(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.
"On energy prices, countries are very hesitant to act, I asked for an extraordinary summit on energy in July but I was told that we do not yet have a study on which to discuss.
"Now, in the final resolution the Council urges the Commission to produce this study by September, to then discuss is at the Council in October.
If there is fresh action by Moscow then the Council "is open to the hypothesis of an extraordinary summit," said Draghi.
"It was said in an explicit way: we won't let two and a half months go by without doing anything in the event of other things happening on the energy front.
"There is great awareness with respect to the seriousness of the situation. There has been a lot of talk about coordination and solidarity, which there certainly must be, and there must also be a response to control the price of gas.
"The objection that is made to the price cap is fear that Russia will cut supplies in response, but we are already at 50% of flows in Germany.
"Putin is getting the same figures and the EU has huge difficulties".
The measures Italy is planning to take, Draghi said, "will ensure that there is no emergency during the winter."
He said that thanks to the search for new suppliers, Italy was in a "good position".
He added: "we spoke about a mechanism to compensate those most hit by sanctions. There are many asymmetries, on military commitment, refugee flows and energy, but they are not one-way asymmetries, we are not the only ones hit by them".
Draghi answered "No" when asked if he was considering a reshuffle following Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio's split from the 5-Star Movement (M5S) to form his own new party, Together for the Future (IpF).
Asked if he thought his mandate was now stronger or weaker, the premier replied: "I feel I have the same mandate".
On the cost of living crisis and the need to defend purchasing power, Draghi added that he would convene a meeting with trade unions "as soon as possible, in 10 or 15 days at most.
Protecting the purchasing power of Italians "is essential for many aspects, one of which is social peace", the premier stressed.
Draghi said "I don't feel disappointed by this summit. On the contrary, I didn't expect to be able to set a precise date for a complete report on the issue of energy: things are moving, even though they may not happen as quickly as one might wish".
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