During the EP plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs debate on the Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 15 October 2015 and the Leaders' Meeting on refugee flows along the Western Balkans route of 25 October 2015. Statements by Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Donald TUSK, President of the European Council and Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

TUSK, Donald (PL)

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

European Council meeting 15-16 October 2015 (T)

Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 15 October 2015 and the Leaders' Meeting on refugee flows along the Western Balkans route of 25 October 2015: extracts from the Council and Commission statements

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, "As winter approaches, a humanitarian disaster looms.As President JUNCKER has warned us, I think that the 17-point plan adopted in the early hours of yesterday morning is a good plan, which needs to be implemented quickly, and which needs to be followed up with other measures. I was deeply worried when I left the meeting (The mini-summit on the Western Balkans route) the day before yesterday. The atmosphere at the meeting was worrying."

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, "The crisis, or rather challenge, that all of us as a community, as the European Union, are facing now is perhaps the biggest challenge we have seen in decades. I have no doubt that his challenge has the potential to change the EU we have built. It has the potential to even destroy achievements such as border-free travel between Schengen countries. And what is even more dangerous, it has the potential to create tectonic changes in the European political landscape."

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, "From the very outset of this crisis, I have underlined the importance of protecting our external borders. We do not yet have an agreement on how to do it in operational terms but at least leaders share the view that our priority must be to protect the EU's external borders. Unfortunately, the situation will get even worse."

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, "Let me stress again that a deal with Turkey only makes sense if it helps stem the migratory flows to Europe. This cooperation will not be easy. We should have no illusion than any third country, including Turkey, can replace us in protecting our borders."

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, "Two weeks from now, I will convene a summit of European and African leaders in Valletta. With the help of our African counterparts, it is our goal that this summit will help to forge a real Euro-African partnership on the migration issue.The European Council decided that we want to achieve concrete operational measures, in a fair and balanced manner, on effective return and readmission, dismantling of criminal networks and prevention of illegal migration."

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, "we will ask Member States to further contribute to the efforts made to support UNHCR, the World Food Programme and other agencies, as well as to support the EU's Regional Trust Fund responding to the Syria crisis and the EU Trust Fund for Africa."     

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, "Leaders committed to address three main challenges: point nr1, they committed to providing immediate shelter for all arriving refugees, so that they are not left outside in subzero temperatures. They committed to providing food, health care, water, sanitation, including by relying on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism when necessary."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, "Leaders also committed to increasing reception capacities for refugees by 100,000 places overall in the Western Balkans."

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, "We need to slow down the uncontrolled flow of people. This means registrating people when they enter the EU. This also means informing refugees about the existing rules, and the consequences of refusing to be registered. I have to say: no registration - no rights.It is as simple as that."

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, "So there will be 10 billion euro made available in the European budget for the next two years to help solve the refugee crisis. We will increase from 4, 2 billion to 10 billion the numbers that we will make available for this policy of essential measures."