Debate: State of the Union
Date: WEDNESDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2023
Speaker: Ursula von der Leyen
Language: EN

Our Union today reflects the vision of those who dreamt of a better future after World War II. A future in which a Union of nations, democracies and people work together to share peace and prosperity. They believed that Europe was the answer to the call of history. And when I speak to the new generation of young people today, I see that same vision for a better future. That same burning desire to build something better. That same belief that, in a world of uncertainty, Europe once again must answer the call of history. And that is what we have to do together. This starts with earning the trust of Europeans to deal with their aspirations and anxieties. And in the next 300 days we must finish the job that they entrusted us with. I want to thank this House for its leading role in delivering on the most ambitious transformations this Union has ever embarked on. When I stood in front of you in 2019 with my programme for a green, digital and geopolitical Europe I know that some had doubts. And that was before the world turned upside down with a global pandemic and a brutal war on European soil. But look at where Europe is today. We’ve seen the birth of a geopolitical Union – supporting Ukraine, standing up to Russia’s aggression, responding to an assertive China, investing in partnerships. We now have a European Green Deal as the centrepiece of our economy and unmatched in ambition. We have set the path for a digital transition and become global pioneers in online rights. We have the historic NextGenerationEU, combining EUR 800 billion of investment and reform, and creating decent jobs for today and tomorrow. We have set the building blocks for a Health Union, helping to vaccinate an entire continent and large parts of the world. We’ve started making ourselves more independent in critical sectors like energy, chips and raw materials. I would also like to thank you for the groundbreaking and pioneering work we did on gender equality. As a woman, this means a lot to me. We’ve concluded files that many thought would be blocked forever, like the Women on Boards Directive and the historic accession of the EU to the Istanbul Convention. With the directive on pay transparency we have cast into law the basic principle that equal work deserves equal pay. There is not a single argument why, for the same type of work, a woman should be paid less than a man. But our work is far from over and we must continue pushing for progress together. I know this House supports our proposal on combating violence against women. And here too, I would like that we cast into law another basic principle: ‘no means no’. There can be no true equality without freedom from violence. And thanks to this Parliament, to Member States and to my team of Commissioners, we have delivered over 90% of the political guidelines I presented in 2019. Together, we have shown that when Europe is bold and united, it gets things done. And our work is far from over, so let’s stand together. Let’s deliver today and prepare for tomorrow. Honourable Members, four years ago the European Green Deal was our answer to the call of history. And this summer – the hottest ever on record in Europe – was a stark reminder of that. Greece and Spain were struck by ravaging wildfires and were hit again only a few weeks later by devastating floods. And we saw the chaos and carnage of extreme weather from Slovenia to Bulgaria and right across our Union. This is the reality of a boiling planet. The European Green Deal was born out of this necessity to protect our planet. But it was also designed as an opportunity to preserve our future prosperity. We started this mandate by setting a long-term perspective with the climate law and the 2050 goals. We shifted the climate agenda to being an economic one, and this has given a clear sense of direction for investment and innovation. And we have already seen this growth strategy delivering in the short term. Europe’s industry is showing every single day that it is ready to power this transition. Proving that modernisation and decarbonisation can go hand in hand. In the last five years, the number of clean steel factories in the European Union has grown from zero to 38. We’re now attracting more investment in clean hydrogen than the United States and China together. And tomorrow I will be in Denmark with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to see that innovation at first hand. We will mark the launch of the first container ship powered by clean methanol made with solar energy. This is the strength of Europe’s response to climate change. The European Green Deal provides the necessary frame, incentives and investment, but it is the people – the innovators, the inventors, the engineers – who develop the solutions. And this is why, honourable Members, as we enter the next phase of the European Green Deal, one thing will never change: we will keep supporting European industry throughout this transition. They can rely on that. We started with a package of measures, from the Net-Zero Industry Act to the Critical Raw Materials Act. With our industry strategy, we are looking at the risks and needs of each ecosystem in this transition, and we need to finish this work. And with this we need to develop an approach for each industrial ecosystem. Therefore, starting from this month, we will hold a series of Clean Transition Dialogues with industry. The core aim will be to support every sector in building its business model for the decarbonisation of