The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament, chaired by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, meets in Brussels. Ursula von der LEYEN, EC President is invited to prepare the State of the European Union debate. The COP consists of the President of the European Parliament and the political group chairs. Every September, the President of the European Commission comes to the European Parliament to discuss with MEPs what the Commission has done over the past year, what it intends to do in the coming year and its vision for the future in the State of the European Union debate. Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chair of European People's Party (EPP), gives a statement on his group's political priorities ahead of the Conference of Presidents (CoP), in preparation of the State of the European Union debate. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

EP conference of presidents

WEBER, Beate (S, DE)

Delivery EE2024 (T)

state of the European Union 2023 (T)

Meeting of the EP Conference of Presidents with the participation of Ursula von der LEYEN, EC President - Preparation of the State of the European Union debate: statement by Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chair of EPP

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chair of EPP, We have overcome a lot of crises in the last four years, and we did this together: Commission, European Parliament, Council. I think in this moment of uncertainty for a lot of European citizens, we have to send a message of optimism and hope. We can manage things if we are united.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chair of EPP, Next week, we are listening to the last State of the Union speeches in his mandate. That means we have to have a look on what we did and especially on climate change, on Green Deal and on digital, we delivered. We have a good outcome together in the European Parliament, Council. We gave Europe a good direction. That's important to underline this, that we can deliver. And for the expectations the European Union must deliver from a point of our people, from the people's point of view. And the main concern currently is inflation. The current concern is about the economy, about jobs in today's European Union. And that's why we have to give an answer in. Our answer is strengthen competitiveness of Europe, more trade, less bureaucracy to bring things in order that our industry is investing in Europe and not abroad.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chair of EPP, Green Deal is for us preparing the ground for the products of tomorrow. So, energy efficiency, these things are the products for tomorrow. So we want to make out of the Green Deal a good deal, an economic deal for all of us. That is what we want to achieve. We are not yet there. We have to work a lot, but we have this common goal next to these economic things. Obviously, one of the key priorities and the people and the people's perspective is still immigration, an unsolved open wound of today's European Union. And we have to do our best to solve it until the end of this mandate. We need a legislative answer, a unified answer of the European Union on this subject. Otherwise, the political impact will be harmful for all of us.  <p></p>