In many ways, 2022 has hit Europe like never before, in a context where war has returned to the continent since the Russian invasion of February 24. The Twenty-Seven will have the opportunity to see this for themselves this Thursday, December 15 in Brussels, on the occasion of the final European Council of the year.
In the first line
The EU, an institution founded on the ruins of the post-war period, broke an absolute taboo by agreeing to finance the shipment of arms to Ukraine. Until then, the European Peace Facility (EFF), which serves as the basis for these deliveries, formally refrained from providing lethal equipment. Now, the principle of a military kitty is approved. European leaders have even just decided on an extension for the FEP of 2 billion euros in 2023, which is added to a budget of 5.7 billion euros for the period 2021-2027, of which 86% has already been spent. .
This year, the European Union also initiated temporary protection which had never been used before, so as to automatically recognize the status of refugee to 4.8 million Ukrainians, out of the 8.2 million registered in the EU. since the beginning of the conflict. Solidarity is now being expressed to ensure that the Ukrainians can stay on their territory, while the Russian army continues to pound the country’s energy infrastructure in the cold.
The winter aid in question
“The situation, aggravated by the arrival of snow and sub-zero temperatures, requires an appropriate response from us, including in terms of preparedness and humanitarian aid”, insists Charles Michel in his traditional letter to heads of state and government before the summit. To do this, the Council reached an agreement to financially help Ukraine up to €18 billion in 2023.
The European Commission will finance the purchase of 30 million LED bulbs for the benefit of Ukraine, in order to help the country at war to reduce its energy consumption, announced Tuesday, December 13 the president of the institution, Ursula von der Leyen. And the international conference in support of Ukraine, organized in Paris on the same day, made it possible to collect more than one billion euros in donations to help the population.
Europe is also reacting to its energy shortcomings, through the “REPowerEU” project which was the subject of an agreement on the night of 14 December. Part of the post-Covid recovery plan, a historic mechanism which for the first time lays the foundations for a common debt of 27 to the tune of 750 billion euros, can be used to ensure the energy security of the EU.
In all, 225 billion euros could be invested in various projects aimed at emancipating from Russia: insulation of buildings, diversification of gas supplies, renewable energies, support for vulnerable households… The Twenty-Seven also want to prepare for the winter 2023-2024 by encouraging grouped gas purchases between now and then to fill storage capacities.
Under the European baton
The year 2022 was also an opportunity to trigger an unprecedented financial sanction mechanism against Hungary, when one of the Member States violates democratic or anti-corruption principles. A little more than 12 billion euros intended for Budapest are currently frozen, while waiting to see if the government of Viktor Orban is in order: 6.3 billion euros which were to be paid within the framework of the budget 2021-2027, and €5.8 billion from the post-Covid recovery plan.
Last unprecedented point: sanctions against Russia. Since February, the EU has voted eight trains of “restrictive measures” unimaginable in the world before: exclusion from the Swift interbank platform, embargo on oil and gas… The 27 must discuss their maintenance, while some of them will expire at the end of January. Above all, the EU would like to ensure that these sanctions are not circumvented. This will be the special mission of the Irishman David O’Sullivan, former EU ambassador to the United States, who will take up his post next month.