Debate: State of the Union
Date: WEDNESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2020
Speaker: Ursula von der Leyen
Language: FR

Their stories also reveal a lot about the state of our world and the state of our Union. They show the power of humanity and the sense of mourning which will live long in our society. And they expose to us the fragility all around us. A virus a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand exposed how delicate life can be. It laid bare the strains on our health systems and the limits of a model that values wealth above wellbeing. It brought into sharper focus the planetary fragility that we see every day through melting glaciers, burning forests and now through global pandemics. It changed the way we behave and communicate – keeping our arms at length, and our faces behind masks. It showed us just how fragile our community of values really is, and how quickly it can be called into question around the world and even here in our Union. But people want to move out of this Corona world, out of this fragility, out of this uncertainty. They are ready for change and they are ready to move on. And this is the moment for Europe. The moment for Europe to lead the way from this fragility towards a new vitality, and that is what I want to talk about today. Honourable Members, I say this because in the last months we have rediscovered the value of what we hold in common. As individuals, we have all sacrificed a piece of our personal liberty for the safety of others. And as a Union, we all shared a part of our sovereignty for the common good. We turned fear and division between Member States into confidence in our Union. We showed that it is possible and what is possible when we trust each other and we trust the European institutions. And with all of that, we choose to not only repair and recover for the here and now, but to shape a better way of living for the world of tomorrow.  This is NextGenerationEU. This is our opportunity to make change happen by design, and not by disaster or by diktat from others in the world. To emerge stronger by creating opportunities for the world of tomorrow, and not just building contingencies for the world of yesterday. We have everything we need to make this happen. We have shaken off the old excuses and home comforts. We have the vision, we have a plan, we have the investment. It is now time to get to work. This morning, I sent a Letter of Intent to President Sassoli and Chancellor Merkel, on behalf of the German Presidency, outlining the Commission’s plans for the year ahead. I will not present every initiative today but I want to touch on what our Union must focus on in the next twelve months. Honourable Members, the people of Europe are still suffering. It is a period of profound anxiety for millions who are concerned about the health of their families, the future of their jobs, or simply getting through to the end of the month. The pandemic and the uncertainty that goes with it is not over. And the recovery is still in its early stage. So our first priority is to pull each other through this and to be there for those that need it. And thanks to our unique social market economy, Europe can do just that. It is above all a human economy that protects us against the great risks of life – illness, ill-fortune, unemployment and poverty. It offers stability and helps us better absorb shocks. It creates opportunities and prosperity by promoting innovation, growth and fair competition. Never before has that enduring promise of protection, stability and opportunity been more important than it is today. Allow me to explain why. First, Europe must continue to protect lives and livelihoods. This is all the more important in the middle of a pandemic that shows no sign of running out of steam or intensity. We know how quickly numbers can spiral out of control, so we must continue to handle this pandemic with extreme care, responsibility and unity. In the last six months, our health systems and workers have produced miracles. Every country has worked to do its best for its citizens. And Europe has done more together than ever before. When the Member States closed borders, we created green lanes for goods. When more than 600 000 European citizens were stranded all over the world, the EU brought them back home. When some countries introduced export bans for critical medical goods, we stopped that and ensured that critical medical goods should go where they were needed. We worked with European industry to increase the production of masks, of gloves, of tests, of ventilators. Our Civil Protection Mechanism ensured that doctors from Romania could treat patients in Italy, or that Latvia could send masks to its Baltic neighbours. And we achieved all that without having full competences. So for me, it is crystal clear: we need to build a stronger European Health Union. It is time to do that. And to start making this a reality, we must now draw the first lessons from the health crisis. We need to make our new EU4Health programme future proof. This is why I had proposed to increase funding and I am grateful that this Parliament is ready to fight for more funding and remedy the cuts made by the European Council. And we need to strengthen our crisis preparedness and management of cross-border health issues. As a first step, we will propose to reinforce and empower the European Medicines Agency and ECDC, our centre for disease prevention and control. As a second step, we will build a European BARDA, an agency for biomedical advanced research and development. This new agency will support our capacity and readiness to respond to cross-border threats and emergencies, whether of natural or deliberate origin. We need strategic stockpiling to address supply chain dependencies, notably for pharmaceutical goods. And as a third step, it is clearer than ever that we must discuss the question of health competences. I think it is a noble and urgent task to do this for the Conference on the Future of Europe. And finally – and because this was a global crisis – we need to learn global lessons. This is why, along