NordenBladet —
In a session on security policy, Peeter Tali, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee, said that defense preparedness is a common interest of Europe. “We must stop buying natural gas and oil from Russia in order not to finance Russia’s war in Ukraine and hybrid activities against ourselves. We must stop the activities of the shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea, which also poses a major environmental threat, and use Russia’s frozen assets to compensate for war damages in Ukraine,” said Tali.
In a session on the EU’s position in the global economy, Tali stated that the European law-making process needs reform, including ensuring business-friendly rules, reducing reporting requirements, and making cross-border digital governance the norm. He stressed that Europe must be more independent and not depend on authoritarian regimes and third countries in its supply chains.
Annely Akkermann, Chair of the Finance Committee, spoke in a session that focused on European fiscal rules and their sustainability in the current geopolitical situation. “Well-designed and evidence-based fiscal rules are the cornerstone of the sustainability of the European Union,” said Akkermann. “Clear rules are the path to competitive growth, defence capability, and social cohesion. We need to keep the budget on track, but at the same time ensure flexibility to be ready to respond to the unexpected.”
Member of the Finance Committee Riina Sikkut raised the question of whether Member States are ready to accept that the European Defence Mechanism will shape the European Union’s defence policy. “Perhaps this would motivate Member States, more distant from Moscow, to contribute or participate more, but are we ready to shape defence policy this way?” Sikkut added, pointing out that any defence policy initiative must be subject to strict rules, similar to the European Stability Mechanism, which sets very clear criteria for the Member States.
The purpose of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination, and Governance is to foster cooperation among parliaments within the framework of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination, and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. The Conference was established in 2013 at the Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments (EUSC).
Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
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merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
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Source: Parliament of Estonia