On the agreement of the EU Heads of State and Government on a partial oil embargo and the ongoing European Council meeting Philippe Lamberts MEP, President of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, comments: “The agreement to ban 90 percent of Russian oil from entering the European Union and to finally put the sixth sanctions package into force is welcome.”
“At the same time, the remaining ten percent stands as a result of successful blackmailing by the Hungarian Prime Minister, which hinders the EU from imposing a fully-fledged ban with clear limits for any exemptions. To continue maximum pressure on Russia, the EU’s unity is key. European unity cannot come at the expense of the rule of law though. The EU must not give away its values for unity. The unanimity principle jeopardises the EU’s ability to act swiftly and makes central decisions the plaything of national interests. We need to get rid of this instrument of national power-play better sooner than later.”
“The EU needs energy sovereignty and the energy turnaround now with a massive expansion of renewable energies, energy efficiency and an initiative for EU solar cell production. Citizens and industry are suffering from rising energy prices, and the reconstruction of Ukraine will require massive investments.”
“The Greens/EFA Group calls on the heads of state and government to impose a windfall tax on the billions in war-related profits of oil companies and to put the money into financial support for those households that are most affected by the cost of living crisis. The confiscation of assets of Russian oligarchs can free up billions for the reconstruction of Ukraine, however we need to be certain that the legal basis for confiscating assets is watertight. We call for a 1 trillion euro energy sovereignty fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine and investments in renewable energies in Ukraine and the EU. We need fresh money to drive the energy transition and a strong cash injection for much-needed renovations and renewable infrastructures to make clean energy an EU-wide reality.”
