Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position regarding achieving agreement on the EU 2020 Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7313/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Given the backdrop of the most severe economic and financial crisis seen in generations, the need for a renewed approach on the part of the EU and its Member States, cannot be overstated.

The EU's Lisbon Strategy on growth and jobs did not achieve all of its targets but had its positive impact. There are useful lessons from it to be applied, as the EU works towards agreeing a successor strategy, which is currently being referred to as the "EU 2020" Strategy.

We welcome and support the priority that has been attached to this work, both by the new President of the European Council and by the Spanish Presidency.

We are of the view that any new Strategy must be effective in steering the comprehensive exit strategy from the financial and economic crisis in the short term, while also equipping the EU towards a higher sustainable growth potential, accompanied by job creation, in the medium to long term. In short, for us the primary focus for the EU 2020 Strategy should remain firmly on sustainable jobs and growth.

The new EU 2020 Strategy needs to provide the EU with an ambitious vision for the years ahead. The experience of the Lisbon Strategy has shown the need for a new strategy to have a sharp focus and concentrate on a limited number of key objectives to deliver jobs and growth. These should include: competitiveness, R&D, innovation, completion of the Single Market, employment activation measures and training, the sustainable use of resources, including the development of agriculture and food resources, as well as global trade.

The Taoiseach was last Thursday in Brussels at an informal meeting of the European Council, which began consideration, under President Van Rompuy's chairmanship, of the new strategy. There was substantial buy-in to the overall approach and to the prioritisation of the task.

Last month, the Government made a submission to a European Commission consultation process on a future EU 2020 Strategy. The Commission will now bring forward formal proposals in advance of the Spring European Council meeting which will take place towards the end of next month (25 – 26 March), at which those proposals will be the subject of detailed discussion.

We look forward to continuing our close engagement with EU partners on the development of this important new Strategy and I have every confidence and expectation that agreement will be achieved on a dynamic and effective new forward-looking strategy during the course of the first half of this year.