H.E. Mr. Giovanni Adorni Braccesi Chiassi:

I thank the Vice Chairman. Deputies, Senators, Excellencies, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure and honour to make a presentation to the Joint Committee on European Affairs on the programme of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. A copy of the programme - a document of 76 pages divided into ten sections dealing with topics including foreign affairs, the economy, justice, home affairs, employment, health, agriculture, the environment, competitiveness, education, youth, culture and sport - has been distributed.

I launched the Italian Presidency at the Department of the Taoiseach in the presence of Deputy Dominic Hannigan, the Chairman of this committee.

On that occasion I outlined the priorities of this programme, which focuses on the need for growth in order to give new impetus to European and global economic recovery and bridge the gap between EU institutions and the people of Europe. As the Italian Prime Minister pointed out in his speech to the European Parliament on 2 July, Italy intends to do its utmost to ensure the EU has its own identity, ideals and common values.

As a founder member of the Union and a net contributor to its budget, Italy believes in the European institutions. In the words of the Prime Minister of Italy, it does so with the courage and pride of those who give rather than those who ask. Italy does not attribute to the EU the faults of its current crisis and the crises of other European countries. The results of the last European election are proof of this. However, Italy is committed to achieving the objectives of a smart Europe that is centred on simplification of the institutions and unification of diverse positions.

When I spoke to him the other week, the Chairman of this committee, Deputy Hannigan, pointed to two major concerns for Ireland. First, he referred to the dialogue between national parliaments and the European Parliament. This is a typical political task. It is not in the hands of diplomats; it is in the hands of the elected representatives of national parliaments. Second, he spoke about the role of the UK and the possibility of its exit from the Union. The Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Renzi, was very clear on that concern when he said the EU without the UK would not only be a less rich Europe but also simply a lesser Europe.

In view of the new impetus behind the European project, and in a world that runs at a much faster pace than our world, it is essential to focus on growth. For this reason, the Italian Presidency will place a special focus on certain issues, such as the Europe-Asia meeting that will take place in Milan in the second half of October. It will also preview another major event that will take place in the same city next year - the Milan Expo 2015, in which Ireland has shown a very keen interest. For the same reason, the Italian Presidency will support the prosecution of the negotiation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership in order to achieve a balanced and comprehensive agreement based on reciprocity. We think the focus on those objectives will help our general economic situation.

I would like to comment on the macroeconomic framework. The Stability and Growth Pact stands on two pillars. The first pillar is not sufficient to secure the future of Europe without the second pillar. For this reason, I read with pleasure today that the Irish Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, is backing the Italian push for more flexibility in budget rules. I believe this is a major concern in light of the Italian situation. Despite years of budget cuts and increased taxes, public debt in Italy is still growing. The only way to address this, apart from the taking the necessary reform measures, is to increase gross domestic product. Italy maintains that a review of the EU six-pack and two-pack rules may offer an opportunity to press for greater flexibility in the application of the Union's budget rules.

With regard to the real economy, the Union must concentrate on information technology, on the fight against climate change, on the move towards an even more sustainable economy and, above all, on the enhancement of human capital. In his speech last week, Mr. Renzi underlined several times the importance of the European civil service in this context. For Italy, Europe must also become a place of the future, not only as an ideal border but also as a physical and geographical Europe. On the one hand, Europe must work to stop the tragedies of victims in the Mediterranean Sea caused by the difficulties in countries of northern Africa, particularly Libya, through the Frontex operation. On the other hand, Europe must overturn its approach and demonstrate that it is an active protagonist in the economic framework and, above all, in the human context.

On another plane, Europe must be worthy of its great responsibility and must listen to the voices in Ukraine and elsewhere in the east of our continent that are asking for freedom and for more European involvement. For this reason, we have to bear in mind that we cannot build Europe against our largest neighbour. For the same reason, we think we have to guarantee young Palestinians the right to grow in a nation. At the same time, we must make a commitment to the right and the duty of Israel to exist. All the other major international crises which affect us directly and indirectly, such as the conflicts in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere, will be followed with great attention by the Italian Presidency.

I will conclude by using the same words used by the Prime Minister when he addressed those who were not yet 18 years of age at the time of the signature of the Maastricht treaty. He said they needed to rediscover themselves as Telemachus, the son of Ulysses, who is well known in Ireland thanks to James Joyce. He said those of this generation should not stand and wait but should instead meditate on what they have inherited from their fathers, and that the fate of young Europeans is to carry on their shoulders our great common traditions in order to ensure their own futures. He said this needed to be done as a duty not only to future generations but also to those who died throughout the ages, so that Europe would be not only a geographical expression but also "an expression of the soul".