Prime Minister Orpo calls for swift decisions on supporting Ukraine and boosting competitiveness at European Council

The situation in Ukraine, developments in the Middle East and efforts to boost the EU’s competitiveness and deepen the single market featured prominently in the discussions at the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday 19 March.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who represented Finland at the meeting, called for swift action especially on support for Ukraine and deepening the single market, which Finland has long been advocating for.

Prime Minister Orpo stressed that decarbonisation should be seen as a way to strengthen competitiveness and as a necessity in the current geopolitical landscape. 

“The emissions trading scheme should continue to be the cornerstone of the EU’s climate policy. It is especially important for Finnish companies that have invested heavily in clean energy production. Phasing out fossil fuels will also strengthen Europe’s self-sufficiency. The conclusions we agreed on today are a good starting point for continuing this work,” said Prime Minister Orpo.

The EU leaders had a wide-ranging exchange of views on the situation in Ukraine. They were joined for the discussion by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi via remote connection. Following the discussion, the Council adopted conclusions reaffirming its ongoing, comprehensive support for Ukraine with signatures from 25 Member States, including Finland. Hungary and Slovakia did not endorse the conclusions.

The EU leaders discussed the effects of developments in the Middle East, including on energy prices. Prime Minister Orpo pointed out that the country with the most to gain from high energy prices is Russia.

Over a working lunch, the leaders discussed multilateral cooperation with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The European Council meeting was followed by a Euro Summit, where President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde joined the EU leaders for a discussion on the current state of the economy and other topical issues.

Inquiries: Elisa Tarkiainen, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister in EU Affairs, tel. +358 50 595 7751, Minna Kivimäki, State Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 431 and Marko Ruonala, Chief Communications Specialist, tel. +358 50 522 8233, Prime Minister’s Office