The coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the EU's fragility and now is the moment for Europe to lead the way from this fragility towards a new vitality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in her State of the Union address on Wednesday.
Now is the moment to trust one another and stay together. Now is the moment for Europe “to lead the way from this fragility towards a new vitality,” von der Leyen said in her first State of the Union address.
Based on the model of the United States, since 2010 EC presidents have delivered State of the Union speeches once a year, at a plenary in September, commenting on the results of the outgoing year and announcing priorities for the next.
In her speech von der Leyen commented on the EC's efforts to alleviate the health and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and presented her vision of economic recovery, green and digital transition, fight against climate change and the situation in the EU's neighbourhood.
She said that the EC was proposing new targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the period until 2030 by at least 55% compared to 1990. The current target is 40%, which is not enough for the EU to meet its goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
The EC president said that 37% of the EU's €750 billion recovery plan should be invested to achieve objectives of the European Green Deal, and that 30% of the amount should be secured by issuing green bonds.
Next Generation EU should enable a greater use of hydrogen and create European hydrogen valleys “to modernise our industries, power our vehicles and bring new life to rural areas,” she said.
The coronavirus pandemic has stepped up digital innovation and the next decade must be a digital decade, she noted.
Von der Leyen said that if there was no agreement on the global level, next year the EC would propose that the EU introduce digital taxation.
She called for creating a strong European health union, announcing that the EU would establish an agency for biomedical research and call a global health summit in Italy for next year so the world could prepare better for future pandemics.
She also called for strengthening the European Medicines Agency and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Von der Leyen announced that the EC would put forward a legal proposal to support member states to set up a framework for minimum wages.
Next week the EC will publish its proposal on migration and asylum.
Migration is a European challenge and all of Europe must do its part, she said.
She also noted that the Western Balkans belonged to the EU.
“We share the same history, we share the same destiny. The Western Balkans is part of Europe – and not just a stopover on the Silk Road,” von der Leyen said.
She also condemned homophobic policies such as those in Poland, where “LGBTQI-free” zones have been declared.
