Second day of the summit in Brussels, focusing on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Prime Minister on migration: "Review EU rules for more effective procedures on irregular migrants". Yesterday there was tension among the 27 on the ETS. Italy asks for more fiscal flexibility due to high energy costs, von der Leyen slows down
Second and last day of the European Council. Today on the table are the war in Ukraine, with Zelensky's participation, and the one in the Middle East. “We want to end this war as quickly as possible but at the moment we don't see any signals from the Russian side that they are ready to end this war,” the Ukrainian president said, arriving at the Europa Building. Yesterday the discussion on energy took center stage: the agreement on ETS arrived during the night, after a day of stalemate. Palazzo Chigi appears satisfied: "Several priorities promoted by Italy have been implemented, in particular on the need to reduce energy costs, protect European industrial production and intervene, in the framework of the ongoing review of the ETS system, on the volatility of CO₂ prices and their impact on electricity costs".
Zelensky: "Europe has the Patriots needed to get us through the winter"
The Ukrainian president in Brussels, on the military supplies front, highlighted how Europe has the number of Patriot interceptors "necessary to allow us to get through the winter". At the same time, he said, "we will proceed with the Freja project to get to our missile defense, we will succeed: if we all unite now and Europe supports us, the future will be easier."
"From Europeans I received only support, we need dignity"
Zelensky recalled that he had received "only support" from the Europeans, who "understand that our position is totally justified". At the press conference he then spoke about the Russia-US agreement on diesel, calling it "a surprise for everyone", even though "we should have known". And again: "I defend Ukraine and my people, we have the right to do so and in war it is very important to preserve dignity." As regards the relationship with Trump, the Ukrainian president announces that "there will be a meeting between the negotiators in the next few days, we always have issues to discuss with the president".
Migrations
Today we also talked about migration. According to what has leaked from Brussels, the debate has heated up on what to write in the conclusions of the summit. In particular, the position of the Danish Prime Minister is underlined: Mette Frederiksen would have proposed amendments to the text which speaks of migration as a factor that undermines the foundations of European public services, with the services of European cities saturated. The text proposed by Frederiksen, the sources conclude, according to Italy would not be incisive enough.
Meloni: "Review EU rules for more effective procedures on irregular migrants"
On the sidelines of the summit, Meloni, together with Frederiksen herself and the Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, hosted an informal meeting between some of the member states most interested in the topic of innovative solutions to be applied to the migration phenomenon. With reference to the recent events in Ceuta, Meloni - explains Palazzo Chigi - underlined "the need to maintain high vigilance on the external borders" and raised the issue of "a targeted review of European legislation to make the new procedures relating to the detention of irregular migrants during border procedures more effective."
The conclusions on Ets
"The European Council invites the EU Commission to update the assessment of all the impacts of ETS2, in particular as regards its structure and safeguard measures", reads the text of the summit conclusions, adopted after a long clash between the 27. The text "reaffirms the need to urgently guarantee a well-functioning, transparent and predictable carbon market, to reduce the volatility of the carbon price and to mitigate its impact on electricity prices, while preserving the essential role of the ETS".
Tension between the 27s
Strong tensions therefore to reach an agreement on the CO2 emissions trading market. The issue is broader than the ETS itself: in the balance there is the concept of energy strategy in the broad sense, between those who do not want to retreat from the Green transition and the push of those, like Giorgia Meloni, who ask for a brake, or in any case for exceptions, to European policies on renewables. The stalemate lasted practically all day yesterday, leaving the text of the conclusions open. The agreement then arrived during the night. The text "reiterates the need to urgently ensure a well-functioning, transparent and predictable carbon market, to reduce the volatility of the carbon price and to mitigate its impact on electricity prices, while preserving the essential role of the ETS".
Dear energy and fiscal flexibility
The issue of fiscal flexibility is also central. Meloni, as expected, raised the issue, asking to consider the high prices as a determining external factor, albeit within the fiscal rules. Only Greece openly supported it. The president of the commission Ursula von der Leyen instead once again underlined the need for caution on public finances, explaining that the only measure "in the very short term" can only be the extension of the state aid regime for the energy crisis.
