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I welcome everybody to this meeting of the European Council. And in particular our new colleague, Helle Thorning-Schmidt from Denmark. Welcome!
Today we will agree on measures to stimulate growth and to create jobs. We will also deal with the crisis in the Eurozone.
The current economic challenges are deeply serious: slowing economic growth, rising unemployment, pressure on the banks, and risks in sovereign bonds.
Our meetings of today and Wednesday are important steps - perhaps the most important ones - in the series to overcome the financial crisis. Even if further steps will be needed.
Some of those steps were and are unpopular; be it measures taken in your countries or our joint decisions taken here as a Union. I thank you for your political courage, often underestimated. But these steps forward also require simple and plain hard work.
Before giving the floor as usual to the President of the European Parliament I first want tosay a word on an important development in one of our Member States namely Spain. It is with great satisfaction that I took note of the announcement made by the terrorist group ETA on the 20 October that it will end its armed struggle.
As you see, José Luis (Rodríguez Zapatero) our EC conclusions include a reference welcoming this important and fortunate development in your country.
Let's get started.
