EU President Barroso: Europe will push its values at G-20 summit

The world needs a system of governance that's neither unregulated nor stifled.

Opinion

The crisis that we face is not just an economic crisis. It is a crisis for the values of our societies.

At the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh this week, world leaders must respond by demonstrating our commitment to a greener, more ethical, more equitable, and better-balanced world economy.

This "new globalization" requires global governance, based on universal human values and reflecting the reality of economic interdependence. The G-20 gives us the chance to shape globalization. The chance to develop a sustainable model to replace the one brought to its knees by the failure of financial markets.

Europe has a lot to offer as we develop this new global architecture. For 60 years we have been a laboratory for cross-border supranational cooperation. The European model of society strives to surpass the destructive dichotomy of unregulated markets and overpowerful states.

In Europe, before each G-20 meeting, European Union leaders have publicly adopted a clear and united position. We have sought to build partnership, further cementing the ever-closer transatlantic relationship and our rapidly developing links with emerging nations.

We cannot and should not seek to stop globalization. It has created enormous wealth and pulled much of the world out of poverty. Business dealings and cultural exchange have replaced isolationism and mistrust.

Previous economic crises have led to rampant protectionism – and, at worst, to conflicts that have killed tens of millions. This time, in the globalized age, we are working together around the table rather than facing one another on the battlefield.

There are signs that, with the right policy decisions, we can achieve gradual recovery in 2010. But the noble rhetoric of change must not revert to "business as usual" once immediate economic pressure relents.

If recovery is to last, the G-20 must step up reforming financial markets, with zero tolerance for any return to the "bad old ways." Europeans are horrified by banks – some reliant on taxpayers' money – once again paying exorbitant bonuses. In Pittsburgh, the EU will call for coordinated action to stop this, building on measures already taken in Europe and elsewhere.

This is not a witch-hunt for bankers. More effective regulation is in the interests of any responsible financial sector, and prudent financial institutions must not be at the mercy of their competitors' recklessness.

On the eve of the G-20, the European Commission is pushing forward a blueprint for a European system of cross-border financial supervision. We believe that it can serve as inspiration for a global system based on similar principles.

Meanwhile, we must keep our resolve. We must carry through the economic stimulus that has ensured recession has not turned to depression. Our number-one priority must be saving and creating sustainable jobs.

But the G-20 must also commit to coordinated exit strategies when the time comes, to get government finances back to health. And G-20 members must take responsibility for rebalancing global growth and demand to help prevent future crises.

There should be a strong role for the International Monetary Fund. We have now delivered the promise made at the London summit of $500 billion of new resources at the IMF's disposal. The EU will be providing over a third of this. The Pittsburgh meeting must put more flesh on the IMF's reinforced surveillance role.

The G-20 must also make progress on reforming IMF quotas and representation. All the world's largest economies should have a voice commensurate to their size. They must also shoulder the responsibilities that go with that.

Europe will be pushing hard for significant progress in the fight against climate change. If we do not win that fight, economic progress will ultimately count for nothing. We are less than 80 days away from the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, and it is time to get serious. I am worried about the lack of ambition in the negotiations.

To make progress, we need to talk figures. We have already put on the table our ideas on climate finance. Others must contribute proportionately. This is not the time to hold our cards close to our chests.

Europe's message to the developing world is that if you are serious about the challenge of cutting emissions, we will be there to help. Not with a blank check, but with a fair proposal.

Our message to the developed world on climate change is that we need to make a credible financial commitment to the developing world together with our own mitigation commitments. The equation is straightforward: No money, no deal. But no action, no money!

We need to put in place a proper global carbon market, not as an optional extra but as a prerequisite for turning commitments into cuts in emissions.

The text that is currently on the table contains 200 pages with a feast of alternatives and a forest of square brackets. Let's be clear: If we do not sort this out, it risks becoming the longest suicide note in history.

The message I will bring to my fellow members of the G-20 in Pittsburgh is straightforward. We must inspire the world with our vision of a future where open markets and the freedom to create wealth are framed within clear ethical and environmental principles, backed by strongly enforced global rules.

Jose Manuel Barroso is president of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union.© 2009 Voice/Global Viewpoint Network. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.