Spain seeks new EU economy approach

BRUSSELS, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Spain will use its upcoming European Union presidency to push for a new approach to economic recovery efforts, a top diplomat says.

Diego Lopez Garrido, Spain's minister for European affairs, said Tuesday when the country assumes rotating EU presidency in January, it will use the opportunity to push for a more effective successor to the current economic strategy known as the Lisbon Agenda, the EUobserver reported.

"The new strategy should be based not only on targets ... but on governance," Garrido told reporters in Brussels, while acknowledging that changing the situation will be "the most difficult question" because the current economic strategy largely relies on the good will of national governments.

The EUobserver reported a new economic recovery plan, meant to cover Europe until 2020, is most likely to zero in on green technologies, education based on industry needs and beefed up research and development.

"Our goal is ... to agree (to) directives on financial supervision, macro-prudential supervision and micro-prudential supervision," Garrido said.