European Union

Good evening. We began the European Council by expressing our solidarity with Turkey and condemning the Ankara terrorist attack that prevented Prime Minister Davutoglu from being in Brussels.

Let me start with migration, where we have adopted the conclusions. We agreed that our joint action plan with Turkey remains a priority, and we must do all we can to succeed. This is why we have the intention to organise a special meeting with Turkey in the beginning of March.

But equally important as the conclusions was our discussion in this critical moment of the migration crisis. This discussion has only reinforced our commitment to building a European consensus on migration.

To do that, we must first avoid a battle among plans A, B and C. It makes no sense at all, as it creates divisions within the European Union. Instead, we must look for a synthesis of different approaches. There is no good alternative to a comprehensive European plan.

Secondly, a European solution is not only about the decisions taken in Brussels. It is also, and even in the first place, about decisions taken in the capitals. We must accept that, but at the same time we should seek to improve the co-ordination of those decisions.

And thirdly, we must respect the rules and laws that we have all adopted together. This concerns both the decisions on relocation as well as the need to gradually get back to a situation where all Members of the Schengen area fully apply the Schengen Borders Code.

Finally, as you may know, Britain was also the subject of our talks today. For now I can only state that we have made some progress, but a lot still remains to be done. Now I will hold a series of bilateral meetings starting with Prime Minister Cameron, President Hollande, Prime Minister Sobotka, and Prime Minister Michel, obviously together with the President Junker of the Commission who is also key in this process. Thank you and I wish you a good and long night.

General : The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership. The EP President said: “In the globalised 21st century we need the UK more than ever and we are convinced that the UK will be better off as part of the European Union.”

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership. The EP President said: “In the globalised 21st century we need the UK more than ever and we are convinced that the UK will be better off as part of the European Union.”

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

With Europe experiencing the largest influx of migrants since World War II, one of the major challenges is how to integrate them into the labour markets. Not only would a job help migrants to provide for themselves, but also to integrate more easily. Parliament's employment committee discussed the opportunities and challenges with experts on Thursday 18 February. Read on to find out what they and MEPs had to say.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

With Europe experiencing the largest influx of migrants since World War II, one of the major challenges is how to integrate them into the labour markets. Not only would a job help migrants to provide for themselves, but also to integrate more easily. Parliament's employment committee discussed the opportunities and challenges with experts on Thursday 18 February. Read on to find out what they and MEPs had to say.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

It’s rare for any government minister to ever admit that a task is beyond them. So it was notable in the European Parliament today when Jeroen Dijsselbloem acknowledged that he’s often at a loss explaining the EU’s budget rules.

Dijsselbloem – who is currently politically triple-hatted as the Dutch finance minister, president of the eurogroup of 17 eurozone finance ministers, and chair of the EU’s council of 28 finance ministers – was explaining to MEPs why he is behind a drive to streamline the eurozone’s budget rules when he admitted he didn’t always know how to explain them himself.

“Why is simplifying our rules important? Because people don’t understand any more what we are doing,” he said. “At least I have a lot of problems explaining to people how our budgetary rules, our fiscal rules work.”

Read more

We, the leaders of the European Union, strongly condemn yesterday's terrorist attack in Ankara.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims and express our solidarity with the people of Turkey.

Acts of terrorism, by whomever and wherever they take place, are always unacceptable. The European Union and its Member States will step up all efforts to counter this scourge, in cooperation with partners.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem will strive to strengthen the EU Banking Union, despite recent calls to loosen regulation in response to bank share volatility in in global markets, he told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Thursday. "There should be no doubt of the European Union's determination to apply these rules", he said in his capacity as Eurogroup President and chair of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem will strive to strengthen the EU Banking Union, despite recent calls to loosen regulation in response to bank share volatility in in global markets, he told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Thursday. "There should be no doubt of the European Union's determination to apply these rules", he said in his capacity as Eurogroup President and chair of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/6310cf44-d6ec-11e5-a8fd-bc764e08d9b2_46.66_thumb_169_1455874806_1455874810_129_97shar_c1.jpg

Discussions at the European Council on 18 and 19 February are dominated by the negotiations on the UK deal and the ongoing migration and refugee crisis.

Download this video here.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/0ca99bc2-734b-11e5-b984-bc764e084e2e_371.35_thumb_169_1455708454_1455708298_129_97shar_c1.jpg

Discussions at the European Council on 18 and 19 February are dominated by the negotiations on the UK deal and the ongoing migration and refugee crisis.

Download this video here.

Length of video : 168'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.5Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

The Zika virus has hit the headlines all over the world as people fear it could be linked to microcephaly in babies, which causes them be born with abnormally small heads. On Wednesday Parliament’s public health committee discussed the issue with representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO). After the hearing we talked to Dr Roberto Bertollini, WHO’s chief scientist and EU representative, who assured that Zika was a "mild disease" that we were ready to deal with.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

The Zika virus has hit the headlines all over the world as people fear it could be linked to microcephaly in babies, which causes them be born with abnormally small heads. On Wednesday Parliament’s public health committee discussed the issue with representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO). After the hearing we talked to Dr Roberto Bertollini, WHO’s chief scientist and EU representative, who assured that Zika was a "mild disease" that we were ready to deal with.
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Length of video : 129'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.2Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of our new Brussels Briefing. To receive it every morning in your email in-box, sign up here.

Crews prepare the EU summit building for Thursday night's high-stakes gathering

Ever since Donald Tusk, the European Council president, began chairing EU summits just over a year ago, they have frequently been far shorter and more tightly-scripted affairs than those run by his predecessor, Herman Van Rompuy. Sometimes gatherings scheduled to run two days are cut short by an entire day, something that never happened under Mr Van Rompuy. So it is a measure of the two-day summit that begins today – where leaders are hoping to finally lock down an agreement on Britain’s renegotiated relationship with the EU – that on the eve of its commencement, those running it are still not entirely certain how the schedule will unfold. “We still don’t actually have a set-in-stone running order,” lamented one EU diplomat involved in the summit’s planning.

Mr Tusk’s ultimate goal is to get all 28 national leaders to agree the “new settlement” demanded by David Cameron, the British prime minister, by Friday morning over what one senior EU official only half-jokingly termed an EU “English breakfast”. That could enable Mr Cameron to announce the date for his referendum on Britain’s EU membership back in Downing Street that very afternoon (most now expect it to be held in late June). But how Mr Tusk is actually going to get to a Friday morning agreement will be partially improvisational.

The one thing organisers do know is that the “British question” will be the first thing on the agenda, shortly after the presidents and prime ministers arrive at 5pm. After a “tour de table”, officials said Mr Tusk expects to take stock of where negotiations stand and then task lawyers and sherpas to start drafting any revisions to the current text he has prepared. The senior EU official said there will be a “war room” filled with lawyers who will attempt to get any political deal into legally-binding language.

Read more