Press Releases

Economic stability of a country is primarily the responsibility of the country itself

Thursday, June 23, Brussels - The European Union leaders have gathered for two days in the Belgium capital to discuss European economic and financial policy coordination mechanisms, support to Greece, migration, and the EU's Southern Neighborhood issues, as well as to assess Croatia's progress in the negotiations for membership in the European Union.

Before the European Council meeting, President Dalia Grybauskaitė attended a traditional NB6 meeting of heads of state and government of the Baltic and Nordic states to discuss and agree on their common positions on issues to be discussed by the European Council.

The President underlined all states had to live according to means and to assume responsibility for financial management and economic stability in their respective countries. According to the President, Lithuania's responsible financial policy and concentration of the nation may stand an example of how financial collapse could be avoided and rapid economic growth could be ensured.

According to the President, every country has not only to assume responsibility for its finances but also to choose economic promotion measures independently. The European Commission has taken account of this suggestion put forward by Lithuania and removed the recommendation to introduce a tax on cars away from the list of specific economic promotion measures submitted to the European Council for approval.

The European leaders will also discuss problems of illegal migration and proposals received from some EU Member States to re-introduce border controls in the Schengen Area. Free movement of persons, according to the President, is one of the fundamental values of the EU and any restrictions in the Schengen Area would therefore be a step backwards. The President said such measures should only be temporary and applied only in exceptional circumstances when all other instruments are ineffective.