McCreevy wants greater effort towards single market

Ireland’s new European Commissioner today accused national governments of failing to take enough responsibility for public indifference and hostility towards the EU.

Charlie McCreevy said there was a “lack of ownership” in EU capitals of the challenges facing the Union – not least its image problems.

The former Minister for Finance was addressing Euro MPs during a three-hour hearing to vet his suitability as the Commissioner in charge of running the single market.

Like all other appointees to the new 25-strong Commission team which takes office on November 1, Mr McCreevy has to be formally approved by the European Parliament in a vote later this month.

Today, facing questions ahead of the vote, he vowed to help citizens and companies take full advantage of the single market, which guarantees free movement of goods, services and people across the borders of the 25 EU countries.

Only a successful single market could enable the EU to achieve the so-called “Lisbon Strategy” goal of creating the world’s most dynamic economy by 2010, he said.

Those goals are already being revised downwards, and Mr McCreevy called for real commitment from national political leaders to tackle the problem.

He said: “If we are to overcome indifference or even hostility to the EU among our citizens, then not only does what we do here in Brussels have to be relevant, but also the political leaders in member states must take on a greater responsibility in explaining to their citizens what it is we are trying to achieve.

“Nowhere is this lack of ownership by member states more apparent than in the Lisbon Strategy.

"We will never harness the full potential of the EU economy to deliver the levels of growth we need unless there is a real commitment from member states to address the issues involved.”

Mr McCreevy added: “Ireland’s economic success is not only the result of pursuing the right economic policies – it is in no small part due to Ireland successfully exploiting the opportunities of a vast single market. Economic success requires a properly functioning single market.”

He vowed to reduce red tape and only introduce single market legislation where necessary to help it run more smoothly.

Mr McCreevy said he was determined member states themselves took “greater ownership” of the single market.

"Putting an EU single market directive into national law late might seem a very minor sin for a government, but it could be a matter of survival for a company making important investments on the reasonable assumption that EU law would be complied with," said Mr McCreevy.

The Commissioner-designate said his career in Irish politics had given him a reputation for being stubborn. “When it comes to matters of principle then I am persistent. I have always defended what I believed to be in the best interests of those I am asked to represent.

“If my nomination as Commissioner is confirmed, I will bring the same determination to my new responsibilities.”