The work of the EU on sanctions against Russia will continue, to make sure all the sanctions are effectively implemented and to prevent, as much as possible, circumvention, European Council President, Charles Michel, told the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg, on Wednesday.
He added that in close coordination with the G7 “we will consider sanctions on gold. We will also explore measures, such as price caps, to secure energy supply and to try to reduce price surges.”
Speaking during a discussion on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of June 23-24, Michel noted that “the Kremlin’s barbaric war against Ukraine has marked a tectonic shift on our continent and created a new geopolitical reality.”
He noted that the 27 EU leaders have decided to recognise the European perspective of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, adding that the future of these countries and their people lies within the EU.
We also decided to grant candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova. This sends a strong message to their people and to our EU citizens. We are also ready to grant candidate status to Georgia once the priorities in the Commission’s opinion have been addressed, he added.
Moreover, Michel said that since the Russian attack, “we have responded with unity to support Ukraine and we will stay right by their side for as long as it takes. We will continue to provide military support — we have already done a lot, but Ukraine needs more: so we called for the increase of military support for Ukraine.”
He stressed that “we will also continue to support Ukraine financially and we count on the Commission to soon present a proposal to grant Ukraine new Macro-Financial Assistance of up to 9 billion euros in 2022. We are also committed to supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction, together with international partners.”
Michel said that the European Union needs the Western Balkans as much as the Western Balkans need us. “It was a frank, an open, but also a hard debate with the Western Balkan leaders. But it was also much needed. We decided how to re-energise our engagement with this region and we reaffirmed our strong commitment to revive the enlargement process and to see how to clear the obstacles along the way,” he noted.
On his part, Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefcovic, told MEPs that Ukraine, Modlova and Georgia are undoubtedly members of the European family and referred to the European Council conclusions about the three countries.
Moreover he noted that the decisions taken by the European Council underline the unity and the powerful position of the EU vis-a-vis the Russian offensive against Ukraine.
He said that one of the reasons of the Russian attack was Ukraine’s decision to apply for EU membership, adding that the EU response was clear and acknowledges the immense progress made by Ukraine. He added that hard work begins now, and that reforms which have got underway from Ukraine have to be consolidated with determination.
Moreover, he noted that the EU will continue to provide its support to Ukraine and that they will submit a full package concerning the country’s reconstruction.
Šefcovic also said that it is important for the EU to give a new impetus to the process of enlargement towards the Western Balkans.
As regards the Conference on the Future of Europe he noted that the EU citizens’ proposals must be taken into consideration and Europeans must be informed about the progress being made.
Moreover, he said that the EU must do its utmost to support the most vulnerable affected by the repercussions of the war and intensify its efforts to diversify energy sources.
We need to have a consensus-based approach on the energy issue and implement the principle of solidarity, Šefcovic added.
He also stressed the need for investments for a digital and green future.
MEPs welcomed the decision to open the EU’s doors to Ukraine and Moldova, but asked leaders to strengthen the EU, and tackle the latest crisis.
Almost all speakers welcomed the decision to commence the accession process for Ukraine and Moldova, as Parliament had already asked. Many MEPs underlined that the road to accession is going to be long and will require many reforms for Ukraine and Moldova. They stressed that the EU should find other ways to support the countries in the meantime, including with military equipment, some argued.
Numerous speakers referred to the need to treat Western Balkan countries fairly and unblock their accession, as Parliament has already repeatedly asked in the past. Regarding the Conference on the Future of Europe and Parliament’s call for a Convention to revise the EU Treaties, many MEPs criticised the lack of ambition shown by the Council in this regard, highlighting that the need to reform the EU and the way it works is urgent. Citizens must not be let down and their expectations must be fulfilled, they insisted.
Many MEPs pointed to the need for more coordinated action to tackle the interconnected problems of skyrocketing energy prices, gas shortages caused by the Russian war against Ukraine, rising inflation, and the impact of this on households – with several across political groups asking for a cap on gas prices. Other topics raised were the need to reform the EU’s migration and asylum system, accession of more EU countries to the Schengen area, and Turkey’s aggression towards its EU neighbours.
Source: Cyprus News Agency