Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I remind members and visitors to turn off their mobile telephones as they can cause interference with the recording system. We have received apologies from the Chairman, Deputy Dominic Hannigan, and Deputy Joe O'Reilly. Deputy Eric Byrne is obliged to leave at 2.30 p.m.

Eric Byrne (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Unfortunately, I am a member of both this committee and the foreign affairs committee. The foreign affairs committee meeting is starting at 2.15 p.m., so I will not be here for the presentation.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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It is a busy week. Also, a vote is scheduled in the House, which will interrupt but not interfere with the proceedings. It will give the ambassador a chance to have a cup of coffee.
I welcome Her Excellency, Diana Zagorianou-Prifti, the ambassador of Greece to Ireland, and thank her for meeting with the committee to discuss the programme and priorities of the Greek Presidency of the European Union, which Greece assumed this month from Lithuania. Of course, Lithuania assumed the Presidency last year from Ireland. The Presidency is aiming to build on some of the gains of the past year in further promoting economic growth, job creation and securing financial stability and a more co-ordinated economic governance. I understand the Greek Presidency is also expected to focus on enhancing civic and society engagement in the European Union through policies and initiatives in response to the daily problems, concerns and insecurities of Europe's citizens. We look forward to exploring those issues with the ambassador after she delivers her opening remarks.
Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that members should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the evidence they are to give to this committee. If they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in relation to a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
The ambassador is a regular attendee at this committee. I invite her to make her opening remarks.

H.E. Ms Diana Zagorianou-Prifti:

I thank the Chairman, Deputies and Senators for inviting me to the meeting and giving me the opportunity to describe the main goals and priorities of the Greek EU Presidency in the first half of 2014. Greece is the third and last country of the trio of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece to hold the Presidency. In July 2014 we will hand the Presidency over to Italy.

On 1 January 2014, Greece assumed for the fifth time the rotating Presidency of the EU Council. The budget of this Presidency is no more than €50 million, the lowest amount we could manage. During the Presidency, Greece will host, in Athens, 14 informal ministerial meetings plus the Gymnich informal ministerial meeting as well as approximately 110 other lower-level meetings. Greece assumes the Presidency at a time that Europe is going through an extremely delicate phase. We are all aware of the fact that the EU is in a deep crisis, and my country is in the middle of this. For years now we have talked about recession and unemployment in most of our countries. Naturally, as long as there is prosperity, things are always easier. On the contrary, economic problems often lead to intense internal division and conflicts and to the awakening of old, and considered obsolete, ideas and stereotypes. Thus, instead of integration and cohesion we risk having more distance between states and societies.

The extent of the debt crisis and of the associated recession and unemployment has undermined the confidence of EU citizens in the very idea of European integration. Disenchantment with the European integration process is growing. Furthermore, social cohesion has suffered enormously, in particular in the countries where the effects of the crisis have been more pronounced. We have to deal with a wave of euroscepticism and we should try hard to convince anyone concerned that the solution lies on more, not on less, Europe. To overcome the hiatus, Europe needs to move forward, not backward. We need more European integration, not less. Moreover, we need good jobs and sustainable growth and we must ensure that our policies are aligned with this popular demand. These aspirations are shared by the Hellenic Presidency. We formulated our political priorities in order to reflect and serve these goals. Ultimately, our hope is to contribute to the reaffirmation of the European project at the hearts and minds of the people of Europe.

Our challenge is to ensure prosperity and stability; for this the EU must reaffirm its mission in the hearts and minds of its citizens. We are called upon to tackle the economic and financial crisis, to safeguard the common currency, to tackle recession and unemployment and to regain the trust of European citizens to safeguard the European social model of democracy and the rule of law - elements that until recently were taken for granted, but have been put to the test by the crisis.

The period of the Hellenic Presidency will also be pivotal in Greece, at a time when the first signs of an exit from the crisis are becoming discernable. It is a crisis that has cost the Greek economy a cumulative recession of 25% of GDP, with unemployment rates mushrooming, particularly for the young, and in which the average Greek has lost 40% of their living standard compared with 2007. Thanks to the persistent efforts and sacrifices of the Greek people, Greece has taken major strides in the direction of fiscal health, showing the best structural - that is, cyclically adjusted - primary surplus in the eurozone, at over 6% of GDP, and has also achieved a deficit reduction of 13% of current GDP. There are good grounds for optimism that the six months of the Hellenic Presidency will coincide with the recovery of Greece's real economy.

