WARSAW, May 9 (Xinhua) -- Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Thursday that the informal European Union (EU) summit taking place in Sibiu, Romania, was an excellent opportunity to discuss the future of the EU and set out Poland's vision for the bloc.
During a press briefing in Warsaw on Thursday before he flew to Romania, Morawiecki highlighted that the main element of the Polish vision for the future of the EU was "more common market."
"More common market at the same time means less protectionism. Protectionism decreases chances for the competitiveness of the whole of Europe," Morawiecki said.
Poland and other central and eastern European countries have been fighting against a new EU directive, which would have "posted" employees working in another EU country be paid according to salaries in the host country as opposed to the home one, as was the case until now (for example, Polish truck drivers driving in Germany have to be paid German salaries).
Morawiecki also said that a larger decision making role should be given to the national parliaments of the EU countries.
"We know very well that procedures in the EU, especially in the European Commission, are conducted in such a way that sometimes the European citizen cannot fully understand them," he said.
Morawiecki also stressed the need for the next EU budget covering the period between 2020 and 2027 to continue to benefit the poorest member states.
"Poland is of the unequivocal position that Structural Funds, agricultural funds and subsidies for farmers cannot be reduced in the next budget period, even if we agree that more money should be dedicated to innovation and defense," Morawiecki said.
He said more should be done to combat tax havens in the EU to ensure that tax revenues actually benefit the budgets of the member states.
On May 1, the 13 newest EU member states, under Poland's leadership, signed the so-called Warsaw Declaration, in which they highlighted their importance for the bloc and set out demands, including some of those detailed by Morawiecki on Thursday.
The Warsaw Declaration is also meant to show that the newest member states of the EU intend to stand united in future European Councils, starting with the one in Sibiu on May 9, to defend their specific interests.
