EU countries must not hide behind national interests, German minister says

By Maria Martinez

BERLIN, Feb ‌16 (Reuters) - German Finance ​Minister ​Lars Klingbeil said on Monday the European Union was at a turning point in which countries should not hide behind national ‌interests but accelerate progress to strengthen EU influence and sovereignty.

"We ⁠want to cut through knots, we want to find solutions always with the goal of ‌strengthening Europe's sovereignty and making ‌Europe strong," Klingbeil said in Brussels. "This is a very European moment."

Speaking before a meeting of EU finance ministers, he said Germany was ready to ​make compromises. "The pace we have today at the European level is not commensurate with the challenges we face as Europe."

EU6 FORMAT TO ACCELERATE ⁠DECISION-MAKING

Six big EU economies - Poland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany and the Netherlands - have vowed to advance ​projects stalled by the EU's complex decision-making process at a time of geopolitical upheaval.

The group had its first video conference ​of finance and economy ministers at the ‌end of January, after U.S. President Donald Trump made clear his ambition to take over Greenland from Denmark, a ⁠NATO ally and EU member. On Monday the "EU6" met again, on the sidelines of the Eurogroup meeting.

"I believe what happened at the beginning of the year with Greenland ⁠woke up everyone who cares about Europe, and it is leading to the fact ​that we are not getting bogged down in national interests or hiding behind them, but ready to make compromises," Klingbeil said.

This meeting focused on two areas for action: accelerating ‌progress toward an EU Savings and Investment Union and strengthening the resilience of supply chains for critical raw ‌materials, a spokesperson for Klingbeil's ministry said.

The next EU6 meeting is planned for March ⁠9-10 and will focus on ‌strengthening the euro's international ​role and making defence investment more efficient, the spokesperson said.

($1 = 0.8432 euros)

(Reporting by Maria Martinez; Editing by Matthias Williams and ‌Kevin Liffey)

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