Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Sebastian KURZ, Austrian Chancellor, speak to the press following the meeting of the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents in Vienna to prepare for the upcoming Austrian Council Presidency.

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

press conference

KURZ, Sebastian (AT)

Vienna

Press conference by Antonio TAJANI, EP President and Sebastian KURZ, Austrian Chancellor: extracts

SOUNDBITE (German), Sebastian KURZ, Austrian Chancellor, Austria is working on a more slimmer, more unified and more focused EU. We want that the European Union gets more focused on topics where a cooperation is needed and that it takes itself back in questions where member states and regions could decide by themselves. In short, we want to strengthen an EU of subsidiarity.

SOUNDBITE (German), Sebastian KURZ, Austrian Chancellor, An intensified exchange between the EP and the EU Council Presidency is needed, we have around 300 &lsquo;trilogues&rsquo;, that we need to work on and some of them we would like to finalise.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Immigration is the most important problem, on this question the future of Europe is at stake. The European Parliament and the European governments, coordinated by Austria for the next six months, have to provide concrete answers to our citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, It is not less important the action that Europe will have to do together, because it does not exist a solution that is not at the European level. We have to work a lot in Africa to prevent migration flows, not only for the next months, but also for next years and decades. We will have to give strong contribution for the stabilization process, both political and social stabilization.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, (Answer on the question from a journalist that wanted to know what is possible legal framework for camps outside of the EU): I believe that we must have United Nations overseeing the refugee camps. The European Union together with the United Nations can work and establish rules that will guarantee the respect of human rights

SOUNDBITE (German), Sebastian KURZ, Austrian Chancellor, (Answer on a question from a journalist what is his reaction to the possible decision of the German Interior minister to refuse entrance to illegal immigrants that are not registered in Germany) That we see now border controls between Bavaria and Austria, but also between other member states, that is not the fault of those politicians that are against open borders, against this waving through, but it the responsibility of those that followed the other way. Now we need to bring in order those things and Austria want to play a role in it. The goal is a common European solution, an efficient external border protection. We are conscious about the fact, if that solution is not coming, then we will see more and more National measures, that is nothing surprising.