Lars Løkke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister, closes the debate on the future of Europe with MEPs and Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, in the European Parliament in Brussels. This is the thirteenth in a series of future of Europe debates between EU heads of state or governments and MEPs.

Brussels

statement

plenary session

future of the European Union (T)

EU - Denmark (T)

RASMUSSEN, Lars Løkke (DK)

Future of Europe: extracts from the closing statement by Lars Løkke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (English), Lars L&#248;kke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister, Introducing this vision of an European army as something very operational in a kind of competition to what we have in NATO that is not, at least in my opinion, the right way to respond. We need to uphold this strong trans-Atlantic defence cooperation when the UK is leaving the European Union, I think that the rest of us together we will represent less than 20 percent of NATO total capacity. So the idea that we should among ourselves be able to do something which can compete to the NATO Alliance is not a good idea but is not what is proposed either. I think we should be careful in the way we use words.

SOUNDBITE (Danish), Lars L&#248;kke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister, My perspective is that it is absolutely necessary that Europe steps up, it is about spending but it is also about closer cooperation. By doing so we have to be sure that we do not duplicating capacity that already exist in the NATO framework, so we should speak about the idea of added value. That is not an European army in the sense I think that people would interpret that idea if you just say an European army. It is about closer cooperation in defence industry, it is about closer cooperation when we ask our friends in our neighbouring countries to go in and stabilise things. The reason why I have called for debate in Denmark about this defence opt-out is exactly this.

SOUNDBITE (Danish), Lars L&#248;kke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister, I am in favour of freedom of movement in Europe, Denmark could not work if we did not have the right for labour to move from elsewhere. I am in favour of making efforts in combating, and making sure that people who are people are fleeing, despite a handful of countries reaching their UN goal of 0,07 percent in development aid.  As we are doing in the Council, we have to develop a common strategy which is not just about defending external borders, it is not just about development aid in Africa.

SOUNDBITE (Danish), Lars L&#248;kke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister, The reality is that you can not have a reform of the Dublin system based on obligatory relocation, that is not possible, that will split Europe. We have to discuss pragmatically what we can have instead, which is a different form of solidarity which is not taking people who are fleeing but different contributions in different way elsewhere. If we do not develop this concept which is about protecting Europe, helping Africa and resources, we will not be able to manage this challenge which is huge, and perhaps the biggest one that we face. 