Roberta METSOLA, EP President, participates to the European Council meeting on the 15th December 2022. Extracts from her arrival, her doorstep, the roundtable and her press conference. Extracts from the press conference, mainly focused on Qatargate. Roberta METSOLA reminds that there will be no impunity and declares that she has refused the invitations from Qatar to go and attend the World Cup.

Brussels

statement

press conference

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

President of the EP

European Council

president's agenda

European Council meeting 15 December 2022 (T)

European Council meeting (15/12): arrival and doorstep of Roberta METSOLA, EP President, roundtable extracts from the press conference

Arrival of Roberta METSOLA, EP President to the European Council meeting (5 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, Ukraine remains at the very top of our agenda. We will continue to push for a decision on a price cap on energy. I will welcome the entry of Croatia into the Schengen area and the euro zone. I will deplore the decision that was not taken with regard to Romania and Bulgaria

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, I will also, of course, talk about the criminal allegations involving the European Parliament, which are a blow to democracy and a blow to everything we've worked on for many, many years. It takes years to build trust for just a moment to bring them down. So my message will be that there will be no impunity. There will be no sweeping under the carpet. There will be no business as usual. I will do everything I can together with my colleagues in order to restore the position of the House of Democracy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We need to right the wrongs and we need to send a powerful message to those external actors who try to undermine us that we will not yield to, that. We will stand by our values, the rule of law, justice and due process.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, As of today, I am putting together a wide ranging reform package to be ready in the New Year. This will include strengthening of the Parliament's whistle blower protection systems, a on all unofficial friendships groups, a review of the policing of our Code of Conduct rules, and a complete and in-depth look of how we interact with third countries. I will lead this work personally and ensuing. In doing so, I will coincide both while I will consult widely, both internally and externally.

Question from a journalist: Madam President, have you been approached in a suspicious way by Qatar, Morocco or another third country?

SOUNDBITE (English), Answer from Roberta METSOLA, EP President - I was invited to go to the World Cup. I refused. I refused because I have concerns about that country. And in every opportunity that I had, I had two meetings, with the representatives of the Qatar government in Brussels, where I received invitations, again either to attend the World Cup or an open request from the Qataris to address the Parliament, which I turned down.