Press conference by Martin SCHULZ, EP President, on the priorities for 2016, in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

press conference

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

Priorities for 2016: extracts from the press conference by Martin SCHULZ, EP President

Arrival of EP President Marin SCHULZ in the press room

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, And of course the Member States must be urged to show their responsability if you are talking about the effectiveness of an external border you've got to look to the proper operation of internal borders as well, and all of these things hang together.It's all very good to come up with good proposals, it would be even better to have implementation of the good proposals.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, There's no point in deciding in a banking union and then downing tools halfway there, we'll need to ensure proper settlement mechanisms and supervisory mechanisms across the board, the bail-in structure, the liability cascade that is being set in chain, will be important for the deposit protection debates and lLord Hill is setting up the steps moving in that direction.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, There's a great deal of reluctance to some of this in Germany, but as somebody who was mayor of a German town for a long time, and is very well aware of the german savings systems, the sparkassen, I think I will be able to overcome this reluctance.

SOUNDBITE (German), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, One of the major opportunities we have this year is Cyprus. I think it is possible to achieve the reunification of Cyprus.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I take note about the reaction in Poland. I could tell you what I get as e-mails every day. So, the reality in Europe is that we are living in a common political union and what is happening in one country affects automatically another country.

SOUNDBITE (French), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, (responding to question about 'Putinisation' of Poland) The strategy to interpret an electoral victory as a mandate to overhaul a country, and to submit it to the prerogative of the winning party, that is something that something that should not happen in a Member State of the EU.

SOUNDBITE (French), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, (on France) The prolongation of the state of emergency is a measure I understand, i also understand the lively and controversial debate about the proposals being made, it is proper for a democracy. As regards the double nationality, my feeling is that french nationality is based on common fundamental values, I have the impression that thee are some double nationals that have segregated themselves away from these values by their actions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, My relationship with Matteo RENZI is excellent. I think RENZI raises a lot of points I raised during my election campaign as well which is concerning necessary reform steps here in Brussels. So far I am not surprised about the proposals of Matteo. I am a German as you know and voila, there are also very good relations between leading Germans in the European institutions and the Italian Prime Minister.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, The Catalonian question is a question which has to be discussed within the frame of the Spanish constitution. One basic element of the Union is not only the treaties of the union, its also existence of the constitutions of the Member States. So I as a President of  a European institution I am obliged to fully respect the constitutions of the Member states.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, I hope that we can avoid a Brexit. We need the UK within the Union, I am sure that we will find a compromise on the, hopefully, even more concrete proposals of the UK government,and I hope that the referendum will be about the content of the agreement.