18/12/2015 Politics Europe

Hello and welcome to Politics Europe, your regular guide to the

top stories in Brussels and Strasbourg. On today's programme:

David Cameron outlines his demands for EU reform at a summit of

European leaders in Brussels. But can he get his way on restricting

benefits for migrant workers? The European Commission announces

its plan for a new border force capable of sending paramilitary

guards to shore up the EU's external borders in an emergency, even if

national governments object. European Parliament approves a

report which calls for EU action on tax transparency, making large

corporations announced how much tax they pay, country by country.

And we report from the Czech Republic, Visio's European capital

of culture. -- this year's. All of that to come and more in the

next half hour. I am joined by the Labour MEP and the LibDem MEP. Good

to see you both. Let us tick off to the guide to Europe in 60 seconds.

EU leaders met in Brussels where David Cameron attempted to secure

support. I want to see progress in all of the areas I have mentioned.

The migrant crisis dominated the agenda again as the commission push

the idea of a new EU border force. Ideally, Europeans could stop online

advertisers targeting them and have personal data deleted on request.

Russia's president seemed to put out as he excluded Ukraine from a trade

zone of former Soviet countries. President Petro Poroshenko was

defiant. We pay this price for our freedom. MEPs backbones to prevent

places becoming tax havens. And a new Steinberg coronations, arguing

for tough limits. -- standard for car emissions.

Let us talk about one of these stories in more detail, this report

on tax avoidance. So if you have approved it. What happens next? When

do these companies start paying proper tax? As soon as possible.

Starbucks are paying tax in the UK. They would not have done it if we

did not find out they were using Luxembourg. This is one of the

issues that is good for Europe. We can work to be so we do not have

multinational companies, bigger than a lot of small countries, playing

fast and loose with tax systems. We can work together and say, you have

not paid a proper tax and you need to be transparent about it. To

Europe encouraged these companies to base their intellectual property

rights in Europe. Luxembourg grabbed them as a low tax base. They pay a

massive somebody's rights. They deduct VAT from their revenues and

do not have too pay rates. That is an anomaly. The creation of tax

havens. What of my colleagues worked on this report. Things as they are

now, a criticism of Luxembourg and their arrangements as they are now.

Is that in the report? That is implied. I am happy to say it. We

have a meeting that is very in tune with people today. Give me a

prediction, when will all these companies start paying a fair chunk

of change? Soon, because the public pressure. That is the important

thing. Now that they know we are on to them. We will see.

David Cameron insists there is a pathway to a deal. The British Prime

Minister set out his demands in talks with other EU leaders at a

summit in Brussels. Mr Cameron said good progress had been made, but

there is a lot of hard work before the next summit. David Cameron wants

reform in four the areas. Increased competitiveness by cutting

regulation, an end to the obligation to closer union and cutting

immigration by restricting benefits for EU migrants. That last part

seems to be causing resistance from other leaders. Francois Hollande

said his initial plan to limit in work benefits for migrants for four

years was not acceptable. However, Angela Merkel seems to have through

Mr Cameron something of a lifeline by saying any agreement could be

enshrined in law. It might be possible, not now but perhaps later.

Attention turns to the next leader is summit in February, by which time

Mr Cameron hopes to have the agreement of all fellow leaders.

Speaking just after midnight, David Cameron said he was pleased his EU

counterparts had agreed on the need for reform. I would say the good

news is there is a pathway to an agreement. I am confident after the

discussion we had. It would be very hard work, not just on welfare, but

hard work on all of the issues we have put forward, because there are

substantial, they will involve real change. I think you can see from the

conclusions published tonight, the nature of the progress, the

conclusions make very clear that the European Council agreed to work

closely together to find mutually satisfactory solutions in all four

areas at the European Council meeting. That was the Prime

Minister. We are now joined by the Conservative MEP Ian Duncan. For all

of his brave words, it seems pretty clear the idea of limiting in work

benefits for four years, that is dead in the water. Should be the

fallback position? I am not sure of their is dead in the water. -- it is

dead in the water. Across those states, they are recipients. The EU

is divided into donor nations and recipient nations. The UK is not

isolated in this regard. They are dealing with that through benefits.

So not only do we hope to get major change in British welfare systems

for migrants, but that is going to be accompanied by major changes in

France and Italy and Germany? I follow these politics and I have not

seen anything. We may have to recognise that the UK's benefits do

not meet up with benefit systems and the other nations. Germany and

France have no plans to change their systems. Most of them are based on

an insurance policy. So only cows will have to change. What evidence

can you present that it would have any more of an April fool effect on

the number of migrants this country. -- peripheral. The

current integral part of our system. We want to make sure the benefits

system is not an attraction, but the support. So you are happy with the

current net migration figure. The way I look at it, they are part of

the UK economy. There are so much of what we need. I understand that. I

am just puzzled that in your last two manifested as you claimed he

would get figure down to under 100,000. We have the right number of

migrants doing jobs. That is the important things. My constituency of

Scotland, we have played home to migrants. My home village has a

vibrant migrant population. What we want to make sure is the benefits

themselves are not a draw. Given the levels of migration are one of the

main motivating forces of people who want to get out of the European

Union, that is interesting. But also this idea that Mr Cameron might get

some changes, but they will not be solidified until treaty change,

which is unlikely before the end of this decade, and a long time after

he has had his referendum, people will not agree with that. You can

have an accord based on 27 states and the UK to be clearer. Whether

that is stitched into treaty change in the next year or so, it they

should be bound by that agreement. That can be stitched into an accord.