The main principles which will guide the work of the Presidency can be summarised as follows: enhancing civic and society engagement in the EU, with the ultimate goal of the development of the EU into a community of shared values and "common destiny" for all its citizens, while preserving and strengthening the European model; deepening the Union, especially economic and monetary union, EMU - the aim remains to safeguard the irrevocability of the common currency, on a solid and sustainable basis; and reinforcing EU democratic legitimacy and accountability along with collectivity and solidarity links among member states, as well as incrementally constructing European democracy and expanding civil rights. Briefly, the promotion of policies and measures for achieving growth, combating unemployment, promoting economic and social cohesion and structural reforms, deepening integration and completion of EMU, as well as addressing external challenges, including EU enlargement, formulate the priority framework of the Hellenic Presidency.

With regard to growth, jobs and cohesion, unemployment has reached record high rates in most EU member states, affecting the young in particular, and recession is a constant threat to European economies.

In this context, growth is considered to be a driving force for a sustainable way out of the crisis because it is expected to create jobs, strengthen political stability, correct social imbalances and, ultimately, reinforce European cohesion. From the Greek perspective, jobs and growth are structurally and inextricably connected. Initiatives and actions for halting unemployment and boosting job creation are absolutely necessary in order to avert the danger of jobless growth. The main objective is to balance the timetable of fiscal consolidation with the implementation of a substantially enhanced and realistic compact for growth and jobs, which can be transformed into a diverse European investment programme, modelled after the cohesion policy and with a focus on employment.

Striking the right balance between fiscal solidity and an effort to boost growth is considered to be the catalyst for achieving the necessary cohesion among national economic policies and hence among European societies. It is such a cohesion that constitutes the foundation of further European integration, which is the second priority of the Greek Presidency. The European Investment Bank, EIB, can play a strong role in respect of labour-intensive projects - for example, projects relating to SMEs, basic infrastructure, energy and climate - with the support and trust of the European Central Bank, ECB. One specific way to boost European growth would be to significantly increase the lending capacity of the EIB to finance expanded investments, particularly in the countries most affected by the crisis. The whole movement must essentially be backed by the EIB. This ambitious investment programme will qualify targeted actions, especially in countries which register alarmingly high levels in all four social indicators - unemployment, youth unemployment, social exclusion and poverty - with an emphasis on SMEs. The latter are a source of innovation and employment and an important factor for economic growth and social cohesion in the EU, mostly in the European south. In any event, it would be useful to launch a dialogue on those specific subject areas that offer high growth potential and, at the same time, job creation. I refer here to innovation, services to firms, transport, shipping and tourism. A Commission White Paper on that matter in the coming months could be the springboard for this project. European leaders have decided to strengthen efforts to combat youth unemployment and to endorse the joint EIB-Commission initiative - entitled "Investment Plan" - to finance SMEs as the key employers in the European economy.

I will now comment on further integration of the EU-eurozone. The global financial crisis revealed the great extent to which the fiscal policies of the eurozone member states are intertwined. Furthermore, it made clear the absence of preventive and corrective structures in the original economic and monetary union architecture, which would absorb the shocks within member states and deter any threat to the macroeconomic stability of the euro area. The course towards a deep and genuine economic and monetary union requires an integrated financial, fiscal and economic framework. In this economic and monetary union, member states, with the assistance and co-ordination of the European institutions, would be able to implement their reform programmes, with focused actions on the specific needs and conditions of each member state. This exercise should be consistent with and devote special attention to the social dimension and the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the new economic and monetary union. In this framework, progress on the following building blocks will be emphasised.

First, the promotion of the banking union. This remains essential to the improved functioning of the EMU and a prerequisite for increased confidence in the European economy. The Hellenic Presidency will strive to reach agreement on the Commission's most recent proposal on the single resolution mechanism, SRM. Depending on recent progress, we may face other issues that seem ripe for agreement, namely, the banking recovery, the resolution directive and the deposit guarantee directive. There is also special interest in promoting, as a matter of urgency - given the small legislative period until the elections for the European Parliament - issues concerning tax fraud and evasion, as well as the financial transactions tax.

