MEPs debate on the conclusions adopted by the European Council meeting of 26-27 October 2023. During their meeting, EU heads of state or government assessed the situation in Israel and Gaza, following Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on 7 October and the subsequent Israeli military response in the Gaza Strip. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the EU’s continued support for the country, the revision of the EU’s 2024-2027 long-term budget and the economic situation in the EU were also discussed by leaders. The progress in negotiations between Council and Parliament on the reform of the asylum and migration system was also on the table. Opening statements by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commisison and by Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

plenary session

joint debate

MICHEL, Charles (BE)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

European Council meeting 26-27 October 2023 (T)

Joint debate - Conclusions of the European Council and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for a humanitarian pause: opening statements by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC and by Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , President, President of the Commission. Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues. Nothing, nothing can justify the terror and cruelty that Hamas unleashed against the people of Israel on October 7th. Over 1400 innocent men, women and children slaughtered and over 240 people taken hostage. And Hamas brutality does not stop there. In Gaza, they are using innocent civilians, their own people, as human shields. One thing is absolutely certain we can never let such a terrorist attack happen again.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Countering Hamas will take more than military might. It will require a strong coalition of regional and global actors banding together with one common cause to fight terrorism. Hamas must not have any future in governing Gaza. Listen, gentlemen, dear colleagues, we support Israel right to defend itself, and it must be done in line with international humanitarian law.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , The EU stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life. Each civilian life matters always and everywhere. A total siege is not in line with international law. We call for humanitarian pauses and corridors in Gaza because humanitarian aid must get to those in need urgently and do more. The situation deteriorates, the harder it will be to work towards a lasting peace in the future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , With each passing hour, more lives are broken, more families torn apart. We must work and we are working to help alleviate the suffering. And I especially commend France, Greece, Cyprus, some others for their concrete actions, like a maritime hospital and a maritime corridor. And in the meetings in Paris tomorrow, we will discuss and decide more support.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Finally, ladies and gentlemen, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. The EU can help the Middle East, while also continuing its staunch support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. Both regions need our continued involvement, and this is why I proposed that the EU purchase grains from Ukraine and ship them to those in need in the Middle East. This is a strong gesture of solidarity and efficiency.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Listen, gentlemen, dear colleagues, Israelis and Palestine both have the right to a peaceful and stable tomorrow. So, we must have a vision for what comes next, a vision for what tomorrow could look like. And I am absolutely convinced with all of you that we must win back the prospect of lasting peace in the region.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , And let's be honest, for years, for years, huge amounts in efforts have been pumped into security. But not nearly enough has been invested in peace and even less into justice and reconciliation. And this approach did not work. Peace means security, but security does not always mean peace. One we feed the other. Only feeds more instability for both Israelis and Palestinians.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Like the EU, we have a responsibility to help these nations move forward and to put into action a plan for security, a plan for prosperity in the region. And this plan must be based on the two state solution. A safe and secure Israel and an independent Palestinian state. The Palestinians has the right to a stable political future. We said government. That is the interest of its people, its heart and a vision for a sustainable economic future.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , The Palestinian Authority will be key to any future political settlement. And we, the EU, we are the main donor to the Palestinian Authority. And we must continue our strong support, because supporting a credible and legitimate Palestinian Authority, is an investment in peace and security in the region.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Listen, gentlemen. We have a role to play in building peace in the region through our diplomacy, through our convening power, a common foreign security policy instruments, and our role as a trusted global partner. The EU was born from the ashes of a peace project based on reconciliation. And in these dark days of violence and conflict, it's never too early to talk about peace, to be obsessed by peace.