Live replay of thedebate on the Conclusions of the European Council of 10 April 2019 on the UK withdrawal from the EU. Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker open their speeches on the fire of Notre Dame de Paris.  The following transcription is the result of an automatic process. Check Against delivery.

Brexit (T)

article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (T)

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

TUSK, Donald (PL)

special meeting of the European Council on Article 50 (T)

EP Plenary session: Conclusions of the European Council of 10 April 2019 on the UK withdrawal from the EU - Opening statements by Donald TUSK, President of the Council and by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC (9:07 - 9:27)

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, First item of business is a declaration by European Council Commission on the European Council meeting of the 10th of April 2019 on the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. I shall give the floor right away to the president of the European Council Donald Tusk Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, Mr. President the members of the European Parliament the friends from this place I would like to say words of comfort and solidarity with the whole French nation in the face of the Paris tragedy I say these words not on there. The president of the European Council but also as a citizen of Gdansk 90 percent destroyed and burned and later rebuilt. You will also rebuild your cathedral. From Strasbourg the French capital of the European Union I call home all the 28 member states to take part in this task. I know that France could do it alone. But at stake here is something more than just material help. The burning of the Notre Dame Cathedral has again made us aware that we are bound by something more important and more profound than treaties today we understand better the essence of that which is common. We know how much we can lose and that we want to defend it together.

Last week the European Council of 27 leaders in agreement with the government of the United Kingdom granted a flexible extension of the Article 50 period. Under the thirty first of October this year this extension gives our British friends more time and political space to find their way out of the current situation. I hope that they will use this time in the best possible way. The European Council will be awaiting a clear message from the UK on the way forward. If there was real agreement were to be ratified the extension period will automatically end of the first day of the following month meaning that the UK would leave the union on that day it is clear to everyone that there will be no reopening of the withdrawal agreement. However to facilitate the ratification process the EU 27 is ready to reconsider the Political Declaration on the future relationship.

If the UK position were to evolve last week the European Council changed the logic of granting a much shorter extension than requested by the UK to giving an extension that this much longer. I proposed such a change as in my view it has a few advantages First and foremost on their long extension and shows that all options remain on the table such as ratification of the current withdrawal agreement or extra time to the thing Brexit. If that were the wish of the British people. Second this extension allows the EU to focus on other priorities that high at least as important like trade with the United States or the new EU leadership.

I know that some have expressed fear that the UK might want to disrupt the EU's functioning during this time but the EU 27 didn't give in to such fear and scaremongering in fact since the very beginning of the Brexit process the UK has been a constructive and responsible EU member state. And so we have no reason to believe that this should change. Third. The flexible extension delays. The possibility of a no deal Brexit by over six months thanks to this millions of people and businesses have gained at least some certainty in these unstable times one of the consequences of our decision is that the UK will hold European elections next month. We should approach this seriously as UK members of the European Parliament will be there for several months maybe longer. They will be full members of the Parliament with all the rights and obligations I am speaking about this today because I have strongly opposed to the idea that during this further extension the UK should be treated as a second category member state. No it cannot therefore I also ask you to reject similar ideas if they were to be voiced in this house. [00:05:25][93.8]

I know that on both sides of the channel everyone including myself is exhausted with Brexit which is completely understandable. However this is not an excuse to say let's get it over with just because we are tired we must continue to deal with Brexit with an open mind and in a civilized manner because whatever happens we are bound by common fate. And if he wants to remain friends and close partners in the future during the European Council one of the leaders warned us not to be dreamers and that we shouldn't think that Brexit could be reversed I didn't respond at the time but today in front of you I would like to say at this rather difficult moment in our history we need the dreamers and dreams. We cannot give in to fatalism. At least I will not stop dreaming about the better and united Europe. Dear friends this is our last meeting and your current term I hope to have the opportunity to meet most of you after the election. Thank you. [00:06:51][82.2]

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, President ladies and gentlemen honourable members yesterday was a terrible day for all of those who loved France and who loved Paris in all of our lives. Paris is not and cannot be a neutral place. It is a place that we always like to fall in love again. This city has been struck by a tragedy which is not just architectural in nature but concerns the life of all French people being destroyed and engulfed in flames. It's an external symbol of force because there are many who visit not freedom and have done over the ages. And this strikes at the very heart very important part of France has been severely hit. And we are widowed to a degree all of us. And I would say to our French friends that we have a great deal of sympathy and indeed the whole Commission has expressed its sympathy and will offer all the help that France would require. Europe has been hurt. France has been hurt. Paris has been hurt all of us have been hurt.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, and we show solidarity with those people since we finished European currency in the early hours of last Thursday. European Commission and myself we are on the Brexit week we are focusing on the very men very many other issues follow you. We are focusing on our positive agenda. We have that in mind. I want to be very brief. Last week European Council in an agreement with the United Kingdom to be united and responsible decision to grant an extension of the Article 50 period until that thirty first October this year. This was an acceptable outcome for sweet main reasons. First of all and we have the support of this house. We have adopted the necessary contingency measures and we are ready for a new deal breaks. But our union has nothing to gain from great disruption in the United Kingdom. The only ones who would benefit are those who resent multilateralism and seek to undermine the global legal order. And in any case we will never kick out one of our members.

