During the EP plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs ebate on the Conclusions of the informal European Council(23/09). Statements by Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), Ryszard LEGUTKO (ECR, PL), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE) and Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT)

VERHOFSTADT, Guy (Renew, BE)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

PITTELLA, Gianni (S&D, IT)

LEGUTKO, Ryszard Antoni (ECR, PL)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

LAMBERTS, Philippe (Greens/EFA, BE)

CASTALDO, Fabio Massimo (Renew, IT)

extraordinary meeting of the European Council 23 September 2015 (T)

Conclusions of the informal European Council (23/09): MEPs debate

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), Chair of EPP Group, "Perhaps I could say a few words about Turkey, you met with President Erdogan yesterday. We support Turkey being defined as a safe country of origin, we want to joint action along the borders to ensure security and we want to step up efforts there. I would also say that we would remind President Erdogan and the Turkey Republic of principles. This is a candidate country and we expect human rights, civilian rights to be respected within the Turkish territory. We expect Turkey to deal properly and responsibly with the Kurdish issue, we cannot turn a blind eye because we need Turkey as a partner on this front."

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Giovanni PITTELLA (S&amp;D, IT), Chair of S&amp;D Group, "I want to be a European, a champion of Human Rights. I don't want to change our true nature into the nature of a savage type of bear who wants to savage others. Now, I agree Mister Tusk, what about relocation, fine, defending outside borders, fine, linking security and hosting, fine, I think what the European Institutions are doing with respect to Turkey and Lebanon, all that's fine, I'm sure this will happen, it will become deed. Let's not point fingers and say some countries are responsible, others are not, others have being shouldering burdens and others are not. Let's finish off with the negative expressions because negative expressions just show we cannot manage with the situation."

SOUNDBITE (English), Ryszard LEGUTKO (ECR, PL), "Humanitarian arguments were mixed with political, Mister Timmermans for example went as far as to say that relocation scheme is good for our soul, I mean, amazing, you really did say that ? We had elements of blackmail and typical Europe casuists, the immigrants were invited and then disinvited , the Schengen procedures were abolished and then restored again. If this gigantic confusion is reflection of the State the EU is in then God help us."

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Chair of ALDE Group, "It has taken first of all a very long time before an informal summit has been organised, because this crisis didn't start a few days or a few weeks ago, but then what the production was of this summit is a statement of one page. This is the production of an informal summit of the European Council on the most important crisis Europe is facing the last decade."

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Chair of the ALDE Group, "Why this European  Council cannot overcome these divisions inside ? And my proposal is  very clear, mister President, it is that we should agree, Council and Parliament, to give a fast track procedure to the proposals of the Commission, the fastest as possible as they are there."

SOUNDBITE (English), Guy VERHOFSTADT (ALDE, BE), Chair of the ALDE Group, "We have the consequences. It's not the Russians who have the consequences of this refugees crisis, it's not the Americans, but they are talking about Syria. And we who have the consequences we don't take an initiative on the European level for the moment."

SOUNDBITE (French), Philippe LAMBERTS (Greens/EFA, BE), Chair of the Greens/EFA Group, "You're right, you have the theocracies who tell us about religious tolerance, dictators shouldn't be giving us lessons in democracy, and people who don't take any refugees at all can't give us lessons about hosting. But the countries you're referring to, President Tusk, mainly are allies of the European Union, and I would like to hear you tell those states what you just said here, when  you saw Mister Erdogan yesterday, it seems we need him, at a time where  he puts under his boots both the press and the Justice, at a time when he's restarting war in his own country, but then I note that it's not the subject that is raised."

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Fabio Massimo CASTALDO (EFDD, IT), "Where are we ? This is no longer the Europe of one step after another, but the Europe of setting up walls, after walls, after walls. There are possible changes. Let's have special humanitarian corridors, let's have a way of looking at the illegals, let's look at reviewing Dublin ? How long is that going to take? We have to stop our external relationship merely based on exploitation patterns. We need an approach taking into account the climate change too. dear colleagues, small steps are no longer enough, we need to take brave and smart decisions, we are ready to take them, what about you ?"