Point of order by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and opening statements by Roberta METSOLA, EP President and opening statements by János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs and by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the EC. MEPs discuss the priorities for the upcoming October European Council, assessing the latest developments in the ongoing war in Ukraine and the escalating conflict in the Middle East with the Commission and the Hungarian Presidency.

statement

Strasbourg

plenary session

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

ŠEFČOVIČ, Maroš (SK, EC)

EU Council Presidency

BÓKA, János (HU)

European Council meeting 17-18 October 2024 (T)

Preparation of the European Council of 17-18 October 2024: point of order by Roberta METSOLA, EP President Opening statements by János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs and by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the EC

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President Morning, Dear colleagues. The sitting is open pursuant to Rule ten and 183 of the Rules of Procedure. And after taking into account the observations of the member concerned, I have decided to impose a penalty on Ms. diana Yovanovitch, a social worker, for having disrupted the sitting of the 18th of July 2024m by behaving improperly during the debate between the members of the European Parliament and the candidate for President of the European Commission.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President This penalty consists of the forfeiture of her entitlement to the daily subsistence allowance for a period of seven days, as well as a temporary suspension from participation in plenary activities of Parliament for a period of seven days on which Parliament meets. Starting today, eighth October 20th, 24, without prejudice to her rights to vote in plenary and subject to strict compliance with the member's standards of conduct. The member concerned has been notified of these decisions and lodged an unintended appeal with the Bureau under Rule 184. The Bureau, at its meeting of yesterday evening, confirmed the penalty imposed without prejudice to the extent and rights of appeal open to the member concerned. The penalty is therefore considered final.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs President. Honorable Members, Commissioner. Next week, the leaders will meet in Brussels for the October European Council. Their meeting will, as always, starts with an exchange with the President of the European Parliament. At this meeting, leaders will discuss Ukraine and the Middle East. They will also discuss stepping up the European Union's comprehensive approach to migration and take stock of efforts to enhance the EU's competitiveness. With a view to preparing the informal European Council in Budapest on the 8th of November. The European Council will be preceded by the first ever EU Gulf Cooperation Council summit to be held on Wednesday. Ukraine remains a top priority for the European Council. Leaders are expected to review the situation on the ground as well as the EU's continued support. They will assess progress in providing military support to Ukraine as a follow up to previous discussions and in view of the situation on the front line.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs The situation in the Middle East is also high on the leaders agenda. The unprecedented savage terrorist attack against Israel happened a year ago, and the hostages and their bodies are still kept by the Hamas. The war in Gaza has now lasted for over a year and has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. The recent escalation of violence in Lebanon and now the escalation with Iran demonstrate how crucial it is to find a sustainable solution for security and stability in the region.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Turning now to economic matters. Competitiveness will also be on the table in June. The European Council looked forward to swift and decisive progress on all strands of the new European competitiveness deal by the end of the year. Next week is therefore about taking stock of progress in areas identified at the Special European Council in April. The reports by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi will, of course feed into leaders discussions. These reports identify several challenges spanning demography, technology, economics and international relations that demand urgent, innovative and effective political responses.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Next week's stocktake will in particular contribute to the preparations for the informal European Council meeting in Budapest on the 8th of November, hosted by the Hungarian Presidency, where our goal is to adopt the Budapest Declaration on the new European Competitiveness deal. Another important topic on the European Council agenda is migration.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Leaders are expected to hold an in-depth discussion taking stock of the implementation of the European Council with a comprehensive approach to migration. Now turning to other items on the leaders agenda. They are expected to take stock of preparations for the Cop 29 conference and the upcoming Cop 16 on biodiversity.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs The European Council will also address developments in Georgia and Moldova, respectively, in the run up to the upcoming legislative elections in Georgia and the constitutional referendum and presidential elections organized in Moldova. The situation in Venezuela and in Sudan will also merit the attention of leaders. Reflecting on recent alarming incidents.

SOUNDBITE (English), János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Leaders will touch upon the issue of fight against all forms of discrimination, including anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred, intolerance, racism and xenophobia. In short, we expect a substantial European Council meeting during which leaders will address recent international development and start to work on priorities for the next five years identified in the strategic agenda. I thank you very much for your attention and I am looking forward to your feedback on these issues. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Dear Mr. President, the Minister, honorable members of the European Parliament. Good morning to all of you. It is a pleasure to be here today to discuss with you the preparation of the meeting of the European Council on the 17th and 18th of October.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission And let me start with competitiveness. The leaders exchange of the views next week will feed into our work in this critical area as we seek to enhance the EU's competitiveness, secure its economic resilience and achieve full potential of the single market at a time of increasing global economic uncertainty. It is vital that the European Union remains able to maintain its core strength of industry, enterprise and innovation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Europe cannot afford to fall behind its competitors and lose its competitive edge. We need to make business easier and invest in our sustainable competitiveness. Indeed, the only way to ensure our long term competitiveness is to move to a clean and circular economy. This was something highlighting highlighted in the report by Mario Draghi on the future of EU competitiveness, which will help steer our work going forward, as was the need to increase prosperity for all Europeans, building on our unique social model and build our resilience to ensure we are better protected against future shocks.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission In addition, we will continue to focus on cutting red tape and administrative burden. Notably, commissioners will stress that the entire EU are key to simplify the rules for our businesses. At the same time, better lawmaking has to be a joint task with all institutions involved. So the Commission very much welcomes the leaders will once again be discussing this topic.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission The European Council will also discuss the latest developments with Ukraine. The EU remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine and its people for as long as necessary. It is important we now seek swift agreement on our proposals for macro financial assistance loans of up to €35 billion as a part of a pledge made by G7 in June. It is imperative the funds are released by the end of this year to ensure Ukraine has the fiscal spey fiscal space it needs. At the same time, we are working to ensure that the Council is fully prepared for the winter ahead.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Together with our partners, we are repairing, reconnecting and stabilizing Ukraine's energy supplies. And last month, we adopted a winter plan for Ukraine backed by €160 million in funding. And this comes on top of the €2 billion dedicated to Ukraine's energy security so far. Our goal must continue to be put Ukraine in a position to negotiate peace on the right terms and help it along its path to the full membership of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Finally, I also would like to touch on the Middle East, which the leaders will also discuss. Yesterday, mark the one year anniversary of the acts of terror committed by Hamas, for which there can be no justification. These horrific acts brought immense suffering not only upon the people of Israel, but also upon innocent Palestinians. They led to a spiral of violence which has brought the entire region to this state of extreme tension and volatility. The European Union stands with all the innocent people whose lives have been devastated in the past 12 months. We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the unconditional release of all hostages and for an end to the conflict.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission We support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a comprehensive agreement, but also providing humanitarian aid, including an additional €10 million, to help people in Lebanon affected by the hostilities, bringing the total this year to €74 million. And this comes after the president from the line announced in June, €1 billion in support for Lebanon, of which around half has been already delivered.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Dialogs are also ongoing, with the Palestinian Authority on its reform program to disburse the third and last installment of our €400 million short term emergency financial support. So, Mr. President, honorable members, I will stop here. I see that my time is up, and I am very much looking forward to our debate. Thank you.