Secondly we have protected the integrity and the functioning of this house and all our institutions. If the United Kingdom is a member on the twenty third of May it must organized European elections. If it does not do so and then we have thought of women is not ratified by the 22nd of May the extension ends on the thirty one of May this is no the legal situation. Thirdly we have made sure that we do not need to discuss Brexit every other week and have given the United Kingdom the time and space to find a way out of this ones with all equipment is in force. The commission will work as closely together with the European Parliament as we did during the entire Brexit negotiations. The full transparency of our negotiations and the close and effective teamwork with the Brexit steering group was our strength in the Brexit negotiations. And I want to continue this good practice during the implementation of the withdrawal agreement whenever a decision will have to be taken in the so-called joint committee the commission will therefore closely involve the parliament and take utmost account of your views. We have learned to pay a lot of attention to the House of Commons over the last pumps pump's last month. But let me let me be very clear on Grexit nothing can be decided against the views of this house of European democracy. Nothing can. This can be decided on Brexit without taking full account of the position of the European Parliament.

President President ladies and gentlemen the thirty first of October marks the new deadline for the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom if the withdrawal agreement hasn't been ratified by the British parliament by then then there will be a hard Brexit that we would like to avoid of course the UK can request to revoke article 50. That is something that's been made very clear that that is not my working hypothesis and it's not my working hypothesis either that beyond the thirty first of October we'll see an extension. Again that is not my working hypothesis. I don't like the data the thirty first of October actually at all the thirty first of October is the last day for me in office as president of the European Commission so you can't have a night session I'm afraid. On the thirty first of October because I'm gonna have to leave at midnight. Of course Donald Tusk can stay.

I became commission president because I wanted to a and b, because they were European things that I wanted to speed up. I wanted us to make progress on social Europe. Yes we've made progress but not enough progress because the necessary reforms of the Economic and Monetary Union need to be concluded. I wanted to do that. I would have liked to have made sure that on the financing of the next programming period twenty one to twenty seven was something we could agree on and many many researchers the many young people many Erasmus students many others I don't want them to become victims of Brexit. They deserve better. And we have to make sure we have to make sure that they are not pushed further away from Europe. The answer to the questions to which path the UK is going to take will have to come from London and the earlier the better. I would I welcome it that the government and the opposition are currently in discussions. I think we can celebrate that as progress because I think it is in the British context. [00:14:25][83.7]

It's not usual that the Baring powers if you like in in a parliament should take so long to come together. I hope those discussions will be fruitful. When the UK leaves the EU is in their hands how they leave has been set out back in 2018. We decided on that with the British government and the withdrawal agreement. The negotiated solution of November 2018 is still valid. There will be at no point in time in the future a renegotiation on the withdrawal agreement. The political declaration on the future relationships is something we could discuss if there is a request to do this in French. Mr President Ladies and gentlemen Brexit is not the future of the European Union. The future of our union will go well beyond Brexit. Brexit cannot and will not hinder our progress on major priorities and this is the reason why the European Council agreed on two principles. First of all as long as the UK is a member of the EU we expect responsible and sincere cooperation. It is a principle drawing directly from the treaties that we expect to be respected new respect. We are requesting that the we'll be a loyal and responsible corporation. [00:16:04][92.9]

Secondly we don't have member states of the second rank if the UK leaves then the 27 will be able to decide on their own. And this isn't anything new. In November 99 we have the euro group that was launched against the wishes of the UK of Sweden and a number of other countries as well. This Euro Group was a restricted group of those who are concerned with the monetary construction in Europe and they have the right to meet and indeed they did meet and the results of those meetings have been considerable. But before it the European Union faces strategic challenges that the EU has to respond to in CBO first of all in May. We will be discussing the strategic future for the EU then we have the next multi-annual financial framework that in principle we need to agree on in October. And then there's the question of electing the future leaders of the European Union European Parliament the biggest electorate in the world after India.

We have to elect a new president of the count the commission and there needs to be a new president of council appointed as well. The future of our European Union is important for our future in the world. And that will be about our place on the stage in the world trade with other parts of the world including China with whom we had a very constructive summit last week and next June. G 20 and Osaka will be meeting. Well we will be talking about the future world trade. All of that to be honest is far more important than what is happening around Brexit. Europe will go on. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Antonio TAJANI, EP President, Thank you very much indeed. President and I should like to remind members that during the European Council meeting I reiterated the importance of the dignity of this Parliament and the role that this Parliament has to play. And it cannot therefore. Be used as a Brexit ploy and therefore we must all take account of the status of this institution. This is a priority I believe and I think I'm speaking on behalf of all colleagues when I say that we should be respected by all.