Debate: Conclusions of the extraordinary European Council meeting of - July
Date: THURSDAY, 23 JULY 2020
Speaker: Ursula von der Leyen
Language: FR

Et nous savons que ce n'est pas fini, malheureusement. Pas encore...  Derrière ce triste cortège, nous voyons le terrible impact sur notre économie. Nos citoyens, nos travailleurs, nos entreprises, tout le monde souffre et tout le monde se bat. Cette pandémie nous a frappés au début de l'année, et souvenons-nous de ces jours, de ces courbes de malades qui montaient, du nombre de morts qui grimpait, des divisions entre nos pays qui menaçaient! Nous avons entendu des critiques blessantes, des mots qui divisaient le Nord et le Sud, l'Est et l'Ouest, des débats sur les «obligations corona» qui finissaient par des poings serrés et des doigts pointés. La situation était sombre et les options peu nombreuses. Et les rares solutions mises sur la table étaient intergouvernementales, c'est-à-dire hors du cadre européen, sans méthode communautaire, sans Parlement européen et, je le rappelle, nous étions également sans accord sur notre budget européen, deux ans après notre proposition! C'est pour cela que la Commission européenne a fait une proposition européenne pour éviter les réflexes et les erreurs du passé. Une proposition européenne pour une relance européenne. We all know that Europe is not out of the woods yet. But Europe can see now dawn turning into light.  This week, not only taboos and perceptions have been cast aside, but one big watershed for our Union has been crossed.  By standing united – 27 Member States backing the Commission – we raise money on the capital market to fight the worst economic crisis ever – together.  In Next Generation EU, we now have a unique recovery tool worth EUR 750 billion. EUR 750 billion to support the hardest hit. EUR 750 billion to boost our Single Market. EUR 750 billion to invest in the European Green Deal, in digitisation and the modernisation of our single market and resilience.  Of course, 27 countries agreeing something on this scale – and of this unique nature – is a challenge. It takes courage, political will and, of course, give and take. It was never going to be easy. But, anything worth having is always worth fighting for! And I thank you, Charles, for the excellent cooperation and the trustworthy management – thank you very much for that.  And look at how far Europe’s fighting spirit has taken us. It is not long ago that some asked for no grants – loans only. But today we have an agreement that Next Generation EU will have EUR 390 billion in grants, topped by EUR 360 billion in loans. And yes, there are fewer grants than the Commission and the Parliament argued for, but from where we started, this is an enormous achievement.  And this is big enough to make an enormous difference.  It will invest in reforms linked to our European priorities, in line with our country-specific recommendations. And, because this is a European investment in our European Union, it is essential that the European Parliament plays a key role. As co-legislator, this House will have its full say on the design of the Facility and how it works.  The Commission will ensure full transparency, including through standing ready for a structured dialogue on priorities and expenditure, and a regular exchange of views on national plans and overall implementation. And this is how, together, we can ensure that Next Generation EU delivers where it really matters. This is also how we can ensure that Next Generation EU accelerates the twin green and digital transformation. 30% of Next Generation EU and our MFF will be spent on climate-related projects and, if we get it right, I believe that Next Generation EU can be one of the largest stimulus for investment and reforms anywhere in the world – investing in the rollout of 5G, grid infrastructure, in AI and industrial digitisation, in renewables, sustainable transport, energy-efficient buildings, you name it! This is how we fight climate change and modernise.  This stimulus will also support much needed structural reforms to make us more resilient. And, we will have a Just Transition Fund to support those people, those regions and sectors who have indeed a bigger step to take.  As you know, I would have liked more. But this week’s agreement ensures a 125% increase in the size of the Just Transition Fund – now worth EUR 17.5 billion – and that will make a real difference on the ground.  The big winner of this summit are the new own resources. We have now a unanimous agreement on the need for new own resources. We have a clear timetable and we have them linked to repayment. This is a huge and historic step forward for our Union, which both the Commission and the Parliament have long being pushing for.  Now we have no time to waste. The Commission will come forward with a package of new own resources. This will include a digital levy. We will also put forward a carbon border adjustment mechanism and an extension of the Emission Trading System. The two go hand in hand.  We need to put a price on carbon in all key sectors of the economy at home and we need to avoid carbon leakage from elsewhere to make sure that we are sustainable and competitive.  Allow me to come to another issue, which is at the heart of what our Union is all about: our values. These values – including the respect for the rule of law – are the very foundation of our Union. These values they are mandatory and they are priceless.  The European Council has stated a clear commitment in respecting the rule of law and protecting our financial interests. And I not only strongly welcome this – also because it is of utmost importance with even more public money on the table than ever before with Next Generation EU – but against this background, the Commission will now follow up. We will look into our 2018 proposal on the rule of law. We will work together with the co-legislators to ensure that our 2018 proposal is taken forward and where necessary, improved. Protecting our budget and the respect for the rule of law, go hand in hand. And we must also do everything we can to protect European money by stepping up the fight against fraud. This means having the right controls in place, including a database that puts us in the position to know who the final beneficiaries of EU funding are, and we will work closely with the Parliament to make this happen in the next weeks and months.  I started by saying that the European Council’s agreement provided the light at the end of the tunnel. But with light also comes shadow. And in this case, the shadow is in the form of a very lean long-term EU budget. There are regrettable and painful decisions on many programmes, which have crucial European added value. I am thinking of Horizon, our essential Health Programme, of InvestEU. Yes, all these have been increased, but certainly not as much as we would have liked. And I believe the size of our external funds, in particular, is really concerning and we should always remember that the value of EU programmes far outweigh their costs.  Yes, we managed to avoid even further cuts – as some Member States wanted – but this MFF is a difficult pill to swallow and I know this House feels the same way. And here again, we should also take a step back and look at where we are coming from. Before we even started, this budget had a hole of around EUR 70 billion because of Brexit, with one big Member State less contributing. The good news is that we have managed to plug almost all of that gap. That means that every country has to pay more. And when you put Next Generation EU on top, we now have a massive and unprecedented financial firepower of EUR 1.8 trillion. That is almost 13% of our EU 27 GNI. And then, MFF and Next Generation EU together, will increase the percentage of modern policies to over 50%. Just look around the world to see who else can say the same as us.  Meine Damen und Herren! Wir haben jetzt die Chance, gemeinsam etwas Historisches für Europa zu erreichen. Der Druck der Krise hat Türen geöffnet, die ganz, ganz lange verschlossen waren. So traurig der Anlass, es ist auch eine neue Chance für Europa, für unsere Gemeinschaft. Vor zehn Jahren, in der Finanz- und Eurokrise, haben wir zwar die Union und den Euro vor dem Auseinanderbrechen bewahrt, aber der innere Preis war gigantisch: Unsere Volkswirtschaften haben sich gegenläufig entwickelt. Junge Menschen mussten auf der Suche nach Arbeit und Zukunft ihre Heimat verlassen, Schuldzuweisungen zwischen Staaten wuchsen, und die Risse sind bis heute sichtbar und spürbar. Dieses Mal machen wir vieles anders und, wie ich glaube, manches besser. 750 Milliarden Euro – der überwiegende Teil als Zuschuss – sind ein großartiges Signal der Solidarität und der Reformbereitschaft. Aber  Dieses Mal ist es anders. Dieses Mal setzen wir auf eine gemeinschaftliche Lösung, auch weil die Kommission sich aktiv dafür eingesetzt hat und mit einem klugen Vorschlag überzeugt hat. Dank  Und auch weil  Lang lebe Europa!