industry. Because we believe that this transition is essential for our future competitiveness in Europe. And this is just as much about the people and their jobs today. Our wind industry, for instance, is a European success story, but it is currently facing a unique mix of challenges. And this is why we will put forward a European wind power package, working closely with industry and Member States. We will fast-track permitting even more. We will improve the auction systems across the European Union. We will focus on skills, access to finance and stable supply chains. But this is broader than just one sector. From wind to steel, from batteries to electric vehicles, our ambition is crystal clear: the future of our clean tech industry has to be made in Europe. This is our task. Honourable Members, this shows that when it comes to the European Green Deal, we stay the course, we stay ambitious, and we stick to our growth strategy. And we will always strive for a fair and just transition. That means a fair outcome for future generations to live on a healthy planet. A fair journey for all those impacted – with decent jobs and a solemn promise to leave no one behind. Just think about manufacturing jobs and competitiveness – a topic we’re discussing a lot these days. Our industries and tech companies like competition, they know that global competition is good for business and that it creates and protects jobs here in Europe. But competition is only true as long as it is fair. Too often, our companies are excluded from foreign markets or are victims of predatory practices. They are often undercut by competitors benefiting from huge state subsidies. We have not forgotten how China’s unfair trade practices affected our solar industry. Many young businesses were pushed out by heavily subsidised Chinese competitors. Pioneering companies had to file for bankruptcy. Promising talents went searching for fortune abroad. This is why fairness in the global economy is so important – because it affects lives and livelihoods. Entire industries and communities depend on it. So we have to be clear-eyed about the risks we face. Take the electric vehicles sector: it is a crucial industry for the clean economy, with a huge potential in Europe. But global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars. And their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our market. And as we do not accept this distortion from the inside in our market, we do not accept this from the outside. So I can announce today that the Commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China. Europe is open to competition, but not for a race to the bottom. We must defend ourselves against unfair practices, but equally, it is vital to keep open lines of communication and dialogue with China. Because there are also topics where we can and have to cooperate. De-risk, not decouple: this will be my approach with the Chinese leadership at the EU-China Summit later this year. Meine Damen und Herren Abgeordnete! In der Europäischen Union sind wir stolz auf unsere kulturelle Vielfalt. Wir sind das „Europa der Regionen“ mit einer ganz besonderen Vielfalt an Sprachen, Musik, Kunst, Traditionen, Handwerk und kulinarischen Köstlichkeiten. Wir sind auch das Europa einer einzigartigen biologischen Vielfalt. Etwa 6 500 Arten kommen nur allein in Europa vor, nirgendwo anders auf der Welt. Im Norden Europas liegt das Weltnaturerbe Wattenmeer, ein einzigartiger Lebensraum der seltenen Tier- und Pflanzenarten, der ihnen eine Heimat bietet und für Millionen von Zugvögeln überlebenswichtig. Und mit der Ostsee haben wir das größte Brackwassermeer der Welt. Nach Süden schließen sich europäische Tiefebenen an, die von großen Mooren und Feuchtgebieten geprägt waren und sind. Diese Regionen sind wichtige Verbündete gegen das Fortschreiten des Klimawandels. Geschützte Moore und Feuchtgebiete binden große Mengen an Treibhausgasen, sichern nationale Wasserkreisläufe, regionale Wasserkreisläufe und beheimaten eine einzigartige Biodiversität. Europas Waldreich: Von mächtigen Nadelwäldern im Norden und Osten über die letzten Urwälder von Eichen und Buchen in Mitteleuropa bis hin zu den Korkeichenwäldern Südeuropas liefern alle diese Wälder für uns nicht zu ersetzende Güter und Leistungen. Sie binden Kohlenstoff, sie liefern Holz und andere Produkte, sie erzeugen fruchtbare Böden, filtern Luft und Wasser. Biodiversität und Ökosystemleistungen sind für alle Menschen in Europa überlebensnotwendig. Der Verlust dieser Natur zerstört nicht nur die Lebensgrundlage, sondern auch das Heimatgefühl von Menschen. Wir müssen sie schützen.  Und gleichzeitig muss auch die Sicherung unserer Lebensmittelversorgung mit und in der Natur Aufgabe sein und bleiben. Ich möchte heute unseren Landwirten meine Anerkennung aussprechen.  Meine Anerkennung und mein Dank dafür, dass Sie uns Tag für Tag mit Lebensmitteln versorgen. Gesunde Lebensmittel, für uns in Europa ist diese Aufgabe der Landwirtschaft die Grundlage der Agrarpolitik. Und auch die Unabhängigkeit in der Lebensmittelversorgung ist uns wichtig. Das leisten unsere Landwirte. Das ist nicht selbstverständlich. Denn die Folgen der russischen Aggression gegen die Ukraine, der Klimawandel mit Dürren, Waldbränden und Überflutungen, aber auch neue Verpflichtungen prägen zunehmend die Arbeit der Landwirte und ihre Einkommenssituation. Wir müssen dem Rechnung tragen. Viele setzen sich schon heute für eine nachhaltigere Landwirtschaft ein. Wir müssen zusammen mit den Menschen in der Landwirtschaft diese neuen Herausforderungen bewältigen. Nur so können wir unsere Lebensmittelsicherheit auch in Zukunft absichern. Das heißt, wir brauchen mehr Dialog und weniger Polarisierung. Und aus diesem Grund möchten wir einen strategischen Dialog zur Zukunft der Landwirtschaft in der Europäischen Union starten. Denn ich bin und bleibe davon überzeugt, dass Landwirtschaft und Naturschutz zusammengehen können. Beides ist wichtig. Honourable Members, a fair transition for farmers, families and industry: this is the hallmark of this mandate. And it is all the more important as we face strong economic headwinds. I see three major economic challenges for our industry in the year ahead: labour and skills challenges, inflation, and making business easier for our companies. The first has to do with our labour market. We have not forgotten the early days of the global pandemic when everyone predicted a new wave of 1930s-style mass unemployment. But we defied this prediction. With SURE – the first ever European short-time work initiative – we saved 40 million jobs. This is and was Europe’s social market economy in action, and I think we can be proud of it. We then immediately restarted our economic engine thanks to NextGenerationEU. And today we see the results: Europe is close to full employment. Instead of millions of people looking for jobs, millions of jobs are looking for people. Labour and skills shortages are reaching record levels, both here and across all major economies. Seventy-four per cent of SMEs are saying they are facing skills shortages. In the peak of the tourist season, restaurants and bars in Europe are reducing their hours because they cannot find the staff they need. Hospitals are postponing treatments because of a lack of nurses and doctors. And two thirds of European companies are looking for IT specialists – two thirds! At the same time, millions of parents – mostly mothers – are struggling to reconcile work and family because there is no appropriate childcare. And 8 million young people are neither in employment, nor in education, nor in training – 8 million. Their dreams put on hold, their lives on standby. This is not only the cause of so much personal distress. It is also one of the most significant bottlenecks for our competitiveness. Because labour shortages hamper the capacity for innovation, growth and prosperity. So we need to improve access to the labour market, most importantly for young people, for women. And we need qualified migration. In addition, we need to respond to the deep-rooted shifts in technology, society and demography. And for that we should rely on the expertise of businesses and trade unions, our collective-bargaining partners. It is almost 40 years ago since Jacques Delors convened the Val Duchesse meeting that saw the birth of European social dialogue. Since then, social partners have shaped the Union of today, ensuring progress and prosperity for millions. And as the world around changes faster than ever, social partners must again be at the heart of the future. Together we must focus on the challenges facing the labour market, from skills and labour shortages to new challenges like AI. This is why, together with the Belgian Presidency next year, we will convene a new Social Partner Summit, once again at Val Duchesse. The future of Europe will be built with and by the social partners. This is our task. The second major economic challenge is persistent high inflation. Christine Lagarde and the European Central Bank are working hard to keep inflation under control. We know that returning to the ECB’s medium-term target will take some time. The good news is that Europe has started bringing energy prices down. We have not forgotten Putin’s deliberate use of gas as a weapon and how it triggered fears of blackout and an energy crisis like in the 70s. Many thought we would not make it through the winter because of a lack of energy. But we made it. We made it because we stayed united, pooling our demand and buying energy together. And at the same time – and different to the 70s – we used this crisis to massively invest in renewable energy and fast-track the clean transition. We used Europe’s critical mass to bring prices down and secure our supply. Just take this: the price of gas in Europe was over EUR 300 per megawatt hour one year ago. It is now around EUR 35: it was 300, today it is 35. So we need to look at how we can replicate this model of power – purchasing power at the market. A model of success also in other fields like critical raw materials and, for example, clean hydrogen. The third challenge of European companies is about making it easier to do business. Small companies do not have the capacity to cope with complex administration. Or they are held back by lengthy processes. This often means they do less with the time they have, and that they miss out on opportunities to grow. This is why, before the end of the year, we will appoint an EU SME envoy reporting directly to me. We want to hear directly from small and medium-sized enterprises about their everyday challenges. For every new piece of legislation we conduct a competitiveness check by an independent board. And next month we will make the first legislative proposal towards reducing reporting obligations at the European level by 25%. Honourable Members, let’s be frank – this will not be easy. And we will need your support because this is a common endeavour for all European institutions. So we also have to work with Member States to match the 25% of reduction also at national level. I think it’s time to make business easier in Europe. But European companies also need access to key technologies to innovate, develop and manufacture. And this is a question of