European Parliament
Strasbourg

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Summing up the debate, European Commission deputy chief Frans Timmermans says the EU must develop policies that allow it to sustainably manage migration over "a long period of time".

This includes better border controls and return agreements with migrants' countries of origin, he says.

Despite the political focus, relocation of migrants between EU states is "a small issue compared to the overall challenge", he adds.

He also urges "more clarity from London" on the next stage of Berixt talks.

However he also reiterates Jean-Claude Juncker's pledge that if the UK has "second thoughts" about Brexit, then the EU would "leave the door open" to the UK.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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German conservative Hans-Olaf Henkel says the comments from Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker about the EU's doors still being open to the UK were a "positive surprise".

He calls on Mr Juncker to support his "new deal for Britain" group, which calls for the UK to be offered revised membership terms to avoid the need for Brexit.

He adds that the Commission should also tell the UK it can revoke its Article 50 notice to leave the bloc "should they change their mind".

He adds: "I don't think, Mr President, that you want to go down in history as the president who lost Britain".

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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Guy Verhofstadt, who leads the Liberal ALDE group and is also the Parliament's chief Brexit spokesman, predicts the "most difficult part" of Brexit talks is now coming up.

He calls for the details of the withdrawal agreement agreed last month to be "formalised" as soon as possible, particularly on the matter of citizens' rights.

He adds that the UK should have to apply all EU policies and legislation during any transition period, with the "only change" that it will lose its representation in the EU's institutions.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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British Conservative Syed Kamall, a co-leader of the ECR group who backed Brexit, warns that the next stage of Brexit talks "won't necessarily be any easier" than the first.

The talks will be tough, he says, because "both sides care about the outcome".

The ECR group believes a good deal can be found for both sides, he adds.

Voters want "both sides to sort it out", he adds, rather than seek a deal with the political aim of dissuading future exits from the bloc.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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German Christian democrat MEP Manfred Weber, who leads the centre-right EPP group, welcomes progress on the first stage of Brexit talks.

However he issues a warning that his group will not give the green light to a transition deal if the conditions "are not good enough".

He calls on British ministers to stop "complaining" about the state of Brexit talks and instead deliver "an outlook of what you want to achieve" in a future relationship.

The debate in Britain about changing the colour of the passports, he adds, is "the most drastic example of a lack of leadership" on Brexit.

However he says the plan is the "first and the only real thing the British government has achieved in one and a half years of negotiations".

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker says there is "no point having illusions" on the issue of defence co-operation.

However he says that in agreeing plans, external for more defence co-operation last year, 25 EU states have woken a "sleeping beauty" contained in the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

On Brexit, he says that Donald Tusk has said the EU's "door still remains open" to the UK.

"I hope that will be heard clearly in London", he adds.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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Donald Tusk calls for EU states to be both "visionary and pragmatic" on the issue of defence co-operation.

On migration, he says there is agreement on the need for states to show solidarity although there is currently "no consensus on what it should mean in practice".

As for Brexit, he calls for "more clarity" on the UK's vision for what relationship it wants with the EU after Brexit takes effect.

This will happen in March 2019, he notes, unless there is "a change of heart among our British friends".

"Wasn't it David Davis himself who said: 'If a democracy cannot change its mind, it ceases to be a democracy?" he notes, before adding:

MEPs will shortly be joined by European Council President Donald Tusk to debate the results of last month’s EU summit in Brussels.

The meeting saw leaders agree an interim deal on the first stage of Brexit talks, discuss defence co-operation and restate the EU’s position on Israel and Jerusalem.

In a motion vote, MEPs welcomed the agreement moving Brexit talks to the next stage, whilst setting out a number of demands on “outstanding issues”.

This included making the application process for “settled status” in the UK free of charge for EU citizens, and extending citizens’ rights to future partners.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

Swedish cetnre-right MEP Gunnar Hokmark says Estonia has proved that in the EU system, smaller states can be "just as big" as big nations in their effectiveness.

Austrian social democrat Josef Widenholzer says Estonia's presidency has seen the EU make "significant progress" in laws relating to the digital economy.

However, when it comes to building a new asylum system, he says, the bloc has not made the "progress that we would have liked to see".

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European Parliament
Strasbourg

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European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker thanks Estonia for its presidency, which he calls "very successful" and "very European".

"Smaller countries really do make for the best presidencies", he adds - calling Estonia's presidency team one of the best-prepared he has seen.

The country also created "the right kind of atmosphere" for the push to help build a more developed single market for the trade in digital goods, he adds.

However he says the drive to boost the digital economy must be backed up with responsibility, including stopping digital firms avoiding paying tax on profits in the country where they are made.

"Obviously this has to come to an end", he says.

European Parliament
Strasbourg

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Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas tells MEPs that "all of Europe" is now feeling benefits of economic recovery.

He adds that the extension of the EU's investment fund, external - which was confirmed at the end of Estonia's presidency - will bring benefits for European businesses.

Highlighting the importance of making new technological developments "work in our favour", he says that EU nations should take steps to become a "leading digital society".

Estonia's presidency saw the first-ever electronic signing of an EU law in October. Mr Ratas predicts that such a practice will "soon become common".

Hello and welcome to coverage of the European Parliament’s plenary sitting in Strasbourg.

First up this morning, Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas will join MEPs to review Estonia’s stint in charge of the EU’s rotating presidency, which finished at the end of last year.

The country has now handed over to Bulgaria after six months chairing meetings of the Council of the EU.

During the last half of 2017, the EU concluded an interim first-stage deal on Brexit, agreed new reforms for the carbon market and rules for posted workers.

The country had also said it wanted to move digital issues up the EU’s political agenda.