with Prime Minister Conte and the Italian G20 Presidency next year, I will convene a Global Health Summit next year in Italy. This will show Europeans that our Union is there to protect them all, and this is exactly what we have done when it comes to workers. When I took office, I vowed to create an instrument to protect workers and businesses from external shocks. Because I knew from my experience as a Minister for Labour and Social Affairs that these schemes work. They keep people in jobs, they keep the skills in companies and of course they keep SMEs in business. These SMEs are the motor of our economy and they will be the engine of our recovery. This is why the Commission created the SURE programme, and I want to thank this House for working on it in record time. If Europe has so far avoided mass unemployment seen elsewhere, it is thanks in large part to the fact that around 40 million people applied for short-time work schemes. The speed and unity of purpose means that 16 countries will soon receive almost EUR 90 billion from SURE to support workers and companies. From Lithuania to Spain, it will give peace of mind to families who need that income to put food on the table or to pay the rent. And it will help protect millions of jobs, incomes and companies right across our Union. This is real European solidarity in action and it reflects the fact that in our Union the dignity of work must be sacred. But the truth is that for too many people, work no longer pays. Dumping wages destroys the dignity of work, penalises the entrepreneur who pays decent wages and distorts fair competition in the Single Market, and this has to stop. This is why the Commission will put forward a legal proposal to support Member States to set up a framework for minimum wages. Everyone must have access to minimum wages either through collective bargaining or through statutory minimum wages. I personally am a strong advocate of collective bargaining and the proposal will fully respect national competencies and traditions. We have seen in many Member States that introduced collectively-bargained minimum wages how a well-negotiated minimum wage secures jobs and creates fairness – both for the workers and for the companies really value them. Minimum wages work, and it is time that work paid. The second promise of the social market economy is that of stability. By showing it was united and up to the task, Europe provided the stability that our economies needed. I will not forget when the crisis hit, the Commission immediately triggered the general escape clause for the very first time in our history. We flexibilised our European funds and State aid rules. Authorising more than EUR three trillion in support to companies and industry: from fishermen in Croatia to farmers in Greece, from SMEs in Italy to freelancers in Denmark. The European Central Bank took decisive action through the PEPP programme. The Commission proposed NextGenerationEU in record time, thus combining investment with much needed reforms. The Council endorsed it in record time. This House is working towards voting on it with maximum speed. Honourable Members, for the first time – and for exceptional times – Europe has put in place its own common tools to complement national fiscal stabilisers. This is a remarkable moment of unity in the European Union, and this is an achievement we should take collective pride in. We made that! Now is the time to hold our course. We have all seen the forecasts. We can expect our economies to start moving again after a 12% drop in GDP in the second quarter. But as the virus lingers so does the uncertainty here in Europe and around the world. So this is definitely not the time to withdraw support. Our economies need continued policy support and a delicate balance will need to be struck between providing financial support and ensuring fiscal sustainability. In the longer-term there is no greater way to stability and competitiveness than through a stronger Economic and Monetary Union. Confidence in the euro has never been stronger. The historic agreement on NextGenerationEU shows the political backing that it has. And we must now use this opportunity to make structural reforms in our economies and complete the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union. Deep and liquid capital markets are essential to give businesses access to the finance they need, and they need it to grow and invest in recovery and in the future, and they are also a pre-requisite to further strengthen the international role of the euro. So let’s get to work and finally complete this generational project. The third enduring promise is the promise of opportunity. The pandemic reminded us of many things we may have forgotten or we may have taken for granted. We were reminded how linked our economies are and how crucial a fully functioning Single Market is to our prosperity and to the way we do things. The Single Market is all about opportunity – opportunity for consumers to get value for money, opportunities for a company to sell everywhere in Europe and opportunities for industry to drive global competitiveness.  And for all of us, it is about the opportunity to make the most of the freedoms we cherish as Europeans. It gives our companies the scale they need to prosper and a safe haven for them in times of trouble. We rely on it every day to make our lives easier, and it is crucial for managing the crisis and recovering our strength. So let’s give it a boost. We must tear down the barriers of the Single Market. We must cut red tape. We must step up implementation and enforcement. And we must restore the four freedoms in full and as fast as possible. The linchpin of this is a fully functioning Schengen area of free movement. We will work with Parliament and Member States to bring this high up on our political agenda and we will propose a new strategy for the future of Schengen. Based on this strong internal market, the European industry has long powered our economy, providing a stable living for millions and creating the social hubs around which our communities are built. We presented a new industry strategy in March to ensure industry could lead the twin green and digital transition. The last six months have only accelerated that transformation at a time when the global competitive landscape is fundamentally changing. We too, we have to keep up and this is why we will update our industry strategy in the first half of next year and adapt our competition framework, which should also keep pace. Honourable Members, all of this will ensure Europe gets back on its feet. But as we pull through together, we must also propel ourselves forwards in the world of tomorrow. There is no more urgent need for acceleration than when it comes to the future of our fragile planet. While much of the world’s activity froze during lockdowns and shutdowns, the planet continued to get dangerously hotter. We see it all around us: from houses evacuated due to glacier collapse on the Mont Blanc, to fires burning through Oregon, to crops destroyed in Romania by the most severe drought in decades. But we also saw nature come back into our lives. We longed for green spaces and cleaner air, for our mental health and our physical wellbeing. We know change is needed, and we also know it is possible. The European Green Deal is our blueprint to make that transformation. At the heart of it is our mission to become the first climate-neutral continent in 2050. But we will not get there with the status quo: we need to go faster and we need to do things better. We looked in-depth at every sector to see how fast we could go and how to do it in a responsible, evidence-based way. We held a wide public consultation and conducted an extensive impact assessment. On this basis, the Commission is proposing to increase the 2030 target for emission reduction to at least 55%.  I recognise that this increase from 40 to 55 is too much for some, and not enough for others. But our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this, and they want it. Just yesterday, 170 business leaders and investors, from SME’s to some of the world’s biggest companies, wrote to me calling on Europe to set a target of at least 55%. Our impact assessment clearly shows that meeting this target would put the European Union firmly on track for climate neutrality by 2050 and for meeting our Paris Agreement obligations. And if others follow our lead, the world will be able to keep warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. I am fully aware that many of our partners are far away from that – but we have to lead, and I will come back to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism later. But for us, the 2030 target is ambitious, it’s achievable, and it is beneficial for Europe. We can do it, and we have already shown we can do it. While emissions dropped 25% since 1990, our economy grew more than 60%. The difference is we now have the technology, we have way more expertise and we have the investment, and we are already embarking towards a circular economy with carbon neutral production. We want to be leading in the world on that. We have more young people pushing for change. We have more proof that what is good for the climate is good for business and is good for us all. And we have a solemn promise to leave no one behind in this transformation. With our Just Transition Fund we will support the regions that have a bigger and more costly change to make. We have it all. Now it’s our responsibility to implement it, and to make it happen. And I want you at my side and I invite you in this endeavour because we can only do it together. This is our mission on the European level, honourable Members. Meeting this new target will reduce our energy import dependency, will create millions of extra jobs and more than halve air pollution. To get there, we have to start now. By next summer, we will revise all of our climate and energy legislation to make it ‘fit for 55’. We will enhance emission trading, boost renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, reform energy taxation. But the mission of the European Green Deal involves much more than cutting emissions. It is important, but it is about making systemic modernisation across our economy, society and industry. It is about building a stronger world to live in. Our current levels of consumption of raw materials, energy, water, food and land use are not sustainable. We need to change how we treat nature, how we produce and consume, how we live and work, eat and heat, travel and transport. So we will tackle everything from hazardous chemicals to deforestation, to pollution. This is a plan for a true recovery. It is an investment plan for Europe, and this is where NextGenerationEU will make a real difference. Firstly, 37% of NextGenerationEU will be spent directly on our European Green Deal objectives. I will ensure that it also takes green financing to the next level. We are world leaders in green finance and we are the largest issuer of green bonds worldwide. We are leading the way in developing a reliable EU Green Bond Standard. And I can today announce that we will set a target of 30% of NextGenerationEU’s EUR 750 billion to be raised through green bonds. Secondly, NextGenerationEU should invest in lighthouse European projects with the biggest impact: hydrogen, renovation and one million electric charging points. Allow me to explain how this could work. Two weeks ago in Sweden, a unique fossil-free steel pilot began test operations. It will replace coal with hydrogen to produce clean steel. This shows the potential of hydrogen to support our industry with a new, clean, licence to operate. I want NextGenerationEU to create new European Hydrogen Valleys to modernise our industries, to power our vehicles and to bring new life to our rural areas. The second example are the buildings we live and work in. Our buildings generate more than 40% of our emissions. They need to become less wasteful, less expensive and more sustainable. And we know that the construction sector can even be turned from a carbon source into a carbon sink, if organic building materials like wood and smart technologies like AI are being used. I want NextGenerationEU to kickstart a European renovation wave and make our Union a leader in the circular economy. But this is not just an environmental or economic project: it needs to be a new cultural project for Europe. Every movement has its own look and feel. And we need to give our systemic change its own distinct aesthetics to match style with sustainability. This is why we will set up a new European Bauhaus – a co-creation space where architects, artists, students, engineers and designers work together to make that happen. This is NextGenerationEU. This is shaping the world we want to live in. A world served by an economy that cuts emissions, boosts competitiveness, reduces energy poverty, creates rewarding jobs and improves quality of life. A world where we use digital technologies to build a healthier, greener society, and this can only be achieved if we all do it together. And I will insist that recovery plans don’t just bring us out of the crisis, but also help us propel Europe forward into the world of tomorrow. Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren Abgeordnete! Stellen wir uns für einen Moment diese Pandemie vor ohne das Digitale. Quarantäne – vollständig isoliert von Familie und Gemeinschaft, abgeschnitten von der Arbeitswelt, gewaltige Versorgungsprobleme. So oder so ähnlich muss es wohl vor 100 Jahren bei der letzten Pandemie ausgesehen haben. Ein Jahrhundert später erlaubt uns moderne Technologie bei einer schlimmen Pandemie, dass junge Menschen aus der Ferne lernen, zu Hause, und Millionen von Menschen von zu Hause aus arbeiten. Sie ermöglicht Unternehmen, die Produktion am Laufen zu halten und ihre Produkte zu vertreiben, und sie ermöglicht öffentlichen Verwaltungen, wichtige Dienstleistungen für Bürgerinnen und Bürger zu erbringen. Wir haben in wenigen Wochen mehr digitale Innovation und Transformation erlebt, als sonst in Jahren. Aber wir stoßen an die Grenzen dessen, was wir auf analogem Wege noch tun können. Und diese digitale Beschleunigung hat gerade erst begonnen. Das kommende Jahrzehnt muss Europas  Und wir brauchen klare Prinzipien: das Recht auf Privatsphäre, das Recht auf Zugang, freie Meinungsäußerung, freier Datenfluss und Cybersicherheit. Um das zu erreichen, muss Europa jetzt führen. Oder es wird lange anderen folgen müssen, die dann für uns die Standards setzen. Deswegen müssen wir schnell handeln, und wir müssen entschlossen handeln. Es gibt drei Bereiche, auf die wir uns meiner Meinung nach konzentrieren müssen:  Zuerst die Daten. Bei den personalisierten Daten, Business-to-Consumer, war Europa zu langsam und ist nun auf andere angewiesen. Das darf uns bei den Industriedaten nicht passieren. Und hier ist die gute Nachricht: Hier ist Europa in Führung – wir haben die Technologie, und wir haben vor allem die Industrie, die wir dazu brauchen. Aber das Rennen ist damit noch nicht gewonnen. Die Menge der Industriedaten in der Welt wird sich in den nächsten fünf Jahren vervierfachen – und damit ebenso auch die verbundenen Chancen. Das heißt, wir müssen jetzt unseren Unternehmen, jetzt unseren Mittelständlern, den Start-ups, den Forscherinnen und Forschern die Möglichkeiten eröffnen, aus dem Vollen zu schöpfen. Industriedaten sind Gold wert, wenn es darum geht, neue Produkte und neue Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln. Die Realität sieht aber noch anders aus: 80 % der Industriedaten, die gesammelt werden, werden leider nie genutzt. Das ist eine riesige Verschwendung.  Eine echte Datenwirtschaft wäre hingegen ein kraftvoller Motor für Innovation und für neue Arbeitsplätze. Und deshalb müssen wir diese Daten für Europa sichern und breit zugänglich machen. Dafür brauchen wir gemeinsame Datenräume – zum Beispiel im Energie- und Gesundheitswesen. Diese werden Innovationscluster stärken, in denen Universitäten, Unternehmen und Forschungseinrichtungen sicher auf die Daten zugreifen können und zusammenarbeiten können. Deshalb werden wir im Rahmen von NextGenerationEU eine europäische Cloud aufbauen – auf der Grundlage von Gaia-X. Der zweite Bereich, auf den wir uns konzentrieren müssen, ist die Technologie – und hier insbesondere die künstliche Intelligenz. Ob es um den Präzisionsanbau in der Landwirtschaft geht oder um treffgenaue medizinische Frühdiagnosen oder ob es um sicheres autonomes Fahren geht – die künstliche Intelligenz eröffnet uns Welten, das ist fantastisch, aber diese Welten brauchen auch Regeln. Das heißt, Algorithmen dürfen keine Blackbox sein, und es muss klare Regeln geben, wenn etwas schiefgeht. Die Kommission wird im nächsten Jahr ein entsprechendes Gesetz vorlegen. Dazu gehört auch die Kontrolle über unsere persönlichen Daten, die wir heute viel zu selten haben. Jedes Mal, wenn eine Website uns auffordert, eine neue digitale Identität zu erstellen oder uns bequem über eine große Plattform anzumelden, haben wir in Wirklichkeit keine Ahnung, was eigentlich mit unseren Daten passiert. Und das muss aufhören. Aus diesem Grund wird die Kommission demnächst eine sichere europäische digitale Identität vorschlagen. Eine, der wir vertrauen und die Bürgerinnen und Bürger überall in Europa nutzen können, um alles zu tun, vom Steuernzahlen bis zum Fahrradmieten. Eine Technologie, bei der wir selbst kontrollieren können, welche Daten ausgetauscht und wie sie verwendet werden. Das ist unser Verständnis von einer menschenzentrierten Technologie, die wir beherrschen, die uns dient. Der dritte Punkt ist die Infrastruktur. Die Datenverbindungen müssen mit dem rasanten Tempo Schritt halten. Wenn wir uns ein Europa der gleichen Startchancen tatsächlich auf die Fahnen schreiben, dann kann es nicht sein, dass 40 % der Menschen in den ländlichen Räumen immer noch ohne Zugang zu schnellen Breitbandverbindungen sind. Breitbandverbindungen sind heute die Voraussetzung für Online-Learning, Homeoffice, Onlineshopping und viele, viele Dienstleistungen, die jeden Tag neu erstellt werden. Und ohne Breitbandverbindung lässt sich heute ein Unternehmen einfach nicht mehr führen, geschweige denn aufbauen.  Das heißt, diese schnellen Daten sind die Voraussetzung, aber sie sind auch eine Riesenchance für die Revitalisierung der ländlichen Räume. Nur dann können diese ländlichen Räume ihr Potenzial voll ausschöpfen und dann aber auch wieder Menschen und Investitionen anziehen. Der Investitionsschub durch NextGenerationEU ist eine einmalige Gelegenheit, den Ausbau bis ins letzte Dorf voranzutreiben. Deswegen wollen wir bei den Aufbauplänen einen Schwerpunkt auf sichere Konnektivität, auf den Ausbau von 5G, 6G und Glasfaser setzen. NextGenerationEU ist ebenso eine einmalige Gelegenheit, die wir nutzen sollten, einen gemeinsamen europäischen Ansatz für Konnektivität und für den Ausbau der digitalen Infrastruktur zu entwickeln. All dies ist kein Selbstzweck – es geht um Europas digitale Souveränität, im Kleinen wie im Großen. In diesem Sinne freue ich mich, Investitionen von 8 Milliarden Euro in die nächste Generation von Supercomputern ankündigen zu können. Das ist Spitzentechnologie  Und wir wollen, dass die Europäische Industrie einen eigenen Mikroprozessor der nächsten Generation entwickelt, der uns erlaubt, die steigenden Datenmengen energieeffizient und sicher zu nutzen. All das und noch viel mehr gehört für mich zu Europas  Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren Abgeordnete, wenn Europa jetzt aufs Tempo drückt, müssen wir aber vor allem unsere Zögerlichkeit ablegen. Es geht vor allem darum, dass wir mehr Kontrolle über unsere Zukunft haben, Europa mehr Kontrolle über seine Zukunft geben. Wir haben alles, was es dazu braucht, um sie Wirklichkeit werden zu lassen. Der Privatsektor wartet dringend auf einen Plan – der ist jetzt da. Es gab noch nie einen besseren Zeitpunkt, um in europäische Technologieunternehmen zu investieren, überall von Sofia über Lissabon bis Kattowitz neue digitale Cluster aufzubauen.  Wir haben die Menschen, wir haben die Ideen, wir haben die Investitionskraft, um als Europäische Union erfolgreich zu sein. Deshalb werden wir 20 Prozent von NextGenerationEU in das Digitale investieren. Wir wollen damit den europäischen Weg ins Digitalzeitalter gehen – basierend auf unseren Werten, unserer Stärke und unseren Ambitionen. Honourable Members, Europe is determined to use this transition. To build the world we want to live in, and that of course extends well beyond our external borders. The pandemic has simultaneously shown both the fragility of the global system and the importance of cooperation to tackle collective change.  And in the face of the crisis some around the world choose to retreat into isolation. Others actively destabilise the system. Europe chose to reach out.  Our leadership is not about self-serving propaganda. It is not about Europe first. It is about being the first to seriously answer the call when it is needed.  In the pandemic, European planes delivering thousands of tons of protective equipment landed everywhere from Sudan to Afghanistan, Somalia to Venezuela.  We know none of us will ever be safe until all of us are safe and we know wherever we live, whatever we have, there has to be access, affordable and safe access, to vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.  At the beginning of the pandemic, there was no funding, there was no global framework for a COVID-19 vaccine, there was just the rush to be the first one to get one.  This was the moment when the European Union stepped up to lead the global response with civil society, with G20, with the WHO and others, we brought more than 40 countries together to raise EUR 16 billion to finance research on vaccines, on tests, on treatments for the whole world. And this is Europe’s unmatched convening power we can be so proud of. It is not enough to find a vaccine, we need to make sure that European citizens and those around the world have access to it.  And just this month the European Union joined the COVAX global facility and contributed EUR 400 million to help ensure that safe vaccines are available not only for those who can afford it but for everyone who needs it.  Because we know vaccine nationalism puts lives at risks, only vaccine cooperation saves lives.  Honourable Members, we are firm believers in the strength and value of cooperating and international bodies. It is with a strong united nation that we can find long term solutions for crises like Libya and Syria. It is with a strong World Health Organisation, that we can better prepare and respond to global pandemics or local outbreaks, be it Corona or Ebola. And it is with a strong World Trade Organisation that we can ensure fair competition for all.  But the truth is also that the need to revitalise and to reform the multilateral system has never been so urgent. Our global system has grown into a creeping paralysis. Major powers are either pulling out or they are taking the institutions hostage for their own interests, and neither road will lead anywhere.  Yes, we need change, but we need change by design and not by destruction of our international system.  And this is why I want the European Union to lead reforms on WHO and WTO so that they are fit for today’s world.  But we know that multilateral reforms take time, and in the meantime the world will not stop. Without any doubt there is a clear need for Europe to take clear positions and quick actions on global affairs.  Two days ago the latest EU-China leaders meeting took place. The relationship between the European Union and China is simultaneously one of the most strategically important and one of the most challenging we have.  And from the outset we have said China is a negotiating partner, an economic competitor and a systemic rival. We have interests in common on issues such as climate change, and China has shown it is willing to engage through a high-level dialogue but we expect also China to live up to its commitments in the Paris Agreement and to lead by example.  In the economic field there is still hard work to do on a fair market access for European companies - reciprocity and overcapacity. And we continue to have an unbalanced trade and investment partnership. And there is no doubt that we promote very different systems of governance and society.  We believe in the universal value of democracy and the rights of the individual. Europe is certainly not without issues, think for example of growing anti-Semitism. But criticism and opposition, we discuss them here publicly. Criticism and opposition are not only accepted, but they are legally protected, there is an open debate about all these issues. So we must call out human rights abuses whenever and wherever they occur, be it in Hong Kong or be it with Uyghurs. But what holds us back? Why are even simple statements on EU values delayed, watered down or held hostage for other motives? When Member States say Europe is too slow, I say be courageous and finally move to qualified majority voting, at least on human rights and sanctions implementation.  This House has called many times for a European Magnitsky Act and I can announce that we will now come forward with a proposal, we need to complete our toolbox.  Honourable Members, be it in Hong Kong, Moscow or Minsk, Europe must take a clear and swift position. And I want to say it loud and clear. The European Union is on the side of the people of Belarus.  We have all been moved by the immense courage of those peacefully gathering in the Independence Square or taking part in the fearless women’s march. The elections that brought them into the streets were neither free nor fair, and the brutal response by the government ever since has been shameful. The people of Belarus must be free to decide their own future for themselves, they are not pieces on someone else’s chess board. And to those that advocate closer ties with Russia, I say that the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with an advanced chemical agent is not a one-off. We have seen the pattern in Georgia, and in Ukraine, in Syria and Salisbury, and in election meddling around the world, and this pattern is not changing and no pipeline will change that. Turkey is and will always be an important neighbour. But while we are close together on the map, the distance between us appears to be growing.  Yes, Turkey is in a troubled neighbourhood and yes it is hosting millions of refugees for which we support them with considerable funding, but none of this is justification for attempts to intimidate their neighbours. Our Member States, Cyprus and Greece, can always count on Europe’s full solidarity on protecting their legitimate sovereignty rights.  De-escalation in the eastern Mediterranean is in our mutual interest. The return of exploratory vessels to Turkish ports in the past few days is a positive step in this direction. This is necessary to create the much needed space for dialogue, refraining from unilateral actions and resuming talks in good faith, is the only path forward. The only path to stability and lasting solutions. Honourable Members, as well as responding more assertively to global events, Europe must deepen and refine its partnerships with its friends and allies and this starts with revitalising our most enduring partnerships.  We might not always agree with recent decisions of the White House but we will always cherish the transatlantic alliance, based on shared values and history and an unbreakable bond between our people.  So whatever may happen later this year, we are ready to build a new transatlantic agenda, to strengthen our bilateral partnership, be it on trade, on tech or taxation, and we are ready to work together on reforming the international system we built together, jointly with like-minded partners.  For our own interests and in the interest of the common good, we need new beginnings with old friends on both sides of the Atlantic and on both sides of the channel.  The scenes in this very room when we held hands and sang goodbye with Auld Lang Syne, spoke a thousand words, and they showed an affection for the British people that will never fade.  But with every day that passes the chances for a timely agreement do start to fade. Negotiations are always difficult and we are used to that and the Commission has the best and most experienced negotiator, Michel Barnier, to navigate us through that. But talks have not progressed as we would have wished and that leaves us very little time.  As ever, this House will be the first to know and it will be the one that has the last say, and I can assure you we will continue to update you thoroughly just as we did with the withdrawal agreement.  This withdrawal agreement took three years to negotiate and we worked relentlessly on it, line by line, word by word and together we succeeded and the result guarantees our citizens’ rights, financial interests, the integrity of the single market, and crucially, the Good Friday Agreement. And the European Union and the UK jointly agreed it was the best and only way for ensuring peace on the island of Ireland and we will never backtrack on that and this agreement has been ratified by this House and by the House of Commons. It cannot be unilaterally changed, disregarded or dis-applied. This is a matter of law and trust and good faith.  And that is not just me saying it. I remind you of the words of Margaret Thatcher. I quote, ‘Britain does not break treaties. It would be bad for Britain, bad for relations with the rest of the world and bad for any future treaty on trade’, end of quote. This was true then and this is true today.  Trust is the foundation of any strong partnership and Europe will always be ready to build strong partnerships with our closest neighbours. This starts with the Western Balkans. The decision six month ago to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia was truly historical. Indeed the future of the whole region lies in the European Union. We share the same history. We share the same destiny. The Western Balkans are part of Europe and they’re not just a stopover on the Silk Road.  We will soon present an economic recovery package for the Western Balkans focusing on a number of regional investment initiatives. And we will be there for the Eastern Partnership countries and our partners in the southern neighbourhood, to help create jobs and kick-start their economies. When I came into office, I chose for the very first trip outside the European Union to visit the African Union, and it was a natural choice. It was a natural choice and it was a very clear message because we are not just neighbours, but we are natural partners. Three months later I returned with my entire college to set out the priorities for new strategies with Africa. It is a partnership of equals where both sides share opportunities and responsibilities.  