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After the talks, Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy agreed that Franco-German cooperation should be as efficient and as concrete as possible in future. “We must learn to think in new patterns and we need new ways of doing business,” underscored Angela Merkel. 

 

The goals of the Franco-German partnership

 

The "Agenda 2020" is the joint response of the two governments to the new challenges facing us: climate change, economic and financial crisis, and the threats to peace and security. Both countries aim to ensure sustainable development which is to foster growth, employment and social cohesion.

 

The Franco-German Agenda 2020 embraces six major topic areas:

 

1.     Business, finance and employment

2.     Energy, climate and biodiversity

3.     Growth, innovation, research, general education and tertiary education

4.     Foreign, defence and security policy

5.     Closer contacts between the citizens of the two countries

6.     The institutional framework.

 

One of the most important aims of both countries is to emerge stronger from the global economic and financial crisis. To this end, Germany and France will be advocating the coordination of economic-policy measures within the European Union (EU).

 

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy also intend to call on the EU at the special summit meeting on 11 February to elaborate an appropriate economic strategy for the future. The economic experts of the two countries are, for instance, to work together in future and, by the end of this year, are to produce a report assessing the global economic situation. 

 

"This crisis has undoubtedly caused much suffering and created a great many problems. It has practically forced us to accelerate the process of consultation,” explained Nicolas Sarkozy.

 

Cross-border projects

 

As well as establishing a Franco-German Office for Renewable Energies, the Chancellor reported that an unparalleled electric car project is to be launched.  In the area between Strasbourg and Stuttgart a testing area is to be built to promote environmentally friendly road traffic. 

 

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy also reported on ideas as to the deployment of the Franco-German Brigade overseas and on closer police cooperation in the border area. At their meeting, the two countries agreed to set up a Franco-German river police force on the River Rhine.

 

"The lives of the people in our two countries will converge,” declared the Chancellor. “Now we are considering in which areas we can stand together on the international stage. As soon as we have taken the first step we will be working on the second step. But we intend the result to be a success,” she explained.

 

Cooperation for a stronger Europe

 

Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will be going to the EU summit meeting in Brussels on 11 February with coordinated proposals. “I am absolutely convinced that all these new approaches must be incorporated in the European discussion by Germany and France,” underscored the Chancellor. With their "Agenda 2020" the two countries aim to strengthen Europe as a whole and to take on more responsibility.

  

The twelfth Franco-German Council of Ministers was the first to meet since the new German government was formed and the Treaty of Lisbon came into force. For the first time since 2007 the meeting was attended by almost all cabinet ministers of the two countries. Since 2003 the French and German cabinets have met regularly. At these meetings the ministers of the two countries consult and coordinate their activities in all policy fields, and step up cooperation.