOMMET DU G8/G20

The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum of the world's largest economies to discuss common challenges and possible solutions. The European Union is, together with Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, a full member of the G8.

  • L'UE AU SOMMET DU G8/G20

    At the joint press conference, where he together with European Council President Van Rompuy presented the goals the EU will push for at this summit, he expressed his confidence that "the G8 will provide political impetus for global change towards more global fairness, including for the poorest countries."

    "Firstly, the European union wants fairness by further opening trade between free and open economies," said President Barroso. He reiterated that the EU agreed on Friday eve a broad mandate to start negotiations with the United States on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

    The President said that this summit is also about fairness in the way taxes are paid by individuals and companies, and "Thirdly, we want fairness through greater transparency on land governance, open data and in extractive industries."

    President Barroso also announced that "still today, together with President Obama we will give the go-ahead for the start of negotiations between the United States and the European Union. The European Commission will negotiate on behalf of all our 28 Member States. Our Partnership will be a true game changer for the global economy."

    "The European Union has very good story to tell, often pioneering the global agenda in all of the G8 priorities," underlined the President and outlined the examples of the EU has done so far. He said:
    - our bilateral trade agreements are a stepping stone towards further liberalising global trade and strengthening the multilateral trading system;
    - the EU has agreed far-reaching binding legislation for transparency in extractive industries and forestry;
    - the EU passed legislation to further open up public data because it believes that open data means business opportunities and job creation;
    - the EU is world’s largest donor for development assistance, with a specific emphasis on food security;
    - the EU is driving force behind the new political momentum in the fight against tax evasion and avoidance;
    - in Europe and at global level, we want everybody to pay his fair share of taxes in a transparent way;
    - the EU has proposed a maximum extension of the scope for the automatic exchange of information among the EU tax authorities;
    - the EU is convinced that there is a need to improve tax governance everywhere.

    In conclusion President Barroso congratulated the UK G8 presidency for the choice of the venue: Northern Ireland. The summit places on the global stage the efforts of the people and leaders of Northern Ireland – where the peace and financial efforts have been supported by the EU since 1995. "This is a clear signal to the world that peace and reconciliation have returned to this most beautiful and hospitable part of Europe."

    The G8 summit will take place from 17 to 18 June in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland (UK) under UK presidency. The European Union will be represented by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

    The main topics on the agenda of this 39th edition of the G8, as set out by the UK presidency, are:

    - Advancing trade as an engine of global growth, job creation and sustainable development;
    - Ensuring tax compliance, by pushing, amongst others, for a global standard for the automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation;
    - Promoting greater transparency regarding the revenues from extractive industries and forestry, land governance and government data.

    Leaders will also discuss the global economy and will exchange views on foreign affairs and security issues. Food security and climate change will also be important topics on the G8 agenda. All these themes will be of particular relevance also to the world's poorest countries.

    The summit will be preceded by a stakeholder event on 15 June 2013 in Belfast to discuss tax, trade and transparency with business, civil society and governments. For the Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes will participate.

    The G8 summit in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland on June 17-18 has three "Ts" as priorities: trade and the economy, taxation and transparency.

    The President presents his views on these main issues in the summit magazine published by the G8 Research Group of the University of Toronto.

    Regarding trade, President Barroso underlines the fact that the EU's bilateral trade agreements are a "stepping stone" towards wider multilateral global trade. He notes that the EU has always been a staunch supporter and promoter of free and multilateral trade. For example, the EU is fully engaged with its partners to conclude a WTO trade facilitation agreement, which would have a huge positive impact for developing and least developed countries.

    "The G8 summit should make the case for such an agreement and then, together with the G20, provide the political impulse needed to close the deal at the WTO ministerial meeting in Bali in December. This G8 should also back and outline actions to further trade in Africa, for example by lowering trade costs, stimulating infrastructure financing and coordinating support better", President Barroso says in the article.

    On the second T, taxation, President Barroso strongly welcomes the G8's willingness to join forces and cooperate more effectively to fight tax evasion and avoidance, in Europe and worldwide.

    Within the EU, common action is being taken on exchange of information, on tax havens and on aggressive tax planning. President Barroso describes the G8 summit as a great opportunity to inject further momentum at the global level.

    "The EU would strongly support a joint effort towards a new multilateral standard in the context of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. We believe that our EU savings tax directive can be an important point of reference here", says the President.

    As for the third T, transparency, President Barroso highlights the update of the EU transparency and accounting directives which make the EU a global pioneer in legislating on transparency in extractive industries – such as mining – and forestry. He also urges more countries to join in the global effort to subscribe to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

    He notes that transparency should also be further enhanced on land tenure by pushing for the implementation of the ground-breaking Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in May 2012.
  • COMMUNIQUES DE PRESSE ET DECLARATIONS
  • VIDEOS ET PHOTOS

    • President Barroso

    • President Barroso and President Obama

    • President Barroso, President Obama and PM Cameron

    • President Barroso and UK Prime Minister Cameron