Debate: Presentation of the programme of activities of the Belgian Presidency
Date: TUESDAY, 16 JANUARY 2024
Speaker: Maroš Šefčovič
Language: EN

But, first and foremost, dear Prime Minister De Croo, dear Alexander; dear Minister, dear Hadja – we were together in several Councils; and of course, honourable Members of the European Parliament; it’s first time, glad to be back in this Chamber for the first plenary of 2024. I want to start by wishing all of you a Happy New Year, because, indeed, this will be a very demanding period for all of us, because the new year brings with it, of course, a new Presidency of the Council, and first, as the Prime Minister has just done, I also would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make the outgoing Spanish Presidency a success. But now it’s the turn of Belgium to take this important responsibility at this very important moment in time. The Belgian Presidency will see the upcoming European elections in June, and this will help shape the future of our Union, and take place amidst extensive and numerous challenges, and the Prime Minister described all of them in a very eloquent manner. Before then, however, it is crucial that we maintain our efforts to deliver on all outstanding files which remain on the table, and the Commission stands ready to support the Belgian Presidency and all of you in making this happen, and showing Europeans that we live up to our promises and deliver the real-world results for their benefit. So, I’m very happy that the Belgian Presidency’s priorities closely align with ours, and I want to touch on a few of them this morning. We need to continue taking action to boost the competitiveness of our economy, including by finding an agreement on the Net Zero Industry Act, but also to explore all the possibilities which would make our Green Deal, our real growth strategy, and to look for every possible angle how to boost the competitiveness of Europe and the European economy. We also need to swiftly conclude work on the reform of the EU’s economic governance, so that the new rules enter into force before the European elections, and allow the Member States to use the new rules in their fiscal planning for 2025. In addition, the Commission trusts that the Belgian Presidency will ensure appropriate follow-up to the upcoming annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report and Scoreboard. I’m sure the reports by both distinguished gentlemen, Mr Letta and Mr Draghi, will contribute to this reflection. Our pursuit of a just green transition must stay on track. In the coming months, this will include finding agreement on the key pending climate and environmental files, such as CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles, carbon-removal certification, and ambient air quality, among others. We also look forward to discussions on the assessment of the 2040 climate target, which we will table in February, as well as a strategy in March on how to better protect Europe against the impact of climate change, such as droughts and floods. When it comes to reinforcing our social and health agenda, I am very pleased, and I would like to thank the Prime Minister and the Presidency for putting it so high on this agenda, and we are already looking forward to our discussions in La Hulpe on interinstitutional declaration on Social Europe, but also on the discussion, which will take place a few weeks later, and it will be the Social Partner Summit in Val Duchesse, which I am sure will help ensure that social partners will remain at the heart of our future. In addition, the Presidency’s leadership will be key in pushing forward measures to prevent medicine shortages, an issue that is so close to the hearts of our citizens. This includes establishing a critical-medicine alliance and advancing the reforms of EU pharmaceutical legislation. With political agreement being reached in December on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, we look to the Belgian Presidency to finalise the remaining legislative work in this area swiftly, and focus on implementation. It is important that we conclude the trilogues on the Schengen Borders Code and the Long-Term Residents Directive, advancing on the anti-smuggling package, which would further strengthen our legislative framework. The Commission also welcomes the Belgian Presidency’s commitment to further work on rule-of-law initiatives, and look forward to the discussions on the Defence of Democracy package. To better protect the victims of violence – as it was again underscored by the Prime Minister a few minutes ago – we will look to reach an agreement on the proposed directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Finally, we will work with our partners around the world, not least in continuing our enduring and unprecedented support for Ukraine, and seek a long-term solution to the conflict in the Middle East. Honourable Members, dear Prime Minister, dear Minister, these remaining months of your current mandate will be extremely busy, but I am sure that together we can produce the results expected of us by our citizens. Thank you very much and I am looking forward to our discussion.