The second building block relates to agreement on the principles of the reinforced budgetary and economic integration frameworks. The aim is to ensure the effective implementation and further integration of new EU-eurozone economic governance mechanisms in order to enhance synergies between member states in a growth and jobs-friendly way. In deepening the economic and monetary union, we will strive to lay the foundations of an ever-prosperous, well co-ordinated model, with the correct balance between solidity and solidarity and the necessary institutional autonomy of its members. Our work will be guided by Herman Van Rompuy's roadmap and the Commission's blueprint. This new eurozone should fully respect the Single Market and remain open to non-euro area member states.

The third aspect relates to special emphasis being attached to the social dimension of the economic and monetary union as one of the pillars for further deepening that union. It cannot be overstated that special emphasis will be attached to the social dimension of the economic and monetary union as one of the pillars for its further deepening. At the same time, we will need to lay the foundations for an institutional structure that will ensure enhanced transparency, accountability and representation in respect of the entire exercise. This dimension entails particular importance as an answer to the demographic and fiscal crisis of the European welfare state.

On migration, borders and mobility, instability on the European periphery, together with the perseverance of the causes that lead to immigration flows into Europe, increase these flows and place an extra burden on EU member states in a period of economic crisis. This burden falls mainly on the EU member states located on Europe's external borders to the east and, to a large extent, the south, as well as on those heavily affected by recession and unemployment. Coincidentally, on occasion some EU countries fall into both of these categories. In this context, the Hellenic Presidency will concentrate its efforts on highlighting the positive aspects of a comprehensive migration management in order to boost growth. In addition, it will spare no effort in promoting all dimensions of migration and mobility policies. At the same time, action is envisaged to tackle the problems arising in the context of the economy, social cohesion and political stability as a result of illegal migration. More specifically, within the framework of the EU's global approach to migration, the relevant EU policies and the union's co-operation with third countries, our approach has three main aims: to stop or reduce illegal migration in an efficient way, while safeguarding respect for human rights; to improve and better organise legal migration and facilitate mobility; and to enhance synergies between migration and growth. Special emphasis will be placed on fighting illegal migration, with a focus on readmission and return, as well as on fighting human trafficking and building institutional capacities for better border management in the process of updating the EU action plan for tackling migration pressure. Our main objective will be to contribute to building a comprehensive approach to border management, while reinforcing preventive actions in third countries of origin and transit of illegal immigrants. Such an approach will be to the benefit of all EU member states.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I apologise for interrupting but I did give Her Excellency advance warning that we would be obliged to suspend proceedings in order for members to attend in the Dáil for a vote. Unless a walk-through vote is called, we will probably only be obliged to absent ourselves for ten minutes or so. Our guests are more than welcome to remain here until we return. We will do so as quickly as possible.

H.E. Ms Diana Zagorianou-Prifti:

That is no problem.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I apologise again. I believe no further interruption is scheduled, but that could change. I invite the ambassador to continue what she was saying before she was rudely interrupted.

H.E. Ms Diana Zagorianou-Prifti:

I was talking about migration, borders and mobility. The Hellenic Presidency will promote the implementation of the common European asylum system and will plan an emphasis on solidarity measures and the need to increase European funding to assist those member states which have most been affected by migration. Respect of obligations deriving from international treaties and EU law is imperative in this effort. As "mobility" is a broader term than "migration", it is necessary to link the external dimension of migration with interrelated policies - such as visa policies, strategic partnerships, EU competitiveness and a common migration policy - that are capable of contributing to the implementation of the Europe 2020 agenda. The task force for the Mediterranean that we decided to form at the European Council in October is an important first step in the right direction to agree that the problem should be addressed to the extent possible at the place of origin. The task force should present its results before the end of the year. In light of the fast-approaching end of the 2010-14 Stockholm programme, the Hellenic Presidency will work on formulating the strategic vision and laying the priorities of EU relevant policies covering the years between 2014 and 2018, founded on solidarity, joint responsibility and co-operation between member states. The development of the freedom, security and justice area has been and will continue to be a major objective for the Union.

