Trade with Greece
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Resolution Mechanism (SRM). If an agreement is
reached on the Council level during the
Lithuanian presidency, the final negotiations with
the European Parliament will fall on Greece’s
shoulders. Given that the term of the European
Parliament comes to an end in view of the Euro-
elections, the finalization of the issue is considered
to be of great importance.
It should be noted that the issue has institutional
and political aspects, since there is a dispute
between the Commission, on one side, and
Germany and France, on the other, concerning
the management and decision-making proce-
dures of the Mechanism, especially in regard to
the possibility of consolidating systemic banks.
The third axis of priorities includes the common
European border; the protection of maritime and
land borders; the management of legal, and the
suppression of illegal, migration; mobility; and the
fair allocation of burdens and responsibilities. The
aim of Athens is to secure funds in order to pre-
vent humanitarian crises like the Lambedusa
tragedy. The target of the Greek presidency, in
collaboration with the Italian presidency that suc-
ceeds it, is to complete the establishment of an
area of free and safe movement within the EU as
far as the fields of Justice and Home Affairs are
concerned. The Greek side emphasizes on the
operational commitments made by the European
Union, in the light of the grave financial situation
of many member states. The aim is to adopt the
relevant conclusions in the form of guidelines at
the European Council of June 2014.
Finally, an horizontal priority that runs through all
the above, is the sea and the integrated maritime
policy. The horizontal maritime policy combines
everything: maritime border security, blue growth,
energy, tourism, the protection of undersea
archaeological wealth and maritime zones.
Athens aims at the adoption of a Declaration or
Conclusions at the European Council of June 2014,
regarding both aspects of the Union’s maritime poli-
cies: growth-security.
The Greek side aspires to conduct a presidency
that is European in context, frugal in execution –in
order to respond to the demand of all European
taxpayers that their money is prudently managed–
and effective in implementation, with the aim of
promoting the image of a stable and strong
Greece.
Frugal in execution, the Greek presidency will
focus on functionality and will concentrate its
actions in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and
Athens. The presidency’s point of reference will
be the Zappeion Hall in Athens.
