BRUSSELS, June 9 (Reuters) - Economic reforms designed to protect against financial crises need to be adopted by the whole European Union and not just the euro zone countries, the president of the European Commission said on Wednesday.
Speaking after meeting Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is concerned that the 16 countries that share the euro could turn into an exclusive club, Jose Manuel Barroso said stronger economic governance was needed across all 27 EU member states.
"It is … very important that the general framework be the same for the euro zone as for the non-euro zone," Barroso told a news conference.
"We have to be pragmatic. It is true that in the euro zone there are specific responsibilities and they have to be recognised."
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed that euro zone leaders work more closely together on aligning and managing their economies, a suggestion that has caused concern among non-euro zone members such as Poland and Britain.
The fear is that it could reinforce a "two-speed" Europe, with some countries moving rapidly ahead on reforms, and the remainder, several of them in east Europe, left behind.
"Poland is pressing for the same standards for everybody," Tusk told the news conference. "We would like the euro area to be a leader, but it should not function as an exclusive club within the EU."
EU governments are debating a series of economic reforms, ranging from stricter oversight of financial institutions to stronger budget discipline rules and closer macro-economic cooperation.
The reforms are designed to prevent the build-up of national debt and fend up another Greek-style fiscal and debt crisis that has threatened the stability of the euro zone.
Some diplomats say privately that Britain’s stiff opposition to ceding any more powers to EU institutions may hamper any substantial EU-wide reform, forcing euro-zone countries to push ahead with changes without waiting for others.
Barroso said reforms currently being debated should not involve changes of the EU treaty as suggested by Germany. A treaty change usually involves tough negotiations and takes a lot of time.
"The real problem in Europe is not the problem of new institutions… It is not a time to come with a redesign of treaties," he said.
