Presidente José Manuel Barroso - A UE NA CIMEIRA DO G8/G20

A UE NA CIMEIRA DO G8/G20

Outras cúpulas do G8/G20

The Group of Twenty (G-20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. It promotes open and constructive discussion between industrial and emerging-market countries on key issues related to global economic stability. The EU is a full member of the G20.

A UE NA CIMEIRA DO G8/G20

The 2013 G20 Summit took place in St. Petersburg, Russia, from 5 to 6 September. The European Union was represented by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

6 September 2013

After G20 Summit: “EU objectives broadly achieved”

"We are pleased that the European Union's objectives for this summit have been broadly achieved", European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said in their joint statement on the outcome of the G20 Summit.

“The European Union this year came to the G20 with a message of confidence about delivery of its G20 commitments and the positive effects of its comprehensive crisis response, which are starting to show; while the efforts must not be relaxed”, both Presidents stated.

G20 members acknowledged that the EU has delivered on its substantive commitments from Los Cabos in 2012.

“They encouraged us to continue implementing our comprehensive crisis response including the swift adoption and implementation of a banking union. Doubts have been dispelled and our G20 partners have acknowledged the determined action of the European Union to draw the right lessons from the crisis”, Presidents Barroso and Van Rompuy said.

Leaders also adopted the Saint Petersburg Action Plan for Growth and Jobs, with concrete contributions by all G20 members, focusing specifically on youth employment. Presidents Barroso and Van Rompuy particularly “welcomed the very constructive discussions about the situation in the emerging economies and the willingness on all sides to engage in cooperative solutions and consider potential spillovers when conceiving and implementing national growth policies and to address structural issues in the concerned countries themselves.”

This G20 summit also cemented the global shift towards fairertaxation by agreeing on setting up the automatic exchange of tax information among G20 members as from 2015 – as the EU has pushed for – and leaders endorsed the OECD's work on base erosion and profit shifting.

Both Presidents noted with satisfaction that the G20 made good progress in the field of financial regulation, including by addressing the risks of shadow banking.

On trade, the G20's anti-protectionism commitment to extend the Toronto standstill clause to 2016, is "very good news", President Barroso and Van Rompuy said.

5 September 2013

Joint press conference ahead of the G20, 5 September

“The EU delivered on its commitments made last year, but the global recovery still remains fragile. (…) We in Europe are seeing a turning point”, said President Barroso, while underlining that “we should avoid any kind of complacency, namely because of the high level of unemployment but indeed there are positive signs of recovery.”

He pointed out that it is critically important that all efforts to make this recovery sustainable over time are made. “That's why credibility and confidence are key”, he added. The President expects the G20 to adopt the Saint Petersburg Action Plan as a vehicle for this continued collective action for growth and jobs.

Also on the other main items on the agenda of this G20 summit – taxation, financial regulation, and trade – President Barroso set out his expectations:

- “The G20 should finish what we have started in Europe by making the automatic exchange of information the global standard”, said President Barroso. “This summit will complete the paradigm shift in taxation. Citizens can be reassured: The days of tax fraud and tax evasion by individuals and by companies are counted. We are introducing more fairness in taxation. (…) I will push to start the automatic exchange of information among G20 members as soon as 2015.” He also called on G20 leaders to “take decisive action against profit shifting and base erosion, based on the OECD's excellent work”

- On financial regulation, he said that this G20 should “maintain the momentum on financial regulation and continue filling the blanks in financial markets”. He emphasised in that context that “Europe is now ready to lead sweeping action to bring light into an area that so far has remained in the dark: shadow-banking.” He referred to the ambitious approach for oversight and regulation of shadow-banking, proposed by the European Commission only a day before.

- On trade, the President urged that “this summit should confirm the G20's commitment against protectionism, extend the Toronto standstill clause and do more to roll back trade-restrictive measures”. Europe is liberalising its trade relations with numerous countries and regions in the world, the President said, including “with some countries in our neighbourhood”. He added that “this should be welcomed as a positive example of the European Union's action to stimulate growth and jobs. Not only in these countries, but also in the wider region. We expect that the sovereignty of our neighbours and partners will be fully respected”, the President emphasised.

He ended his statement with an appeal to forge a consensus in the international community on how to respond to the latest developments and also on how to put an end to the conflict in Syria, “the biggest humanitarian tragedy of our times”: “This week the appalling number of 2 million Syrian refugees was reached. We all have a duty to act”. The EU is the biggest donor providing relief for the people on the ground suffering the consequences of this crisis (1.3 billion euro so far).

23 July 2013

Joint letter ahead of the G20 Summit

Ahead of the G20 Summit European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy sent a joint letter to the 28 EU Heads of State and Government to inform about the key issues coming up for discussions at the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg on 5-6 September 2013.
PRESS RELEASES AND STATEMENTS
VIDEOS AND PHOTOS
- http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/player/config.cfm?id=9B2C56EC3998365497720714A066BDC5
- President Barroso and President Van Rompuy
- President Barroso meeting President Putin
- President Barroso at the podium
- President Barroso with South African President Zuma