President of the Spanish Government Pedro Sánchez summarises the results of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU’s six months. The Spanish Presidency set as its priorities reindustrialising the EU and ensuring its open strategic autonomy, advancing the green transition and environmental adaptation, promoting greater social and economic justice, and strengthening European unity. This news includes arrivals, meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President and extracts from the debate.

Strasbourg

meeting

EU - Spain (T)

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

SANCHEZ, Pedro (ES)

Spanish Presidency of the EU (T)

president's agenda

Review of the Spanish Presidency of the Council with Pedro SÁNCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister: arrivals, meeting with Roberta METSOLA, EP President, and extracts from the debate

Exterior shots, arrival Pedro S&Aacute;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, welcome by Roberta METSOLA, EP President Strasbourg, France,13/12/2023, (1 shot)

Interior shots, cutaways with  Pedro S&Aacute;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister and Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Strasbourg, France,13/12/2023, (4 shots)

Interior shots, family photo with  Pedro S&Aacute;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister and Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Strasbourg, France,13/12/2023, (2 shots)

Interior shots, Interior shots, protocol room meeting with Pedro S&Aacute;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister and Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Strasbourg, France,13/12/2023, (6 shots)

Interior shots, chamber arrival, arrival of  Pedro S&Aacute;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister and Roberta METSOLA, EP President, 

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, EP President, Dear Prime Minister, welcome to the European Parliament and thank you for being with us. In times of geopolitical change, we have a joint responsibility to promote social justice, democracy and the rule of law. Citizens look to us to defend European values.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro S&#193;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, It has been a successful presidency. I hope I would say that we've had 43 files approved, for instance, more than average. We've achieved significant progress in terms of legislation and policies for the future of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro S&#193;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, We need to learn from that and improve the international order that has been discussed in this chamber. Of course, the international order is changing and Europe needs to change to massive industrial outsourcing to other continents. Blind faith and import has to go. We need more domestic production. We need to be competitive in sectors where we're at the vanguard and we need to be going for the industries of the future so that we have more companies and more quality jobs for our citizens. For that, we need more innovation, industrial policy, and we need to further develop the single market.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro S&#193;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, We've achieved agreements to reduce polluting gases from industry to make aviation more sustainable. We have approved pioneering regulations that will allow us to reuse waste better and have more sustainable, repairable recyclable products. And here too, I would like to thank the European Parliament for its work. We've achieved something which was very important to this Presidency, which is the Nature Restoration Law. This will allow us to recover ecosystems which have been subject to degradation in Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Pedro S&#193;NCHEZ, Spanish Prime Minister, We need to condemn terrorist atrocities committed by Hamas. We need to call for unconditional, immediate release of all hostages taken by Hamas, we need to support combating terrorism in the Middle East and we need to recognise Israel's right to defend itself and to exist without any doubt whatsoever. But with the same conviction and the same values, we need to say enough, enough deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza, including thousands of children. The bombing must stop immediately. We need a humanitarian ceasefire. Humanitarian aid is urgently needed in sufficient quantities. Quantity for people who are suffering from hunger, thirst and cold. International humanitarian law needs to be respected and we need to play an active role in contributing to a definitive, integral solution to this conflict, to give a prospect for credible, serious peace, to give form to the two-state solution.