Thursday 2 April: G20 Summit in London ? for a co-ordinated global response to the economic and financial crisis
The news:
In the European Union view as agreed at the European Council the G20 Summit's main objectives should be: promotion of return to economic growth; management and prevention of global crisis; better regulation of financial market; support for developing countries in response to the crisis. The full details of the EU's common position going into the G20 can be found in an annexe to the European council conclusions.
As President Barroso has said: "The G20 must take a holistic and ambitious approach. That is the only way the world can get out of this crisis without risking a worse crisis in future. The G20 is not going to choose between items on a menu. We need both a coordinated fiscal stimulus and progress on financial regulation. At the same time, we must resist all forms of protectionism. And we must meet our commitments to developing countries. We must also boost both the governance and the resources of the IMF and other international institutions. This summit alone will not end the crisis. But it will be a very important step on the road to confidence and recovery and also towards global institutions for the 21st century."
The background:
The G20 London Summit was preceded by the G20 Washington Summit that took place on 14-15 November 2008 in Washington, D.C. The Summit resulted from an initiative by Presidents Barroso and Sarkozy. In Washington, leaders achieved general agreement on how to co-operate in key areas in order to strengthen economic growth, deal with the financial crisis, and avoid similar crises in the future. The follow-up Summit in London on 2 April 2009 aims to turn this consensus into a series of concrete actions.
The event:
2 April: G20 Summit in London
31 March: Press-conference of President Barroso tbc
Available on EbS + photo
The sources:
Brussels European Council 19/20 March, Presidency Conclusions:
SPEECH/09/143: President Barroso's speech at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 24 March 2009, on the conclusions of the European Council:
SPEECH/09/140: President Barroso's speech at the European Parliament, Strasbourg, 25 March 2009, "Declaration on the preparation of the G20 Summit";
The contacts:
Johannes Laitenberger +32 2 296 57 45 johannes.laitenberger@ec.europa.eu
Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen +32 2 295 30 70 pia.ahrenkilde-hansen@ec.europa.eu
Mark Gray +32 2 298 86 44 mark-stephen.gray@ec.europa.eu
Thursday 2 April: The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) launches the call for proposals for its first Knowledge |