Politics
EC President Juncker calls to turn the European Union into a Union of Europeans
Speaks in the Eurpean Parliament
(Source: EP Press Services)
The President welcomed the European Council's clear support for the Commission's political priorities and ongoing work: "I am particularly happy that the European Council adopted the Commission's agenda for the deepening of the Single Market," said the President. "I am satisfied that the European Council, once again, underlined that the right solution to the refugee crisis must be European," added.
President Juncker signalled the Commission's intention to forge ahead with its economic strategy: "I agree with the European Council when it says that the priority now must be jobs and growth. This is precisely the first priority of the Commission I have the honour to lead, and which I presented to you as one of my ten priorities in July 2014," said. The President continued: "We should pursue our programme: the Digital Single Market, the Energy Union, the Capital Markets Union are projects which have already come a long way and still have a long way to go, and therefore we must accelerate reforms instead of changing their content."
He underlined that the decisions taken together have to be implemented. In his view it is important to turn the European Union into a "Union of Europeans." On the UK referendum, President Juncker underlined the position he shares with the President of the European Council: "We are waiting for the notification ““ no negotiation before notification. And those who want to have free access to the internal market have to respect the four freedoms including the one of freedom of movement."
In the same session of Parliament, President Juncker also reviewed the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU, which drew to a close last week. The President highlighted some of the main achievements of the presidency: the EU-Turkey Statement on the refugee crisis, the political agreement on the new European Border and Coast Guard, and further progress towards the Digital Single Market, Capital Markets Union and a fairer system of corporate taxation.
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