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Hope that is that Borrell launched this peace effort initiative in September in the General Assembly together with Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States and with some 50 countries from around the world. This initiative must be extended, dating our Member states and other partners like the US involved.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , We will work with all those who believe in peace and want to work together to fight the poison of extremism. And our efforts will be launched with the normalisation efforts already underway because the EU is by nature a global actor. We will take the lead with others in organising as soon as possible a peace and normalisation conference inspired by previous peace initiatives and the Abraham Accords. Lasting peace in the region, we will call peace between Israelis and Palestinians and between Israel and all its neighbours.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , 'Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues at this European Council meeting, we also discussed the consequences of this conflict for our societies within the European Union. And we are seeing a spike in anti-Semitism. We condemn this in the strongest possible terms because they do against everything we stand for in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , 'Discrimination and intolerance have no place in our family of nations, and we will always stand against racism, anti-Semitic Islamophobia, and all forms of discrimination. This is why we staffs our ministers to coordinate and take all appropriate action and measures in this respect.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues. This European Council was also an opportunity to focus on our resolute determination on Ukraine, and the main message is support as long as is necessary. Ukraine is at the heart of our priorities. That is the clear message that we send to the President, who joined us virtually during the meeting.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , And Ukraine is making significant progress to European accession. Ukrainian people need to be sure that they have a secure future and that it will be prosperous and guaranteed within the European Union. The Commission has just submitted a report on enlargement and it will be up to the Council in December to decide on the next steps for Ukraine and also for the other candidates accession. One thing is clear we want to continue to support Ukraine. We have already supported over 82 billion and we will continue to provide financial and military support.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , Ladies and gentlemen, this meeting was also an opportunity to talk about the revision of our European budget. We will all be aware that when we adopted the budget in 2020, the world was very different and this debate was unnecessary. These debates are very useful. Ukraine, as you have understood, is a priority for this budget, and in the coming days we will be having further discussions on priorities migration, defence, security and also the question of solidarity in the event of natural disasters. We all want the Union to be strong, prosperous and able to meet our joint objectives in this increasingly complex world.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , And the Spanish Presidency will be responsible for making progress based on the proposals submitted, and the Council will be debating these subjects the economy, competitiveness, strengthening, is something that we've been focusing, looking for the eurozone, and we are all working to strengthen the economic base in short, medium and long term.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , We know, for instance, that we have to somehow fix the problem of the labour shortage and be competitive, and we also need to guarantee energy security. It is true that we have made progress since the invasion by Russia of Ukraine and we still have to deal with high energy prices, in some case up to four times as high. And that is a major challenge for companies.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , And then, the third point, employment. The rate of unemployment has never been so low, but still young people are struggling to get work and to have access to quality jobs. So we need to create the right conditions for greater participation by women in the labour market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council , And the fourth point that we dealt with was enlargement. If we want to continue with the rhythm, we need to invest in strategic interests and we face a challenges. We need to meet them with determination and we want to work together with you to meet those objectives. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Thank you, Vice President Marc Angel. President Charles Michel. Honourable Members. The pain of innocent civilians in the Middle East shakes the conscience of the world. The situation on the ground is evolving fast, so let me focus on the work we have done since the October European Council to fulfil this mandate.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, The essential starting point continues to be what happened on the 7th of October. There is no justification for the horror that Hamas unleashed against innocent men, women, children and babies. Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international law and international humanitarian law.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Supporting Israel is essential, but so is aiding and protecting civilians in Gaza. The death toll and the suffering of Palestinian civilians is tragic. There are images we cannot unsee. This shakes us to the core, all of us. So while Israel has the right to fight Hamas, it is also essential that it strives to avoid civilian casualties and to be as targeted as possible because every human life matters, it is or Palestinian. Israeli

