EU/Sahel/Syria/Doha Climate Change Conference

THE PRESIDENT – Today I’ve hosted the Prime Minister of Denmark, who’s been visiting France. (…)

EUROPE/GROWTH/EMU

We talked about Europe, because we’re motivated by the same priorities. We want a Europe of growth, a Europe of competitiveness. We also want a mutually-supportive Europe. Together, at the European Council of 29 June (…) we supported the growth compact. Today it’s up to us to implement it – as we’re doing – and also resolve the issues that concern the Euro Area but also all the European countries, including Denmark. For the December European Council, we’ll be very keen to continue – and even complete, at least at legal level – banking union.

On the issue of Economic and Monetary Union, which will also be discussed then, we share the same goals of coordinating economic policies, deepening a number of common policies and also spearheading growth. This must be done both by measures linked to the internal market and by proactive measures at economic level.

At European level, we also discussed the Financial Perspective, because the last European Council was unable to reach a conclusion. That’s not the end of the world because it’s what has often happened in recent decades. There too, we have positions that aren’t completely identical but are relatively convergent. We want a level of expenditure that’s sufficient. We want structural spending – growth spending – to be protected. France is committed to the Common Agricultural Policy, and Denmark, who is a contributor, is also trying to get a return on her contribution. I didn’t say a fair return.

MIDDLE EAST/SYRIA/MALI

Finally, we discussed issues of international politics. There too, we have identical stances on Palestine and Israel. Let me remind you that Denmark and France voted in favour of the resolution that gave Palestine United Nations non-member observer status and that we condemn settlement activity in the same way – at any rate, as announced by the Israeli government.

On Syria, we believe the Syrian National Coalition is the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. On Mali, although Denmark isn’t as involved as we are, we’re aware there is a responsibility on the part of the international community. France, supported by many countries, will very soon be asking the Security Council to pass a new resolution to make possible the operation called for by the Africans. It will be not only decided by them but also conducted by them.

DOHA/CLIMATE CHANGE

That was the bulk of our discussion. I’ll finish with what’s happening in Doha today – i.e. the climate negotiation. People remember the big meeting in Copenhagen, which didn’t conclude as was hoped. But we, France and Denmark, want to pick up these initiatives again. So France has expressed her readiness to host the climate conference in 2015.

(…)

EUROPE/REBATES/BANKING UNION

Q. – At the European Council, the Danish government – like plenty of other countries – would like to get a rebate in the next budget. Can it count on France’s support? Secondly, if you’ll allow me, is Denmark – like plenty of countries outside the Euro Area – thinking about whether she should be part of the higher banking authority?

THE PRESIDENT – I can confirm to you that we discussed these two subjects during our meeting.

On the request for a rebate, discount or refund – I don’t know! – Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt made it at the European Council. France’s position is one of opposition to all rebates, all refunds, all discounts. It’s not the right way to build Europe. But insofar as there’s a British rebate and there are reductions for a number of net contributors, Denmark is perfectly within her rights also to ask for her share, and France to ask for a cap. But it’s not the right method; that’s why, in this negotiation, we’re continuing our efforts to call these rebates into question as far as possible.

If a compromise has to be found, we’ll look at how to find one. But for the time being, the position of principle is instead to criticize those approaches. But insofar as those rebates exist, Denmark is within her rights to ask for one too.

On banking union and supervision for the Euro Area countries, it’s the European Central Bank that will be conducting it. But it must be ready to do this job of supervision with countries that aren’t Euro Area members – if they decide on it – provided those countries are involved in the decisions taken. That’s what strikes me as being the best approach for the Euro Area and for the countries not in the Euro Area. Banking supervision must, as far as possible, be common in order to be effective. (…)

For my part, what I argued at the European Council was for the Common Agricultural Policy and the Cohesion Fund also to contribute to growth. So we’ll easily find a compromise on the subject of growth. (…)./.