Today as Europe is being plagued by the economic crisis, it is essential to reinforce the common European policy on the areas of justice and home affairs. Such a common policy must be founded on solidarity, joint responsibility and co-operation between member states.
Being a traditionally maritime country, Greece recognises the great potential that marine and maritime activities have in terms of benefiting the EU economy as a whole in a sustainable way. At the same time, Europe has obvious strategic interests that justify the urge to bring to the fore and deal with security problems involving the management of sea borders. In this context, Greece introduces a horizontal thematic that will run through all four of the Presidency's priorities, namely EU maritime policy. The main idea is to redefine and restart EU maritime policy in all its aspects, not solely confined to issues of growth and development as initiated in the Limassol declaration pronounced during the Cypriot Presidency in 2012.
Our objective will be the adoption of a text on maritime policy-strategy at the June 2014 European Council highlighting two dimensions: security and growth. In this context, the Hellenic Presidency will focus its efforts on the following actions. They include building on the integrated maritime policy in the marine and maritime agenda for growth and jobs, including seabed mapping, blue energy, aquaculture, blue biotechnology, environmental issues and exploitation of marine mineral resources, as well as developing the indigenous energy resources of the European Union as an additional factor in reducing Europe's energy dependence; pushing for the implementation of maritime spatial planning; updating the EU maritime strategy on maritime transport in light of the recent international developments; and adopting the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, EUSAIR, December 2012 EC Conclusions. Maritime and marine growth, transport, environment and tourism are the four pillars of EUSAIR. The Commission is expected to adopt the communication and the action plan during spring 2014. The Hellenic Presidency considers the EU macro-region strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian seas region an important priority and in this context will organise a ministerial meeting. The actions also include shaping a European maritime security strategy. The preparations for shaping an actual EU maritime security strategy are under way. Our goal is the adoption of the strategy during our Presidency at the June 2014 European Council. Other actions include promoting co-operation and synergies of coast guard services, promoting nautical and coastal tourism and dealing appropriately with the sensitive but ultimately important issue of European security of sea-borne migration. Our goal is to promote this issue, inter alia, in the framework of the third priority - migration, borders, mobility.
Our aim is to co-operate closely with all partners that share the same strategic interests and to promote strategies and policies that will benefit all EU member states. The sea is an area of privilege in terms of knowledge and action for Greece and is an inexhaustible source of growth and prosperity for the whole of Europe. While the dissolution of the European Parliament in May means that we have a tight schedule to keep during the first trimester of our Presidency, as far as legislative work is concerned, the second trimester is going to be equally busy as it provides a good opportunity to have political-strategic debates on the most pressing issues and reach political guidance and direction for the next trio Presidency. Already, we are working very closely with Italy in order to have a smooth transition from one trio Presidency to another and to ensure that the necessary follow-up work will be taken forward.
I can assure Deputies and Senators that having already undertaken the rotating Presidency four times, my country is fully aware of the climate within the EU and the relevant difficulties but that we see this six month-Presidency as the big challenge. Greece has the know-how as well as the sensitivity and the necessary perception of reality to guarantee a successful Presidency in the interests of all European citizens.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the ambassador. Without any further delay, I would like to bring in my colleagues. We will take some questions and then the ambassador can respond to them collectively.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I thank the ambassador for coming before the committee and addressing us on the priorities for the Greek Presidency. We congratulate Greece on the Presidency and its contribution in the past and wish it well in respect of this Presidency, which is a very important one from Greek and European perspectives. As we all know, Greece has contributed greatly to society in the millennia gone by and there is no reason why its contribution in the present time cannot be as great. There are a number of challenges that the ambassador recognises and has outlined. Economic and social challenges have emerged over the past number of years that need to be dealt with. In our Presidency, we did our utmost to deal with them, as have prior and subsequent Presidencies.

This is a unique time, as we all know. It is not like anything we have had in the past. There were new experiences and new very unpopular measures had to be taken by governments throughout the EU both within the eurozone and outside it. In these times, there is a great opportunity for a Presidency to take ownership of the Presidency and the European project and progress it because the challenges we have experienced in the past number of years should and could have been anticipated but were not. There are lessons to be learned from that. There are also lessons that continue to be learned from the perspective of people who tend to exclude themselves from identification with European unionism, for want of a better description. We see the emergence of euroscepticism, to which the ambassador referred, and its popularity. It is a good time to remind all those who are eurosceptics of what happened when Euroscepticism or a similar approach emerged in the past and its consequences. There is no harm in reflecting on those issues at this particular time.

It is also no harm to remember that easy options will always be presented by people who usually do not have responsibility but hope to have it at some time in the future. It is a great opportunity for a Presidency to be able to explain to its own people and the European community at large that, unfortunately, easy options have not worked in the past. If they had worked, we would all be practising them.

