EIN meeting in Porto to discuss the EU and the Americas

The 13th annual Summer University of the European Ideas Network (EIN) will take place in Porto, Portugal, on 27-29 June 2013, gathering more than 200 personalities from policy-makers, opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, academics, political consultants, journalists and representatives of civil society.

The list of notable speakers includes the Portuguese Prime Minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, the current Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, the Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg and former President of the Euro Group, Jean-Claude Juncker, the former Prime Minister of Spain, José Maria Aznar, and the Chairman of the EPP Group, Joseph Daul, among others.

"It is an honour to have Portugal hosting this political event with such dimension and relevance. In the context of the crisis that we are currently witnessing, it is essential to look for global and concrete solutions. This is why this debate on connecting the European Union to the Americas is absolutely right. And Porto, situated at the Atlantic Ocean, is the perfect base to launch this discussion", said the coordinator of the event, Paulo Rangel MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group and Head of the PSD Portuguese Delegation in the European Parliament.

"When over one third of Member States is facing recession and 5.7 million young citizens have no jobs, Porto arises to be the right city at this urgent time for a broad discussion between Members of Parliament, governments and experts, whose duty is to find concrete answers to specific problems", commented Nuno Melo MEP, Head of the CDS-PP Portuguese Delegation in the European Parliament.

“Porto, the port where Portuguese seamen opened new horizons to old Europe, serves as an inspiration for the EPP Group to ensure a leading role in the new paths that Europe is taking”, concluded Nuno Melo.

The event will also include a tribute honouring the 15th anniversary of the death of Francisco Lucas Pires, former President of the CDS party, MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament.