Mr. Günther Oettinger:

The Chairman should understand that is the reason I am here. Tomorrow I will be in Zagreb, Friday in Sofia, and Sunday in Berlin. Day by day the European project needs more ambassadors than just the Commission. It is our project. Members of the committee and I - all of us - have to do better and do more.

Brussels bashing is the most popular game of many national governments. If anything goes wrong it is because of these stupid bureaucrats. If we are successful, it is because of national governments. This game is not acceptable. It is our European Union. I have to convince all of our citizens and I do my best, but members of the committee have to do it also. We have to do it. It is not the Commission's obligation; it is a common obligation. It is our project. It is a project of Ireland, Germany, France, Malta and Cyprus. It is an obligation for the Commission and all people with a mandate and a level of authority having prominence, as members of the committee have and as I have. I do my best - not more, but I do my best. There is no reason to accuse anybody - not members of the committee or me.

Maybe it was because of rural areas, agriculture and fisheries that the Commission's candidate coming from Ireland is now the Commissioner in charge. Is that a surprise? Considerable lobbying led to an Irish Commissioner having DG AGRI and not having another portfolio. It is the best guarantee that the next Common Agricultural Policy is in the interest of our rural areas, our farmers and maybe especially Irish farmers. I have a perfect relationship with him; members can be sure that we are closest partners. In my MFF we developed from him and from me - not from me against him. It is about trust and confidence. I trust you and I ask you to trust me as well.

Regarding energy security, I was in charge of energy for five years, which is a long time, working on electricity grids, gas pipelines, connections between Ireland and the UK, energy efficiency, diversification of routes and sources, and LNG. Today we are much more independent and in a much better situation than we were ten years ago through investing in wind energy, supporting renewable energies and so on. The energy union of just one energy Single Market is our vision.

There will be new headquarters for European defence policies, but it is not the Commission's headquarters. The headquarters were developed through agreement of 25 member states. We can co-finance, activate some money and organise tenders in order to be more efficient and realise added value.

Brexit will bring no benefit. It is hugely damaging for the UK and it is negative for the EU 27 as well. The winner is China and maybe President Trump. However, we need to be cautious because these people like divide et impera; that is their game. Therefore we should work together as the EU 27 in a deeper and more efficient manner than ever. This is about the White Book process, the Bratislava and Rome process. We have to try to stabilise and deepen our European Union after Brexit and to reduce the damage Brexit will bring. Here Ireland is at the centre of all our work. There is no week without a debate in the college about Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. Michel Barnier is really brilliant and I ask members to trust him. Task Force 50 is competent and I ask members to trust it.

Our problem is we have a weak negotiating partner. It is a divided government and a totally divided coalition and if we have to negotiate, it is better to have a strong partner, a reliable partner, than to have a weak partner changing its mind week by week and having no clear priority. We are asking for the UK's priorities and we have no clear picture for the moment but we are developing several instruments and options to act and react immediately, as soon as we know what the outcome is. In regard to this MFF and beyond, if the committee wants to meet me again I am available to come here or the committee is invited to come to Brussels, whether in June, in September or in December to discuss common reactions of the EU 27 and Irish reactions when we see the outcome and the result of the Brexit negotiations. I know quite well the exports, the imports and the daily operative developments and that people living here are working there. It is one island in an economic dimension.

I must go to meet the Taoiseach as I am late. Afterwards there is a conference with the chamber of commerce. These people are the main concern.