MEPs discuss the outcome of the Special European Council of 1 February. In particular, the €50 billion financial aid package for Ukraine and the agreement on the mid-term review of the EU’s long-term 2021-2027 budget (multiannual financial framework, MFF). This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

EU - Ukraine (T)

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

REINTKE, Terry (Greens/EFA, DE)

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

MICHEL, Charles (BE)

HAYER, Valérie (Renew, FR)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

special meeting of the European Council 1 February 2024 (T)

Conclusions of the Special European Council meeting of 1 February 2024: extracts from the debate

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/74572531/1707215764807_I252426Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

Exterior shot of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council, Determination, Unity and Leadership, that has been the message of the last two European Councils with two major decisions taken. Firstly, in December, the decision to open negotiations with Ukraine to give Ukraine candidate status. And more recently at the last European Council just a few days ago, it was decided to grant &euro;50 billion to support Ukraine in macro financial terms for the next four years. And that was a decision taken by the 27 and within the European Union budget.

SOUNDBITE (French), Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council, We wanted to identify the 14 billion additional money to manage external migration and competitiveness, technology and the ability to respond in the event of natural disasters. Moreover, defence and the increase in interest rates, which has an effect on the European budget.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, The Special European Council also agreed on the first ever, and I emphasise first ever, revision of our multiannual budget. It confirmed the priorities that the Commission presented back in June and I am very satisfied that we got 80% of the funding we had asked for.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula von der LEYEN, President of the European Commission, We will now be able to step up our fight against irregular migration and better protect our external borders. We now have the means to engage even more with the countries of the Southern neighbourhood, and I am very glad that the growth plan for the Western Balkans is now on a solid, solid financing foot. We will also be able to improve our response to natural disasters in Member States and to humanitarian crises such as Gaza.

SOUNDBITE (English), Manfred Weber (EPP, DE), I was two weeks ago in Kiev, and what I took away from Kiev is that they respect and and welcome what we are doing there. It gives them hope, it gives them motivation. But they still need a lot from us. And the most important, they need all the weapons, the ammunition. We have to be faster. We have to deliver also the cruise missiles from Germany. The end only will come of this war, only will come with weapons. Only weapons will shorten the war. Only weapons. They tell Putin, Stop. It makes no sense.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&Iacute;A P&Eacute;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), Helping Ukraine isn't just the right thing to do for a people fighting for peace, security and the prosperity of their children, but also for the European Union. It's vital that we show that the demented dreams about old empires receive a firm, unified response. So we need to continue upping the production capacity for weaponry, which is indispensable if we are going to stop Putin's war today and deter similar aggression tomorrow.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Val&eacute;rie HAYER (Renew, FR), Our ambition as Europeans is to be free, to be free to produce on European territory what we need, including pharmaceuticals, batteries, and vehicles. We should be able to choose our partners freely and we should be able to decide ourselves and for ourselves what future we want. That is what European sovereignty is all about.

SOUNDBITE (English), Terry REINTKE (Greens/EFA, DE), And if there is one lesson to draw from this meeting, I think it is pretty clear that Orban alone is weaker than the 26 together. And this might seem like an obvious information, but apparently it did not reach the 26 EU leaders before last week. So for the future colleagues and also to the EU leaders, let us not run into these situations again and again and again.

Cutaways of the plenary session. (2 shots).