European sovereignty, as the leaders underlined in Versailles. It is an economic and national security imperative to preserve a European edge on critical and emerging technologies. This European industrial policy also requires common European funding. And this is why, as part of our proposal for a review of our budget, we proposed the STEP platform. With STEP we can boost, leverage and steer EU funds to invest in everything from microelectronics to quantum computing and AI, from biotech to cleantech. Our companies need this support now. So I urge for a quick agreement on our budget proposal, and I know I can count on this House. And there’s more when it comes to competitiveness. We have seen real bottlenecks along global supply chains, including because of the deliberate policies of other countries. Just think about China’s export restrictions on gallium and germanium, which are essential for goods like semiconductors and solar panels. This shows why it is so important for Europe to step up on economic security – de-risking, not decoupling. And I’m very proud that this concept has found broad support from key partners, from Australia to Japan and the United States. And many other countries around the world want to work together. Many are overly dependent on a single supplier for critical raw materials. Others, from Latin America to Africa, want to develop – rightly so – local value chains, local industries for processing and refining, instead of just shipping their resources abroad. This is why later this year we will convene the first meeting of our Critical Raw Materials Club. At the same time, we will continue to drive open and fair trade. So far, we have concluded new free trade agreements with Chile, with New Zealand, with Kenya. We should aim to complete deals with Australia, Mexico and Mercosur by the end of this year, and soon thereafter with India and Indonesia. I think smart trade delivers good jobs and prosperity. Honourable Members, these three challenges – labour, inflation and business environment – come at a time when we are also asking industry to lead on the clean transition. So we need to look further ahead and set out how we remain competitive as we do that. And that is why I have asked Mario Draghi – one of Europe’s great economic minds – to prepare a report on the future of European competitiveness. Because Europe will do ‘whatever it takes’ to keep its competitive edge. Now, when it comes to making business and life easier, we have seen how important digital technology is. It is telling that we have far overshot the 20% investment target in digital projects in NextGenerationEU. Member States have used that investment to digitise their healthcare systems, justice systems, transport networks, and at the same time Europe has led on managing the risks of the digital world. The internet was born as an instrument for sharing knowledge, opening minds and connecting people. It still is, but it has also given rise to serious challenges – disinformation, spread of harmful content, risks to the privacy of our data. All of this led to a lack of trust and sometimes a breach of fundamental rights of people. In response, Europe has become the global pioneer of citizens’ rights in the digital world. The DSA and DMA are creating a safer digital space where fundamental rights are protected. They are ensuring fairness, with clear responsibilities for big tech. This is a historic achievement and I think we should be proud of it. The same should be true for artificial intelligence. It will improve – without any question – healthcare, boost productivity, address climate change. We need it. But we also should not underestimate the real threats coming from AI – mostly GenAI. Hundreds of leading AI developers, academics and experts warned recently in the following words, and I quote: ‘Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.’ AI is a general technology that is accessible, powerful and adaptable for a vast range of uses, both civilian and military. And it is moving faster than even its developers anticipated. So we have a narrowing window of opportunity to guide this technology responsibly. And I believe Europe, together with partners, should lead the way on a new global framework on AI, built on three pillars: guardrails, governance and guiding innovation. First, guardrails. Our number one priority is to ensure AI develops in a human-centric, transparent and responsible way. And this is why, in my Political Guidelines, I committed to setting out a legislative approach in the first 100 days. You remember we put forward the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive pro-innovation AI law. And I want to thank this House and the Council for the tireless work on this groundbreaking law. Our AI Act is already a blueprint for the whole world. We must now focus on adopting the rules as soon as possible and turn to implementation. The second pillar is governance. We are now laying the foundations for a single governance system in Europe. But we should also join forces with our partners to ensure a global approach to understanding the impact of AI on our societies. Now, think about the invaluable contribution of the IPCC for climate. This is a global panel that provides the latest science to policymakers. I believe we need a similar body for AI – on the risks and on its benefits for humanity. Yes, with scientists, but also tech companies and independent experts all around the world. This will allow us to develop a fast and globally coordinated response, building on the work done by the Hiroshima Process and others. The third pillar is guiding