The challenge and economy in the EU

How much of a challenge is holding the Presidency especially at a time when there are serious economic problems plaguing the EU?

These are difficult times for the Union and this makes the task of holding the Presidency even more of a challenge. The foundations of the EU are being tested by the sovereign debt and financial crisis; however the EU is determined to address the problems that caused the crisis and has focused on necessary measures to enhanceeconomic governance and exit from the crisis. However, holding the Presidency now will allow Cyprus to place emphasis on the social challenges which have occurred and promote effective integrated policies that will stimulate growth and enhance social cohesion.

On the other hand, it is clear that assuming the Presidency is a demanding and costly task, even more so as Cyprus is a relatively new and small Member State of the EU, with a respectively small public administration. The austerity measures at national level meant that the Presidency would have to take place with limited budgetary resources, which made the preparation even more strenuous. Despite those limitations, we have prepared efficiently and in a way to ensure that the quality of our Presidency will not be undermined.

Andreas Mavroyiannis, Deputy Minister to the President of the Republic of Cyprus for European Affairs, talks to Marcus Papadopoulos about the impending Cyprus EU Presidency –