Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) EU Parliament, Council, and Commission signed a joint declaration on 2023/2024 legislative priorities, stressing that the move will make the bloc stronger.
The EC pointed out in a statement released on Thursday that the bloc “will continue standing by Ukraine and its people while accelerating the twin green and digital transitions.”
Roberta Metsola, President of the EU Parliament, stated that “after two tough years of pandemic and with the Russian invasion still raging in Ukraine, this is the time when EU leadership is needed the most.”
She added that businesses and citizens of the EU need “common actions” to adopt regulations to rein in energy prices, achieve the bloc’s increasingly ambitious climate targets, make the EU budget sustainable again and implement migration reforms.
“These reforms are especially important in view of the 2024 European elections when citizens will hold us accountable for how the EU has responded to the current challenges,” Metsola concluded.
EU Council President Petr Fiala added, “the joint declaration that we sign today reaffirms our commitment to work towards a fairer, greener, and more digital Europe.”
Russia to blame
“These priorities will guide our decisions and actions during the year and a half to come and will help our societies and economies withstand the effects of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine,” Fiala concluded.
EC President Ursula von der Leyen noted that the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine can be felt in Europe and beyond, reiterating that EU bodies are determined to continue standing with Ukraine.
She concluded that the newly signed declaration “charts a way to deliver on the promises we made to our EU citizens.”
The EC pointed out that the declaration commits EU bodies to prioritize green and digital transitions, improve the bloc’s resilience and “create an economy that works for the people.”
The move will protect “our democracy and values,” the Commission stressed and reiterated that EU institutions will “aim at achieving the best possible progress on the initiatives included in the joint declaration.”
The EC praised its achievements in this year, pointing to continued financial and political support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
