Extracts from the debate on the presentation of the White paper on the Future of Europe during the debate in Brussels (01-02/03/2017)

Brussels

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

debate

PITTELLA, Gianni (S&D, IT)

LAMBERTS, Philippe (Greens/EFA, BE)

GONZÁLEZ PONS, Esteban (EPP, ES)

future of the European Union (T)

LE HYARIC, Patrick (GUE/NGL, FR)

TREBESIUS, Ulrike (ECR, DE)

Presentation of the White paper on the Future of Europe

SOUNDBITE (English), Esteban GONZ&#193;LEZ PONS (EPP, ES), If Brexit it&rsquo;s a divorce, the anniversary of the Rome Treaty should be the time to renew our commitments between us and the Union. We all are facing serious challenges: globalisation, terrorism, migration and refugee&rsquo;s crisis, climate change and so on.

The Question is simple: how do we want to deal with those challenges? How do we move forward, but also, do we want to move forward? This is a legitimate question too, because I know that I want to move forward, but we cannot just blame those who don&rsquo;t want t go further than we are now, by calling them anti-Europeans. We all are Europeans. Europe belongs to all European, no matter if they come from the North or the South, from the east or the West. Europe belongs to all of us.

SOUNDBITE (English), Esteban GONZ&#193;LEZ PONS (EPP, ES), The Union was, and it will be the best instrument to peace. So when such an important country like UK leave us we have to ask ourselves: are they leaving us because peace is already consolidated? or because peace is no longer important? I cannot understand it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Gianni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), The white paper f the European Commission presented has disappointed us. Now, the Europe is faced with unprecedented challenges: a protectionist US President; Russia; China; on the rise of the bloody war at our doors steps, from which millions of peoples are running for their lives. Now that populist showed their ugly faces in every corner of Europe, now that our hard working families, all over Europe are struggling to make hence and worry about their children futures.

SOUNDBITE (German), Ulrike TREBESIUS (ECR, DE), We&rsquo;ve seen the development of crisis that the political areas didn&rsquo;t shown flexibility while there is a need to be flexible. There is a need for cooperation therefore I support your forth scenario on voluntary cooperation, with the possibility for opt out. Therefore there is a need for change of the institutional rules, and urgently to adopt to challenges.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), What is lacking in the of EU today? Why we are not capable to stabilise our neighbourhood? Because we have no capabilities to do so. Why we are not capable relay to find solution for the migration crisis and the refugees&rsquo; crisis? Because we have no capabilities to do so on the European level. Why are we not capable to fine and clean up our banks? Eight years after Lehman Brothers, eight years after them we are still facing problems with a non-fulfilled Banking Union, with no recovery funds, and so on. Why ? Because we have no European capacities and capabilities. Why - finally - we have no big companies, none on Internet are European. If you talk about Apple, about Microsoft, about Amazon, about Samsung, they are all American, or all Asian. Why? Because we have not yet completed digital market in European Union.

SOUNDBITE (French), Patrick LE HYARIC (GUE/NGL, FR), The challenges are too important and to warring to not change direction. The issue is not only to proceed to a simply exterior cleaning up. We have to re-think, we have to refund, and make an assessment on the Treaty&rsquo;s applications.

SOUNDBITE (French), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), If we want to keep our free of movement space, to which we are caring so much, we cannot continue to not have an asylum and immigration policy and a common border control. You (President Juncker) had the courage to say so. Curiously face to the explosion of inequalities and the challenges to the Euro, you don&rsquo;t have the courage to say the historic truth, that there is no monetary union in the history of human beings , without fiscal union, without social union, and consequently without a political and democratic union. This is a contradiction that we have to solve out today.