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Henrik Hololei: agenda of EU presidency can be overtaken by unplanned events

BC, Riga, 07.04.2014.Print version
In an interview to LETA, the deputy secretary general of the European Commission Henrik Hololei said that you can plan to EU presidency as best as possible, but that you can also be overtaken by events.

''If we look at the Greek presidency today – the key topic is related with Ukraine. But who would be able to plan that? This often happens to the presidencies that the external events that you cannot plan become the real priority,'' the EC official from Estonia pointed out.

 

He said that Latvia is taking its preparations for the EU presidency very seriously. ''I think that the consultation process that the Latvians have started in their own society is very useful and also gives much stronger mandate. The issues related with Eastern partnership, the Riga summit, I think it is a logical continuation. We can talk from Vilnius to Riga, which also sounds very well symbolically,'' Hololei said.

 

He also praised Latvia's efforts in relation to digital agenda which is high on the Latvian priority list, and is very much welcomed also by the commission. ''Europe is lacking behind when it comes to the digital internal market. We have to do more and it is commission’s proposal as well and we hope that Latvian presidency will be in a position to take it further,'' he said.

 

Hololei said that another important element is the economic and monetary union, as well as energy policy, which will dominate the European political agenda for the next several years. He added that due to the Ukraine crisis, energy policy has become a very hot topic.

 

''In the light of the present crisis in Ukraine, the energy policy has become in the focus. This means energy security, energy independence, energy efficiency and linked with a climate policy. The climate policy should help us to strive to energy independence or to lessen the energy dependence. This is something which I am sure the Latvian presidency will look into. This has also been one of the messages I have been telling to my Latvian colleges,'' Hololei added.






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