Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister hold a press conference on the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The key priorities of the Belgian Presidency are defending the of the rule of law, strengthening EU competitiveness, a green and just transition, and finally address address all remaining legislative files associated with the new European pact on migration and asylum. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

press point

press conference

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

EU - Belgium (T)

DE CROO, Alexander (BE)

Belgian Presidency of the EU (T)

Press conference by Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister on the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/74131391/1705067158302_I251612Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Thank you. Good morning everyone, dear Prime Minister De Croo, dear Alexander, this House, feels honoured to welcome you, to Strasbourg as the Belgian presidency is now in full force. Let me start by congratulating you and Belgium on the ambitious presidency agenda that your government intends to implement over the next six months.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, I particularly welcome your emphasis on boosting the EU's long term competitiveness and industrial policy, as well as your priorities on enlargement, reducing vulnerability to climate change, and improving European security and defence. As we've just had a full debate in the hemicycle and you've been told by members, but also, as you told us, your time in office will be critical. It is the final presidency of the present legislature.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, You have the extra task of accompanying the European Union to the elections. This implies that key dossiers must be completed on time. I am referring particularly here, to the reform of our migration and asylum system brought up by many of the members, also in the hemicycle, we must make sure to deliver on this, before the end of the term.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Before the debate, in our bilateral meeting, we also discussed the special European Council on the 1st of February. We agree on the urgency of unblocking European financial support to Ukraine, a quick agreement between all 27 Member States for the new Ukraine facility is essential. And as you are well aware of, the position of the European Parliament to, this needs to come hand in hand with the revision agreement, on the revision of the EU long term budget, which is the MFF.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Last word from my side, before concluding EU 2024, is the year of Democracy. We will have decisive European elections in June and our main priority is to help increase electoral turnout. The next edition this year will need to deal with the consequences of significant economic, social, environmental and geopolitical changes. The composition of this next European Parliament will make a difference. It is our collective responsibility to encourage people to vote, because every vote matters. Dear Alexander, the floor is yours.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, Thank you and good morning to all of you. Thank you, Roberta for the very warm welcome here. I have to say, extremely happy and honoured to be here in the European Parliament, the heart of the European democracy. And as you said, in the run up to the European election and in some countries, where there are elections. I think there is no better moments to be here.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, As you mentioned, our Presidency is a bit of a specific one because our time frame is a bit reduced, of course, on the legislative part, and there is still quite a lot of work on the table. We have made a priority list of approximately 60 legislative files that we would like to to come to conclude, and a few important ones related to to prosperity and to security, not only on asylum and migration, but also on economic governance, artificial intelligence and on the Net zero Industry Act.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, I mean, these are a few that I that I mentioned, and this is my first message that I gave to European Parliament is we count on you as well to try to work as swiftly as possible. We will play a role in trying to be the broker of compromise. But, the European ambition is one that we realised together in the European Parliament really is a partner in that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, More in general the goals of the Belgian presidency in general it is to build a stronger Europe and to build a stronger Europe for our next generations, a Europe that is able to protect our population and in times of war, protect in the broad sense, a Europe that is able to maintain and improve its competitiveness, in a world where the economy is more geopolitical than ever. And there we continue to be a continent that not only innovates, but it also produces, and that also finances, and it also creates jobs here on the European continent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, And in Europe, that is ready for the future, especially the homework that we have to do, enabled to go into a European Union one day that might be bigger than for example, 30 Member States. As I said, while we are getting better, bigger, we need to get better as well. And this is part of the homework that we need to do. And as I mentioned in my introduction in the Hemicycle, our plan is to make a road map of what are the different points that need to be decided, that that need to be laid out.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, And I think it's clear the world of today it is good not to be alone. And I think all of us know what the value is of 27 countries that stand together and that defend each other. And throughout the European continent, all polls show that our European population expects more from the European Union, expects more protection, expects us to be stronger in a very turbulent world.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, And this really is our assignment. This is what we need to do in the next months. And this for me, is what the European balance is about. How do we make Europe stronger? How to make a Europe that better responds to this ever increasing expectations from our European citizens. Thank you.

Q&A, Question regarding on Hungary's position on European Union. Second question on distribution of EU funds among the Member States.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, -

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, -

Q&A, Question regarding on Belgian Presidency's priorities on European Green Deal.

Q&A, Question regarding on enlargement of Schengen area and full accession of Bulgaria and Romania.

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, - -