The EU member states the youth unemployment of which exceeds 25-percent should implement measures to stimulate youth employment using funds from the available structural instruments and from the European social fund in the current programming period. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev proposed at the European Council summit which ended today. The high youth unemployment rate in the European Union was the basic topic debated at the EU summit in which the Bulgarian head of state took part for the first time. The proposal was supported by other member states and the European Commission is expected to make proposals to this effect, Rosen Plevneliev said at a press conference held after the debates were over.
The President said he regarded his other proposal as less realistic – that Bulgaria is included in the EC 16-billion program for stimulating youth employment, which now encompasses eight EU member states with the highest youth unemployment rate. Currently 27 percent of the young people in Bulgaria are unemployed, the head of state recalled, adding that the country will put effort into ensuring the “flexibility” of the programs for stimulating youth employment by the utilization of EU funds.
At the summit the President reiterated the necessity to achieve a balance between fiscal and growth policies. Rosen Plevneliev recalled that Bulgaria will maintain its culture of stability and will strictly follow its budget framework. “Households and businesses in Bulgaria have taken out 60 billion leva in loans, the settlement of which depends on the state’s level of stability. If money is unwisely spent, all Bulgarian citizens will pay the price as is the case throughout Europe,” the President warned. In his words, if the funds are invested “in a balanced manner, showing clear and good priorities and a reasonable deficit, Bulgaria will be able to make a step forward.” The President provided updated statistical data, which, in his words, indicate that for a sixth year in a row the European economy will face difficulties. Presumably in 2013 the Eurozone will register an economic slowdown of 0.2 percent and the number of unemployed will increase by two million people.
President Rosen Plevneliev said that he would also take part in the next European Council meeting to be held in May, when energy issues will be debated. The head of state informed that the caretaker government is due to prepare “a package of draft bills” regarding the implementation of the Third Energy Liberalization Package. In the President’s words, Bulgaria will have to perform a lot of technical tasks to ensure that the country meets the European requirements, among which are separating the Electricity System Operator from NEC, as well as the companies dealing in electricity distribution and supply. “It is essential that an environment promoting fair competition based on rules be created. This is what the European approach is about,” the head of state recalled and added that Bulgaria is among the last countries that have failed to implement the rules of the Third Energy Package so far. Next week the Bulgarian delegation will pay a working visit to Brussels related to the Bulgarian plan for adopting the principles of the liberalization package. “The plan fully protects the interests of all Bulgarian citizens and enterprises as we will not depend on a single supplier or pipeline,” Rosen Plevneliev emphasized.
In Brussels the president held talks with UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande on the concerns about the migratory pressure from Bulgarian citizens after the restrictions imposed on Bulgarians and Romanians for access to the labor market are lifted. The head of state reiterated that the European leaders should not resolve domestic policy problems by offering Bulgaria as a convenient excuse. “Bulgarians contribute with their intellect, honest labor and social contributions to the countries where they are, and Bulgarian students in London in turn pay huge tuition fees from which the English country benefits. We are ready to consider any case, if there is any data, but we have no access to such information yet and therefore Bulgaria should not be singled out as a convenient culprit for a non-existent problem,” Rosen Plevneliev firmly stated. He further commented that our country should not adopt a populist approach in a situation in which the debate on Bulgaria’s Schengen entry is postponed. “We will continue to stick to our plan in the most responsible manner. Everything else is political talk, which I consider unnecessary and unconstructive,” the President emphasized.
In Brussels Rosen Plevneliev commented on the political and social situation in Bulgaria and on public calls for constitutional amendments. The President informed that on 17 April the European Parliament is due to debate Hungary’s constitutional amendments, which have raised concerns over their non-compliance with European legislation. If we want to amend our constitution, we should have enough time to prepare the amendments, hold a debate, reach a consensus and accordingly coordinate these amendments with the European Council, the European institutions and the Venice Commission,” the head of state said. He called on “all leaders displaying a populist attitude in Bulgaria, which are ready to espouse populist ideas in an anti-European manner” to watch the EP session on 17 April. “I do not mind amending the Constitution, but I do mind making amendments in an anti-European and anti-democratic manner”, the head of state firmly told the Bulgarian media in Brussels.