Lisbon, Jan. 15, 2021 (Lusa) - The Prime Minister said that economic recovery would be the first of the three main objectives of the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, with all the financial instruments planned to be implemented by June.
António Costa took this position at a joint press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon, where the plenary meeting between the Portuguese government and the college of commissioners was held.
"This Portuguese Presidency comes at a very important moment in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, which is having serious economic and social consequences," said António Costa, then praising the work done by the European institutions, in particular the Commission, in responding to the economic, social and health crisis.
According to the Prime Minister, in the three fundamental dimensions of the Portuguese presidency of the EU Council, "economic recovery is the main objective".
"All the financial instruments designed must be implemented as soon as possible. The European 'bazooka' [funds from the European Recovery Fund] really must be fired", he said, before referring to the other two priorities of the Portuguese presidency: the development of the European Union's Social Pillar and the "strengthening of Europe's strategic autonomy" in the world.
PMF/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
Este conteúdo é protegido por Direitos de Autor e Direitos Conexos e Direitos de Propriedade Industrial ao abrigo das leis portuguesas e da União Europeia, não podendo ser utilizado fora das condições admitidas no mesmo. É expressamente proibido copiar, reproduzir, modificar, exibir, transmitir ou divulgar, por qualquer forma ou para qualquer fim os conteúdos deste site, sem prévia e devida autorização da LUSA.