Croatian MEPs Dubravka Šuica, Ivana Maletić and Željana Zovko participate today and tomorrow in the meeting of the extended Presidency of the European People’s Party group in Valencia (Spain). The main topics of discussion are innovations in the European economy with a special focus on agriculture. The meeting is hosted by the Head of the Spanish EPP delegation in the European Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the EPP group Esteban Gonzalez Pons.
The EPP position is that the EU should focus on innovations in order to respond to American and Asian competition and speed up its progress in this field and start a new digital wave of transferring the digital technology from smart phones to homes. The EPP advocates the European values, including market economy, creative capacities and stable democracy. These competitive advantages are efficient when combined with industrial success, extraordinary research capacities, strong education system and the strongest consumer power. EPP representatives discuss in Valencia the financial funds for innovations and innovations for agriculture. A couple of European companies presented examples of innovation projects developed in key sectors – health care, agriculture, security, environment and mobility.
Head of the Croatian EPP/HDZ delegation in the European Parliament Dubravka Šuica expressed her satisfaction with the discussions in Valencia:
“With its values and unique comparative advantages – political stability and social market economy, Europe will be the winner in the new wave of innovations. Our continent is presented with a really unique opportunity to shape a new wave of digital revolution. It was cultural and political changes that changed the world in the 80-ies and 90-ies of the last century, but now it will be technological innovations that will drive huge social, political and economic development. I personally believe that innovations may change lives of our citizens, whereby the task of us, politicians, is to include innovations into the top priorities for the forthcoming period. I hope that innovations and digital agenda will be among the priorities of the Croatian Chairmanship of the European Union in 2020. Our topic these two days are not only innovations in European economy, but we also debate about impact of innovations on agriculture, which represents an extremely important economic activity for Croatia and for the entire European Union. Our goal is to support agriculturalists and their work and create innovations which may be used for facilitating life of thousands of people in Croatia and in the European Union. I am happy to have with us the Spanish prime-minister Rajoy, Chairman of the European Parliament Tajani and many other politicians, agriculturalists and economists, whose presence in Valencia confirms once again how important development, research and innovations are for the European Union!“
MEP Ivana Maletić stressed the importance of developing the leading role of Europe in field of innovations:
“Innovations and innovators are the main topic of our meeting in Valencia. Without them, economic growth and development may not be possible. On the other hand, innovations are not possible without education, science and exchange of know-how. Modernisation, reindustrialisation and diversification of European economy are based on enhanced innovation potentials and application of the modern research and technological achievements in development of new products and services. If we want Europe to assume the leading role in field of innovations, we must all join our forces with innovators, scientists and entrepreneurs. That was the main motivation behind organisation of this two-day meeting in Valencia with the innovators, at which a strategic paper on innovations will be adopted with a clear message that regulations are required which will be based on practice and which will respond to needs of innovators. Croatia has a huge potential with its creative people with plenty of excellent ideas, who may significantly speed up development of the country, if provided a well organised institutional support and help Croatia to position itself highly when it comes to development and competitiveness.“
MEP Željana Zovko stressed that EPP and the European Union must further develop debate on innovations.
“At the Valencia meeting we have had an opportunity to hear wonderful examples of young and successful entrepreneurs and innovators, who are the future of Europe, the future of the improved European Union, which is more prepared to respond to ever new challenges. Technology may not have any success at the market without circular knowledge, which must be further deepened and strengthened. We must help young generations to use technology as an instrument for improving people’s lives. I would like to congratulate our Spanish and EPP colleagues on excellently organised meeting“.
Some of the participants of the EPP meeting on Valencia were: Spanish prime-minister and President of Partido Popular (PP), Mariano Rajoy, deputy prime-minister of Spain, Soraya Saénz de Santamaria, Spanish Defence Minister and PP Secretary General, Maria Dolores Cospedal, EP Chairman Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan from Ireland, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovations, Carlos Moedas from Portugal and Commissioner for Climate and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete from Spain.