innovation in a responsible way. Thanks to our investment in the last years, Europe has now become a leader in supercomputing, with three out of the five most powerful supercomputers in the world. So we need to capitalise on that. And this is why I can announce today a new initiative to open up our high-performance computers to AI start-ups, that gives them the opportunity to train their models, but in a responsible way. But this will only be one part of our work to guide innovation. What we need is an open dialogue with those that develop and deploy AI. This dialogue happens already in the United States. As you know, seven major tech companies have already agreed to voluntary rules around safety, security and trust. It happens here, where we will work with AI companies so that they voluntarily commit to the principles of the AI Act before it enters into force – because we cannot lose time anymore. So now we should bring all of this work together towards minimum global standards for safe and ethical use of AI. Our people deserve it. Honourable Members, when I stood here four years ago, I said that if we are united on the inside, nobody will divide us from the outside. And this was the thinking behind the Geopolitical Commission. Our Team Europe approach has enabled us to be more strategic, more assertive and more united. And that is more important than ever. Our heart bleeds when we see the devastating loss of life in Libya and Morocco after the violent floods and earthquake. Europe will always stand ready to support in any way we can. Or think about the Sahel region – one of the poorest yet fastest growing demographically. The succession of military coups will make the region more unstable for years ahead. Russia is both influencing and benefiting from the crisis, and the region has become fertile ground for the rise of terrorism. This is of direct concern for Europe, for our security and our prosperity. So we need to show the same unity of purpose towards Africa as we have shown towards Ukraine. This is a must. We need to focus on cooperation with legitimate governments and regional organisations. We need to develop a mutually beneficial partnership which focuses on common issues for Europe and Africa. And this is why, together with HR/VP Borrell, we will work on a new strategic approach to take forward at the next EU-AU Summit. Honourable Members, history is on the move. Russia is waging a full-scale war against the founding principles of the UN Charter. This has raised immense concerns in countries from Central Asia to the Indo-Pacific. They are worried that in a lawless world they might face the same fate as Ukraine. We see a clear attempt by some to return to bloc thinking – trying to isolate and influence countries in between. And it comes at a time when there is a deeper unease in many emerging economies about the way institutions and globalisation work for them. These concerns are legitimate. These emerging economies – with their people and natural assets – are essential allies in building a cleaner, safer and more prosperous world. So Europe will always work with them to reform and improve the international system. We want to lead efforts to make the rules-based order fairer and make distribution more equal. This will also mean working with new and old partners to deepen our connections, and here Europe’s offer with Global Gateway is unique. Global Gateway is more transparent, more sustainable and more economically attractive. Just last week when I was in Delhi, we signed I think the most ambitious project of our generation. The India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. It will be the most direct connection to date between India, the Arabian Gulf and Europe: with a rail link that will make trade between India and Europe 40% faster; with an electricity cable and a clean hydrogen pipeline to foster clean energy trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe; and with a high-speed data cable to link some of the most innovative digital ecosystems in the world and create business opportunities all along the way. These are state-of-the-art connections for the world of tomorrow: faster, shorter, cleaner. We need more of them. And Global Gateway is making a real difference: I have seen it in Latin America, South-East Asia and across Africa, from building a local hydrogen economy with Namibia and Kenya, to a digital economy with the Philippines. These are investments in our partners’ economies and they are investments in Europe’s prosperity and security in a fast-changing world. Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, chaque jour, les conflits, le changement climatique et l’instabilité poussent les populations à chercher refuge ailleurs. J’ai toujours eu la ferme conviction que la migration doit être gérée. Cela nécessite de la patience, des efforts de longue durée avec nos partenaires, et surtout de l’unité au sein de notre Union. Et c’est l’esprit du nouveau pacte sur la migration et l’asile. Lorsque j’ai pris mes fonctions, il ne semblait pas y avoir de compromis possible en vue. Mais avec le pacte, nous avons trouvé un nouvel équilibre entre la protection des frontières et la protection des personnes, entre souveraineté et solidarité, entre sécurité et humanité. Nous avons écouté tous les États membres. Nous nous sommes penchés sur toutes les routes migratoires et nous avons traduit l’esprit du pacte en solutions pratiques. Nous avons réagi rapidement et de manière unie à l’attaque hybride de la Biélorussie. Nous avons travaillé en étroite collaboration avec nos partenaires des Balkans occidentaux, et réduit