Debate on the state of play of the external aspects of the European migration agenda; Towards a new 'Migration Compact', during the EP plenary session (06-09 June) in Strasbourg. Statements by Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), Helga STEVENS (ECR, BE), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Barbara SPINELLI (GUE/NGL, IT) and Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL)

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

STEVENS, Helga (ECR, BE)

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

PITTELLA, Gianni (S&D, IT)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

SPINELLI, Barbara (GUE/NGL, IT)

MOGHERINI, Federica (IT, EC)

SARGENTINI, Judith (Greens/EFA, NL)

State of play of the external aspects of the European migration agenda; Towards a new 'Migration Compact': extracts from the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/20482906/I122204Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Today we propose a new partnership framework for across-the-board cooperation on migration with third countries. And we're asking you, European Parliament, the European Council, Member States, and the European Investment Bank to give it your full backing.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, We propose to use a mix of positive and negative incentives to reward those third countries willing to cooperate effectively with us, and to ensure that there are consequences for those who do not. This includes using our development and trade policies to create leverage. Member States will need to play their part and be ready to mirror this approach through their actions and resources.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, We will develop compacts tailored to each partner country's specific circumstances &ndash; whether country of origin, or transit, or hosting a large refugee population. This approach will help bring tangible benefits &ndash; for the refugees, for third countries and obviously for the European Union and our own citizens. We propose to first launch compacts with a LIMITED number of priority countries &ndash; Jordan, Lebanon, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Ethiopia. We will also increase our engagement with Tunisia and Libya.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, The Africa Trust Fund will immediately be strengthened with &euro;500 million from the reserve of the European Development Fund. We are calling Member States to match this to reach &euro;1 billion. This should be done now &ndash; not waiting for the next boat to capsize.

SOUNDBITE (English), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, We need to move from the narrative we've had so far that the refugee and migration crisis is a European crisis to the recognition that this is not only an issue for Europe. The majority of the movements of people in the world are happening inside Africa, inside Asia, not only towards Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Federica MOGHERINI, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the EC, We launch an external investment plan which is indeed in my view a Copernican revolution in our approach to development cooperation: investing in Africa mainly, trying to mix in a smart way European public fund, private investors, we don't have to be scared of bringing the private sector in, and international financial institutions starting from the EIB as guarantors.

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), The trade policy is an important tool of the European Union. We can build a true partnership through trade policy and a lot less from the European perspective but also looking much more at the African perspective. And also let's speak a clear language, because if a partner in Africa isn't cooperating when it comes to the return of the illegal migrants who have been turned away, or asylum applicants who were denied the asylum; if they don't cooperate then there would be trade policy consequences. We cannot have 'business as usual' with partners who've failed in their commitments.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), These programs, this 'compact' will help security, yes, but above all, the idea is to come up with a civil, political, cultural and economic partnership with African countries. If it's basically just a deal to try and prevent migratory flows, it is not going to achieve a great deal. I believe however that they should be a tool to draw up a grand alliance with African countries; this is what for me merits the name of a real 'revolutionary change'.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Helga STEVENS (ECR, BE), On the need to include the border control on this equation: 'we need to make sure that there is a complete approach to this.'

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), My proposal is that instead of having this 'migration compact' we need real partnership with these countries (...) Because let's not forget, Africa has today a growth between 4 and 5%. There is a basis for good projects in these transit countries or countries of origin. That seems to me the way forward, not to say: 'oh, we give you many, we promised you money already for two decades, we never gave it to you, now you can have it if you keep the refugees'. That is for me not a 'compact' if that is the 'compact' I am against it.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Barbara SPINELLI (GUE/NGL, IT), The aid you are promising is a dictate: 'either you keep these refugees in your countries, or you get no aid.' And those who are fleeing war in their countries shouldn't leave, so Syrians and Iraqis and Afghanis, should stay just where they are, and those suffering from dictatorships like in Eritrea should not leave either... States with who the EU will start making shameful deals as we did with Turkey.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL), The aim behind the development aid is to tackle poverty, and that's in our Lisbon Treaty. Now to our amazement the Commission wants to use that money to help to keep people there and to help them close the border.