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Press material Wednesday 25 May 2022   ● Council of the EU   25/05/2022 18:15 | Press release | Eurojust: Council adopts new rules allowing the agency to preserve evidence of war crimes   To help ensure accountability for crimes committed in Ukraine, the Council today adopted new rules allowing Eurojust to preserve, analyse and store evidence relating to core international crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The text is due to be signed by the European Parliament and the Council on 30 May and promptly published in the Official Journal. It will enter into force on the day following its publication. The new rules will allow Eurojust to: store and preserve evidence relating to war crimes, including satellite images, photographs, videos, audio recordings, DNA profiles and fingerprints process and analyse this evidence, in close cooperation with Europol, and share the information with the relevant national and international judicial authorities, including the International Criminal Court Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, numerous reports from Ukraine have sadly indicated that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been and are being committed in Ukraine. At the beginning of March, all EU member states, together with other partner states, decided to collectively refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court. At the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 4 March, ministers encouraged Eurojust to fully exercise its coordinating role and to make itself available as required to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. In addition to the investigation by the ICC prosecutor, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has opened an investigation, as have the authorities of several member states. A joint investigation team has also been established by the judicial authorities of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, with the support of Eurojust and the participation of the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC and shortly of the judicial authorities of Slovakia, Latvia and Estonia. Coordination and exchange of evidence between the different competent authorities is important to ensure the effectiveness of these investigations. In addition, owing to the ongoing hostilities there is a risk that evidence relating to war crimes or crimes against humanity cannot be safely stored on the territory of Ukraine and therefore it is appropriate to establish central storage in a safe location. Amendment to regulation 2018/1727 as regards the collection, preservation and analysis by Eurojust of evidence relating to war crimes EU solidarity with Ukraine (background information) Thank you, dear Prime Minister, dear Magdalena (Andersson). First of all, allow me to join you in expressing our shock at the tragic attack in Texas.… Press material Wednesday 25 May 2022   ● European Council   25/05/2022 15:40 | Statements and remarks | Remarks by President Charles Michel after his meeting in Stockholm with Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson   Thank you, dear Prime Minister, dear Magdalena (Andersson). First of all, allow me to join you in expressing our shock at the tragic attack in Texas. On behalf of the EU, I would also like to offer my condolences to the victims and to their families. Thank you for your warm welcome, and for this opportunity to meet you and to prepare our next European Council meeting together. This is a pivotal moment for Sweden and the whole EU. Your application for NATO membership comes at a crucial time. The values of peace, prosperity, freedom, and democracy are now at stake on our European soil. These values were forged from the ashes of the two world wars. Your decision is strongly supported by the Swedish people. We respect your choice; we fully support your choice and your decision, because NATO membership will be mutually beneficial for both the EU and for NATO. It will make Europe safer. We look forward to a positive resolution to discussions among NATO allies. Sweden has been an integral part of our united response to Russian aggression, and with the Prime Minister, we discussed the agenda for next week’s European Council. We discussed the importance of financial support to Ukraine – the short-term liquidity needs and the reconstruction needs. We also highlighted the urgency of bolstering our defence capabilities, as we decided in Versailles. We need to address our investment gaps in defence and to join forces as much as possible to maximise our impact. The issue of energy prices will also be crucial. High prices are putting pressure on our households and economies, and we will focus on phasing out our dependence on fossil fuels from Russia and boosting renewables. The war in Ukraine is also driving up global food prices. The most vulnerable around the world will pay the heaviest price. In Odesa, I saw millions of tonnes of wheat and grain blocked in silos because of Russian warships. Russia bears sole responsibility for the famines that are taking shape, but we are determined to take action to prevent this global crisis. That is why we support initiatives like FARM, put forward by France and supported by the European Council and the G7. Other humanitarian actions will also be needed. We are convinced that we must stay strong and united against Russian aggression. I know that we can count on Sweden and Sweden can count on the European Union. Thank you, Magdalena. Representatives of the EU member states, the Western Balkans and Turkey, the European Commission and the European Central Bank, as well as representa… Press material Wednesday 25 May 2022   ● Council of the EU   25/05/2022 13:25 | Press release | Western Balkans and Turkey: Joint conclusions of the economic and financial dialogue of 24 May 2022   Representatives of the EU member states, the Western Balkans and Turkey, the European Commission and the European Central Bank, as well as representatives of the central banks of the Western Balkans and Turkey met for their annual economic policy dialogue. The dialogue aims at preparing the Western Balkans and Turkey for their future participation in the European Semester. The participants of the dialogue approved conclusions covering The Republic of Albania Bosnia and Herzegovina Kosovo Montenegro The Republic of North Macedonia The Republic of Serbia Turkey The dialogue will continue in 2023, including on the implementation of these conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have confronted EU Member States, the Western Balkans and Turkey with major public health, economic and social challenges. Participants agreed that the economic policy dialogue is of high importance in view of a common interest to define appropriate policy responses to the recent adverse shocks. Participants emphasised the strong common position by the EU and the Western Balkans and Turkey in deploring in the strongest terms the military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In view of high uncertainty about potential further pandemic effects and the impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, participants considered it appropriate to stand ready to mitigate, if needed, adverse impacts on growth, employment and social cohesion by adequately targeted, temporary and transparent fiscal and financial measures until a self-sustained recovery is firmly established. Read the full text of the conclusions: Joint Conclusions of the Economic and Financial Dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkans and Turkey as approved by the participants of the Dialogue on 24 May 2022 Western Balkans and Turkey: Joint conclusions of the economic and financial dialogue of 12 July 2021 (press release, 12 July 2021) The Council presidency, the