les flux migratoires. Nous avons signé avec la Tunisie un partenariat qui apporte des avantages mutuels, au-delà de la migration, de l’éducation et des compétences professionnelles à l’énergie et la sécurité, et nous voulons maintenant travailler sur des accords similaires avec d’autres pays. Nous avons renforcé la protection des frontières. Les agences européennes ont augmenté leur coopération avec les États membres. Je veux remercier en particulier la Bulgarie et la Roumanie d’avoir montré la voie en mettant en avant les bonnes pratiques en matière d’asile et de retour. Elles l’ont prouvé, la Bulgarie et la Roumanie font partie de notre espace Schengen, laissons-les enfin entrer sans plus de retard! Mesdames et Messieurs, notre travail sur la migration se fonde sur la conviction que l’unité est à notre portée. Un accord sur le pacte n’a jamais été aussi proche. Le Parlement et le Conseil ont une occasion historique de le faire aboutir. Montrons que l’Europe peut gérer les migrations avec efficacité et compassion. Finissons le travail. Honourable Members, we know that migration requires constant work, and nowhere is that more vital than in the fight against human smugglers. They attract desperate people with their lies and put them on deadly routes across the desert, or on boats that are unfit for the sea. The way these smugglers operate is continuously evolving. But our legislation is over 20 years old and needs an urgent update. So we need new legislation and a new governance structure. We need stronger law enforcement, prosecution and a more prominent role for agencies – Europol, Eurojust and Frontex. And we need to work with our partners to tackle this global plague of human trafficking. And this is why the Commission will organise an international conference on fighting people smuggling. It is time to put an end to this callous and criminal business. Honourable Members, on the day when Russian tanks crossed the border into Ukraine, a young Ukrainian mother set off for Prague to bring her child to safety. When the Czech border official stamped her passport, she started to cry. Her son didn’t understand, and he asked his mother why she was crying. She answered, ‘Because we are home.’ ‘But this is not Ukraine,’ he said. So she explained ‘This is Europe.’ On that day, that Ukrainian mother felt that Europe was her home, because home, as she said, ‘is where we trust each other’. And the people of Ukraine could trust their fellow Europeans. Her name was Victoria Amelina. She was one of the great young writers of her generation and a tireless activist for justice. Once her son was safe, Victoria returned to Ukraine to document Russia’s war crimes. One year later she was killed by a Russian ballistic missile while having dinner with other writer colleagues. She was the victim of a Russian war crime, one of the countless attacks against innocent civilians. Amelina was with three friends that day, including Héctor Abad, a fellow writer from Colombia. He is part of a campaign called  Honourable Members we will be at Ukraine’s side every step of the way for as long as it takes. Since the start of the war, four million Ukrainians have found refuge in our Union. And I want to say to them that they are as welcome now as they were in those fateful first weeks. We have ensured that they have access to housing, healthcare, the job market and much more, and, honourable Members, this was Europe answering the call of history. And so I am proud to announce that the Commission will propose to extend our temporary protection to Ukrainians in the European Union. Our support to Ukraine will endure. We have provided EUR 12 billion this year alone to help pay wages and pensions, to help keep hospitals, schools and other services running. And through our ASAP proposal we are ramping up ammunition production to help match Ukraine’s immediate needs. But we are also looking further ahead. And this is why we have proposed an additional EUR 50 billion for over four years for investment and reforms. This will help build Ukraine’s future to rebuild a modern and prosperous country. And that future is clear to see. This House has said it out loud: the future of Ukraine is in our Union. The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union. The future of Moldova is in our Union. And I know how important the EU perspective is for so many people in Georgia. Honourable Members, I started by speaking of Europe responding to the call of history. And history is now calling us to work on completing our Union. In a world where some are trying to pick off countries one by one, we cannot afford to leave our fellow Europeans behind. In a world where size and weight matters, it is clearly in Europe’s strategic interest to complete our Union. But beyond the politics and geopolitics of it, we need to picture what is at stake. We need to set out a vision for a successful enlargement. A Union complete with over 500 million people living in a free, democratic and prosperous Union. A Union complete with young people who can live, study and work in freedom. A Union complete with vibrant democracies in which judiciaries are independent, oppositions are respected and journalists are protected. Because the rule of law and fundamental rights are always and will always be the foundation of our Union in current and in future Member States. And this is why the Commission has made the Rule of Law reports a key priority. We now work closely with Member States to identify progress and concerns, and make recommendations for the year ahead. This has ensured accountability in front of this House and national