European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will represent the European Parliament at the summit and address the Heads of State or Government at 16:00 on 30 May. She will hold a press conference in the European Council press room at around 17:00.
EU leaders will meet to discuss the state of play of the war in Ukraine and its effects on Europe, with a special focus on the energy sector. They will also talk about the EU’s defence capabilities and food security across the world, which is being severely impacted by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Additional information, including contact details for the MEPs involved, can be found on the European Parliament’s website.
The situation in Ukraine and the EU’s response
On 1 April, EP President Roberta Metsola was the first EU leader to travel to Kyiv, where she met President Zelenskyy and addressed the Verkhovna Rada. In her speech to Ukrainian MPs, she reiterated the Parliament’s support for Ukraine’s European path, to hold those responsible for the war accountable, and to rebuild cities and towns once the war is over.
Parliament backed on 19 May the suspension of all EU import duties on Ukrainian exports for a year, in order to support the country’s economy. Temporary trade liberalisation was fast-tracked in Parliament to ensure it can be applied swiftly. It will fully remove import duties on industrial products, entry duties on fruit and vegetables, as well as anti-dumping duties and safeguard measures on steel imports for a period of one year. You can read more here.
Wrapping up a plenary debate with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that took place on 4 May in Strasbourg, MEPs called for additional funding to mitigate the consequences of the war and of the sanctions, imposed on Russia, on European citizens and businesses. In a resolution adopted on 19 May they proposed, among other measures, confiscating Russian oligarchs’ assets, new EU own resources -including a windfall profit tax for energy companies-, and using the existing EU budget fully. In the same resolution, MEPs also advocated for extending the list of individuals targeted by EU sanctions, to include European former politicians working for Russian companies. In a separate resolution approved on 5 May, Parliament asks for additional sanctions on the Russian transport sector and demands that Russia return stolen plans to their legitimate owners.
Pointing to the Belarusian regime’s strong support for Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the Parliament wants to apply to Belarus the same sanctions imposed on Russia, according to a resolution approved on 19 May. Find more details on the MEPs’ request here.
With regards to the alleged war crimes committed by the Russian invaders in Ukraine, MEPs demand that a special international tribunal be set up to investigate a possible crime of aggression, for which the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction. In a vote on 19 May, Parliament backed new rules to allow Eurojust to safely store and analyse evidence related to war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Read more here.
On EU help for those fleeing the war in Ukraine, and particularly the most vulnerable, Parliament adopted a resolution on 7 April calling for Ukrainian refugee children to be given safe passage and asking EU countries to take measures to prevent them falling prey to trafficking, illegal adoption and other types of abuse. In another text adopted on 5 May, MEPs urged the EU to protect women fleeing Ukraine from violence and trafficking, and to ensure that they have access to essential health services, including abortion.
Further reading
https://ukraine.europarl.europa.eu/en/home.html
MEPs to contact
David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nathalie LOISEAU (Renew Europe, FR) Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence and co-Chair of the Fact Finding Mission to Moldova
Urmas PAET (Renew Europe, ET) Co-Chair of the Fact Finding Mission to Moldova
Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE) Standing Rapporteur on Ukraine
Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT) Standing Rapporteur on Russia
Robert Biedroń (S&D, PL) Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee Chair
Defence
The prospects of the European Defence Union in the current context was the focus of a hearing organised by the Subcommittee on Security and Defence on 17 May. On 12 May, the Foreign Affairs Committee agreed that, as part of the EU’s response to the Russian attack on Ukraine, the commitments set out in the Versailles Declaration should be implemented more quickly. MEPs advocate strengthening cooperation with like-minded partners around the globe, especially with transatlantic NATO allies. You can find more details here. Finland’s decision to apply to be a member of NATO in the wake of the Russian war in Ukraine was also assessed by Foreign Affairs MEPs with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on 12 May.
MEPs to contact:
David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Nathalie LOISEAU (Renew, FR) Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence
Energy
The need for European solidarity and enhanced energy security in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the recent cuts of gas supply to EU member states was the focus of a plenary debate on 19 May. In the resolution adopted on the same day on the economic and social consequences for the EU of Russia’s war in Ukraine, MEPs call for a new Strategic Autonomy Fund for Europe, to finance cross-border energy infrastructure, renewable energy production and efficiency, cybersecurity, industrial competitiveness, food security, the circular economy, and sustainable development. Also on 19 May, Parliament and Council negotiators hammered out a deal on new rules to ensure that EU countries have enough gas stored ahead of next winter. More details on the draft legislation are available here. You can also check the first reaction of the Industry, Transport and Energy Committee Chair to the REPowerEU Plan, proposed by the Commission to tackle the energy crisis triggered by the Russian aggression of Ukraine.
MEPs to contact:
Cristian BUSOI (EPP, RO) Industry, Research and Energy Committee Chair
Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL) rapporteur for the new gas storage rules
Food security
MEPs of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee discussed the state of play with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Chief Economist and members of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada on 17 May. The Committee has asked the European Commission to consider temporary derogations from the Common Agricultural Policy in light of the situation brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. You can read more on the letter sent to Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski here.
MEPs to contact:
Norbert LINS (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development