There is also an opportunity to once again pinpoint the successes of the past and the past 60 years in particular - the things that went right - and how much the people of Europe have benefitted from those decisions made at that time and which will live on. One of the things we learned during our Presidency and over the past four or five years is that things happened that were not anticipated but should have been anticipated not only by our own institutions but by European institutions. There are lessons to be learned from that which we hope will result in measures being taken which do not negatively impact in particular on one member state or two or three member states but which should be accepted as being part and parcel of the responsibility of the evolving European project. As long as that happens, the EU is safe and secure and will progress and achieve the economic progress to which we aspire. If there is one thing that must be learned from the experiences we have been through, it is that we can prevail. All those prophets of doom and gloom that predicated annihilation, oblivion and the end of all that we knew were wrong. All those who predicted the things that allegedly could be done in the good times were wrong as well. So we go back to basics and basic economic thinking and basic social policy and will recover and rebuild anew.

I apologise as I must go to another committee that is in session at the same time in which I must play a particular part.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Durkan's apologies are noted.

Catherine Noone (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Greek ambassador and offer my congratulations on Greece's fifth EU Presidency. The ambassador is a regular attendee at this committee.

We would be very happy to provide assistance and information to the ambassador considering that Ireland recently held the EU Presidency. I attended a recent COSAC meeting at which I met some of the Greek delegates. They were very positive and hopeful about the Greek Presidency as a means of bringing some positivity to Greece in difficult times. I noted at the COSAC meeting the priority given to youth unemployment by member states. I ask if this could be prioritised by the Greek Presidency.

I must apologise that I must leave to attend another meeting. I thank the ambassador for her attendance today and for her interesting presentation.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the ambassador to the meeting. Deputy Bernard Durkan referred to Greece's long and proud history and the fact that Greece gave democracy to the world. Now is another opportunity for Greece to lead in Europe. We have all endured tough times but perhaps Greece had the toughest time of all. However, that difficult experience could provide a potential for inspiration. What lessons have been learned by Greece? What lessons might Greece have learned from the experience of other countries in the eurozone? I am particularly conscious of the Greek experience because of our Irish experience. Have the Greek people felt isolated within the European project? Is Europe a consideration in their lives?

On the question of areas where growth might be achieved, when I was attending conferences as a regular member of this committee it was pointed out that substantial growth could be achieved by the implementation of the EU services directive, such as, the electronic signature and aspects of the digital media area. It struck me that national growth and GDP could be increased by 2% to 3% with the implementation of more electronic processes which would facilitate the creation of cross-borders business. Is this being implemented in Greece?

The ambassador referred to the European Investment Bank and the investment plan to finance small and medium enterprises. Is it planned to ring-fence funding for youth employment? Is the EIB discussing the catastrophe of youth unemployment? One in three young people in Ireland is unemployed. Families have invested in their talented young people, as has the State. We do not want that energy and spirit to be demoralised. Like Senator Noone I am very aware of a particular group of young people. Has the EIB any policies to focus on youth unemployment? My final question is about border management, migration, mobility and policing, to which the ambassador referred in her presentation. In her view is there a role for sharing information across borders about the backgrounds and records of citizens? I will conclude by saying that I am very proud of Greece. It has had a difficult time, no more than ourselves. I very much hope this will be a very successful EU Presidency for Greece as well as for Europe.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the ambassador to the meeting and I apologise for not being here to listen to her presentation. I extend best wishes to her country on its Presidency of the EU. We appreciate the economic difficulties across the European Union which are a challenge for all politicians and in particular for the EU Presidency. The ambassador stated that one of the main principles is to enhance civic and societal engagement with the EU. How challenging has it become to promote the ideals and benefits of the European Union? In her view, will the economic crisis have a negative effect on the perception of citizens about the Union?

