Referring to the recent agreement between Council, Parliament and Commission on the new European Border and Coast Guard, President Juncker called on the Slovak Presidency to implement the agreement so that the new agency can become operational as soon as possible.

Asks the Member States to consider incentives to encourage the use of declared domestic workers and carers; encourages the Member States to put in place simple declaration systems so as to discourage and tackle the issue of undeclared employment, as recommended by the European Economic and Social Committee in its opinion on developing services to the family to increase employment rates and promote gender equality at work (SOC/508); recommends that the Commission promote the exchange of best practices between the Member States, following the example of successful models that have had a positive impact on the sector in social and labour ...[+++]terms, e.g. the ‘service vouchers’ introduced by Belgium and the ‘universal service employment cheque (CESU)’ in France.

In this respect, I would like to warn Parliament to be on its guard against what I call the Belgian football club approach, which I must explain to you.

I would therefore caution the Commission against meddling with such an explosive issue and against being used by those anxious to hide behind the EU to deliver something which will severely set back relations in Northern Ireland.

In my view, capital punishment can be appropriate and necessary where there are in place wholly reliable and proper judicial processes, proofed with a full range of appeal facilities. Clearly, such does not exist in Libya.

Basically, I wish to put the Commission on its guard. From this point on, you have an important duty in respect of Parliament, that of getting the implementing measures under way in a framework that has now been clearly redefined.