Portal partners
EU sanctions against Russia must be extended in the maritime transport sector.
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
EU sanctions against Russia must be extended to its banking and energy system, and should also be introduced in the maritime transport sector," said the journalists in Brussels, Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU Andrzej Sadoś. He announced that on Tuesday the KE team would come to Poland, which will work together with the government administration on aid for war refugees from Ukraine.
Polish Ambassador participates on Friday in a meeting of Ambassadors of the 27 EU Member States.
"Sanctions (to Russia) must be very effective, very painful. We need to extend sanctions to the banking sector. We must introduce very serious and very painful sanctions in the energy sector. We must introduce sanctions in both the maritime and road transport sectors in order to cut the Russian regime off from funding sources," Said Sados in his interview with journalists during the break of the meeting.
He added that sanctions still have to be imposed on oligarchs, but also on those associated with Russian regime and propaganda, including propaganda media.
"All the time experts are working on extending sanctions, sealing them, blocking the possibility of circumventing them," the ambassador noted.
"I do not imagine that a very wide package, very ambitious with extended, hard-hitting Russian finances, is not sanctioned. I can't imagine that's an option. (...) We are currently working on this package. I think that this point of reference for the next package is next week's European Council, when a political decision would be taken. Of course, as if the political decision itself requires proper preparation by lawyers, preparation of evidence, preparation of draft regulations, and here I think that the unity which has been demonstrated by all the Member States so far, I am convinced of it, will continue," said Sados.
The discussion concerned the current humanitarian situation in Ukraine in connection with the Russian invasion of the country.
"We do not want to create refugee camps. Millions of people who are in the European Union and millions of people who are currently on their way to the Member States of the European Union in Ukraine must be integrated as soon as possible, must have learning opportunities. We estimate the number of children in Poland for almost one million. We have to create places in nursery schools, kindergartens, elementary schools, high schools. These are actions that are already being implemented. We reiterate the need to coordinate, synchronise, create new financial architecture for building structures, for building infrastructure. We want people who flee Ukraine to have adequate housing conditions" said Sadoś.
"We also want them to be integrated into the labour market. Appropriate social programmes are needed for this. Yesterday we were informed that in the coming days a team, a delegation of Directorates-General of the European Commission, will be going to Warsaw, which will work together with our government representatives to create such mechanisms, such programmes. This is very good, although it is already the twenty-third day of the war, so we would like to see the work of the European Commission's structures responding to the challenges and the scale of needs in these extraordinary circumstances too," added the Ambassador.
"Of course, the Polish government provides all possible assistance, support, integration programmes. This legislative work is carried out immediately, but we also need to get a similar degree of awareness and commitment from the Commission" - said Sados.
„Żeby wykorzystać również te zadeklarowane fundusze, Komisja musi przygotować odpowiednie procedury. Żeby przygotować te procedury musi Komisja, jak sama twierdzi, rozpoznać potrzeby. Taki jest cel wizyty zespołu Komisji, który ma być w Warszawie w najbliższych dniach. (…) Ona będzie miała miejsce w przyszłym tygodniu we wtorek. (…) Staramy się, biorąc pod uwagę grozę i wyzwania tej sytuacji, tworzyć również pewien nacisk na to, żeby Komisja, biorąc pod uwagę nadzwyczajne okoliczności, również dostosowała do tych okoliczności zarówno swoje procedury jak i tempo swoich postępowań” – dodał.
Sadoś poinformował, że Polska na spotkaniu podniosła kwestie dotyczącą funkcjonowania przedstawicielstwa Ukrainy przy UE. „Nasi ukraińscy przyjaciele, dyplomaci od pewnego czasu pozbawieni są również środków finansowych. Dostali częściowo wynagrodzenie za luty, najprawdopodobniej nie otrzymają wynagrodzenia za marzec. Chcemy umożliwić im reprezentowanie Ukrainy w Brukseli przyinstytucjach europejskich. (…) Uzyskaliśmy zapewnienie sekretarz generalnej Komisji, że w sieci szkół europejskich w Brukseli mają powstać ukraińskie klasy. Staramy się rozwiązywać problemy strukturalne, problemy systemowe, no ale nie zapominamy również o tych tutejszych, lokalnych wyzwaniach” – wskazał polski ambasador.
Written by Łukasz Osiński/PAP
