David SASSOLI, EP President, Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and President in office of the Council of the EU, and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, give a joint press conference on political priorities for the EU under the Portuguese presidency, in the European Parliament in Brussels. Opening statements by David SASSOLI, EP President, by Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister and by Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

press conference

EU - Portugal (T)

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

COSTA, António (PT)

Portuguese Presidency of the EU (T)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

Joint press conference by David SASSOLI, EP President, Antonio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, and Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, on political priorities for the EU under the Portuguese presidency: Opening statements

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/3465644/I201225Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (French), Jaume DUCH GUILLOT, Spokesperson and Director-General for Communication of the EP Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here. Apologies for the slight delay. We are starting this press conference on the presentation of the programme of the Portuguese presidency. We have Mr Costa, the prime minister of Portugal and the president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen president personally to start please.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President Thank you very much for your interest in this important day, the beginning of the Portuguese rotating presidency we heard in the plenary debate. That there was a great deal of faith and trust expressed in the Portuguese presidency, we want to see a more digital, a more green and more resilient Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President And in particular, we're focussing on strengthening our... the Calling card(?), the social framework, the social model in Europe, and there are going to be a series of particularly important initiatives and a great deal of commitment over the medium to long term.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President We have... Seen that there is a broad consensus, unless some are very proud of this, because we believe that trust between institutions is really necessary if we're going to move forward and ensure that in all of our countries, a Europe can help us to overcome these serious difficulties that we're facing.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President We have to work even harder, create new tools and really focus in order to ensure that success for the European Union means success for all of our member states. Thank you. The prime minister, thank you to President Frontierland for being here with us all morning in plenary.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President Both in the early debate this morning on issues relating to the United States as well as for the start of the presidency. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Ant&oacute;nio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister No translation!

Voice from off I need the English. I'm sorry. Sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. No translation!

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister And the agreement established by the new Multiannual Financial Framework and next generation EU that opens a door for hope. So the motto of our presidency is Time to deliver. Time for a fair, green digital recovery.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister Time to put in place the decisions that we took in recent months, so we have three clear priorities. The first is economic and social recovery for Europe. The second is the development of the European Union's social pillar, and the third is strengthening.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister The autonomy of a Europe open to the world on the first priority? Well, that depends on vaccination, but also the quick adoption and putting in place of the national plan. So it's key that national parliaments adopt the plan on EU own resources and for the European Parliament to vote on the new regulation.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister So that this can be implemented on the social pillar it means giving political force to the plan that the European Commission is going to be presenting to implement the 20 principles we adopted a few years ago in Gothenburg.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister And we're going to organise a social summit with the civil society and member states and so on, so that there is a common commitment to strengthen the social dimension of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister And the social dimension is key to give citizens' trust, to give businesses confidence that the major challenges we're facing and for the climate and digital transition will be supported by strong investment in qualifications, in innovation for businesses and in social protection.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister So no one's left behind. And finally, we need a more autonomous Europe, which is open to the world. So the day of Joe Biden's inauguration is a day when we should feel hope in the renovation, in the renewal of our relationship with Europe. It's also a day on which I want to call on the European Parliament to quickly adopt the agreement made with the U.K. before Christmas.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister It is an old ally and will be a good partner in the future. So we want to deepen also our relationships with the neighbourhood, with Africa, with Latin America, but we also want to adopt a strong position in Asia Pacific. And so we will organise an India EU summit. So that we have a strong partnership between the two main largest democracies in the world, India and the EU.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister So I'm very happy that after this intense morning of debate with the whole political spectrum represented here in this parliament, well, I'm leaving here with confidence that facing all the challenges we have, we have a strong underpinning of support here.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister And I hope in the coming six months that I will be able to help the parliament, the president of the council show Michel and particularly President Vandelay, and help them to make progress on the major challenges they're facing, where they've shown in the face of the largest challenge since the Second World War.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister They've shown the added value of the EU. We have a portfolio of vaccines now which will allow all EU citizens access to have access to vaccines on an equal basis.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister And we've also shown that we had the ability to mobilise capacities that no state on their own could have had so that we can deal with these major challenges, protect our economies and protect jobs, jobs, jobs, which is vital to the future of our citizens. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC Yes, thank you very much, dear Antonio. We are very much looking forward to the Portuguese presidency and it's going to be a pleasure to work together. The tasks are enormous. I just wanted to reinforce three thoughts that have already been mentioned.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC The first one is indeed this Portuguese presidency comes at a very crucial point in time where we are battling this pandemic. And indeed, on one hand, we see the vaccine roll out and this is the light at the end of the tunnel. We know that. But we also know that the months and weeks ahead will be hard for citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC They will be hard for businesses, because we all are aware of the fact that we still need lockdowns across Europe. We do have prolonged lockdown across Europe. And this comes, of course, at a high price. It's necessary, but we know it comes at a high price.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC It is not very reassuring that we succeed to put in place our vaccine strategy straightly and swiftly, but also to have next generation. You you mentioned it because we know the longer the crisis lasts, the more important it is that we come with strong investment that at the same time modernises into the European green deal, the digitalisation, and of course, reinforces the appropriate social safeguards that are necessary.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC So I'm very much looking forward to the summit we will have in May in Porto, and I can only also reiterate that it is necessary now that we have a swift ratification process for next generation. Are you in the respective member states because we do need now the economic recovery second thought.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC Indeed, it is a very special day, not only because we start here in parliament, the Portuguese presidency, but it is a very special day because of the inauguration ceremony that we are waiting for and because of the end of a very obstructive four years on the side of the United States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC And now we see the United States coming back into international cooperation. So I'm looking very much forward to presenting to Joe Biden our proposal for a new transatlantic agenda. There's a lot of things we have in common, a lot of things to do. And it's very good that the US is coming back to the international stage.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC But indeed, as you said, Antonio, the EU must steer its own course and continue to reinforce its partnerships across the whole globe. And this is why I'm very much looking forward in particular to your proposal for the EU India Summit in May.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC Indeed, when we are looking to Asia and in particular to India, we tend to overlook the amazing potential of this biggest democracy in the world. The health crisis indeed reminded us that this overlooking we do this at our peril.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC So it's good that we will have the summit and that we are missing out on a world of opportunities if we do not interact with India that is offered by a subcontinent as diverse and as dynamic as the European Union. So I'm sure, Antonio, that. Europe will benefit from your experience and your understanding of India and, of course, in the international arena in general.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC And last point. Indeed, it is so good that Joe Biden has announced that the US will rejoin the Paris agreement immediately. Of course, this is great news for us in the fight against climate change. and we from the bottom of our heart will welcome it.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC But it's also a further reason for Europe to speed up its effort to get moving and to keep the first mover advantage. This is important. So I like competition. It's good competition and positive competition when it comes to the green economy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC And of course, I count on the parliament. I know the large support there and the Portuguese presidency to help us to push forward to implement the European Green Deal and mainly the climate law. So we are looking forward to a lot of work. I just mentioned a few things. Thanks very much for all the support. Thank you.