英德将联手推动欧洲经济复兴

Germany and the UK are performing well economically. Both are forecast to grow by about 2 per cent this year. Our countries lead the way in Europe on jobs – in each country employment reached a record level in 2013.

德国和英国经济表现良好，预计今年两国均将增长2%左右。我们两个国家在就业方面走在欧洲前列——两国的就业率均在2013年创下历史最高水平。

This validates the tough decisions we have taken to consolidate our public finances and reform our economies. And since the crisis, both countries have introduced measures to ensure the financial sector never again jeopardises our public finances.

这证明，我们做出的整固公共财政和改革经济的艰难决定是正确的。自本次危机爆发以来，两国均采取措施确保金融部门永远不再危及我们的公共财政。

But we must also acknowledge the risks. Some countries, such as the UK, still have to undertake substantial fiscal adjustments to ensure the future sustainability of public finances. Others must keep up the pace of structural reforms to boost growth and provide for ageing populations. Germany has undertaken significant reform, but there is no room for complacency.

但我们也必须承认，风险依然存在。英国等一些国家仍需实施重大的财政调整，以确保未来公共财政的可持续性。另外一些国家必须继续推进结构改革，以促进经济增长和供养本国日益老龄化的人口。德国已经实施了重大改革，但我们没理由感到自满。

There are external risks, too. We have seen the difficulties that some emerging markets are facing. And we must confront the problems –political and economic – in Ukraine.

另外还存在一些外部风险。我们已经看到，一些新兴市场正面临困难。此外，我们必须直面乌克兰的政治和经济问题。

Russian aggression in Crimea is clearly unacceptable. We cannot allow the sovereign territory of a European country to be compromised. And we have both been clear that taking a stand will not come without a cost – for Russia, but also for the EU and our partners. EU and Group of Seven finance ministers are preparing and implementing measures that demonstrate real economic consequences to Russia, while doing so in a balanced and proportionate manner. We hope that Russia, in its own interest, will return to the course of dialogue, de-escalation and co-operation. We are open to pursuing that channel.

俄罗斯入侵克里米亚显然是不可接受的。我们不能允许一个欧洲国家的主权领土受到侵蚀。我们两国都清楚，表明立场不会没有代价——对俄罗斯来说是如此，对欧盟(EU)和我们的合作伙伴来说也是如此。欧盟和七国集团(G7)的财长们正以一种平衡而适当的方式来筹备和实施一些措施，让俄罗斯明白实实在在的经济后果。我们希望，俄罗斯能从其自身利益出发，回到对话、缓和冲突和合作的道路上来。我们愿意通过这种途径来解决问题。

Recovery in Europe is vital. But our continent is falling behind. Over the past six years the European economy has stalled. In the same period the Indian economy has grown by more than a third, and the Chinese economy by almost 70 per cent. Europe’s share of world patent applications almost halved in the past decade. A quarter of young people looking for work cannot find any. Europe accounts for just over 7 per cent of the world’s population but 50 per cent of global social welfare spending. Reform is the key.

欧洲的复苏至关重要。但欧洲大陆正逐渐落在别人的后面。过去六年，欧洲经济停滞不前。而同期，印度经济增长了逾三分之一，中国经济增长了近70%。欧洲专利申请量占全球的比例在过去十年里几乎下降了一半。在找工作的年轻人当中，有四分之一找不到任何工作。欧洲人口只占全球的7%多一点，但社会福利支出却占全球的50%。改革是关键。

Each country in Europe needs to make reforms at the national level. For many countries that means consolidating public finances; supporting business and investing in infrastructure; and freeing up labour markets to create jobs. But we also need action at the European level. We must complete the EU’s single market, especially in services, open up to international markets and conclude reforms to the euro area.