European Central Bank and the European Commission met with European social partners on 23 May 2022 to discuss recent deve… Press material Tuesday 24 May 2022   ● Council of the EU   24/05/2022 15:23 | Press release | Macroeconomic dialogue with the social partners on 23 May 2022   The Council presidency, the European Central Bank and the European Commission met with European social partners on 23 May 2022 to discuss recent developments of the economic situation, as well as the consequences of the war in Ukraine on the European labour market, especially as regards the labour market integration of Ukrainian refugees. "While the European Union gradually emerged from the COVID-19 crisis and experienced a robust growth, the war in Ukraine constitutes a new economic shock. It materializes through the higher inflation driven by the surge in energy prices which weighs on the economic recovery. In this context, an intense dialogue between all economic actors is decisive to calibrate our economic policy responses in order to protect the most vulnerable groups, as called for by the social partners, and to reduce our energy dependency. During this difficult period, the responsibility of the European Union is also to support Ukrainian refugees forced to flee their country. The EU has already responded effectively and it will continue its efforts in favour of the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the European labour market. A close cooperation with social partners will be key to implement appropriate support policies, particularly in the areas of training and language learning." Bruno Le Maire, French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty "Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine is having a devastating humanitarian impact. Human losses are mounting by the day, and more than 6.3 million people have fled Ukraine in search of safety. It is also hitting the EU economy hard. We see higher energy prices fuelling inflation and disrupted supply chains. Still, the EU economy should see growth continue this year and next. This shows our economic resilience. The EU’s labour markets started the year on a strong footing, with record low unemployment and millions of new jobs created. They do not show signs of cooling down yet. All these factors illustrate the resilience of the EU economy, even though uncertainty and downside risks are high. This is all the more reason for the EU to stay on the course of reforms and investments." Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission "Today, we have had a very valuable exchange of views on a range of issues at macroeconomic dialogue. The context with the war in Ukraine and the awful humanitarian crisis provided us with a sobering backdrop but it reaffirmed our unity of purpose in support of Ukraine. We need to continue to pursue policies that safeguard economic growth. There is also a particular need at this time to facilitate Ukrainian refugees and ensure that they are fully equipped in both adapting and transitioning into our economies, however long that might last for." Paschal Donohoe, President of the Eurogroup "Urgent action is needed to protect working people from the cost of living crisis, to safeguard jobs and businesses from the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions, and to integrate refugees into work and life in the EU. ETUC rejects calls for wage moderation. Working people have suffered wage moderation for more than a decade, and cannot sit by while inflation drives down living standards and profits reach record levels. As a result of the war in Ukraine, member states will need to invest in speeding up the energy transition, strengthen social protection and take measures to help people deal with the surge in inflation, especially on energy and food. To support this the ETUC asks the EU to re-finance SURE with a wider scope. The ETUC calls for the prolongation of the escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact, and for the European Commission to come quickly with proposals to reform EU economic policy rules. More than ever, these rules will need to be agile enough to strengthen European resilience to economic shocks." Luca Visentini, ETUC General Secretary "The EU economy, in common with much of the global economy, is entering a difficult phase. Higher global prices for energy, raw materials and food are all driving EU inflation and putting pressure on businesses and households alike. As a net importer of energy, we cannot escape the fact that higher global energy prices will tend to lower real incomes in the EU. In this context, social partners need to engage responsibly in collective bargaining on wages and help ensure that temporary price rises do not give rise to rising inflation expectations and in turn a damaging wage-price spiral, that would risk weakening medium-term growth and employment prospects." Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of BusinessEurope "SGI Europe supports the economic sanctions to deter Russia and calls for the EU and the member states to limit the adverse effects on our economy as much as possible. High energy prices and high inflation lead to rising supply costs for enterprises and a loss of real income, especially for the most vulnerable. It is urgent to clarify how to realistically finance infrastructure projects to strengthen our energy resilience and accelerate the transition out of fossil fuels. Member states should also consider new measures to best protect the most vulnerable households with better accessibility and affordability of essential services and address inflation. The first step is to agree today on the prolongation of the general escape clause of the SGP while continuing its long term review to better financing needs." Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary of SGI Europe "Before Europe’s economy could really recover from the Covid pandemic, it faced massive external shocks stemming from the Ukraine war, related sanctions and continued surges of the virus. Neither additional liquidity nor massive wage increases can compensate the loss in welfare and they cannot be fully offset by additional subsidies. All economic policy makers and social partners have now the joint responsibility to avoid additional inflation and to support households and SMEs most under pressure, which cannot bear the surge in prices for energy and other basic products." Véronique Willems, SMEunited Secretary General "The Russian aggression in Ukraine and the resulting refugee crisis is above all a terrible human tragedy that has affected the whole world. The refugee crisis presents a challenge for policy makers namely in the EU. It is appropriate that swift political action has been taken to provide humanitarian aid and to prepare for long-term integration both at the national and the EU level. The next key step for all EU member states will be to implement all relevant measures with the support of our social partners. In light of the fight for democratic values that is taking place in Ukraine we have an obligation to do so." Future Czech Presidency (Jul-Dec 2022) "There is no doubt that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on EU economies. The surge in energy prices has driven up inflation, which will affect vulnerable households and companies. The economic development is clouded by many uncertainties, and it will be important to continue monitoring closely the European labour market. The macroeconomic dialogue with European social partners serves as an important tool to form appropriate policy responses. Not least in terms of how the EU can best support Ukrainian refugees and swiftly facilitate their entrance into the EU labour market." Future Swedish Presidency (Jan-Jun 2023) The next macroeconomic dialogue will be organised under the Czech presidency.