As Luxembourg takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Joseph Daul, President of the European People’s Party (EPP), took this opportunity to warmly thank Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and her government for the work done over the last six months by the Latvian Presidency: “The first half of 2015 was marked by a number of tragic events and crises such as the terrorist attacks in Paris in January and the most recent ones in Tunisia and France, the situation in the Mediterranean Sea, and the worrying developments in Greece. The first Latvian Presidency demonstrated the capacity to react promptly while continuing to work on a large number of issues to improve the lives of European citizens. Under the helm of Laimdota Straujuma, the Latvian Presidency reached an agreement on the European Fund for Strategic Investments which will help to generate new jobs, better infrastructure and economic growth. Another important topic was the Energy Union which will provide more safety and bring security to the European Union and its neighbours. The Latvian Presidency gave great importance to the relationship with the EU’s neighbouring countries, as the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga illustrated. Until the very last day, and bearing mind the concerns of the European citizens, the Latvian Presidency worked tirelessly to achieve an agreement to end roaming fees in mid-2017. This is one example of the reforms of the European Single Market agreed upon this semester. One of the key components of the single market is the digital aspect, which is a vehicle for growth and job creation, notably in the ICT sector. As their first EU Presidency, Latvia met these challenges and was exemplary”.


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For more information contact:

 

Alexandra Henman

Deputy Spokesperson

+32 471 90 76 84

alh@epp.eu

 

Angelos Athanasopoulos

National and Regional Press Director

+32 471 90 76 35

aa@epp.eu