Debate on the preparation of the European Council meeting of 17 and 18 December 2015 during the EP plenary session in Strasbourg. Closing 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.

Strasbourg

debate

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

speech

European Council meeting 17-18 December 2015 (T)

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 17 -18 December 2015: extracts from the Closing statement by Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the European Commission , You know in the course of our history we Europeans have been incredible at creating results. We are creative, we are adaptable. And in the course of our history we have also been very good at destruction, at killing each other, nobody does it better than we do. And we have learned, fortunately, after two failed attempts of collective suicide that working together is a lot better than trying to do on our own and looking for confrontation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Are the proposals perfect? I don't pretend they are, but they are a positive step towards solving a problem at our boarders, they are a positive step towards showing to European citizens that we need to solve this together. If States have better solutions, better options, please put them on the table, we are not dogmatic about them.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, We cannot survive without borders. We have to select at our borders who has the right to international protection and who does not have to right to international protection and should be returned to their Countries. The only way we can maintain solidarity in our society for people who deserve international protection is to assure that the people who get it deserve it otherwise we will undermine even the support for those who need international protection. Let's be in no illusion about that. Thank you very much Mr. President. (applause)