MEPs outline their expectations for the 23-24 June European Council and discuss whether Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia should be granted EU candidate status.

EU - Ukraine (T)

debate

plenary session

EU - Georgia (T)

EU - Moldova (T)

solidarity with Ukraine (T)

Ukraine's application for EU membership (T)

European Council meeting 23-24 June 2022 (T)

Moldova's application for EU membership (T)

Georgia's application for EU membership (T)

Preparation of the European Council (23/24 June 2022) - Candidate status for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (French), Cl&#233;ment BEAUNE, French Minister of State with responsability for European Affairs, Of course, the European Council will be looking at the very different dimensions of this war of aggression from Russia against Ukraine. We will reassert the joint support and extended support to Ukraine to allow it to resist socially, economically, militarily, financially and in terms of ensuring its reconstruction.

SOUNDBITE (French), Cl&eacute;ment BEAUNE, French Minister of State with responsability for European Affairs, The cynical use of food commodities by Russia to endanger world food security, this is not linked to our sanctions, but to the war of aggression unleashed by Russia. So we will be working hard to find a solution to these problems. We certainly support the initiatives of the general secretary of the United Nations and we will be trying to show solidarity to maximise export of food commodities.

SOUNDBITE (French), Cl&eacute;ment BEAUNE, French Minister of State with responsability for European Affairs, I believe and I hope that we will be able to get agreement by consensus at this European Council to provide this the signal that to expect it, that is to allow candidate status, which should not be confused with immediate membership.

SOUNDBITE (French), Cl&eacute;ment BEAUNE, French Minister of State with responsability for European Affairs, We have also drawn lessons from the conference on the Future of Europe, which concluded on the 9th of May before your house in Strasbourg with the presence of the president of France and the president of the commission. The parliament has already responded and yesterday the council held a debate which was not conclusive on the main political priorities. We will be needing to show in the next few weeks and months that our actions on the climate, on food security, on security and defence are all major challenges where we need to accelerate our work, that we are bolstering the actions that we have already taken. The war is not undermining Europe, but also stresses the vital need for more Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, EC President, The opinion we presented last week recognises Ukraine's aspirations. It acknowledges the immense progress that Ukraine's democracy has achieved since the Maidan. Our opinion stems from a careful and thorough assessment on the reality of the on the ground. And this evidence tells us that Ukraine, the opinion of the Commission, deserves a European perspective. It deserves the candidate status, of course, on the understanding that the country will carry out a number of further important reforms.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, EC President, History is on the march. And I'm not just talking about Putin's war of aggression. I am talking about the wind of change that is again blowing across our continent. And with their applications, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia are telling us that they want change. They want more democracy. they want more freedom and stronger reforms. They are telling us that they want Europe and we have the responsibility towards them. but we also have a responsibility towards ourselves to make the right choices.

SOUNDBITE (English), Rasa JUKNEVI&#268;IEN&#278; (EPP, LT), I call on EU member states politicians to stop some EU member states politicians to stop sending pessimistic messages to the struggling Ukraine by saying that Ukraine's path to the EU membership will take decades. Show your leadership so that this country becomes part of our family as soon as possible. The impression is that it is not Ukraine, but the politicians of some EU countries are not ready for Ukraine's membership.

SOUNDBITE (English), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), S&amp;D Group leader, We need vision, we need ideas and a lot of common sense and why we continue moving forward with urgent measures such as support to Ukraine, sanctions on Russia. We also need to think about our common future and what EU do we want to live and what next steps are necessary to get this exercise begun to the Commission the future of Europe and is not finished yet.

SOUNDBITE (French), St&#233;phane S&#201;JOURN&#201; (Renew, FR), Renew Europe Group leader, But some countries appear to be using our institutional architecture, namely the veto rights, to cause problems and to slow down our responses to crises. So I think that that's important. Madam President, that's why it is worth working on our institutional architecture. Some member states, not always the same ones, block reforms. These vetoes are not vetoes on behalf of peoples. No, it's vetoes from governments in difficulties.