EPP Group Chairman Joseph Daul has outlined his Group's priorities within today's debates on the preparation of the next European Council meeting:

"My Group expects the European Commission to propose a legislative package to mobilise all our resources to restore growth and employment. This package could include measures as ambitious as completing the Internal Market. We need to know which countries are still blocking this market, the Single Market Act, the Services Directive or the European Patent, all blocked by an absurd dispute about location."

"It must also foresee a lighter burden for our companies, whose competitiveness is suffering, but who must then commit to employing new people, young people in particular."

"We are no longer in times of business as usual. It is rather what the Marshall Plan was after the war, or even the Internal Market project of 1992. We need measures to restore confidence in the good management of our finances and the Treaty which will be signed next month will be one of the cornerstones", added Joseph Daul.

The EPP Group Chairman regrets the statement by Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission, who said that "there would be absolutely no man overboard if Greece left the Euro" and asks President Barroso for clarification on the European Commission's position: "We need measures to restore confidence in the governance of the Euro, and this can't come with contradictory statements."

Joseph Daul's speech in plenary

For further information:
Joseph DAUL MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group, Tel: +33-3-88175525
Antoine Ripoll, Chairman's Spokesman, Tel: +32-475-856290
Delia Vlase, Chairman's Deputy Spokeswoman, Tel: +32-476-331038

Notes to Editors:
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 271 Members.