Debate: Conclusions of the European Council meeting of - December  – MFF, Rule of Law Conditionality and Own Resources – Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years  to  – Proposal for an Interinstitutional Agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources – Regulation on the protection of the Union’s budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States
Date: WEDNESDAY, 16 DECEMBER 2020
Speaker: Ursula von der Leyen
Language: FR

These three words - reason, humanism and freedom - are at the heart of so many of the historic decisions we have taken in this year quite unlike any other. With tomorrow’s vote on Next Generation EU, you are writing history.  It is worth just pausing for a moment and looking at the big picture here. I say that, because Next Generation EU can lead to the most ambitious overhaul of the European economy in decades. It will drive our green and jobs recovery, it will be investing in everything from renewables to renovations, to restoring our nature, it will speed up our Digital Decade by financing faster internet, safer infrastructure and newer technologies, it will make our economies more resilient, driving forward reforms, and, crucially, it will provide massive and quick investment where it is needed and to those who need it. It will give citizens, workers and business real support and real hope after the pain of the pandemic and the lockdowns. Well, this is Europe getting back on its feet and moving forward together and I want to thank this House for working with us to make this a reality.  Honourable Members, I also count on your support to finalise negotiations on sectoral programmes and the Recovery and Resilience Facility as soon as possible. I know you will be just as ambitious and determined as you were when you were securing crucial extra funds for research, health and external action, when you ensured a clear roadmap for the introduction of new own resources, when you enshrined ambition on climate and biodiversity spending, and when you protected the general conditionality framework.  It is against this background that I’m pleased that the Council has finally endorsed the general conditionality mechanism which you agreed with them.  The conditionality mechanism has not been reopened. This was a red line for me and I know that this was also a red line for you. It is path—breaking that, for the first time, the Union is equipping itself with a mechanism to protect the budget against breaches of the principle of the rule of law, not just individual breaches that have already occurred, but also, and more importantly, systemic or recurrent shortcomings that could in a direct way threaten the budget and the EU financial interests in the future. The Council conclusions ultimately do not change anything about the conditionality mechanism, neither in the law nor in its application.  Let me address some of the understandable concerns that these conclusions have raised in this House. In essence, as I understand it, there is a fear that the application of the regulation will be delayed and that justice delayed might be justice denied. This will not happen. The regulation will apply from 1 January 2021 onwards and any breach that occurs from that day onwards will be covered.  I can assure you that the Commission will always act in full autonomy, full respect of the law and full objectivity. We will start the necessary work of monitoring immediately. When concerns arise, discussions with Member States will also commence without undue delay. We will adopt guidelines on the regulation, as we were planning in any event, and these guidelines do not of course change the law. They just set out how we will make our role in implementing it. It is only natural that, if there is a court case on the underlying law, we take the European Court of Justice judgment into account in finalising the guidelines. Crucially, any case occurring after 1 January 2021 will be addressed; no case will be lost. Finally, I am sure that the Parliament will stand with the Commission in defending the regulation if it comes to a court case and ask for an expedited procedure.  I started by talking about how Europe is moving forward with reason, humanity and freedom, and nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the future of our planet. The decision by leaders to back the Commission’s proposal for a 2030 emission reduction target of at least 55% was based on science and on reason. It was based on protecting humanity and on ensuring freedom for future generations. With this argument and this agreement we set ourselves on the path towards climate neutrality by 2050 and we show true leadership.  The good news is that we are far from being alone. Just last week, we saw 70 world leaders stand up at the UN Climate Ambition Summit and another 60 of Europe’s biggest companies stand behind the 2030 target. Building on this momentum, I count on the support of this House to rapidly conclude negotiations on the European Climate Law. This will be the first ever law that will bind a continent to become climate neutral. But let me be clear. Setting the target is the easy part in this difficult endeavour. Delivering on it must start now. It will take a major collective and systemic effort, but it is worth it.  Our Union has taken bigger steps forward this year than it probably did in the decade before and we did this in spite, and in some cases even because, of a fierce global pandemic. But any recovery starts with overcoming this virus and nobody should think that we are out of the woods yet. Not when more than 3 000 Europeans die of COVID—19 every single day or when infections and hospitalisations are still going up in some Member States. But there is finally some good news. We have agency and we have hope. This is the message I passed to the leaders at the European Council. The Commission has negotiated the broadest portfolio of vaccine candidates and finally, within a week, the first vaccine will be authorised so that vaccinations can start immediately and more will follow in the new year. In total we have bought more than enough doses for everyone in Europe and we will be able to support our neighbours and our partners around the world through COVAX so that no one is left behind. But to get to the end of the pandemic we will need up to 70% of the population to be vaccinated. This is a huge task, a big task. So let’s start as soon as possible with the vaccination together, as 27, with the start on the same day. As we’ve gone in unity through this pandemic, let’s start the eradication of this horrible virus together and united. Allow me to end with a brief update on the unfinished business of this year. This is our future partnership with the United Kingdom. As I speak, our teams are working to try to reach an agreement. They are working day and night, sometimes against all odds, and I want to pay tribute to all of them and I want to thank, in particular, our chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, for his dedication and resilience. As things stand, I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not, but I can tell you that there is a path to an agreement now. The path may be very narrow, but it is there and it is therefore our responsibility to continue trying. The good news is that we have found a way forward on most issues, but this is now a case of us being so close and yet being so far away from each other because two issues are still outstanding. You know them: the level playing field and the fisheries.  First, on the level playing field, our aim is simply to ensure fair competition on our own market. Very simple. And this is why we need to establish robust mechanisms. The architecture we are working on rests on two pillars, state aid and standards. On state aid, we have made progress based on common principles, guarantees of domestic enforcement and the possibility to autonomously remedy the situation where needed. On standards, we have agreed a strong mechanism of non—regression. That’s a big step forward. This is to ensure that our common high labour, social and environmental standards will not be undercut. And of course difficulties still remain on the question of how to really future—proof fair competition, but I’m also glad to report that issues linked to governance are by now largely being resolved. On fisheries, the discussion is still very difficult. We do not question the UK’s sovereignty over its own waters, but we ask for predictability and stability for our fishermen and our fisherwomen. In all honesty, it sometimes feels that we will not be able to resolve this question, but we must continue to try to find a solution. It is the only responsible and right course of action.  The next days are going to be decisive. I know I have said this before and I know deadlines have been missed time and again. The clock puts us all in a very difficult situation, not least this Parliament, and its right to exercise democratic scrutiny and ratification. That is why I want to sincerely thank you for your support and your understanding. I know that, if we do get there, I can count on you to ensure a good outcome. As in the past, we must all walk these last miles in the same shoes.  Thank you so much and long live Europe.