EU leaders met today in Brussels ahead of the European Council. Brexit topped the agenda. After the meeting, Joseph Daul, President of the European People’s Party (EPP), made the following statement: “The joint report presented last week by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May, paves the way to enter into the second phase of the negotiations. The 27 EU member states stood united and the results are here. This could not have happened without the remarkable work of EU Brexit Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier. The document proposes concrete guarantees for the citizens on both sides of the Channel. It also shows a strong commitment to avoid a hard border in Ireland and an agreement on the financial settlement. These are the three priorities the EPP has been fighting for. We expect the UK to act in good faith and respect the terms of the joint report, which needs to be translated into legally binding terms as soon as possible. We are also waiting for the UK to present its vision for the future relationship with the EU. I would also like to offer a special word to our Irish friends. Ireland and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have our full support and can count on us to make sure that the terms outlined in the joint report will be respected. Defence was also discussed by the EPP leaders. “The EPP has been the driving force behind the Permanent Structured Cooperation on defence and security and led the way towards these concrete results. European defence has now entered a new era. As Europeans are expecting us to provide a secure Europe, the EPP has made a priority for PESCO to become a reality,” said EPP President Daul. Finally, the EPP President congratulated the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and wished a lot of success to Bulgaria, which will start its EU presidency on 1 January 2018: “Under Estonia’s helm, the European Union has become more connected, with for example the construction of the high-speed 5G internet connection, the end of geoblocking and the EU’s first electronic signature. Estonia’s EU presidency has been very successful with the agreement on reducing emissions from non-industrial sectors or the foundation of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. I would like to give a special thanks to Deputy Minister for EU Affairs Matti Maasikas for Estonia's achievements and their excellent cooperation over the past 6 months. I am convinced that Bulgaria, under the leadership of PM Boyko Borissov, will also have a very productive and successful Presidency of the Council of the European. ”  


Read more

For more information contact:

 

Alexandra Henman

Deputy Spokesperson

+32 471 90 76 84

alh@epp.eu

 

Angelos Athanasopoulos

National and Regional Press Director

+32 471 90 76 35

aa@epp.eu