Schulz pointed out that despite the difficulties experienced, much progress had already been made in recent months. He referred to the creation of a joint search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean, the fight against human traffickers, amending the EU’s budget for 2015 to allocate more resources for tackling the refugee crisis, as well as more funding for humanitarian organisations helping refugees.

However, the President stressed that a new permanent system for relocating refugees was needed: “Reality has rendered the Dublin system obsolete. We have the choice between stumbling from one crisis to the next and patching together short-term remedies for individual aspects - or to come up with a comprehensive solution anchoring permanent solidarity.” He also pleaded for progress on legal migration.

Schulz also said that the EU’s external borders needed to be managed effectively and humanely: “The Schengen area will only survive if member states under pressure are not abandoned and if we thoroughly implement the new system of monitoring and evaluation agreed in 2013. The management of our external borders is a collective responsibility and must be based on the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust and solidarity.”

Although Turkey should be given support to help look after the two million Syrian refugees is hosting, Schulz also raised concerns about the political situation in the country: “Dialogue is the only way to ensure Turkey's future stability and prosperity.”

Talking about Syria, the President said a major diplomatic initiative was needed: “Syria is today the world’s largest humanitarian disaster.”

Schulz also called on member states to step up their efforts to create a banking union: “We have to put in place safeguards that will protect tax payers' money by effectively breaking the link between banks and sovereigns.”

Concerning the UK referendum, Schulz said he had been in regular touch with UK Prime Minister David Cameron: “As I have said in the past, the European Parliament is open to any proposal for improving the European Union.”

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