EU appeals for clear G20 message on supports for global recovery

European Commission and European Council presidents on Thursday made a joint appeal to the ongoing G20 Leaders Summit for a clear message on improving global confidence by supporting global recovery. Jose Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy made the appeal through a joint letter released prior to and at a joint press briefing soon after their arrival in St. Petersburg for this year's summit. The European Union leaders called upon G20 leaders to show unity around their common purpose and to demonstrate that their institution is delivering. "Five years have passed since the start of the global crisis and three since its most visible impacts in Europe," said the duo in their joint letter addressing the St. Petersburg summiteers, "We have made important headway since the last G20 summit in Los Cabos, but we need to do more. "We need to remain vigilant and proactive to support the recovery and find our way to strong, balanced, sustainable and inclusive growth," they added. When asked about their expectations from the St. Petersburg G20 Leaders Summit, Barroso and Van Rompuy told their joint press briefing that they had expected growth and employment to be high on both the G20 agenda and its work plan, completion of the financial regulatory reform, completion of the reform on the International Monetary Fund, and a boost to fight against tax avoidance and evasion.