EU leaders meet for a special meeting of the European Council on the 30th of May, in Brussels. Roberta METSOLA, EP President gives a statement and holds a Press conference.

METSOLA, Roberta (EPP, MT, EP President)

meeting of the European Council

president's agenda

special meeting of the European Council 30-31 May 2022 (T)

Special Meeting of the European Council: arrival of Roberta METSOLA, EP President and doorstep, roundtable and extracts from the Press conference

Title: Special Meeting of the European Council: arrival of Roberta METSOLA, EP President and doorstep, roundtable and extracts from the Press conference

Arrival of Roberta METSOLA, EP President to the European Council (3 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, We welcome the draught texts from the Council conclusions. We hope that they can be confirmed tonight. Naturally, we would have liked them to go further, but we welcome the progress. Position of the European Parliament remains clear that we need to have zero dependency on Russia for all fossil fuels. So we need to buy our energy and diversify our resources from our friends and not from our foes. We also would have liked, but we understand that this is going to be debated in the next European Council, a full and unequivocal declaration of candidate status for Ukraine. We look forward to the Commission's positive avis on this matter and will continue to work hard on this, we are unequivocal.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, - For us in the European Parliament, we already called both within the various committees, but also the highest levels at the Commission, we need to look at common purchasing, at identifying, for example, funds for fertiliser, helping those countries that not only import food but also grow it but need the possibilities to do so. And what we are seeing with the Russian blockade of foods from not being able to leave the Black Sea, that is really quite a threat that is unacceptable to us. And we have been calling for action to be taken.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament, - What is unacceptable is that there is one country that is blocking millions of tonnes from leaving the Black Sea in order to feed the rest of the world facing millions of people that potentially face a famine. This is for us impossible. It is unacceptable, and we will not stop until that is solved.

Cutaways of Roberta METSOLA, giving statements (3 shots)

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament I'll use this opportunity to emphasise the three main points that I conveyed on behalf of the European Parliament to them ahead of their discussions tonight and tomorrow. First on sanctions and energy independence.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament - While I understand the realities facing different countries, there is equally a limit to how much flexibility we can allow without losing credibility vis a vis our populations and the rest of the world from within the EU and from outside the EU. Unity must remain our strength and blueprint in the coming weeks and months, and our goal remains zero dependence on Russia.

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament - While the Commission prepares its avis before the next European Council, question I asked on behalf of the Parliament is the choice we face is this: do we want Ukraine to look to Europe or do we want Ukraine and the rest of the world to doubt Europe's capacity to make the important decisions when we are asked to and when we have to lead?

SOUNDBITE (English), Roberta METSOLA, President of the European Parliament - And I wanted to make sure that there is zero ambiguity about the European Parliament's position, that it positively views the next step for Ukraine to become a candidate country of the European Union. This would allow not only for the political message to be sent, but also for the next steps that would further integrate Ukraine and Ukrainians and the possibility for them to access different programmes while we look at the rebuilding of Ukraine.