mr president i think the encouraging result achieved by the council is that twenty-seven member states can now go to the g twenty with a common position
this is a major achievement and it is only fair to congratulate prime minister topolánek on his constructive role as a council
i can share his view that the success of the council was the eu's refusal to go down the easier route of massive bailouts and nationalisation
the unfortunate czech government crisis now leaves the commission and president barroso with enhanced responsibility to steer the community out of crisis providing for coherence and stability
at the same time the commission has to offer more flexible mechanisms for the timely use of additional money decided by the council
implementation procedures can be too clumsy and time-consuming
it is especially important to accommodate framework conditions for small businesses and for innovation
now it is really time to invest more in research education and training
however economic depression is not a time for moral depression
as usual a crisis provides opportunities for reform
the financial crisis in fact originates in the crisis of values so the recovery must start with strengthening our common values starting with an enhanced commitment to solidarity
and most importantly the crisis is no excuse for protectionism
on the contrary we are bound to act together with the understanding that by supporting each other and committing ourselves to reforms in the spirit of the lisbon strategy the crisis will make europe stronger
