During the plenary session (14-17 September 2020) in the European Parliament in Brussels, Ursula VON DER LEYEN delivers the State of the European Union (SOTEU 2020) before the MEPs. Full version of the opening statement by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

state of the Union

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

state of the Union 2020 (T)

Full version - State of the European Union debate: Opening statement by Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the European Commission

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/17833299/I194682Chapters%5BSD-EN%5D.srt

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, President, Members of parliament, one of the most courageous minds of our time. Andrei Sakharov, someone who was so admired by this Parliament, always spoke of his unshakeable faith in the hidden strength of the human spirit.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Over the last six months, Europeans have really shown the strength of spirit. We have seen this with the care workers who moved in to care homes to look after those who are ill and elderly.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We saw this with the doctors and nurses who became family members. For those who are breathing their last breath. The frontline workers who day and night, week after week, took risks.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, So we didn't have to empathy. Their courage and their sense of duty is an inspiration to us all. And I would like to begin this speech by paying tribute to them.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Their stories also reveal a lot about the state of our world and to 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 well-being.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, It showed us just how fragile our community of values really is and how quickly it can be called into questions around the world. And even here in our Union.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, But people want to move out of this corona world, out of this fragility, out of this uncertainty.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Honourable members, I say this because in the last month 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 world, a better way of living for the world of tomorrow.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And this is next generation EU. 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 contingency contingencies for the world of yesterday.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We have everything we need to make this happen. We have shaken off the old excuse us and home comforts. We have the vision. We have a plan. We have the investment. It is now time to get to work.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, This morning I have sent a letter of intent to Presidents Sassoli and Chancellor Merkel on behalf of the German Presidency, outlining the commission's plan for the year ahead.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I will not present every initiative today, but I want to touch on what our union must focus on in the next 12 months.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Honourable members, the people of Europe are still suffering.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 till 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, So our first priority is to pull each other through this and to be there for those that needed. And thanks to our unique social market economy, Europe can do just that.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, It is, above all, a human economy that protects us against the great risks of lifellness, ill fortune, unemployment and poverty. It offers stability and helps us better absorb shocks.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We know how quickly numbers can spiral out of control. So we must continue to handle this pandemic pandemic with extreme care, responsibility and unity.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, When the member states closed borders, we created green lanes for goods. When more than 600000 European citizens were stranded all over the world. The EU brought them back home when some countries introduced export bans for critical medical goods.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We stopped that and ensured that critical medical goods should go where it was needed. We worked with the European industry to increase the production of masks, of gloves, of tests, of ventilators.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Our civil protection mechanism ensured that doctors fund Romania could treat patients in Italy, or that Latvia could send masks through his Baltics 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And to start making this a reality. We must now draw the first lessons from the health crisis.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We need to make our new EU4health program Future Proof, and this is why I had proposed to increase funding. And I'm grateful that this parliament is ready to fight for more funding and remedy the cuts made by the European Council.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And we need to strengthen our crisis preparedness and management of cross-border health issues.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, As a first step, we will propose to reinforce and empower the European Medicines Agency and EDC, our Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, As a second step. We will build as European Baabda an agency Abayomi medical, advanced research, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We need strategic stockpile to address supply chain dependencies, notably for pharmaceutical goods.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And as a third step, it is clearer than ever that we must discuss the question of health competences, and I think it is a noble and urgent task to do this for the Conference on the Future of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And finally, and because it was a global crisis, we need to learn the 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, When I took office, I voted 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 affair that these schemes work.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, They keep people in jobs, they keep the skills in the companies. And of course, they keep the business there. The SMEs and business. These SMEs are the motor of our economy. And they will be the engine of our recovery.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And this is why the commission created the shore programme. And I want to thank this. Haoles for working on it in record time.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, If Europe has so far avoided mass unemployment seen elsewhere, it is thanks in large part to the fact that the road 40 million people applied for short time work schemes.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The speed and the unity of purpose means that 16 countries will soon receive almost 90 billion euros from sure to support workers and companies from Lithuania to Spain.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, It will give peace of mind to families who need that income to foot, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Everyone must have access to minimum wages, either through collective bargaining or through statutory minimum wages.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, I personally, I am a strong advocate of collective bargaining and the proposal will fully respect national competences and traditions.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We have seen and many when 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 will really value them. So honourable members minimum wages work and it is time that work paid.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The second promise of a social market economy is that of stability.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, By showing it was united and up to the task. Europe provided the stability that our economies need and we will not forget when the crisis hit. The commission immediately triggered the general escape clause for the very first time in our history.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We flexible ised our European funds and state aid rules authorising more than 3 trillion euro in support to companies and industry.