Visit of António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister to the European Parliament in Brussels. Arrival, welcome by David SASSOLI EP President, roundtable and statement.

Brussels

meeting

visit

EU - Portugal (T)

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

COSTA, António (PT)

David SASSOLI EP President, meets with António COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister: arrival, roundtable and statement

David SASSOLI, EP President, welcomes Ant&oacute;nio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister. Handshake and photo.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, We are very focused on the discussion about the MFF, the Multiannual Financial Framework. We have a common view, we want an ambitious budget supporting EU plans, not affecting fundamental policies for the EU such as cohesion, agriculture and capable of sustaining the projects EC President von der Leyen addressed to the European Parliament. Such projects feature this parliamentary term' path: in particular the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Fund. (The issue is) how to reach certain goals increasing jobs and not losing jobs, not closing factories, but revamping them. And this requires of course relevant resources.

SOUNDBITE (Portuguese), Ant&#243;nio COSTA, Portuguese Prime Minister, The defence of the cohesion policy is absolutely fundamental to continue to get the EU closer to its citizens, day by day. On the one hand it is crucial for the agricultural policy, which reaches every village, every land, every city of the European Union, and on the other hand it is a fundamental policy to fulfill the strategy defined by the EU. In order to have a fair environmental transition and a fair digital transition, it is absolutely fundamental to have a cohesion policy. 

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, About the Coronavirus: do we need investment on research or cutting on research budget? We need investment. And this means jobs, security, opportunities for youth and our universities. We need a developmental, ambitious EU budget. We cannot allow ourselves to have a budget that cuts back on European citizens life, with this budget we want for Europeans a better life, in order to face all the challenges we have to, including the health issues, which in this moment are involving all the Member States. Thank you.