The European Council has decided to grant the status of candidate country to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova.
European Union
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The European Council has decided to grant the status of candidate country to Ukraine and to the Republic of Moldova.
On the first day of the special summit, EU leaders backed the sixth sanctions package against Russia, which covers crude oil and petroleum products. The leaders also agreed to grant Ukraine micro financial assistance of up to € 9 billion and discussed continued EU support to Ukraine, including political, humanitarian, and military support.
The European Commission is proposing to add the violation of EU restrictive measures to the list of EU crimes. The Commission is also proposing new reinforced rules on asset recovery and confiscation, which will also contribute to the implementation of EU restrictive measures.
The Commission is presenting the State of Schengen Report 2022. This is the first time the Commission is presenting such report, following last year's Schengen Strategy. This report is part of the Commission's initiative to reinforce the Schengen governance through a yearly reporting exercise presenting the state of Schengen, identifying priorities for the year ahead and monitoring progress made at the end of a given year.
Mit 529 Stimmen gegen 45 und 14 Enthaltungen nahm das Parlament am Donnerstag eine Entschließung an, in der die Staats- und Regierungschefs, die heute und morgen ihr Gipfeltreffen abhalten, aufgefordert werden, der Ukraine und der Republik Moldau „unverzüglich" den Status eines Bewerberlandes zu gewähren. Georgien sollte derselbe Status eingeräumt werden, „sobald seine Regierung bei den von der Kommission angegebenen Schwerpunktbereichen Ergebnisse erzielt hat“.
As part of the comprehensive approach to migration set out in the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Commission is proposing legal, operational and policy initiatives that will benefit the EU's economy, strengthen cooperation with non-EU countries and improve overall migration management in the long term. The set of proposals also includes specific actions to facilitate integration of those fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine into the EU's labour market.
MEPs call for children fleeing war in Ukraine to be given safe passage and for assistance for those internally displaced or unable to leave areas under siege. “Every child has the right to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse”, say MEPs, calling on EU countries to protect children from the risk of trafficking, illegal adoption and other types of abuse.
The Council discussed the implementation of the sanctions imposed by the EU on Russia, their effectiveness (with the aim of preventing any circumvention) and their strengthening. The ministers also discussed the economic issues related to the reception of Ukrainian refugees.
The Council adopted legislative amendments making it possible for member states to redirect resources from cohesion policy funds and the Fund for European Aid for the Most Deprived (FEAD) to assist the refugees escaping the Russian military aggression against Ukraine.
The “Stand Up for Ukraine” global pledging event and campaign has raised 9.1 billion euros for people fleeing the Russian invasion, inside Ukraine and abroad, including €1 billion from the European Commission. On top of that, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has announced an additional €1 billion in loan to cover the needs of the people displaced by the invasion.
Ministers met to discuss further coordination of the reception of refugees from Ukraine. Since 24 February 2022, around 3.8 million people, mainly women and children, have arrived in the European Union after fleeing from the war in Ukraine. Ministers also addressed the implementation of the decision on temporary protection and expressed their support for further coordination of guidance and travel within the EU.
The European Council adopted conclusions on the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, security and defence, energy, economic issues, COVID-19 and external relations. On the first day of the summit, EU leaders were joined by US President Joe Biden, in person, to discuss support for Ukraine and the strengthening of transatlantic cooperation, and by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, via video conference.
Today, the European Commission outlines the actions being taken to support Member States in meeting the needs of those fleeing the war against Ukraine and its people. Since the unprovoked and unjustified Russian invasion, some 3.5 million people – mainly women and children – have arrived in the EU in the space of just four weeks.
The European Commission has presented a range of short-term and medium-term actions to enhance global food security and to support farmers and consumers in the EU in light of rising food prices and input costs, such as energy and fertilisers. The surge in global commodity prices, further accelerated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlights again the need for EU agriculture and food supply chains to become more resilient and sustainable, in line with the Farm to Fork strategy.
Following up rapidly on the REPowerEU Communication and the Versailles Declaration, the Commission has set out ideas today for collective European action to address the root causes of the problem in the gas market and ensure security of supply at reasonable prices for next winter and beyond. Leaders will continue the discussion on these options at this week's European Council.
EU leaders adopted a statement on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, discussed its consequences and the EU response. They also discussed how to strengthen European sovereignty, reduce dependencies and design a new growth and investment model.
In the face of Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military invasion of Ukraine, European solidarity in action is helping people through direct humanitarian aid, emergency civil protection assistance, support at the border, as well as a clear legal status allowing those fleeing the war to receive immediate protection in the EU.
The Commission is proposing to activate the Temporary Protection Directive to offer quick and effective assistance to people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Under this proposal, those fleeing the war will be granted temporary protection in the EU, meaning that they will be given a residence permit, and they will have access to education and to the labour market.
The European Parliament held an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels to assess Russia’s military assault on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) Ruslan Stefanchuk spoke live from Kiev. European Council and Commission Presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the EU’s Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, also participated in the debate.
