Press Conferences

15. 6. 2007 8:56

Press conference of the Prime Minister of the ČR, Mirek Topolánek and the Vice-Chairman of the European Commission Franco Frattini, 15.6.2007

Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the press briefing after the meeting of the Prime Minister, Mr. Mirek Topolánek with the Vice-Chairman of the European Commission, Mr. Franco Frattini. I welcome here the Vice-Chairman of the European Commission, Mr. Franco Frattini and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Mr. Mirek Topolánek. Mr. Mirek Topolánek has the floor.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: I give the floor to the Commissioner Frattini.

Franco Frattini, Vice-Chairman of the European Commission: Thank you. First of all I would like to say that I am very pleased to have had an opportunity to meet the Prime Minister Topolánek. We had an opportunity to discuss number of important issues, above all issues, which are connected with the forthcoming presidency of the Czech Republic in 2009. We spoke about various institutional issues, in particular about strengthening of certain areas on the European or communitarian level, but together with preservation of national sovereignty on the national level and also, and it is perhaps the most important, about implementation of these changes in such a way to enable effective performance of institutions. We also debated issues that form part of my portfolio, in particular the immigration, the fight against terrorism, the police, the cooperation in the framework of the police, issues connected with the Europol. I am really very glad I have found that the Prime Minister had very straight attitude and that he is really ready to negotiate and to reach a compromise. I would also like to say that I informed the Prime Minister about the fact that the Czech Republic is well on the way to be integrated into the Schengen Area in December of this year. I also informed him of all the steps, of my efforts to reach by all means equality regarding the visa regime among all the European countries. We will send off an official communiqué or a demarche to the government of the USA and Canada, in order to ask equal conditions and equal attitudes to all the countries of the EU in the sphere of visa policy.

Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: I thank the Vice-Chairman of the European Commission and now the Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has the floor.

Mirek Topolánek, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic: I would not like to repeat what has already been said by Commissioner Frattini. I am very glad he is here. He held number of discussions; also with Minister Langer. Last week we supported one of spheres, which concerned implementation of the third pillar of the European policy; I mean the Prim Agreements, which we supported. I must say that it is general true that most of issues that are in the portfolio of the Commissioner Frattini are issues of the sphere, which will be very useful to be implemented at the EU level and we only debate the procedure how to transfer competences there and how they will be performed at the national level. I also think that oncoming European Council may reach a compromise, which would enable better performance of the Europol, of the European Court of Justice and of those policies, which concern migration, asylum policy, fight against terrorism and such like. I must say that two topics concern specifically our presidency and we debated them in a more detailed manner; it concerned the Hague Convention, the debate on which the Commissioner Frattini will open during the French presidency and the Czech presidency will have to do the main piece of work, as we suppose. The third matter that I would mention – both of us agree that it is necessary to continue in the integration of the West Balkan and it is very likely that those final negotiations will take place just during our presidency and it is a great task, which the Czech presidency assumes. In particular, the sphere of the Commissioner Frattini is very important and I thanked him for his work. Thank you.

Jana Bartošová, government spokesperson: I thank the Prime Minister and now there is time for your questions, if there are any. So, thank you for your attention.

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