Antonio TAJANI, EP President, speaks to the press during a press conference in Brussels, following the Special European Council (Article 50). Extracts.

Brussels

TAJANI, Antonio (EPP, IT)

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

press conference

special meeting of the European Council on Article 50 (T)

Special European Council (Article 50): extracts from the press conference by Antonio TAJANI, EP President

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/20620024/I170877Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, For the European parliament first of all we need to protect the rights of European citizens living in the UK and the rights of the British living in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, The first one is about the general uncertainty surrounding Brexit which we think should be brought to an end in what some way or another as soon as possible. The British have to decide and tell us what they intend to do. The council has to respond saying what the council intends to do because uncertainty is a matter of concern for many citizens and many enterprises. The second point we are convinced that no deal withdrawal would cause enormous damage to citizens and enterprises and it should be avoided.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Third point, the parliament would like to see a agreement reached between the majority and the opposition in Westminster as soon as possible an agreement that goes in the right direction. Fourthly we think future relations with the UK should still be close relations strong relations. So we want clear we want greater clarity in the declaration on future relations which could foresee the participation of the UK in the Customs Union or in the internal market. Fifth point. Any agreement between the majority and the opposition in the UK must be compatible with our fundamental principles of integrity of the internal market the individual ability of the four fundamental freedoms. This is a key point which the Parliament is not prepared to give ground on and our decision making autonomy. Sixth point we would like Mrs May to clarify the framework within which negotiations between Conservatives and Labour are taking part. We'd like to know what exactly is being negotiated on in London.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, It's obvious the seventh point so obvious for us that an extension cannot have the objective of reopening the withdrawal agreement unless on purely technical aspects and it cannot be the opportunity either for renegotiating the agreement on future relations because that can only be done once the UK has become a third country. So first of all they have to leave before they can start negotiating about future relations.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Eight point, any extension which goes beyond the date of the European elections should involve an obligation on the UK to take part in those elections, however we cannot accept the European elections being dealt with as a sort of game. And that the parliament will have a variable composition.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, We must know what is going to happen and how long the extension will last. We would like to have the certainty in the European Parliament what the composition of the parliament will be, in the first phase and in the second phase.