Key messages 1. EU Candidate status for Ukraine. The EESC calls on the European Council to grant Ukraine EU Membership candidate status at its meeting on 23-24 June 2022. Ukraine's candidate status must be granted without detriment to the ongoing accession process of the Western Balkans. The EESC is in favour of putting in place a system of gradual integration steps based on the fulfilment of the acquis communautaire. 2. European civil society stands in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Civil society has reacted promptly and efficiently triggering a unique grassroots mobilisation of citizens. Humanitarian assistance has to be scaled up and should be disbursed directly supporting civil society organisations (CSOs). Specialised NGOs, together with CSOs should be genuinely involved in the programming and monitoring of EU and national humanitarian assistance. 3. Giving refugees a perspective. The Committee calls for refugees to be granted the same rights as EU citizens when it comes to healthcare and access to the labour market (recognition of qualifications, access to the services of employment agencies, language courses, health and education systems), both of which are key to avoiding escalating poverty among the refugees. The social partners can through collective bargaining and ad hoc measures help integrate workers and prevent them from becoming subject to exploitation and social dumping. The Committee lays particular emphasis on the role of CSOs in the protection and re-integration of often forgotten vulnerable groups: unaccompanied minors, separated children and children from institutional care settings, persons with disabilities, Roma minorities and victims of sexual violence. 4. Reconstruction. Immediate European and international financial assistance is needed to prevent the Ukrainian economy from total destruction. Financial support must be provided to support SMEs, Ukrainian farmers for the next harvest and Ukrainian civil society, including employers’ organisations and trade unions, with a view to keeping them fully operational in times of war. The reconstruction efforts must be driven by innovation. Civil society organisations need to be closely involved to make sure that rule of law reforms, the fight against corruption and the green and digital transitions can be achieved. 5. The economic outfall. The war should not undermine implementation of the green transition policies in the EU. The Committee calls on Member States and EU institutions to take the necessary measures to curb excessive commodity speculation, enhance market transparency and temporarily remove all obstacles to agricultural goods' imports in order to alleviate the food price crisis. It warns that neither the NextGenerationEU fund, its Recovery and Resilience Fund component, nor the flexibility under the current 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework are sufficient to fully cover the financial needs generated by the war in Ukraine. 6. The role of Civil Society. The EESC's long history and bond with Ukrainian CSOs plays an important role in keeping the channels open and enabling participation in the EU integration process. The Committee calls on the Member States to significantly step up capacity building, organisational and financial support for Ukrainian CSOs. It encourages partnerships between EU and Ukrainian youth organisations and proposes an event focusing on youth activism and its role in the future reconstruction of Ukraine. The EESC itself commits to strengthen cooperation and exchanges with Ukrainian CSOs and to continue advocating for maintaining EU solidarity and generosity vis-à-vis Ukraine. To that end, the EESC will be holding an event with Ukrainian civil society and EU civil society on 19 July in Krakow. At the same time, the EESC underlines that the remaining independent CSOs in Russia must not be abandoned.