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I apologise to the ambassador as I was not present to hear her presentation. My colleague, Senator Healy Eames has referred to the issue of the border areas and refugees from Syria and other countries. Turkey is not part of the EU but it is has 600,000 refugees from Syria and there has been a movement of refugees into Greece. Is Europe doing enough to deal with the Syrian crisis and to support countries such as Greece who are dealing with an influx of people? Should there be a European initiative to deal with this issue so that more support is provided to countries who are dealing with this problem which has arisen almost overnight? It has not been possible for such countries to undertake any forward planning for dealing with this problem.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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I hope the ambassador has sufficient paper to record all the questions she has been asked. One of the factors that irritated Irish people was other European leaders and countries basking in the reflected successes of the Irish economy. To its great credit, improvements have begun in Greece. However, no more than in our case, it is a very difficult journey for the people. How is the Greek Presidency of the EU and international commentary on Greece being perceived by the people? Is such commentary perceived as being supportive or misplaced? The Greek people face a difficult journey. In the view of the ambassador how will Greece be interpreted by Europe during the very important six-month period of the European elections? There are many parts to the spectrum but Greece will be used in the arguments for and against European Union integration and membership. How is this being perceived on the ground?

H.E. Ms Diana Zagorianou-Prifti:

It thank members for their very interesting questions which I will try my best to answer. I hope I will cover all the topics raised. Senator Healy Eames is correct that the crisis in Greece is much tougher than in any other country.

This was due to different reasons. Some of the causes were down to us, as we made many grave mistakes previously and during the implementation of our programmes, but there were also some problems with the programmes themselves that meant they could not be easily implemented in the fairest and most correct way. As such, we went through a difficult phase, the outcome of which was that our people did not find everyday life easy. I do not want to speak about numbers and GDP alone, but families' incomes and capacity to live have worsened. My personal perception is that, among middle-income households, the capacity to live is less than it was in 2005.

Multiple mistakes were made by all sides, we went the wrong way and the correct way, there was some good and some bad, etc. Despite all of this, we have passed across to the other side of the river. We have left behind us those difficult and ambiguous situations, although we still face difficulties. We have not solved our problems, but we know how to proceed. The way will not be easy. We still have many reforms to complete and many paths to walk, but we know what is in front of us and that, at the end, we will exit the crisis.

The EU was another great partner in the solidarity it showed us. We were a eurozone country and an EU member. Had we been alone, I do not know whether it would have been possible to exit the crisis. The eurozone and EU countries helped us, for which we are grateful. They did their part and we did ours. The OECD has predicted that if we complete all of our reforms, which we believe we will, the growth rate will be more than 2% per year and as much as 3% or 4%. Perhaps we could exit the crisis much sooner than foreseen.

The youth unemployment rate is high. Indeed, unemployment rates in Greece are high in general. There has been a kind of brain drain. Not all, but many of our best brains are going abroad. Everyone who emigrates to search for a better life does so with one eye looking back to their country for an opportunity to return and offer their skills. We view this as just a difficult phase and are ready to go through it. We are confident that we are finally succeeding.

It is in these circumstances that the European Presidency comes to us. As members know well, the press that we received was mixed. However, it was mainly positive. We perceive this as acknowledging that we are capable of managing the Presidency. It is a good opportunity for us to show what we can and will do, but not only within the Presidency. We will touch on sensitive issues. We are the most appropriate people to indicate what are the most sensitive sectors in the crisis. It is important for the EU, us and the subjects themselves that we have a good Presidency.

Refugees are coming to us from Syria and other countries. There is a large flow of immigration. We are one of the main doors to the EU. The amount of money that we spend to contain this flow is considerable, especially in this period. We are not well supported in this task. We would like more support and co-operation. We have a good understanding with Italy, Malta and others that face the same problem. None of the illegal immigrants are entering Greece to reach us. We are just a transit country. The final destinations are northern European countries. We are obliged to contain them, send them back, feed and help them, provide them with health care, etc. This is not an easy task and is quite costly. We try our best and, for the main part, succeed, but we are bearing a great burden alone for most of Europe.

That is all, but if I have forgotten to answer any question, please remind me.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Broadly speaking, what is the perception in Greece of the Presidency?

H. E. Ms Diana Zagorianou-Prifti:

Assuming the Presidency will be positive for Greece. We are confident that our Presidency will be a good one. One does not ask a Greek whether he or she can succeed. It is a sure thing that he or she can.

Dara Murphy (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Excellent. I thank the ambassador. This meeting has been interesting, as Ireland and Greece share much in common. We wish her and her fellow countrymen the best in the important job that they will do for all Europeans during the next six months.

I do not propose to go into private session just to take the correspondence as noted. Is that agreed? Agreed. I thank the secretariat and our guests and apologise for the interruption in the middle of the meeting.

As there is no other business, we will adjourn until next Thursday at 2 p.m. when we will meet with Ms Catherine Day, Secretary General of the European Commission.