Statements by Manfred WEBER (EPP,DE), President of the EPP group, Gianni PITTELLA (S&amp;D,IT) , President of the S&amp;D group and Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE,BE) , President of the ALDE group after the meeting with David CAMERON, Prime Minister of The United Kingdom, in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

referendum on EU membership (T)

statement

EU - United Kingdom (T)

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

PITTELLA, Gianni (S&D, IT)

MEPs reactions after the meeting with David CAMERON,Prime Minister of The United Kingdom: Statements by Manfred WEBER (EPP,DE), Gianni PITTELLA (S&D,IT) and Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE,BE)

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), David Cameron had a clear agenda to have a better deal for Great Britain, and he underlined that he fought in the last week for the interest of Great Britain and now the deal is on the table. From the EPP point of view we are supporting from principals point of view the outcome, that's a good base for the upcoming weeks and months, we will have to look at the outcome of the Council but in the end it's a good base for the upcoming decisions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Well it's a deal, everybody has to contribute to a deal, I think Europe moved, the partners moved and Great Britain moved. At the end it's a good deal for Europe, to make Europe better and the question of less burocracy on the question of competitiveness, on the question of more fairness in the social welfare system, so Europe moved and for Britain it's a good deal because it clarified the position and the debate of an ever closer Union. So for both sides it's a good outcome and for us as EPP it's a good base for the upcoming decisions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), <a></a>I've asked Mr Cameron to a full commitment to win the electoral campaign and I insured him of full commitment of my group the labour party, of the British delegation in my group. I think that Cameron chooses to do the referendum, and now he has to give is contribution to win the referendum.

SOUNDBITE (English), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), I support the necessity to keep the UK in the EU. In this moment the EP cannot decide on the content of the document of the agreement - if the agreement will be - in the Council. But the Parliament will have the power to express its opinion when, the European Commission, after the referendum will present the legislative measures those legislative measures have to be approved by the Parliament. In that occasion we will say our opinion. We are against any form of discrimination.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), I think it has to be possible to find and agreement on this and the parliament is very open and constructive because we want a positive outcome of this referendum. We hope and we want the UK continues to be member of the EU because the only people who should laugh should be MR. Farage and MR. Putin, because they like a divided Europe so a Brexit is only in the interest of Vladimir Putin and not of the British citizens and neither of the European Union.

And on the content itself, what is important is that we recognize that the UK wants a special status inside the European Union and not against it and let's put that in the treaties but at the same time we need also treaty change to have a further integration of the European Union in these fields that are necessary. Certainly on the refugee crises, on security problems, on the economic problems and on the geopolitical role of it. We need a stronger and more united European Union, to put it in the treaties and in the same time we can solve this request of the British Government.

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), The only thing that we can promise today is that we will be open, that we'll be constructive and that's the guarantee that most groups have given to MR. Cameron. We will be open, we will be constructive. What we cannot do is to guarantee the outcome of a legislative process. There is no government on no World-wide that can do that. It's finally the Parliament who is deciding but we said very clearly we are going to be open, we are going to be constructive.