Final statement by Martin SCHULZ, EP President, after the European Council (18-19th February) in Brussels.

Brussels

referendum on EU membership (T)

statement

EU - United Kingdom (T)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

meeting of the European Council

European Council meeting 18-19 February 2016 (T)

European Council (18-19th February): final statement by Martin SCHULZ, EP President

<p>SOUNDBITE (English) Martin SCHULZ, EP President: We contributed to improve the text considerably. I think this is a starting point; two fundamental values of the EU are concerned: free movement and non-discrimination and we will look very carefully that whatever will be the outcome of the referendum, the legislation that will follow will always be compatible with these two fundamental values. We have to fight and we want that the EU has the UK as a fully-fledged member, but is now up the citizens to vote if they want to stay in &ndash; I would recommend, especially on the basis of the compromise taken today, that they should stay in &ndash; or to leave. The EP has an interest on the coherence of the single market, so the second element of the negotiations today was controversially discussed and at the end with a good compromise concluded. There is no split between  euro and non-eurozone countries, there is no 19 against 9, there is a single market and a monetary union and the currency in the euro, with an opt-out for the UK and the fair point that the UK, because of the opt-out, should not be discriminated and have disadvantages, but not to be an Eurozone member could not be transformed in an advantage or a veto right against a further deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union, that was agree and accepted today also by the UK. So I think all in all it is a fair compromise. I hope that the majority of British voters will vote in favour to stay in the Union.</p>