Brown action call for EU recovery

Mr Brown unveiled his proposal for a European Union Compact for Jobs and Growth which he said could get 15 million more people into work across the continent and raise Europe's potential output by four per cent, or 500 billion euros.

Current EU unemployment rates of around 10 per cent are "unacceptably high", while projected European year-on-year growth of 0.7 per cent is "too low", said the Prime Minister following talks with European Council President Herman van Rompuy at Downing Street.

The PM's proposed Compact, which will be discussed at a special meeting called by Mr van Rompuy in Brussels on February 11, envisages wide-scale reform of the EU to support the industries of the future and promote low-carbon development.

It calls for an annual Economic Summit of EU heads of government to review progress and keep attention focused on the need for growth.

Speaking alongside Mr van Rompuy at a Press conference in Number 10, Mr Brown said: "At this critical point in Europe's history, we must now more than ever raise our level of ambition for Europe's future growth and employment."

The February 11 meeting should agree co-ordinated measures to build a strong recovery from recession across Europe and put the continent "in the global vanguard of tomorrow's industries".

Mr Brown said: "The European growth ambition is not good enough for the future, so at that meeting, we and other countries will be proposing a growth and jobs strategy designed to raise levels of growth and, consistent with sustainable finances, to create new opportunities for jobs across the continent."