During the plenary session (13-16 January 2020) of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Andrej PLENKOVIC, Croatian Prime Minister, presents the priorities of the rotating Council presidency for the next six months, focussing on a Europe that is developing, a Europe that connects, a Europe that protects, and an influential Europe. Statements by Andrej PLENKOVIC, Croatian Prime Minister, Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Iratxe GARCÍA PÉREZ (S&D, ES), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Dacian CIOLOŞ (RE, RO) and Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE).

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

KELLER, Ska (Greens/EFA, DE)

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

EU - Croatia (T)

PLENKOVIĆ, Andrej (EPP, HR)

CIOLOŞ, Dacian (Renew, RO)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

Croatian Presidency of the EU (T)

Presentation of the programme of activities of the Croatian Presidency: extracts from the debate

Title:  Presentation of the programme of activities of the Croatian Presidency: extracts from the debate (I-182830)

SOUNDBITE (English), Andrej PLENKOVI&#262;, Croatian Prime Minister, Timely agreement on the entire financial framework for the next seven years is our priority in this. The MFF should meet the expectations of all our citizens in all our Member states. So it must continue to finance cohesion and agricultural policies, but also be able to address many new challenges the European Union is facing.

SOUNDBITE (French), Andrej PLENKOVI&#262;, Croatian Prime Minister, (On North Macedonia/Albania):  The forthcoming European Commission report and its proposals to improve the accession negotiation methodology will be important for the credibility of the enlargement policy. It's important that we stand by the principles of respecting the political criteria, the benchmark criteria and the individual progress of each candidate country based on their results with accession to the Union remaining the ultimate objective of the negotiations

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We will need that determination to find common solutions to issues that have divided us in the past. Like, for example, migration will be one of the tasks we will be tackling? We will need that unity to handle Brexit and budget negotiations and deal with the pressing international issues you just mentioned. And we will need that energy to ensure that Europe can shape the digital and climate transitions.

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Unity for us means no first and second class citizens in the European Union. So, for example, if Croatia wants to join the Schengen area, if Croatia wants to be a member of the Euro area, then they have the full support of us as European People's Party. Unity means to give a European perspective to the Western Balkans. Several times already mentioned, we are aware that the decision of the European Council was a short sighted decision.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), Now a Europe that protects? We would like a broader focus, recognizing the importance of migration and also a way in order to deal with the various demographic challenges that we have before us. We do indeed need a Europe that protects Mr. Plenkovic, but a Europe that protects means a Europe that protects solidarity and rule of law. A Europe that protects also has to deal with issues in a Humane fashion as concerns refugees, asylum seekers in our society.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dacian CIOLO&#350; (RE, RO), And I am confident that over the next months the EU will send a positive message to Western Balkans and the Zagreb summit should play a key role on this and should be the signal

SOUNDBITE (English), Ska KELLER (Greens/EFA, DE), But it also needs the Member states and too many of them have been blocking environmental progress in the past. This needs to change. We need the Member states along active and pushing when it comes to climate action. It will be your task to ensure that this and that is a big responsibility as well and to fill this role we also encourage you and your government to implement your own fair and ecological transition in Croatia