Тhe leading bodies of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds and the Economic Policy, Energy and Tourism Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria held a meeting with the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Mr. Michel Barnier.
Mr. Barnier used the opportunity to congratulate the Bulgarian efforts in dealing with the economic crisis.
The Chairwoman of the CEAOEF, Ms. Monika Panayotova presented the activities of the Committee that she chairs. She pointed out our recent achievements in terms of EU funds absorption, as an effective measure to deal with the economic crisis consequences. Ms. Panayotova highlighted the intense work on the forthcoming accession of Bulgaria to the Schengen Area. The Chairwoman expressed her confidence that the process would be brought to an end successfully with French support.
Ms. Panayotova also emphasized on the joint efforts for removing the labor market restrictions for Bulgarian citizens. The campaign launched by the Bulgarian MEP Iliana Ivanova, was backed by Ms. Tsetska Tsatcheva, President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. She sent letters to the 10 Parliament Presidents of the Member States which still apply the above-mentioned restrictions for Bulgarian citizens. Ms. Panayotova specified that removing these restrictions before 1st January, 2014 would reflect positively on the consolidation of the Internal Market.
With a view to the long-term sustainable development, Mr. Barnier highlighted the particular importance of conducting a single economic policy within the EU, which has to be supervised more strictly by the European institutions.
The EU should enhance further economic and budgetary coordination in correspondence with the single monetary policy of the Union. The common efforts of the Member States are required, because none of them alone has the economic scale to be compared with India, China, Brazil or Russia.
Martin Dimitrov, Chairman of the CEPET, turned his attention to the role of the single European currency in the time of economic crisis. Mr. Dimitrov stipulated that there’s no need to limit the further enlargement of the Eurozone. Instead, he suggested more rigorous financial rules, applicable to all Member States. The Chairman called upon the French support for Bulgaria’s adoption of the single European currency.
Commissioner Barnier agreed with the conclusions made, observing that steel discipline is needed in the developing globalization process. The EU is a zone based on solidarity in terms of following the common rules.
Mr. Barnier concluded that the Member States should work to deepen their European integration and feel the need of coexistence within the EU. In this regard, Mr. Barnier stressed on the importance of working for the Single European Market, which is becoming more necessary but less popular. It’s crucial to increase the public awareness about it. Mr. Barnier explained that consultations on the Single Market Act are being held, which aim to improve the Single Market functioning and the European citizens’ access to it.