Praise for Dutch Presidency efficiency - Main contents
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his team were praised by a majority of political group speakers on Tuesday for the efficient way in which the Netherlands has managed the Council Presidency over the past half year. The highlights that they mentioned included the EU-Turkey deal on migration, the agreement on a European Coast and Border Guard agency, anti-tax avoidance measures and the fourth railway package.
Some speakers nonetheless criticised the Presidency for focusing too narrowly on the benefits of the EU's internal market. The single market alone, or the EU as a “business model”, is not enough by itself to convince citizens of the benefits, they said. Several MEPs as well as Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, called on Mr Rutte and other leaders "to tell the true story at home" and not "claim success in the capitals and blame 'Brussels' for everything that goes wrong." They also urged him to act to prevent the EU becoming a victim of next year's election campaign in the Netherlands.
You can watch the interventions of the different speakers by clicking on the links below:
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte
Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte
Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
Philippe Lamberts (Greens, BE)
Response Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans
REF. : 20160701IPR34484
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