EUCO is creating confusion rather than direction

"Europe needs unity, decisiveness and leadership. But the European Council is creating confusion rather than direction," said Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, during the debate on the results of the last European Council in the European Parliament today. "It is not Europe that is failing. Once again, it is national egotism that is blocking proper solutions. On the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA), on trade defence instruments, on migration, the European Commission has put forward very good proposals. We in the European Parliament are capable of getting majorities to support these texts. It is the EU States that create blockages and splits and cannot stop squabbling."

On CETA, the Chairman of the largest group in the European Parliament stressed that “millions of people are out of jobs. If we want to create jobs, especially for young people, we need growth. We won’t get growth without more trade. An overwhelming majority of EU States wanted CETA to be a mixed agreement, and now we see the result. The EU is blocking itself. For the EPP Group it is clear that European topics have to be dealt with in the European Parliament only.”

"The European Council also gave a weak response to President Putin’s bombings in Aleppo. There are hundreds of thousands of people in the middle of a shower of bombs in Aleppo every day. There are several options that we could use to increase the pressure on the Russian government. The only language that Putin understands is the language of strength. I expect more strength from the European Council."