The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is urging the European Council to give the political green light to granting Ukraine EU candidate status at the June summit.
This is the main point of a second resolution on Ukraine adopted at the EESC plenary session on Thursday 16 June, focusing on the future of Ukraine. The three rapporteurs - Stefano Mallia, Séamus Boland and Oliver Röpke - stress the horizontal aspect of this vision, which was developed in dialogue with Ukrainian civil society. This dialogue and practical support to civil society is a plus point of the EESC, according to Oliver Röpke.
For EESC President Christa Schweng, granting Ukraine candidate status would be a first step in a long process, but would send a strong political signal. Séamus Boland believes that this status should not be granted to Ukraine out of charity, but because it is a sovereign state and deserves it. Stefano Mallia said that candidate status should be granted unconditionally, but that during the accession process no concessions should be accepted regarding compliance with the accession criteria, adding that this was also a demand from Ukrainian civil society.
The EESC calls for greater European efforts to receive and protect Ukrainian refugees in the Member States, especially vulnerable groups, and for more attention to be paid to their integration. The Committee calls for the prosecution of crimes committed by the Russian Federation and support for the economic fabric of Ukraine as a crucial element of future reconstruction.
The EESC hopes that war will not be an obstacle to the green and digital transition in Europe. The Committee believes that neither the Recovery and Resilience Facility nor the flexibility of the Multiannual Financial Framework will be sufficient to cover the financial needs generated by the war in Ukraine.
Link to the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/25k (Original version in French by Emilie Vanderhulst)