Africa will be a key partner in building the world we want to live in, whether it is on climate, digital or trade. Honourable Members, we will continue to believe in open and fair trade across the world, not as an end in itself but as a way to deliver prosperity at home and promote values and standards. More than 600 000 jobs in Europe are tied for example to trade with Japan, and our recent agreement with Vietnam alone helped secure historic labour rights for millions of workers in the country.  We will use our diplomatic strength and economic clout to broker agreements that make a difference, such as designating maritime protected areas in Antarctica. This would be one of the biggest acts of environmental protection in history.  We will form high ambition coalitions on issues such as the digital ethics of fighting deforestation and we will develop partnerships with all like-minded partners from Asian democracies to Australia, Africa, the Americas and anyone else who wants to join. We will work on just globalisation. We cannot take this for granted.  We must insist on fairness and a level playing field, and Europe will always move forward alone or with partners to do that. I want to come back to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Carbon must have its price because nature cannot pay this price anymore. And this Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism should motivate foreign producers and EU importers to reduce their carbon emissions, while ensuring that we level the playing field in a WTO compatible way.  The same principle applies to digital taxation. We will spare no effort to reach agreement in the framework of OECD and G20. But let there be no doubt, should an agreement fall short of a fair tax system that provides long-term sustainable revenues, Europe will come forward with a proposal early next year. I want Europe to be a global advocate for that. Honourable Members, if Europe is to play a vital role in the world, it must also create new vitality inside, and to move forward we must now overcome the differences that held us back. The historic agreement on NextGenerationEU shows that it can be done and the speed with which we took decisions on fiscal rules, state aid or SURE, all these show it can be done. So let’s do it! Migration is an issue that has been discussed long enough. Migration has always been a fact for Europe and it will always be. Throughout centuries, it has defined our societies. It has enriched our cultures and it has shaped many of our lives and this will always be the case.  As we all know, the 2015 migration crisis caused many deep divisions between Member States, with some of those scars still healing today. A lot has been done since, but a lot is still missing. If we are all ready to make compromises, without compromising on our principles, we can find a solution.  Next week, the Commission will put forward its pact on migration. We will take a human and humane approach. And there are principles, saving lives at sea is not optional.  And those countries who fulfil their legal and moral duties or are more exposed than others must be able to rely on the solidarity of our whole European Union. We will ensure a closer link between asylum and return. We have to make a clear distinction between those who have the right to stay and those who do not. We will take action to fight smugglers, strengthen external borders, deepen external partnerships and create legal pathways. And we will make sure that people who have the right to stay are integrated and made to feel welcome. They have a future to build and skills, energy and talent.  I think of Suaad, the teenage Syrian refugee who arrived in Europe dreaming of being a medical doctor. Within three years she was awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. I think of the Libyan and Somalian refugee doctors who offered their medical skills the moment the pandemic struck in France. And last year I told you the story of Muaz, whom I had the honour to meet. He is studying physics today in Europe.  Honourable Members, if we think about what they have overcome and what they have achieved, then we simply must be able to manage the question of migration together. The images of the Moria camp are a painful reminder of the need for Europe to come together.  Everybody has to take a step up here and take responsibility, and the Commission will do just that. The Commission is now working on a plan for a joint pilot with the Greek authorities for new camp on Lesbos. We can assist with asylum and return processes and significantly improve the conditions for the refugees.  But I want to be clear. If we step up, then I expect all Member States to step up too. Migration is a European challenge, and the whole of Europe must do its part. We must rebuild the trust among us and move forward together and this trust is at the very heart of our Union and the way we do things together.  It is anchored in our founding values, our democracies and in our community of law, as Walter Hallstein used to say. This is not an abstract term.  The rule of law helps protect people from the rule of the powerful. It is the guarantor of our most basic, everyday rights and freedoms. It allows us to give our opinion and to be informed by a free press.  Before the end of the month the Commission will adopt the first annual rule of law report covering all Member States. It is a preventive tool for early detection of challenges and for finding solutions. I want this to be a starting point for Commission, Parliament and Member States to ensure there is no backsliding.  The Commission attaches the highest importance to the rule of law and this is why we will ensure that money from our budget and NextGenerationEU is protected against any kind of fraud, corruption or conflict of interest. This is non-negotiable.  