Averting two pitfalls: illusion and inertia

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:

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