Debate on the Preparation of the G7 Summit (7-8 June) during the EP plenary session in Brussels.

Brussels

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

TELIČKA, Pavel (ALDE, CZ)

GROOTE, Matthias (S&D, DE)

G7 Summit (T)

Preparation of the G7 Summit (7-8 June): extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC, "Following the illegal annexation of Crimea, the G7 leaders decided to suspend the participation in the G8 until Russia change course and the environment came back to a situation where the G8 will be able to have a meaningful discussion. This is clearly not yet the case, at the return to the G8 format is not on the agenda."

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), <p>"The G 7 has adopted an open door approach by inviting Heads of States from Senegal, Tunisia, ethiopia and  other countries. This demonstrate the fact that clearly the G7 doesn't want to be simply part of the preshape, but its wants to listen to other points of view. I will also want to highlight the point made by Frans TIMMERMANS: Russia will no longer be sitting at the table. We have to make it clear that any state that  goes against the rules of international law cuts itself off from the international community."</p>

SOUNDBITE (German), Matthias GROOTE (S&amp;D, 00), "When we were looking last week at migratory floods, we've said that we have to look at the causes, and certainly climate change will be one of those clauses. Jobs and prosperity , yes, but not to the detriment of other people, because it will hit Africa hard, and I think that everybody's actions are interactive, not just Europe, everybody is called to change its behaviour and start on a new path."

SOUNDBITE (English), Pavel TELI&#268;KA (ALDE, CZ), <p>"There is one issue which we feel that its has an European dimension, but is not just an European issue, it is not an issue of Libya, Syria, Eritrea, Middle East. It is an international issue. Today it might be Libya, Syria, Eritrea, the affected countries mainly Malta, Italy, but also Germany, Sweden, but it's also Myanmar today, and tomorrow there might be something completely different. I think this is a serious issue. If we look at the topic - and again, the agenda is right: foreign policy, climate change, poverty, and many other issues, development aid -  I think we are talking about policies which are on the hard of these problems. In fact we have partly co-created, we had a plan A, insomecountries, but we didn't have plan B."</p>