But the last months have also reminded us how fragile, it can be. We have a duty to always be vigilant, to care and nurture for the rule of law and breaches of the rule of law cannot be tolerated.  I will continue to defend it and the integrity of our European institutions, be it about the primacy of EU law, the freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, or the sale of golden passports, European values are not for sale. Honourable Members, these values are more important than ever. I say that because when I think of the State of the Union, I am reminded of the words of John Hume, one of the great Europeans who sadly passed away this year.  If so many people live in peace today on the island of Ireland, it is in large part because of his unwavering belief in humanity and conflict resolution.  He used to say that conflict was about difference and that peace was about respect for difference. And as he so rightly reminded this House in 1998 and I quote, ‘The European visionaries decided that difference is not a threat. Difference is natural. Difference is the essence of humanity’. End of quote.  And these words are just as important today as they ever have been because when I look around we ask ourselves, where is the essence of humanity when three children in Wisconsin watched their father shot by the police while they sat in the car? Where is the essence of humanity when anti-Semitic carnival costumes are openly paraded on our streets? Where is the essence of humanity when every single day Roma people are excluded from society and others held back simply because of the colour of their skin, or their religious belief? I am proud to live in Europe in this open society of values and diversity, but even here in this Union these stories are daily reality for so many people, and this reminds us that progress on fighting racism and hate is fragile. It is hard won but very easily lost. So now is the moment to make change, to build a truly anti-racist union that goes from condemnation to action, and the Commission is putting forward an action plan to start making that happen. As part of this we will propose to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech, whether because of race, religion, gender or sexuality, hate is hate and no one should have to put up with that. We must strengthen our racial equality laws where there are gaps. We will use our budget to address discrimination in areas such as employment, housing or health care. We will get tougher on enforcement when implementation lags behind, because in this Union fighting racism will never be optional. We will improve education and knowledge on the historical, cultural causes of racism. We will tackle unconscious bias that exist in people, in institutions, well, yes, and even in algorithms, and we will appoint the Commission’s first ever anti-racism coordinator to keep this at the top of our agenda and to work directly with people, civil society and institutions.  Honourable Members, I will not rest when it comes to building a union of equality. A union where you can be who you are and love who you want without fear and recrimination.  Because being yourself is not your ideology, it is your identity, and no one can ever take it away. So I want to be crystal clear. LGBTQI-free zones are humanity free zones and they have no place in our union.  And to make sure that we support the whole community, the Commission will soon put forward a strategy to strengthen LGBTQI rights. As part of this I will also push for mutual recognition of family relations in the EU, because if you are a parent in one country you are of course a parent in every country.  Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, voici le monde dans lequel nous voulons vivre, le monde où nous sommes unis, dans la diversité et l’adversité, où nous travaillons ensemble pour surmonter nos différences et où nous nous soutenons dans les moments difficiles. Le monde plus fort, le monde plus respectueux et plus sain de demain que nous construisons aujourd’hui, pour nos enfants. Mais pendant que nous essayons d’apprendre la vie à nos enfants, nos enfants nous apprennent ce qu’est la vie. Cette année nous a montré à quel point cela est vrai. Nous pouvons parler des millions de jeunes qui demandent un changement pour une planète plus saine, ou des centaines de milliers de magnifiques arcs-en-ciel de solidarité affichés dans les fenêtres de toute l’Europe par nos enfants. Il y a une image qui m’est restée en tête au cours de ces six derniers mois, une image qui saisit le monde à travers les yeux de nos enfants. C’est l’image de Carola et de Vittoria, les deux jeunes filles jouant au tennis sur les toits de la Ligurie, en Italie, pendant le confinement. Il n’y a pas que le talent et le courage des filles qui ressort de cette image, c’est surtout la leçon qui se cache derrière, une leçon de ne jamais se laisser bloquer par des obstacles sur notre chemin, une leçon de ne jamais se faire freiner par les conventions et de toujours saisir le moment. Voici ce que Carola, Vittoria et tous les jeunes d’Europe nous apprennent chaque jour sur la vie. Cela, c’est la prochaine génération d’Europe,  Et cette année, l’Europe a suivi leur exemple et a fait un bond en avant, ensemble. Quand il fallait trouver une voie pour notre avenir, nous n’avons pas laissé les vieilles conventions nous freiner. Quand nous avons senti la fragilité autour de nous, nous avons saisi le moment pour donner une nouvelle vitalité à notre Union. Et quand nous avons eu le choix de faire cavalier seul, comme par le passé, nous avons utilisé toute la force des 27 pour donner à tous les 27 une chance pour l’avenir. Nous avons montré que nous sommes ensemble dans cette histoire et que nous en sortirons ensemble. Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, l’avenir sera ce que nous en ferons et l’Europe sera ce que nous voulons. Cessons donc de la rabaisser et travaillons pour la construire, pour la faire forte et pour bâtir le monde dans lequel nous voulons vivre. Vive l’Europe!