Bratislava, Sept 16 (CTK) – The European leaders agreed on the proposal of concrete steps to enhance citizens’ confidence in the EU at the summit in Bratislava on Friday, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has written on Twitter.
At the informal summit, heads of the state or governments of 27 EU countries, except for Britain, sought agreement on the future form of European integration.
Sobotka wrote it is in the Czech interest that the EU remains united.
At the close of the talks, Sobotka appreciated it that the five-page document with a list of proposed steps includes some that were demanded by the Czech Republic, such as reinforcement of the border control.
“We have a draft road map of concrete steps to enhance people’s confidence in the functioning of the EU,” Sobotka wrote.
Before the summit, he said the Czech government’s priorities are the strengthening of safety and bridging the gaps in EU citizens’ living standards.
“The [presented] proposals include some that were promoted by the Czech Republic, such as the creation of a system of interconnection of databases to make us capable of registering anyone who would be crossing the outer Schengen border,” Sobotka told journalists after the summit.
Another proposal aims at the creation of a system of checking the people who enter the EU in visa-free regime, a system similar to that used by the USA, Sobotka said.
He said opinions on forming a common European army differ in the EU, but there is agreement on that cooperation in defence should be enhanced within the framework of the current EU treaties.
“Concrete proposals should be submitted in December at the latest. I supported the idea of upgrading the organisation [of the project] so that we have joint European units that could be deployed in crisis situations outside the EU,” Sobotka said.
Like other European politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Sobotka recognised that the EU is faced with real problems. He appreciated it, nevertheless, that the participants in the summit expressed their willingness to seek joint solutions.
He said the summit enabled to focus on solutions. To tackle the problems, the EU must be united, he said, adding that such EU is also in the interest of the Czech Republic.
