EPP Summit Declaration After more than 100 days of war on our continent, the EU Summit is meeting in critical times. While the war continues to produce its daily horrors, new challenges arise in people’s daily life: unprecedented inflation, a food crisis looming and high-energy prices. The EPP stands united in calling for the leaders to seize the opportunity to send a clear message to Putin, to our citizens and to the world: we stand united and our European way of life will prevail. 1. Candidate status for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. The EPP calls on the European Council to immediately grant EU candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. While acknowledging that this merit based process will take time, the EPP is convinced that Ukraine belongs firmly within our European family. This is also true for the Republic of Moldova. Ukrainians are fighting for our values, and our European way of life, and we have to embrace their European future. The process of European integration has successfully transformed countries that today are strong EU Member States. It has motivated reforms that many thought impossible. It has created peace and prosperity. It can be so in Ukraine and Moldova In the same vein, we have to offer the Westerns Balkans a clear European future with a clear timeline towards membership, and bring them, in the meantime, closer to the EU with concrete projects. The EPP strongly supports granting Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status with the understanding that the Brussels Political Agreement is followed, including the necessary adoption of the change of the Electoral Law is urgently needed to allow the establishment of functional institutions after the upcoming elections, thus advancing the country in the 14 key priorities. 2. Food crisis, food security and affordability. The EPP calls on the European Institutions to use all the tools available in close coordination with our farmers and industries to prevent a shortage of supply in Europe. The surge in food prices and basic commodities is already affecting the most vulnerable parts of our societies and it is our common responsibility to make sure that Member States benefit from all the flexibility possible to mitigate the devastating effects of the war on our citizens. In addition, the EU cannot let parts of the African continent become collateral damage in Putin’s war. The EPP calls on the Commission to present an Emergency Food Supply Action Plan for Africa. 3. EU economic recovery. Higher inflation, trade disruptions combined with soaring energy prices are weighing on European households and are damaging the competitiveness of our businesses already weakened by the pandemic. The impact on low-income households and the slowdown in growth will be particularly pronounced in countries in close proximity to Ukraine, countries that are hosting large numbers of refugees, and those that are heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas. The EPP refuses to turn a blind eye to these challenging issues that deserve a common and resolute response at EU level. The EPP urges the European Council to address these pressing issues and to present a plan for the EU’s economic recovery taking due account of the context of the war and the global economic outlook. The EPP resolutely supports the accession of Croatia to the eurozone. In light of the Euro Summit this week, the EPP stresses the need to complete the Banking Union. 4. Turkey’s provocations and revisionism. The EPP condemns any form of revisionism and aggressive actions and statements. It calls on Turkey to respect the sovereignty, sovereign rights and territorial integrity of all EU Member States. The EPP calls on Turkey to stop the provocations, to de-escalate tensions and respect good neighbourly relations.