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16. 5. 20138:50

Czech Strategy in the European Union was approved by the Government

On 15 May 2013, the Government approved the document Czech Strategy in the European Union - Active Policy for Growth and Competitive Europe, by which it honored the commitment to prepare a conceptual text in area of EU policy, i.e. commitment that was made in the Policy Statement from the Government of the Czech Republic. The aim of the document prepared by the Office of the Government in close cooperation with Ministries and other relevant Government bodies is to define priorities and tools of active European policy of the Czech Republic.

The document does not encompass a full range of EU initiatives. With regard to the current economic development it responds primarily to challenges faced by the euro area and the need to foster competitiveness in the Union. Certainly, from the Czech perspective, the internal market is the core of the European integration and represents an effective means of strengthening Member States' economies and increasing their competitiveness and growth. However, sectoral policies are also addressed. The document defines Czech priorities to be promoted by the Government at EU level.

The Strategy takes into account the fact that nowadays, the membership in the EU affects many areas of national policy. For this reason, the Strategy also reflects other conceptual documents of the Government. In the economic area, it builds on the National Reform Programme and the International Competitiveness Strategy of the Czech Republic, in the area of external relations, it refers to the Foreign Policy Strategy of the Czech Republic, Security Strategy and Defense Strategy of the Czech Republic. Finally, Strategy is complementary to the document Stabilization and Future of the Economic and Monetary Union: Czech Republic's contribution to the European debate that responds to the ongoing debate on deepening Economic and Monetary Union.

The text evolves not only from debates at governmental level. It reflects standpoints of both parliamentary chambers vis-?-vis draft legislative proposals of the Union. Moreover, during preparation of this document, a series of expert discussions and conferences was organized. In 2011, two conferences - Active European policy: Key National Interests - and - Economic Interests of the Czech Republic in the EU and their Enforcement - took place under the auspices of the Prime Minister, Mr. Petr Nečas. The work on the document culminated in time of a cycle of discussions called the National Forum on the Future of the European Union, which follows a similar project organized a decade ago in the context of the debates on the treaty revision. The initial conference Political vision for the future of the European Union took place on 25 April 2013 under the auspices of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament. Ms. Miroslava Němcová, and was attended by the permanent President of the European Council, Mr. Herman van Rompuy, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Petr Nečas and the highest Czech political representatives.