EU Council Presidency: Tusk must come to grips with existing challenges say Greens

Donald Tusk assumed office as president of the EU Council on 1 December. Greens/EFA Co-Presidents Rebecca Harms and Philippe Lamberts said: "We congratulate Donald Tusk on taking up his post as Council president. It is an important signal to have the head of an EU institution from the east at this time and we are also encouraged to have a committed European for such an important post. While it is a new era, president Tusk will have to come to grips with many pre-existing challenges.

"One year out from the crunch UN climate summit in Paris (COP21), Europe urgently needs to up the ambition of its climate and energy policies. As president of the Council, Donald Tusk must convince EU governments to do so. While his background promoting a backdated energy mix in Poland is not a good precedent, we hope he will now engage for the common European interest and look to a safe, clean and sustainable energy future. We also hope he will ensure EU governments take citizens' demands into account as they deliberate on the controversial EU-US TTIP negotiations, as well as how to finally clamp down on tax avoidance in the aftermath of the Luxembourg leaks revelations."

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