The Prime Minister has written a letter to the EU Council President setting out a European compact for jobs and growth.
The EU Council will meet on Thursday and Friday this week, where leaders are expected to discuss the global economy and the progress on reform of financial supervision and regulation since the European Council met in June.
In a letter to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Gordon Brown said Europe has succeeded in stabilising financial markets and averting a more severe downturn “through the active co-ordination of our exceptional economic stimulus measures”.
The PM added:
“Our task now is to build on and deepen this cooperation by restructuring our economies to meet future challenges. If we fail, Europe faces low growth and high unemployment for years to come.”
Gordon Brown outlined a series of priorities for the European economy including: maintaining stimulus programmes until the recovery is secured; ongoing focus on creating jobs and skilling the workforce; supporting sectors that will deliver future growth; and removing the remaining barriers to a single market.
The PM also urged the EU Council to provide faster progress on free trade, by completing the Doha trade round in 2010, and delivering new regulation and supervision arrangements for financial markets, which were agreed at the June EU Council.
The EU Council is also expected to discuss preparations for the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen in December and the potential for climate financing.
- Visit the Act On Copenhagen website