EU growing, getting more important - Draghi

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 24 - Premier Mario Draghi told a press conference after the European Council in Brussels Friday that "the EU is growing, is it becoming increasingly important, it is becoming that institution to which all the EU countries look to as an institution capable of giving them stability and security".
    He went on, after the Council OK'd candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova: "we decided that the process of enlargement, so demanding and bureaucratic, will remain demanding but will be much less bureaucratic. The EU will take on a less severe dimension".
    Draghi also said that "in the euro area, above all due to energy prices and inflation, the forecasts are for a slowdown in all countries. We are committed to protecting and bolstering the Italians' purchasing power".
    He went on: "we spoke about energy, of what to do about such high prices. Italy, for stocks is doing very well and the reliance on Russian gas, which was 40% last year, today stands at 25%: the measures which we took are starting to produce results.
    "We must act immediately on energy prices because we are moving from an inflation which depended substantially on energy to one which depends on other things. These hikes are spreading and are becoming increases for other goods". (ANSA).