Tomorrow
we will meet in the European Council. It will be a crucial moment for
the unity of our Union and for the future of the United Kingdom's
relations within Europe.
After
my consultations in the last hours I have to state frankly: there is
still no guarantee that we will reach an agreement. We differ on some
political issues and I am fully aware that it will be difficult to
overcome them. Therefore I urge you to remain constructive.
The
negotiations are very advanced and we must make use of the momentum.
There will not be a better time for a compromise. It is our unity that
gives us strength and we must not lose this. It would be a defeat both
for the UK and the European Union, but a geopolitical victory for those
who seek to divide us.
We
will work on the basis of the proposal that I put forward on the 2nd of
February, with technical and legal clarifications which have been
worked out by our Sherpas to be circulated today. But all the political
issues will remain open for tomorrow. The objective has been clear from
the start: to reach a legally binding and irreversible agreement which
addresses UK concerns, while being satisfactory to all. At the same time
we will not undermine our fundamental values. It is my goal to do the
deal this week.
On
choreography: after the traditional exchange of views with the
President of the European Parliament, and the family photo, we will
address the UK issue at our first working session on Thursday afternoon.
This will be an opportunity for all members to state their positions
and voice their concerns. Given that we are talking about a legally
binding agreement, we will need time to assess all the necessary changes
overnight and revert to the issue on Friday morning.
Over
dinner, we will discuss the latest developments regarding migration. In
December we agreed on a number of priorities to be addressed urgently.
The detailed reports drawn up by the Dutch Presidency and the Commission
show that the strategy we have put together is beginning to yield
results but the progress achieved so far is not sufficient. I want us to
keep up the pressure on all elements of the overall strategy. We should
agree the conclusions at the end of the discussion. As the EU-Turkey
Action Plan plays a crucial role in our strategy, I will meet PM
Davutoglu beforehand to assess the progress and discuss speeding up the
agreement so as to achieve a substantial and sustainable reduction of
the number of illegal entries from Turkey into the EU.
We
will meet on Friday morning in an informal session with a discussion on
the United Kingdom. The President of the European Parliament will join
us for the debate. The exact timing is still to be decided as we may
need to meet for bilateral consultations. Once the final text is ready,
we will resume the plenary session to adopt it formally.
Later
we will turn to the situation in Syria and Libya, and adopt the
remaining conclusions. Finally, we will endorse the euro area
recommendations, under the revamped European Semester. I look forward to
meeting you in Brussels tomorrow.
Δεν υπάρχουν σχόλια :
Δημοσίευση σχολίου