EPP shadow rapporteur, Enikő Győri said:
"An amendment tabled by Renew has overridden the delicate balances reached during the negotiations. The approach of the EPP has not changed: the European Semester is firstly and mostly a tool for economic policy coordination, by which we can impede future crises and irresponsible economic policies. We need responsible fiscal rules in order to restore the economy and the European Semester is a good compass for that. Only by this way can we lay down solid foundation for future growth and competitiveness. Only by this we will be able to achieve our ambitious goals, such as the digital transition or climate protection, which are primary tools for creating opportunities for our companies, especially SMEs and create jobs. Overburdening the Semester with other issues not directly linked with this original purpose we risk the even poorer implementation of the country specific recommendations and the failure of the entire exercise. There is a race within the European Parliament about who can be greener, but we consider the climate issue more important than making it a political toy. Therefore the EPP Group voted against the report."
"We have succeeded in suppressing the Left’s efforts to completely abandon our fiscal rules enshrined in the Treaties and the Stability and Growth Pact, while these rules have provided the sufficient flexibility for the Member States in the event of an emergency, such as the COVID crisis" – emphasized Markus Ferber, EPP coordinator in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. We are partners in green growth, but we do not want to change the focus of the Semester, because that would divert attention from its original principle, that is, not accumulate unsustainable deficit and debt that future generations have to pay for." Ferber further remarked: “If we allow the European Semester to become a Christmas tree of competing objectives, it will not be good for anything in the end.”
