Laying the ground for Europe's future prosperity
This very first Polish Presidency of the Council appears to be a good omen for the future of Europe.
A College meeting with the Polish Government was organized in Warsaw to discuss the most urgent issues at the agenda of the Polish presidency of the Council in the coming months. These include the economic situation, connecting Europe projects and the Neighbourhood policy. "I am sure that Poland is in a better position now to shape the debates to come including the debate on the future financial perspectives, but also to ask and commit with all the other Member States for a joint approach to the challenges we are facing in Europe and in the world", President Barroso said.
"Poland will need to show strong leadership to steer a course through turbulent events while maintaining its ambitious agenda"
President Barroso, discussing the incoming Polish Presidency of the Council in the European Parliament, expressed the full support of the Commission to Poland for its agenda. On the Multi-annual Financial Framework, he spoke of its added value for the EU and drew parallels with the Polish Presidency priorities. Mentioning recent news on the Danish border controls, he said that "undermining free movement is jeopardising the internal market, solidarity among Europeans and the very European project"
"Poland takes its rightful place in the driving seat of the European Union"
At the start of the Presidency, an interview of President Barroso was published, in which the President underlined that Poland has taken on the Council Presidency for the first time in its history. Poland has escaped recession and is now one of the European Union's drivers of growth. This puts it in a strong position to push forward with its ambitious agenda for a stronger, stable and open European Union. At the same time, it faces not only a challenging economic backdrop, but also the responsibility to move forward with proposals that will impact our Union for many years to come, not least on the EU's budget for 2014-2020.
On 1 July in Warsaw, President Barroso participated in the inauguration ceremonies of the first Polish Presidency of the European Council. Before that event, he met with the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, for a working session. The President also took the opportunity of this visit to meet Polish entrepreneurs and representatives of a wide variety of sectors such as energy, e-commerce and the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Read the interview in Gazeta Wyborcza published on 1 July 
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Speech by President Barroso at the European Parliament debate on the start of the Polish Presidency
Video - European Parliament debate on the start of the Polish Presidency
Read the interview in Rzeczpospolita published on 1 July [48 KB]