Ahead of the European Council meeting (21-22/03), EPP leaders meet to discuss about their political's priorities. This news item shows extracts from the arrivals and doorsteps.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

statement

meeting

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

TUSK, Donald (PL)

PLENKOVIĆ, Andrej (EPP, HR)

VARADKAR, Leo (IE)

FRIEDEN, Luc (LU)

MITSOTAKIS, Kyriakos (EL)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

KRISTERSSON, Ulf

CHRISTODOULIDES, Theodoros (EL)

ORPO, Antti Petteri

SILIŅA, Evika (LV)

European Council meeting 21-22 march 2024 (T)

EPP leaders meet ahead of the European Council meeting (21-22/03): arrivals and doorsteps

External shots of the EPP pre-summit (2 shots)

Arrival of European leaders: Luc Frieden, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and Nikos Christodoulides, Prime Minister of Cyprus (2 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP leader, We welcome today the the 13th Prime Minister in the EPP family. So, Luis Montenegro from Portugal. It is now designated Prime Minister. He will be the first time in our team. And for the Council meeting, there are two issues on the table. The first point is, security. We have to be strong to defend freedom and democracy and peace in Europe. That's why we welcome all initiatives to strengthen the production of ammunition, the production of goods for the defence of Europe on European level. We welcome the Czech initiative, especially also to procure to buy, weapons and and ammunition all over the world. It's a great initiative.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER, EPP leader, We are living in a moment of multiple crises. And climate change is also one of the challenges in front of us. The EPP group is stick to this. It's a promise, especially to the young generation, that we are in 2050 climate neutral. We want to achieve this together. There is no way back. We are committed to this Green Deal. But, the key question is not to have only a Green Deal. We also have to transform this a jobs. And I don't want to see the heat pumps and the electric cars being produced in China, and we are only buying them. I want to see the jobs of the Green Deal, the modern products to be placed in Europe.

Arrival of EPP European leaders: Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister of Irland; Evika Siliņa, Prime Minister of Latvia; Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Poland; and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece (4 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, former EP President, The best way to protect ourselves, to protect our fellow citizens, to also play a more balanced role within NATO. NATO is made up of both sides of the Atlantic: on one side the United States, on the other Europe. Then there are our interlocutory friends from other parts of the world. But this helps to make Europe count more within NATO and also serves to strengthen NATO. Obviously it must be a choice, European defense is a complementary choice. We must naturally start from a harmonization of weapon systems, technological systems and strong work for the European defense industry. Then to get to the final goal, that of a single armed forces, we must start with effective coordination. It is a path in which we believe and for which financial support is also needed. Hence the idea that we don't mind Eurobonds but I told you the other day about Eurobonds for defense.

Arrival of Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, to the EPP pre-summit ahead of the European Council

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, First of all, this is a an extremely important European Council, one where we really have to turn our rhetoric that we've been talking about for months into action. First of all, on Ukraine. Ukraine needs help and it needs it now. We need to deliver equipment much more efficiently and effectively. In my debate and talks yesterday with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, I gave him my commitment on behalf of the European Parliament that we will do just that and that this would be my message to the European Council this afternoon, very happy and hopeful to see the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, much needed. We will also once again call for a permanent cease fire and the rushing through as we need of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Finally, on legislation, we still have a lot to do. Two plenary sessions left for the European Parliament Migration Pact will be very high on our agenda as we walk towards steadily the European elections, elections that will take place between the 6th and the 9th of June. Big challenges ahead. What have we learned? Where can we continue? The next five years will be challenging, as challenging as the past five years, if not more big geopolitical crises that we are surrounded by. But I am convinced that with a constructive approach, a pro-European approach where we are honest with our citizens, we can manage to have a good election and a good result. Thank you very much.

Arrival of Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, to the EPP pre-summit ahead of the European Council 

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia, -

Arrival of European leader: Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister of Finland and Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden (2 shots)