European Union

With borders being sealed in reaction to the flood of refugees, high unemployment, huge debts, and far-right parties and movements on the rise, Europe's integration is grinding to a halt. Is this the end of the big peace project?

Plenary and committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Welcome to Friday’s edition of our new Brussels Briefing. To receive it every morning in your email in-box, sign up here.

Britain's David Cameron leaves the EU summit building at 5:30am on Friday morning

If you’re reading this morning’s note to find out if David Cameron sealed his “new settlement” deal to change the UK’s relationship with Brussels at last night’s EU summit, you’ll have to wait at least a few hours more. The first night’s debate over the British prime minster’s renegotiation plan was more contentious than many expected and left leaders deliberating into the early morning hours, with the session breaking up just before 2:30am.

After the summit ended, Mr Cameron went off for a private conversation with Donald Tusk, the European Council president who has been brokering the deal, to decide how to proceed at today’s session, which is due to start at 11am – though officials warned that could slip since the summit’s dinner debate on migration went on for more than five hours, longer than organisers had planned. Mr Tusk was to have separate bilaterals with France’s François Hollande, Belgium’s Charles Michel and Czech premier Bohuslav Sobotka before leaders reconvene, and sherpas and lawyers were working away through the morning to draw up another draft text for summit’s second day. “We have made some progress, but a lot remains to be done,” a tired-looking Mr Tusk said before heading off to his meeting with Mr Cameron.

The FT Brussels bureau’s Brexit watcher Alex Barker has pulled together all the blow-by-blow colour from last night’s session, including Mr Cameron and Mr Tusk frightening of the assembled leaders by warning talks may last into the weekend. Alex’s story relates how Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister who is no stranger to marathon summits, was among the more annoyed premiers in the room, wondering aloud why they were debating the nuances of the phrase “ever closer union” when the EU was at risk of “disintegrating” over its mounting refugee crisis.

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Good evening. We began the European Council by expressing our solidarity with Turkey and condemning the Ankara terrorist attack that prevented Prime Minister Davutoglu from being in Brussels.

Let me start with migration, where we have adopted the conclusions. We agreed that our joint action plan with Turkey remains a priority, and we must do all we can to succeed. This is why we have the intention to organise a special meeting with Turkey in the beginning of March.

But equally important as the conclusions was our discussion in this critical moment of the migration crisis. This discussion has only reinforced our commitment to building a European consensus on migration.

To do that, we must first avoid a battle among plans A, B and C. It makes no sense at all, as it creates divisions within the European Union. Instead, we must look for a synthesis of different approaches. There is no good alternative to a comprehensive European plan.

Secondly, a European solution is not only about the decisions taken in Brussels. It is also, and even in the first place, about decisions taken in the capitals. We must accept that, but at the same time we should seek to improve the co-ordination of those decisions.

And thirdly, we must respect the rules and laws that we have all adopted together. This concerns both the decisions on relocation as well as the need to gradually get back to a situation where all Members of the Schengen area fully apply the Schengen Borders Code.

Finally, as you may know, Britain was also the subject of our talks today. For now I can only state that we have made some progress, but a lot still remains to be done. Now I will hold a series of bilateral meetings starting with Prime Minister Cameron, President Hollande, Prime Minister Sobotka, and Prime Minister Michel, obviously together with the President Junker of the Commission who is also key in this process. Thank you and I wish you a good and long night.

General : The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership. The EP President said: “In the globalised 21st century we need the UK more than ever and we are convinced that the UK will be better off as part of the European Union.”

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

General : The UK and the other EU countries would be better off staying together, Martin Schulz told heads of state and government at the start of a European Council on 18-19 February dedicated to migration and the UK’s demands of a reform of its EU membership. The EP President said: “In the globalised 21st century we need the UK more than ever and we are convinced that the UK will be better off as part of the European Union.”

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

With Europe experiencing the largest influx of migrants since World War II, one of the major challenges is how to integrate them into the labour markets. Not only would a job help migrants to provide for themselves, but also to integrate more easily. Parliament's employment committee discussed the opportunities and challenges with experts on Thursday 18 February. Read on to find out what they and MEPs had to say.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

With Europe experiencing the largest influx of migrants since World War II, one of the major challenges is how to integrate them into the labour markets. Not only would a job help migrants to provide for themselves, but also to integrate more easily. Parliament's employment committee discussed the opportunities and challenges with experts on Thursday 18 February. Read on to find out what they and MEPs had to say.
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

It’s rare for any government minister to ever admit that a task is beyond them. So it was notable in the European Parliament today when Jeroen Dijsselbloem acknowledged that he’s often at a loss explaining the EU’s budget rules.

Dijsselbloem – who is currently politically triple-hatted as the Dutch finance minister, president of the eurogroup of 17 eurozone finance ministers, and chair of the EU’s council of 28 finance ministers – was explaining to MEPs why he is behind a drive to streamline the eurozone’s budget rules when he admitted he didn’t always know how to explain them himself.

“Why is simplifying our rules important? Because people don’t understand any more what we are doing,” he said. “At least I have a lot of problems explaining to people how our budgetary rules, our fiscal rules work.”

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We, the leaders of the European Union, strongly condemn yesterday's terrorist attack in Ankara.

We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims and express our solidarity with the people of Turkey.

Acts of terrorism, by whomever and wherever they take place, are always unacceptable. The European Union and its Member States will step up all efforts to counter this scourge, in cooperation with partners.

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem will strive to strengthen the EU Banking Union, despite recent calls to loosen regulation in response to bank share volatility in in global markets, he told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Thursday. "There should be no doubt of the European Union's determination to apply these rules", he said in his capacity as Eurogroup President and chair of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem will strive to strengthen the EU Banking Union, despite recent calls to loosen regulation in response to bank share volatility in in global markets, he told the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on Thursday. "There should be no doubt of the European Union's determination to apply these rules", he said in his capacity as Eurogroup President and chair of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN).
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP

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Discussions at the European Council on 18 and 19 February are dominated by the negotiations on the UK deal and the ongoing migration and refugee crisis.

Download this video here.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/0ca99bc2-734b-11e5-b984-bc764e084e2e_371.35_thumb_169_1455708454_1455708298_129_97shar_c1.jpg

Discussions at the European Council on 18 and 19 February are dominated by the negotiations on the UK deal and the ongoing migration and refugee crisis.

Download this video here.

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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2016 - EP