parliaments. It has allowed for dialogue between Member States and it is delivering results. I believe that we can do the same for future Member States, and this is why I’m very happy to announce that we will open the Rule of Law reports to those accession countries who get up to speed even faster. This will place them on an equal footing with Member States and support them in their reform efforts, and it would help ensure that our future is a Union of freedom, rights and values for all. Honourable Member States ... honourable Members! The next sentence is, ‘This is in our shared interest: Parliament, Member States and Commission’! This is in our shared interest. Just think about the great enlargement of 20 years ago, we called it the European Day of Welcomes. And it was a triumph of determination and hope over the burdens of the past. And in the 20 years since, we have seen an economic success story which has improved the lives of millions. I want us to look forward to the next European Day of Welcomes and the next economic success stories. I know this is not an easy road. Accession is merit-based, and the Commission will always defend this principle. It takes hard work and leadership. But there is already a lot of progress. We have seen the great strides Ukraine has already made since we granted them candidate status, and we have seen the determination of other candidate countries to reform. So honourable Members, it is now time for us to match this determination. And that means thinking about how we get ready for a completed Union. We need to move past old, binary debates about enlargement. This is not a question of deepening integration or widening the Union. We can and we must do both, to give us the geopolitical weight and the capacity to act. And this is what our Union has always done. Each wave of enlargement came with a political deepening. We went from coal and steel towards full economic integration. And after the fall of the Iron Curtain, we turned an economic project into a true Union of people and states. I believe that the next enlargement must also be a catalyst for progress. We have started to build a Health Union at 27, and I believe we can finish it at 30+. We have started to build a European Defence Union at 27. I am convinced we can finish it at 30+. We have proven that we can be a Geopolitical Union and show that we can move fast when we are united. And I believe that Team Europe also works at 30+. Honourable Members, I know this House believes the same. And the European Parliament has always been one of the main drivers of European integration. It has been so throughout the decades and it is once again today. And I will always support this House and all of those who want to reform the European Union to make it work better for citizens. And yes, that means including through a European Convention and Treaty change if and where it is needed. But we cannot – and we should not – wait for Treaty change to move ahead with enlargement. A Union fit for enlargement can be achieved faster. That means answering practical questions about how a Union of over 30 countries will work in practice, and in particular about our capacity to act. The good news is that with every enlargement those who said it would make us less efficient were proven wrong. Take the last few years: we agreed on NextGenerationEU at 27. We agreed to buy vaccines at 27. We agreed on sanctions in record time – also at 27. We agreed to purchase natural gas not only at 27, but already including Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia. So it can be done. But we need to look closer at each policy and see how they could be affected by a larger Union. And this is why the Commission will start working on a series of pre-enlargement policy reviews to see how each area might need to be adapted to a larger Union. We will need to think about how our institutions would work, how the Parliament and the Commission would work. We need to discuss the future of our budget in terms of what it finances, how it finances it and how it is financed. And we need to understand how to ensure credible security commitments in a world where deterrence matters more than ever. These are questions we must address today if we want to be ready for tomorrow. And the Commission will play its part. This is why we will put forward our ideas to the leaders’ discussion under the Belgian Presidency. We will be driven by the belief that completing our Union is the best investment in peace, security and prosperity for our continent. So it is time for Europe to once again think big and write our own destiny. Honourable Members, Victoria Amelina believed that it is our collective duty to write a new story of Europe. This is where Europe stands today. At a time and place where history is written. The future of our continent depends on the choices we make today, on the steps we take to complete our Union. The people of Europe want a Union that stands up for them in a time of great power competition, but also one that protects and stands close to them as a partner and ally in their daily battles. And we will listen to their voice. If it matters to Europeans, it matters to Europe. Think again about the vision and the imagination of the young generation I started my speech with. It is the moment to show them that we can build a continent where you can be who you are, love who you want, aim as high as you want. A continent reconciled with nature and leading the way on new technologies. A continent that is united in freedom and peace. Once again, this is Europe’s moment to answer the call of history. Long live Europe!