WRITTEN QUESTION E-0752/04 by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Enhancing the image of the euro and the European Union in non-member countries.
Date: 2004-03-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Commission, European Union, communications policy, euro, image, promotion of the European idea, public awareness campaign

C 84 E/868

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

3.4.2004

(2004/C 84 E/0960)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0751/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Streamlining the Commission’s coordination of Member States’ economic policies

The Commission’s attempts to streamline the coordination and consistency of Member States’ economic
and employment policy guidelines have to date not always produced very concrete or functional results.
In spite of these attempts, the process by which the economic policies of the Member States are
coordinated remains extremely bureaucratic, complicated and long-winded, and provides very little room
for public debate, either at European or national level.

Does the Commission intend to undertake a genuine revision of
its methods for monitoring and
coordinating the economies of the Member States, after having conducted a real consultation with the
European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions,
in order to allow the democratic deficit to be reduced?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(14 April 2004)

The Commission has recently announced an initiative for enhancing economic governance in the EU. This
was prompted by the 25 November 2003 Ecofin Council conclusions which showed the need for better
and more effective economic governance. In this context, the Commission is exploring options that could
help raise the effectiveness of economic governance including a new balance between the Broad Economic
Policy Guidelines (BEPGs) and the Stability and Growth Pact as instruments to coordinate economic policy.
This new initiative is evidence of the fact that the methods for monitoring and coordinating economic
policies of Member States are updated and revised if and when needed. The initiative follows last year’s
reform of policy coordination in the context of streamlining the economic and employment guidelines.
The Commission believes that it is conducive both to greater policy coherence through better aligned
coordination instruments and enhanced effectiveness through increased focus on implementation: the new
three-year coordination cycle helps Member States to better implement EU policy guidance that is focused
on key policy issues and derived from thorough analysis and debate.

Policy coordination is a learning-by-doing process and the experiences with streamlining of the economic
and employment policy guidelines are only one year old. The Commission will carefully consider
additional steps deemed appropriate and discuss the matter with all the parties concerned.

(2004/C 84 E/0961)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0752/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Enhancing the image of the euro and the European Union in non-member countries

From reading a number of non-European newspapers,
understanding about the euro and its real economic, political and financial implications.

it becomes clear

that

there is a lack of

As part of the Euro campaign, is the Commission not envisaging measures targeted at professional circles
and universities to improve the perception of the euro at international level and thus encourage its use?

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 84 E/869

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 April 2004)

The Commission is aware that the image of the euro and the European Union in general in third countries
requires a long-haul
its information and
information and communication campaign. As part of
communication strategy ‘Framework for a Commission strategy for the euro and economic and monetary
union in 2004 and beyond,’ the Commission is planning from 2004 onwards, to improve perception of
the euro and its economic, political and financial implications in those countries.

In 2003 the Commission took part in the organisation of an international seminar in Santiago de Chile
(‘The European experience of the euro: Building an economic and monetary union, a joint assessment by
European and Latin American macroeconomists’, 20/21 October 2003) as well as consciousness-raising
conferences in Athens (‘Europe, the Mediterranean and the euro’, 3/4 February 2003) and in Warsaw
(‘From accession to adopting the euro’, 21 November 2003).

Via its information and communication strategy from 2004 onwards, the Commission is planning in
particular to organise in third countries seminars and conferences as part of
the euro campaign.
Professionals and academics will be among those targeted by the strategy, which will help enhance the
image of the euro and the European Union in third countries.

External information activities scheduled for 2004 include: monitoring of the media in important financial
centres (United States, Japan and South-East Asia); information seminars for press and information officers
In this
in the delegations; and organisation of activities in cooperation with the Union delegations.
connection, a cycle of five conferences is to take place in the United States at the Institute for International
Economics (Washington), Harvard University, the University of California (Berkeley), the University for
Chicago and the University of Texas (Austin).
In South Africa two conferences will be held in
Johannesburg and Cape Town. External information activities are also planned for Brazil.

(2004/C 84 E/0962)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0753/04

by José García-Margallo y Marfil (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 March 2004)

Subject: Promotion of the international role of the euro in transactions between eurozone countries and

third countries

The Commission has always shown little interest in promoting the use of the euro in major transactions
with third countries, particularly those relating to the supply of raw materials.

Despite the limited role which the Commission could play in this connection, there can be no doubt that
an increased use of the euro in transactions of this kind would reduce the cost of products in Europe and
at the same time increase the competitiveness of products and the European economy.

Has the time not come for the Commission to abandon its neutral position, which has been frequently
misunderstood by third countries, as these sometimes interpret the Commission’s attitude as a certain
denial of the European currency, or at least as a lack of interest by the Commission in the European
currency which, in addition to being a means of exchange between the 12 EU Member States, is also an
international exchange and reserve currency?