Alfredo PEREZ RUBALCABA, Spanish Minister of Home Affairs present the outcome of the Spanish EU Council Presidency in the area of Home Affairs and Justice, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

statement

meeting

DÍAZ DE MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA, Agustín (EPP, ES)

MORAES, Claude (S&D, UK)

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

protection of personal data (T)

SWIFT (T)

PICKART ALVARO, Alexander Nuno (ALDE, DE)

Police cooperation (T2)

PÉREZ RUBALCABA, Alfredo (ES)

Outcome of the Spanish EU Council Presidency in the area of Home Affairs and Justice: extracts from the statements by Alfredo PEREZ RUBALCABA, Spanish Minister of Home Affairs

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Alfredo P&#201;REZ RUBALCABA, Spanish Minister of Home Affairs, On political terms we treid to show to our citizens when it came to security the European Union also provides added value in other words: that the EU-Member states together could protect themselves better, more effectively. This was a Presidency trying to get closer to security inline with the spirit of the Lisbon Treaty. From that general point of view we locked to two different initiatives, some more strategic and global initiatives and others more operational nature.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Alfredo P&#201;REZ RUBALCABA, Spanish Minister of Home Affairs, Regarding our international relationships, our relation with the USA are crucial, we try to strengthen them. And of course regarding SWIFT we share concerns about international terrorism.

SOUNDBITE (German), Alexander ALVARO (ALDE, DE), rapporteur, I would like to remind, that we are in the co-decision procedure. Therefore the Council can not determine the speed. This must be done in accordance with the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament. If you expect that we should vote on July, than I do expect a positive answer to our three-years-demand.

SOUNDBITE (German), Alexander ALVARO (ALDE, DE), rapporteur, But if we will vote on July we have to treat the text already next week in this Committee. There must be written a resolution. Would it be possible to write a resolution within this timeline?

SOUNDBITE (English), Claude MORAES (S&amp;D, UK), So we acknowledge the progress which was made we acknowledge the efforts of the Presidency in opening up the text. And now we are wait the final of this negotiations. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Alfredo P&#201;REZ RUBALCABA, Spanish Minister of Home Affairs, Within these longterm goals for this six months we set up COSI, the Internal Security Committee, the new COSI, created by the Lisbon Treaty and we have done this by trying not to create an other body. But we want to create a useful service to replace others with did not work, like the Task Force Police of Police Chiefs, we have imagined before.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Agust&#237;n D&#205;AZ DE MERA GARC&#205;A CONSUEGRA (EPP, ES), Regarding the Police Cooperation: Why we speak on joint cooperation teams, rather than joint investigation teams? Minister, why we have this nuance there? And when it comes to organized crime I am satisfied, that during the last Council there was a first presentation of an European Pact fighting the traffic of illegal drugs.