David SASSOLI, EP President, gives a press conference following the extraordinary plenary session of 16-17 April, in the European Parliament in Brussels.The plenary focused on the EU response to the coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19). MEPs vote on €3 billion in emergency support for the health sectors of the most affected EU countries as well as on a scheme to procure medical supplies for member states facing shortages.

Brussels

press conference

SASSOLI, David Maria (S&D, IT, S&D, IT)

Coronavirus outbreak (T)

Press conference by David SASSOLI, EP President following the extraordinary plenary session of 16-17 April: extracts and preparation atmosphere remote views

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, We have also expressed concern regarding the holding of our values? the common values we want to get out of this crisis with democracy, we want to get out with our rules, we want to get out with our treaties, and the recall that has been made is of course very important because we need not to upset common coexistence rules and common values.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, We think that the European Union is an insurance for the life of our countries and of course it is especially for the younger generations. We would not like the interventions that will perhaps use the budget to well upset the traditional commitments of successful programs that the European Union has developed over the years. We will take care to protect everything related toresearch,to Erasmus, to youth . We would not want all this to be penalized but rather to be valued.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, Knowing that no one will be able to get out of it alone, and that if someone comes out and others remain standing, it will be a halved victory. And it won't even be enough for them to prove satisfied. That is why, in the spirit of the resolution which has been voted on by Parliament by an overwhelming majority today, there is this will to bring the Union to a great challenge, the greatest we could have imagined and which weighs on our generation. That of making sure that the story so far does not end. But it is a story that continues.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, In this great difficulty to relaunch our projects we are regarding the possibility of using innovative instruments such as bonds to be issued on the financial market with good success to achieve what. Because we are talking about tools to achieve that resource capacity that the European Central Bank and also the Commission have indicated and which of course are not resources available to the coffers of the Union budget and which need tools to multiply the value. That's why the issue of bonds is important. To multiply and enhance the resources of European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, The Eurogroup a week ago decided to set up a credit line using the ESM fund and dedicating them without further conditionality to the healthcare costs of all countries with zero-interest loans and a freedom that governments have to be able to apply for these grants.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, As far as Italy is concerned, we know that from the rules that the Eurogroup has given Italy could obtain 37 billion by taking into account that in the fund in the old fund Italy had already paid 14,3 billions could be convenient to use at least the money of Italian citizens for interventions in the field of the health emergency.

Views during the press conference, editing shots NOTE: no sound on the cutaways during the questions via Skype.