Roberta METSOLA, EP President, arrives at the Informal Meeting of Heads of State or Government in Granada, Spain. Before the start of the meeting, she gives a doorstep and explains the main priorities and stakes of this event: migration, European elections, support to Ukraine and EU enlargment.

statement

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

Spain

informal summit of Heads of State and Government

president's agenda

Arrival and doorstep by Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament at Informal Meeting of Heads of State or Government in Granada, Spain

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Good morning. Three points from my end. First of all, we're happy that we have a package of migration that is working, something our citizens wanted. We now need to work on the legislative work so that by the end of the mandate, when we go as a whole continent to the European Parliament elections, we will be able to tell our citizens that we delivered on migration. Still a lot of work to do, still a lot of distance to to get closer with. But I am confident that the European Parliament will work very hard to deliver on this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Secondly, yesterday we met with our European partners, our neighbours, with an idea to deepen and widen the European Union with that. That means that we need to reform and I think it is time, high time for a conversation of the European Union to say, what do we need to do? What works currently for 27 will not work for 32, for 33 or 35. We need to be credible in this process and I think yesterday gave us the right impetus to be able to do that conversation in time for the European Council as of October and of December. Reform is about our strategic autonomy, the same and we will say about our budgets. So I will talk also about the need for a revised, clearly credibly revised multiannual financial framework. Our priorities have changed since the invasion, since the energy crisis, Since the pandemic, the whole world has changed. The way we target our budget needs to be one that is fit for purpose.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, We have to wait for the reports that will come on each of the countries once this is a very clear position of the European Parliament, once all conditions are fulfilled. Then we should go to the next step. And that means that with positive reports, we should be able to open accession negotiations. We will have a look at Ukraine and Moldova, have to look at the Western Balkan countries. We owe it. We cannot just come here and meet with our colleagues from all those countries and then leave again and only meet in a year. That was my commitment and I'm sure it's a commitment of all my partners as well waiting for next year. But this next step is the kind of thing you support. For us, it has been always very clear that once the conditions and the next steps are fulfilled, then yes, nobody should be left behind. Thank you very much. Thank you.