The statement, signed by the ministers in charge of finance or EU funds from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, has been revealed by the Politico news outlet.
The ministers argue that the EU faces an “unprecedented challenge” because of the war in Ukraine, but its “negative impact is asymmetric” and “several of the effects, especially humanitarian ones, are particularly and disproportionately severe in the undersigned Member States.”
They claim that over 5.3 million Ukrainians have arrived in their countries, while nearly half of them are children, which poses a severe burden on their social security system in addition to the “already high inflation and energy costs” exacerbated by the war.
In the meantime, they warn that “most Ukrainian workers have left our countries to fight for the sovereignty of their country, the shortages of the labor force have already become evident, in particular in the construction and transport sectors.”
The statement welcomes the already adopted budgetary aid but asks the European Commission to come up with additional proposals to reinforce EU support for refugees and their hosts.
In particular, the signatories ask the EU executive body to let more remaining funds be used from the 2014-2020 financial period and to allow more budgetary flexibility and easier rules in spending them.
