Debate on the Review of the Luxembourg Presidency during the EP Plenary session (18-21/01) in Strasbourg. Statements by Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Viviane REDING (EPP, LU), Mady DELVAUX (S&D, LU), Helga STEVENS (ECR, BE) and Charles GOERENS (ALDE, LU)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

STEVENS, Helga (ECR, BE)

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

BETTEL, Xavier (LU)

REDING, Viviane (EPP, LU)

DELVAUX, Mady (S&D, LU)

GOERENS, Charles (Renew, LU)

Luxembourg Presidency of the EU (T)

Review of the Luxembourg Presidency: extracts from the debate

Arrival of Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxemburg and Martin SCHULZ, EP President. Atmosphere shots before the start of the Plenary Session.

SOUNDBITE (French), Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, You are all aware that the Presidency occurred at very difficult time, sometimes a dramatic time. The EU is confronted with challenges as never before; it's trying to come out from an economic and financial crisis, an area where things have picked up but where we still need to be cautious; the rather worrying situations on our borders with increasing nationalist temptations to close them down.

SOUNDBITE (French), Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, We are likely to see in spring a return to large number of refugees and we absolutely have to put in place the agreed measures because despite the best will in the world by the co-legislations we will not achieve a decreasing number of refugees without implementing what has been already decided.

SOUNDBITE (French), Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, All of the elements of the Schengen code have not yet been used and we probably need to get to a point where that is the case; the priority is to do whatever we can to substantially reduce the flow of migrants; otherwise we will leave public opinion standing.

SOUNDBITE (French), Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, We complain a lot but we need to remind our young people what Europe means, an area of rights, of freedom; the possibility of falling in love with someone who has a different passport as you; to be taken care of, to be defended... It's very important to remind all this to young generations, and to stop denigrating this project we should be fighting for.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, On the refugee crisis, under the expertise and enlightened approach of MinisterJean Asselborn, and with the support of your Parliament, the Luxembourg presidency has been able to strike agreements which will help for the resettlement and relocation of refugees. Unfortunately agreements that have been adopted by Council have not yet been implemented on the ground.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Today we are reintroducing border controls without thinking what are the real costs of it in terms of the economy, in terms of our freedom of movement; why would we have a single currency, a single market without the freedom of movement? This kind of development could jeopardise the whole idea of the EU.

SOUNDBITE (French), Viviane REDING (EPP, LU), The hard work of Luxemburgish functionaries has brought very important files forward; like the European Court of Justice reform, the railway package, the inter-institutional agreement, the PNR, data protection and many more.

SOUNDBITE (French), Mady DELVAUX (S&amp;D, LU), We had to react to the crisis that threatened to undermine the European values and the cohesion of Europe, and the Luxemburg Presidency has done so with success; Jean Asselborn was constantly on the road striving to achieve peace and pursuing negotiations, Minister Nicolas Schmit has spent nights in the European Parliament: it was all accomplished very well.

SOUNDBITE (Dutch), Helga STEVENS (ECR, BE), It is absolutely essential that measures are implemented because this inaction has exacerbated the migration crisis hugely. I hope that a systematic pushback policy will be adopted during the Dutch Presidency; we have to stop this influx of refugees into the EU by repealing the trafficker's boats whenever we can.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles GOERENS (ALDE, LU), We are ashamed of seeing some member states questioning the very existence of the acquis of Schengen; and we cannot understand the homeopathic contribution of some states in seeking a solution for the asylum seekers.