European Semester Conference The revamped European Semester and the role of the European Parliament and National Parliaments, in the EP in Brussels. Opening speeches by Joachim POSS, Deutscher Bundestag, SPD Fraktion, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC,&nbsp; and Martin SCHULZ, EP President

Brussels

conference

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

speech

European Parliament

Taxation (T2)

Social policy (T2)

Employment policy (T2)

Multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 (T)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

European banking union (T)

European Semester (T)

European Semester Conference - "The revamped European Semester and the role of the European Parliament and National Parliaments": extracts from the opening speeches

Atmosphere before the opening of the exchange of views, (6 shots)

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, The European semester is not a technical process it is a highly political process.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, The European semester is based on confidence and working together, the COM, the Council together with the European Parliament and the National Parliaments, working closely together particular when working on such major aspects of the political action of the Union in the future.

SOUNDBITE (German), Joachim POSS, Deutscher Bundestag, SPD Fraktion, There are rumours that important heads of state and government are trying to slow down the deepening of the economic and monetary Union and to follow the proposals of the 5 President's report, rather than working without changing the Treaties to improve coordination and to achieve the stabilisation of Union, they push that further away on which ever reasons.

SOUNDBITE (German), Joachim POSS, Deutscher Bundestag, Each individual country needs to use their strength to improve Europe, Europe needs to use its wealth to invest, but other countries need to understand that unfair distribution of refugees and migrants are not going to allow an economic stabilisation we would like to see.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I think that there are a number of Member states who have a budget surplus that they could use for national local investment and this is something which would support demand, it is not the task of the COM to do this, but the COM will make a proposal and we will be doing so shortly and close some of the investment gaps we have particularly on local level.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, There is room to catch up and I do think that there are links between the way Europe is dealing with the refugee crisis, the way the National Parliaments are dealing with that and the issues covered by the European semester and also together with solidarity and cohesion and structural policy in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, We have proposed (in July ) relocation of refugees on European territory, we also proposed controls at external borders and a common approach by all member states with regard the definition of safe countries of origin, if all that had been done back then we would be in a better situation, than the chaotic situation we are today.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, In my opinion it is absolutely justified for the United Kingdom to remain in the Single market without being member of the Euro and to experience no discrimination as a result of that.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, The same time it is also true that the Euro members are saying that cooperation within the Euro, deepening of the Euro zone and decisions that are taken within the Eurozone should not be subject to the approval of countries outside the Euro zone, so you can't say on one side we don't want to be discriminated and on the other side we want a veto for decisions that affect the Euro zone. That is something we discussed this morning and I'm quite optimistic on this and that we find a reasonable compromise.