Pat the Cope responds to Barroso State of the Union address

The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso delivered the first ever EU State of the Union address today in the European Parliament, Strasbourg.

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP today stated, "I consider this to be a very important initiative by President Barroso. He outlined how the European Union can be a positive force in terms of assisting Member States to overcome current economic and financial difficulties."

"I welcome the emphasis made by President Barroso on small to medium sized businesses and the requirement to cut red tape affecting this crucial segment of the Irish and European economy. The European Commission will now bring forward new proposals aimed at generating annual savings of EUR 38 bn for European companies."