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Let me update you on our humanitarian work. Two weeks ago, we had already tripled our aid to Gaza. This week I have announced that we are further increasing humanitarian aid by another €25 million, bringing thus the total support to €100 million. And we are working hard for this aid to reach Palestinians.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Convoys are now entering Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, but the volume remains too small to match the massive humanitarian needs. This is why we are working on a maritime corridor from Cyprus. It would guarantee a sustained, regulated and robust flow of aid. I very much the excellent cooperation with President Nikos Christodoulides and his government. This can make the difference between life and death for thousands of Palestinians, and we will continue to help evacuate EU citizens and injured Palestinians.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Honourable Members, as we deal with the urgency of today, we must also make the effort to think about tomorrow, how to break the current spiral of violence, and how hope can be restored for Israelis and Palestinians. They need a political perspective, and the perspective is the two states solution.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Of course, in the end, Israelis and Palestinians will have to agree on a way forward. But we as part of the international effort, we must contribute. And of course, in close cooperation with our friends and our partners. I believe five principles for the day after could help build some common ground.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, First, Gaza can be no safe haven for terrorists, and different ideas are being discussed on how this can be ensured. Second, the terrorist organisation Hamas cannot control or govern Gaza. There should be only one Palestinian Authority and one Palestinian state.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Third, no long term Israeli security presence in Gaza. Because Gaza is essential part of any future Palestinian state and the territory of Gaza cannot be reduced or amputated in any way. No forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. This would be a humanitarian tragedy and also a recipe for more regional instability.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, And finally, no sustained blockade of Gaza. Any future Palestinian state must be viable. Also from an economic point of view. And Europe stands ready to work with all people and countries in this region to make this happen. I know that all of this may look overly ambitious as the war rages on. But I think we must spare no effort to keep the hope alive to find the lasting solution based on two states, living side by side in peace and security. It is again time for an international effort to achieve peace in Middle East and we Europeans must play our role.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Honourable Members, the European Council also focussed on Ukraine. I was in Kiev a few days ago and in recent weeks I had also the chance to visit all the Western Balkan countries as well as Moldova, and to how different these countries are. They all share one feeling. They feel they belong to the European Union. There is a new level of vision and ambition in aspiring EU members. They are ready to work even harder to join our Union. And here in the Union, too. There's a new sense of urgency to unite our European family.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Today, it is clear that the stability of every country in our continent affects, of course also our own stability. Their security is our security. And if our Union isn't fast enough in bringing candidate countries closer, others will fill the vacuum. But it is in our geopolitical interest to complete our Union, to make it stronger than ever.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, And it's not only about geopolitics, it's of course, also about economics. The completion of our Union will make the new Member States economies grow. It will make EU companies grow. It will also make our single market grow, making Europe an even more attractive and stronger partner in the global stage.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Prosperity is not only shared by enlargement, it is multiplied. Enlargement is in our common interest. So, we must seize this moment of opportunity to advance as much as possible towards the completion of our Union. And today we presented the enlargement report and let me briefly summarise some results.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, First, on Ukraine, we are recommending to the Council to open accession negotiations. The progress that Ukraine has made as it fights an existential war is remarkable and impressive. With very clear achievements on all seven steps we have identified well over 90% of those steps have been completed. The remaining reforms are on their way. So, by March 2024, we will report back to the Council on these ongoing reforms in order to have everything ready to finalise the negotiating framework.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Very clear. The future of Ukraine is in our European Union and this future has just begun. We also see Moldova with its bold efforts to come closer to us, and this has to be seen against the backdrop of a war in the neighbouring Ukraine and of massive Russian interference.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Therefore, the report highlights the significant reforms Moldova has undertaken. We also recommend to open accession negotiations with Moldova and here, to some remaining measures are to be finished and the Commission will report to Council on this by March. And on this basis the Council could then finalise the negotiating framework.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Commission recognises a number of positive political and legal steps. For example, the swift entry into office of a new Council of Ministers in January of 2023. You can see that this has brought positive results. There is progress in the fight against organised crime, in the fight against money laundering and terrorism, for example.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, But we also know with concern the various unconstitutional laws adopted by the representatives of the Republika Srpska entity. So against this backdrop, the Commission recommends to the Council the opening of accession negotiations once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved. And here too, the Commission will report to the Council on progress in by March 2024.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Finally, Georgia, we see the European aspiration of the overwhelming majority of its citizens. And while these aspirations need to be better mirrored by the authorities and while further progress is needed on the 12 priorities identified last year, the Commission also acknowledges a number of positive steps. And we should encourage Georgia to move on. So, the Commission recommends here to grant candidate status to Georgia on the understanding that the government takes important reforms.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Honourable Members, today's package is not only a snapshot of the situation on the ground. It can and it must be a driver of change. Since the very beginning of the mandate, I have deeply believed that we needed to reboot the enlargement process, in particular with the Western Balkan.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, So, roadblocks and vetoes hampering the progress towards the European Union. Instead, we should look at every country how it is able to advance on the association path based on its own merits.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, Every new achievement should lead them closer to us and with our new growth plan that we also presented today, we are setting out very clearly more for more. You open your borders in your common regional market. We opened our single market in seven very important sectors. You do the reforms for level playing field for your companies to access the single market. We come with investment to help you to implement these reforms.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission, So, Honourable Members, it is every country has a responsibility to turn the page and make the strategic choice for Europe. And of course, in parallel, we, the European Union, also need to lay the necessary internal groundwork on reforms. In other words, let's get to work. Long life Europe.