欧洲各国都需在国家层面上实施改革。对许多国家而言，这意味着整固公共财政、支持企业和投资基础设施、以及放开劳动力市场以创造就业。但我们还需在欧洲层面采取行动。我们必须建成欧盟单一市场（尤其是在服务业领域）、向国际市场开放以及完成对欧元区的改革。

The eurozone has achieved major changes: the European Stability Mechanism has been created to support countries in difficulty; a Single Supervisory Mechanism is now overseeing major banks; and the proposed Single Resolution Mechanism will clarify how banks in trouble will be resolved, at minimum cost to the taxpayer.

欧元区已经实现了重大改变：创建了欧洲稳定机制(ESM)来支持陷入困境的国家；出台了单一监管机制(Single Supervisory Mechanism)来监管主要银行；拟议中的单一处置机制(Single Resolution Mechanism)将明确，如何在让纳税人承担最小成本的前提下处置陷入困境的银行。

A stable euro is good for the global economy, and especially for Europe. The crisis has shown that the eurozone needs a common fiscal and economic policy with corresponding improved governance. The UK fully recognises the progress made so far in responding to the crisis, and it supports the case for further steps forward. But as the euro area continues to integrate, it is important that countries outside the euro area are not at a systematic disadvantage in the EU. So future EU reform and treaty change must include reform of the governance framework to put euro area integration on a sound legal basis, and guarantee fairness for those EU countries inside the single market but outside the single currency.

欧元稳定有利于全球经济，尤其有利于欧洲。此次危机已经表明，欧元区需要一个共同的财政和经济政策，同时相应提高治理水平。英国充分认识到迄今为应对危机而取得的进展，同意有必要采取进一步的措施。但在欧元区不断推进一体化的同时，重要的是不让非欧元区国家在欧盟内部陷于系统性的不利地位。因此，未来的欧盟改革和条约修订必须包括治理框架的改革，以使欧元区一体化建立在健全的法律基础上，保证公平对待那些在单一市场内但不使用欧元的欧盟国家。

Some suggest that reforming the EU is impossible. We have already proved them wrong. Last year saw the first ever real-terms cut to the EU budget. Together, we are proposing a programme for cutting red tape in Europe that already has the support of 12 other member states and the European parliament.

一些人认为，改革欧盟是不可行的。我们已经证明了他们的看法是错误的。去年，欧盟有史以来首次削减了预算中的实际项目支出。我们两国正携手提出一个简化欧洲内部官僚程序的计划，该计划已经获得了另外12个成员国和欧洲议会(European parliament)的支持。

Moreover, the EU has recently agreed trade deals with Canada, Singapore and South Korea. After we signed the South Korea deal, EU service exports there jumped 9 per cent. We have now set ourselves the urgent task of completing the transatlantic trade and investment partnership with the US. This would be the world’s biggest ever trade deal, a huge economic prize.

此外，欧盟最近与加拿大、新加坡和韩国签署了贸易协定。在我们与韩国签署协定之后，欧盟对韩国的服务业出口飙升了9%。我们现在已为自己设定了一个紧迫任务，那就是与美国签署跨大西洋贸易和投资合作协定。这将是世界上有史以来最大的贸易协定，有着巨大的经济好处。

We consequently approach European reform with optimism. Reform supports recovery. Looking ahead, we can create a flexible and outward-looking EU. One where EU action fully respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, avoiding unnecessary interference. One that builds on its existing values of democracy and the rule of law. And one that serves as an example to its neighbours.

因此，我们对欧洲的改革持乐观态度。改革支持复苏。展望未来，我们能够打造出一个灵活而开放的欧盟，一个采取行动时充分尊重辅助性原则(principle of subsidiarity)和相称性原则(principle of proportionality)、避免不必要干预的欧盟，一个建立在自身现有民主价值观和法治基础上的欧盟，一个可为邻国榜样的欧盟。

No one should assume that European decline is inevitable. It is in our hands to build our future success. And the UK and Germany are committed to making that happen.

人们不应认为欧洲的衰落不可避免。我们未来的成功掌握在自己手中。英国和德国将致力于让欧洲取得成功。