Europe must plan a reform, not a pact

Commentary feature by Guy Verhofstadt, Jacques Delors and Romano Prodi, a former Prime Minister of Belgium; and two former Presidents of the European Commission. The Franco-German proposal for a 'Pact for Competitiveness' is ineffective the writers argue. Instead, the task of creating an appropriate form of European economic governnance should be the preserve of the European Commission, not a cabal of two or three countries imposing a model on the rest.

EurActiv, 4.3.11: Verhofstadt tables alternative 'competitiveness pact' http://www.euractiv.com/priorities/verhofstadt-tables-alternative-c-news-502739

ESO: Background information: EU pact proposals will ‘not end this crisis’ http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-pact-proposals-will-not-end-this-crisis/

ESO: Background information: EU presidents draft competitiveness pact http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-presidents-draft-competitiveness-pact/

ESO: Background information: Eurozone summit looms amid growing hostility to Franco-German pact http://www.europeansources.info/record/eurozone-summit-looms-amid-growing-hostility-to-franco-german-pact/

Libération, 9.3.11: A European politics is born (via PressEurop) http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/538911-european-politics-born

PES: Press Release, 7.3.11: Conservative policies are a threat to European recovery - PES social and employment ministers reject the ideological bias of the ‘EU competitiveness pact’ http://www.pes.org/en/node/45518

PES: Press Release, 5.3.11: PES in Athens call for new EU economic direction http://www.pes.org/en/news/pes-athens-call-new-eu-economic-direction

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