Decisions in Brussels
EU heads of state and Government met in Brussels on Thursday.
Valentin Țigău, 19.12.2014, 14:21
The EU leaders who gathered in Brussels have decided to set up, at the European Commission’s proposal, the European Fund for Strategic Investment. The fund will have a budget of 315 billion euros. Additionally, Member States will be able to contribute to the fund directly or via their national banks. The European Investment Bank will cover the initial funding for the project, which will become operational in January 2015.
The European Parliament must draft the necessary legislation by June next year, so that the funds can be accessed starting that month. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Brussels, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, who was the main architect of the fund, says that all Member States agreed in principle to contribute to the fund. Some states suggested their contributions might depend on the recommendations of the Commission.
At the same time, there are states such as Germany that have voiced reluctance with respect to the effectiveness of this project. The second point on the agenda of the meeting was the EU’s long-term strategy regarding the Russian Federation. European Council president Donald Tusk said the financial problems of Ukraine and Russia are long-term ones, and that Member States have agreed on the need to come up with a strategy for the long run.
Moreover, heads of state and Government have hailed Ukraine’s determination to implement political reforms, voicing their readiness to adopt, if needed, fresh sanctions on Russia. On the sidelines of the meeting EU leaders adopted a series of sanctions previously announced, such as halting all investments in Crimea as of December 20 and suspending all tourist programmes to Crimea and Sevastopol. In addition, starting in March 2015 EU cruise ships will no longer stop in ports in the Crimean Peninsula, except in emergency situations.
In this context, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin to make a radical change in his attitude towards Ukraine, a country where Russia is still providing support to separatists in the east. President Traian Basescu represented Romania for the last time in an official position, as his second term in office will come to an end on December 21. President Basescu said, among other things, that Romania supported the sanctions on Moscow.
