Ahead of the meeting of the European council on 27-28 June 2013, António Vitorino, the president of Notre Europe – Jacques Delors Institute, answers the following questions:

1. The European Council is due to address the issue of structural reform at the end of the third “European semester”: What can it do to make substantive progress on this issue?

2. What is your view of the Franco-German contribution formulated upstream of this European Council meeting, in particular regarding the proposal for a permanent president of the Eurogroup?

3. Europe’s banks still seem to be in something of a tight corner, as the European Council gets set to discuss plans for a banking union again. What are your expectations in this connection?

4. The European Council will also be debating the implementation of the Growth Pact adopted a year ago. What needs to be done in that connection?

5. The “EMU’s social dimension” is also on this European Council meeting’s agenda. In your view, what does that social dimension cover?

6. The European Council may also make a pronouncement on the start of membership negotiations with Serbia and Macedonia. What is your position on that issue?