Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (PPE). – Mr President, let me pick up on a few of the conclusions and this time the glass is half full, rather than half empty. First, I want to commend the biological father of the Energy Union, President Tusk, and the legal father – absent now – Mr Juncker, for the Energy Union chapter. It is a newly born baby, it needs care, but it is good that we have started on that road looking towards the master plan for Energy Union for our prosperity and security.

Key to the agreement in this part of the conclusions is the word ‘transparency’. It is obviously about gas contracts. We need to reinforce the European Commission competence. Imagine President Juncker sitting opposite President Putin, Putin knowing everything about our gas contracts and Juncker knowing nothing. It is grotesque. Do we want to refuse to put our side on an equal footing with our partners who are sometimes opponents? Russia sees our cards and we do not see theirs. The European Commission has the right to know what Moscow knows about our gas contracts.

Energy independence is also important and, as is regularly stressed, so is the question of sovereignty of our choices in foreign affairs, and we see dangerous cracks there, where the principle of solidarity of the Member States is under threat.

I want also to commend the European Commission and President Tusk for staying on course on Russian sanctions. It is not a final legal decision but it is important that it is clearly linked to the complete implementation of the Minsk Agreement and not just the ceasefire.