Combating youth unemployment and measures to support small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) will be at the top of a European Council agenda, scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will take part in the meeting.
Inviting European leaders to attend the Council, EU President Herman Van Rompuy refers to a letter he sent EU leaders on May 24 in which he explores some avenues which could generate immediate impact.
“As a matter of priority we should speed up the Youth Employment Initiative, set up Youth Guarantee schemes, mobilise all available resources in support of youth employment, and increase youth mobility, all of this with the full involvement of social partners”, he points out.
Furthermore, van Rompuy adds, “considering the urgent need to restore credit flows in the economy, we should launch a new “Investment action plan”, with measures to support SMEs and boost the financing of the economy, as stated in the Compact for Growth and Jobs which we adopted last year”.
The European Council begin at 17.30 hrs Cyprus time (14.30 GMT) with an exchange of views with the European social partners.
The first working session at 19.15 will include a discussion of youth employment and financing of the economy.
President of the European Investment Bank Werner Hoyer and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will present their joint report on the financing of the economy.
European Central Bank President Mario Draghi will also join EU leaders for that part of the discussion.
EU leaders will afterwards have a working dinner, which will be devoted to the European semester and the country-specific recommendations, also in the presence of the President of the ECB.
On Friday morning at 11.00 Cyprus time (08.00 GMT) van Rompuy will give a state of play of the work on the deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union, after which EU leaders will adopt the remainder of conclusions, including on enlargement. T
Rompuy continues to say that important decisions should also be taken on the next Multi-annual Financial Framework.
“I would like to use this opportunity to call on all involved to take their responsibility and successfully conclude the negotiations”, he underlines.
Indeed, he points out, “our seven year budget is indispensable to fulfill our shared objective: to foster growth and much-needed jobs across Europe”.
EU leaders are also expected to ratify Latvia’s accession to the eurozone as of January 1 2014 as well as the decision taken by the EU General Affairs Council to begin accession talks with Serbia.
