Poland takes over EU presidency

Poland has taken over the presidency of the EU Council, setting itself the priority of boosting growth and continuing enlargement, according to the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.

Mr Sikorski feels boosting growth will re-establish European solidarity, which, he said, was cruelly tested by the Greek debt crisis.

“Many things will follow on from that: increased solidarity, more generosity and opening,” he said, “and the way to get there is to reinforce the Single Market, particularly in services and e-commerce.”

As for enlarging to the Balkans and opening up to the Union’s neighbours, Warsaw is fairly confident the EU will sign the accession treaty with Croatia this year. Moreover, the Eastern partnership summit should help reach a trade and association agreement with the Ukraine.

Mr Sikorski said Poland, which broke away from Communism two decades ago, was prepared to “bring its experience of democratic transition” to North African countries.