PM about EU policy: cooperation is more beneficial

Oct 09, 2012

TALLINN - Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, who delivered a report on the government's European Union politics at the Riigikogu on Tuesday, stated that Europe is undergoing major changes, which always means complicated choices of small states – and cooperation is always more beneficial both economically and politically, Aripaev Online reports.

In simplest terms, the European economic and monetary union is undergoing capital repairs while European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has called to create a federation of national states in long-term perspective.

"We will face a choice quite soon. The choice is whether to go along with the Europe that increases cooperation or step aside," said Ansip, expressing the position that "when stepping out of the cooperation, we would have to agree to a less protected and poorer Estonia. Both economically and politically."

Ansip said that he shares the opinion that it is easier for Estonia to achieve aims set in the preamble of the Estonian constitution in Europe that cooperates. "Estonia should be among the initiator states deepening European cooperation, in order to guarantee that our national interests are followed," said Ansip.

The decision of the government to join the group of states that wish to initiate closer cooperation to implement a financial transactions tax is based on that thought, he said.

Participation in cooperation enables Estonia to protect its positions and influence developments which means that the state has to form positions on specific and more abstract proposals that have been made now. These choices cannot be done secretly and behind the people's back. "Estonia's positions will have to be designed eventually by the Riigikogu," he said.

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