STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT MACRON AT DOORSTEP IN 15-16 OCT EUROPEAN COUNCIL

USPA NEWS - French President Emmanuel Macron traveled to Brussels for a European Council on 15-16 October 2020. Recently, the European Council adopted a strategic program identifying priority areas which require action and special attention from the EU long-term. President Macron who went straight to the European Council, skipping the lunch, because his very busy schedule did not allow it this time. (The same morning of Thursday, October 15, The French Head of State had, in fact, received the police unions at the Elysee Palace in the presence of the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin and the Minister of Justice Eric Dupond Moretti . The discussion had lasted more than 2:30. The day before, Le President Macron had announced via, a Prime TV address, on air, that the curfew would be applied in Paris and the rest of the Ile de France as well as eight other metropolises, in order collectively protect and limit the spread of COVID-19.President Macron spoke during the traditional doorstep and we publish all of his remarks below.

STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT MACRON AT DOORSTEP IN EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF 15-16 OCTOBER 20----------- « Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.We are therefore meeting for a European summit this Thursday and Friday in Brussels, first to talk, and we will do it tomorrow morning, about the COVID-19 epidemic which is spreading across Europe as part of this second wave. and is intensifying increasingly. Yesterday I announced a series of decisions for France, but we can congratulate ourselves that Europe is coordinating better for this second phase. And so several coordination elements were decided this week, that is to say a common card, common rules, thresholds, criteria to allow our Europe to continue to function, to advance, to protect itself against to this epidemic and protect all of our fellow citizens, without however the internal market being totally blocked as we experienced during the first phase. It is an advance in method which is important, but which will then be declined in each country as far as we are concerned. We will also provide an update on the vaccine strategy, and therefore research and joint acquisition of vaccines. I think this is an extremely important point that was expected of us and our fellow citizens. » President macron stated

BREXIT DISCUSSIONS TO BE ALSO INCLUDING THE FISHING IN BRITISH WATERS------------------------------------ « We will have, and this is the second subject of this council, a discussion on the negotiations of the future relations between the European Union and Great Britain, that is to say the continuation, in a way, of the withdrawal agreement and Brexit. On this subject, I want to be very clear here. We know the points which remain to be discussed and the points which, today, have not yet found a solution: fishing. In no case can our fishermen be the sacrifices of this Brexit. » explained President Macron. President Macron stressed on the Brexit decision taken by referendum for the British citizen, « We did not choose Brexit, it is the choice of the British people, and therefore preserve the access of our fishermen to British waters, allow to find a good compromise for our fishermen, and I speak of all the countries of Europe that are concerned, including France, is an important point of this discussion for us. The second element is to have a level playing field between Great Britain and the European Union, that is to say to ensure that we have the same level of play when it comes to state aid. and regulations, in particular social and environmental. »--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The French President Macron added, as regards of the wrk in progress Brexit, led by Michel Barnier « The consequences of Brexit cannot be to create environmental or social dumping at our borders. On this subject, we must also find an agreement. This will be the subject of the discussion that we will have this afternoon, to re-specify the mandate of Michel Barnier, to allow in the coming weeks to finalize on this basis an agreement of future relations. I will be very clear. This agreement cannot be achieved at all costs. If these conditions are not met, we may not agree. We have prepared for it. France is ready for it. We have taken regulatory texts. We are in the process of finalizing the measures to be taken in all sectors. The Prime Minister once again held a meeting of ministers on this subject this week. If there are no good terms that are found at the end of the discussion, we are ready for a no-deal for future relations. »

« WE ARE THE SIGNATORIES FOR A CLIMATE AMBITION TO ACHIEVE AT LEAST 55% REDUCTION OF CO2"  PDT MACRON RECALLED------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- President Macron recalled the ambitious commitments of the countries of the European Union, to reduce up to 55% of CO2 emissions, to fight against climate change as regards the Paris Agreement of 12/12/2015 « We will also have to discuss our climate ambitions at this summit, which is extremely important before the end of the year, the meeting of the 5 years of the Paris Agreement, which will be on December 12. » « On this subject, France has once again initiated a text. We are ten signatories for a climate ambition which is to achieve at least 55% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030. Here too, we want to confirm this commitment and then, obviously, the measures to be taken at European and national level. I hope that this evening's discussion will bring together all the Member States around this ambition. » aknowledged President Macron.

AFRICA & INTERNATIONAL WILL BE DISCUSSED TOMORROW IN PREPARATION OF THE DECEMBER SUMMIT------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tomorrow morning, we will also have to discuss international subjects, Africa, and prepare our December summit. On this, I will reaffirm how important it is to continue the initiatives taken in recent months with regard to Africa, health support for a continent that precisely needs to be supported and accompanied, also financial support, in particular. in particular confirm our moratorium on debt and debt cancellations that will allow Africa to face the post-Covid social and economic challenge. We will have the opportunity to come back to Turkey and the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. I do not want to say more here, but our discussions tomorrow will undoubtedly reflect the requirement that must be ours in view of recent events. "THE SANCTIONS VIS A VIS THE RESPONSIBLE RUSSIANS OF THE NALVANY AFFAIR" EXPLAINED PDT MACRON---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, on the sanctions that have been taken in recent days against several Russian officials following the Nalvany affair, I would like to reiterate here, in full support with Germany, that we have therefore conducted investigations which allowed to characterize what had happened, this assassination attempt. We characterized what was a chemical attack and we remain attached, we Europeans, to the fight against chemical weapons and in full support, in cooperation with Germany, we therefore pushed for, in effect, that these sanctions are taken. It is still the same path, that of a transparent but demanding dialogue with Russia, in which I believe. Russia is our neighbor, Russia shares this continent, but we cannot give in, give up our principles and our ambitions, especially when it comes to chemical weapons.This is what I wanted to tell you before I start this Council in a few moments. Thank you." Prescient Macron declared at the doorstep.