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, From fishermen in Croatia to farmers in Greece, from Assamese in Italy to free lancers in Denmark. The European Central Bank took decisive action through the PEP program.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The Commission proposed next generation EU in record time, thus combining investment than the much, much needed reforms.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 stabilizers.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And now it's time to hold our course. We have all seen the forecast. We can expect our economies to start moving again after a 12 percent drop in GDP in the second quarter. But as the virus lingers, so does the uncertainty here in Europe and around the world.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, So this is definitely not the time to withdraw support. Our economies need continued policy support, and the delicate balance will need to be struck between providing financial support and ensuring fiscal sustainability.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The historic agreement on next generation EU 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Deep liquid capital markets are essential to give businesses access to the finance they need and they needed to grow and invest in recovery and in the future, and they are also a prerequisite to further strengthen the international role of the euro. So let's get to work. And finally, complete this generational project.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And the third enduring promise is the promise of opportunity. Opening week reminded us of many things we have 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The single market is all about opportunity, opportunity for consumers to get value for money. Opportunities for a company to sell everywhere and Europe. And opportunities for the industry to go to drive global competitiveness and fall us.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 the safe haven for them in times of troubles.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We rely on it every day to make our lives easier, and it is crucial for managing the crisis and recovering our strength.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The linchpin of this is a fully functioning Schengen area of free movement. And 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Based on this strong internal market. The European industry has long powered our economy, providing a stable living for millions and creating the social hap's around which our communities are built.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We presented a new industry strategy in March to ensure industry could lead the Trin Green digital transition. The last six months have only accelerated that transformation at a time when the global competitive landscape is fundamentally changing as to we have to keep up.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And this is why we will update our industry strategy in the first half of next year and adapt our complete competition framework, which should also keep pace.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Honourable members. All this will ensure Europe gets back on its feet, but as we pull through together, we must also propel ourselves forward in the world of tomorrow.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And there is no urgent need for acceleration, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And we see it all around us from houses evacuated due to the glacial collapse on the more block to fires burning through Oregon, two crops destroyed in Romania by the most severe droughts in decades.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, But we also saw nature coming back into our lives. We longed for green spaces and clean air for our mental health and our physical well-being. We know change is needed and we also know it is possible.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The European Green Deal is our a 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 know we need to do things better.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We looked in-depth in 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And on this basis, The European Commission is proposing to increase the 2030 targets for emission reduction to at least 55 percent.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 wanted.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Just yesterday, 170 business leaders and investors from SMEs to some of the world's biggest companies wrote to me calling on Europe to set a target at least at 55 percent.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And if others follow our lead, the world will be able to keep warming below 1.5 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 that we can do it. While emissions dropped 25 percent since 1990. Our economy grew more than 60 percent.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The difference is, now that we now have the technology, we have way more expert 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And we have a solemn promise to leave no one behind in this transformation without 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.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, And I want you at my side and I invite you for this endeavour because we only can do it together. This is our mission on the European level Honourable members.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Meeting this new target will reduce our energy import dependency will create millions of extra jobs and more than half air pollution pollution. To get there, we have to start now.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, By next summer, we will revise all of our climate and energy legislation to make it fit for fifty five. We will enhance emission trading, boost renewable energy, improve energy efficiency, reform energy taxation.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, But the mission of the European Green Deal involves much more than cutting emissions. This is important, but it is about making systemic modernisation across our economy, society and industry.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, It is about building a stronger world to live in. Our current levels of consumption of raw material energy, water, food and land use is not sustainable.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, We need to change how we treat nature, how we produce and consume, how we live and work, eat and heed travel and transport. So we will tackle everything from hazardous chemicals to deforestation to pollution.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, This is a plan for true recovery. It is an investment plan for Europe. And this is where next generation EU will make a real difference.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Firstly, 37 percent of next generation EU will be spent directly on our European Green Deal Objectives and I will ensure that it also takes green financing to the next level.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 standard. bonds And I can announce today that we will set a target of 30 percent of next generation EU's 750 billion euros to be raised through green bonds.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Secondly Next generation you should invest in litems European projects with the biggest impact. Hydrogen renovation and 1 million electric charging points. Allow me to explain how this could work.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, Two weeks ago in Sweden, a unique fossil free steel pilot began test operations. It will replace coal with hydrogen to produce clean steel.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, This shows the potential of hydrogen to support our industry with a new with a clean licence to operate. I want next generation you to create new European hydrogen valleys, to modernize our industries, to power our vehicles, and to bring new life to our rural areas.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The second example are the buildings we live and work in. Our buildings generate more than 40 percent of our emissions. They need to become less wasteful, less expensive and more sustainable.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, 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 a-I are being used. So I want next generation EU to kick start a European renovation wave and make our union a leader in the circular economy.

SOUNDBITE (Original), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, But this is not just a via 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.