Isn't that a harder sell? Now we hear that as a possible part of this

agreement, the Prime Minister, they will say, we have got agreement on

these changes, but they will not come into law and will not the

European Court proof until the Treaty changes. What is going to

happen, the de facto position is that by February he will have a

package. That fourth part... Had a controversial one. It will be

something like the 1992 agreement. Why do we know this will happen?

Donald Tusk. The key part is Francois Hollande, not Angela

Merkel. He said, OK, four years, I am not against that any more. We

will be a bit more flexible. That is what he said in the meeting.

Something in this ballpark. I might not agree with this. I might not

agree that migration is a positive impact. Do you think migrants should

get benefits from the moment they arrive in work? Jeremy Corbyn has

just received at that. -- rescinded. I bring news that it is

our policy. So Jeremy Corbyn wrong? The office clarified it in the

Telegraph. Still two years. The point about this is if we need to

package, if that is the price to pay to get this package together, that

is fine. We will end up with a package. We need to present

something to the people. But after that you have to present a wider

prospectus. The Labour Party will not follow what the Tories are

doing. We do not know from one day to the next which direction they are

going. Is any of this worth the referendum?

It is a huge risk for the country. The last point on free movement is

never going to be acceptable. The premise that people are coming here

for benefits is absolutely wrong. The evidence shows they are net

contributors. They're a huge... And they come here because our

country... OK. Let me just finish here briefly. Mr Duncan, if you had

to guess, what month, what year, the referendum?

It may be June, according to Nigel Farage.

Now, with the number of migrants and refugees expected to pass 1

By some accounts, it is already over that.

European politicians have been debating how to strengthen

the external borders of the European Union,

not those between the countries, but between the EU and other countries.

This week, the European Commission outlined an ambitious plan with

a new EU Border Force deployed where higher numbers of migrants

We go to Strasbourg to see whether the plan has any chance

More than a million migrants and refugees have now crossed its

Countries like Greece and Italy have long been unable to

Now, there are calls for an external border and coastguard force.

We're trying to have a quick reaction force composed

It is simply member states being able to offer support within three

days to another member state in trouble.

The new force would replace Frontex, the EU's existing voluntary border

Its role, to promote, co-ordinate and develop border management.

The new European border and coastguard force would have

The new border force would have 1000 personnel and

Funding-wise, Frontex receives 143 million euros.

The new force would get 322 million euros a year.

But, crucially, this new force would have a mandate to launch an

emergency intervention, even without the request of an EU member state.

That will be a tough sell to countries

like Poland and Hungary who have already shown the opposition.

Some are even warning that this is the creation of a European army.

But I think that could be and calm.

For some MEPs, who are having to adapt to

heightened security themselves at the Parliament, the idea of

guards at Europe's borders totally contradicts the spirit of the EU.

At the border, you cannot turn away people who are

And this is what Frontex is currently doing in

So, they will co-operate with Turkish border guard

so that refugees will not even arrive.

It is the European Union stopping people from finding protection here.

But the Paris attacks highlighted the weakness of Europe's external

borders when it emerged that at least two of the suspects managed

So what price is Europe prepared to pay to protect itself?

I give, always, the example of the United States.

There is no one state, like California, Texas, saying,

So, we need to do the same thing if we want to secure our borders.

Catherine, it is far more important than

you can see why they want to do this.

Some countries are being asked to create a pan-European coastal guard.

It is more akin to Europol with co-ordination.

What it won't do, it will not stop refugees coming.

If people are adrift at sea and in danger,

This coastguard would have to take them onto European soil.

What it might do is help with human traffickers, smugglers, criminals.

But it will not stop the flow of refugees.

Until we sort out the source of refugees and stop the fighting...

But also care for those that are coming.

I mean, Tim Farren, my leader, has been calling on David Cameron

to heed the Save the Children campaign to take 3000 orphans that

are adrift on their own, umm, and at risk of human trafficking.

How's that gonna work? to have a plan within Europe.

I warned this week that Frontex is not ready.

We have a situation where Frontex can do it.

What is going to happen now, we are going to experiment.

What I said, I warned the commission,

They said they are not ready for this.

The imperative is that they wanted a strengthening

and balances, you know, we're not playing games here.

And also, you have to have hotspots and

It's the external borders of Schengen,

Well, we have to be working for refugees.

That is different from the free movement of people within Schengen.

We have to move on. causing enormous stress.

This year is Pilsen, is an hour drive from Prague.

It is sharing the acolade with Mons in Belgium.

The EU picks two countries to host it every year.

Then individual cities have to jump through a number

Or, you could always pop into the exhibition of Baroque art

Brussels has given 80% of the budget.

The rest came from the Czech Republic.

Capitals of Culture usually invest in shiny new info structure.

They built this quite striking new theatre.

This old bus depot has been turned into a venue as well.

The basic idea was to show people how contemporary design

How, for instance, you can grow your own chair of furniture.

52 flies trapped in a different class, producing

Together, they make is more Orchestra.

Together, they make a small orchestra.

51 other cities have been capitals of culture

since the idea was decided by Greek architects a few years ago.

since the idea was decided by a Greek Arts Minister 30 years ago.

TRANSLATION: There are some facts we can point to.

There has already been an increase in people visiting

the main square. example is the number of people who

Here, you will discover another Czech talent, brewing.

A type of beer that has conquered the world.

Two thirds of beer production in the world are Pilsner style beers.

Everyone tries to follow that beer, that brewery, and that product.

And thanks to globalisation it is now owned by an American company.

They drink more beer per head than any other country.

That is why it is one of the few places where you can have

Yeah, I definitely prefer drinking it.

It is all about building culture across Europe.

It is good for the country's images as well.

I'm sure many of them want that legacy.

That is it for Politics Europe this year.