Leaders of the European Union have agreed at a two-day summit in
Brussels to make adjustments to the Lisbon agreement to establish a
permanent mechanism of anti-crisis management in the EU and euro zone,
Chairman of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said, RIA Novosti
reports.
He said that the final decision will be made in December, and that any
measures would be ratified by mid 2013.
At the same time the European Commission was ordered to make
legislative proposals for the anti-crisis mechanism, the head of the
commission, Jose Manuel Barroso said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nikolas Sarkozy
proposed introducing amendments to the European Constitution.
Merkel and Sarkozy also proposed different measures against violators
of the European stability pact of 1997. Instead of an automatic
punishment, the countries should have a 6-month term to adjust the
budget to keep it within the 3% GDP growth limit.
President of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet had a
contrary view on the proposal of the two leaders. He proposes the
violators receive official warnings. If a country does not take the
necessary measures it will lose access to the financing sources of the
EU budget, he said.
The position of Merkel and Sarkozy was also criticized by the head of
the Euro Group Jean Claude Juncker, European Commissioner for Justice,
Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding.
The head of European Parliament Jerzy Buzek said that his institution
is ready to view amendments to the Lisbon agreement if the EU leaders
make the decision.
