Video: https://youtu.be/g7j-1w7z1DM
Dear Members of Parliament,
This Commission has been working on a very clear strategy since the beginning, this strategy was not just theory,vbut had a focus on specific deliveries.
For this strategy to succeed, all actors need to play their part:vMember States in particular.vAnd the support of this House has been more than helpful.
When everyone takes up its responsibilities, we have tangible results: one example is the European Border and Coast Guard.
Tomorrow the European Council will give further meaning and steer to the European Defence Action Plan.
The European Council will also address two foreign policy issues.
First, it must ensure that the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement is concluded. It is a matter of geopolitical responsibility.
It is time to finish the work of this Chamber and of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada when they ratified the Agreement simultaneously.
I would also like to congratulate the European Parliament for having completed negotiations on the visa liberalisation suspension mechanism.
Visa free status must now be granted to Ukrainian and Georgian citizens as quickly as possible.
And this has a major importance for the citizens of these countries and will be mutually beneficial for Europe and this region.
The European Council will also discuss the war in Syria. The situation in Aleppo is grave. There are reports of slaughters, of children trapped under collapsed buildings. I call on the warring parties to see through the fog of war at least for a moment, at least long enough to recall their humanity and to allow the civilians, the women and the children to leave that great ruined city in safety.
Now one of the next goals, is to finalise the reform of the Asylum Package. On some of the issues I will come back later this afternoon.
But on Dublin I want to clarify here too: On Dublin, I have to be very clear: The Commission did not decide to send refugees or migrants back to Greece.
What we recommended to Member States is a gradual return to the application of the rules, with the necessary safeguards for the best interest of these people but also for Greece who is under exceptional pressure.
Greece’s progress, despite this exceptional situation, has been recognised by the fact that we propose a gradual resumption as of mid-March 2017, meaning for migrants that will enter to Europe through Greece after that date only and might try to move irregularly towards other Member States.
But even then, it will concern certain categories and it will presuppose individual guarantees for the transfer of each migrant, that Greece should be in position to provide.
It goes without saying that the Commission will constantly monitor the situation and update its recommendation if necessary.
Ideally, if everyone plays its role, the implementation of the EU-Turkey Statement should be accelerated, the relocation should be stabilized in bigger numbers and no migrant -or very few- should move irregularly on his own.
And yes, the revision of the Dublin rules based on a fair distribution mechanism is the priority of this Commission, as it is for the Parliament.
I have heard everything you have said. What is important is that right now, the moment of crisis and divisions, this House leads the way for more Unity and common European responses to common challenges.
Our responsibility is huge not to allow to populism and nationalism to destroy what we have built.
Not only for the sake of our past, but for the sake of our future, which is a common future whether we realise it or not.