Live replay of the statement by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC during the State of the Union 2017 during the plenary session in Satrsbourg (11-14/09/2017)

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

state of the Union 2017 (T)

state of the Union

(02) State of the Union 2017: statement by Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC (9:12 - 9:26)

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Mr President, Honourable Members, As we look to the future, we cannot let ourselves be blown off course. We set out to complete an Energy Union, a Security Union, a Capital Markets Union, a Banking Union and a Digital Single Market. Together, we have already come a long way. As the Parliament testified, 80% of the proposals promised at the start of the mandate have already been put forward by the Commission. We must now work together to turn proposals into law, and law into practice. As ever, there will be a degree of give and take. The Commission's proposals to reform our Common Asylum System and strengthen rules on the Posting of Workers have caused controversy. Achieving a good result will need all sides to move towards each other. I want to say today: as long as the outcome is the right one for our Union and is fair to all Member States, the Commission will be open to compromise as long as the final result is good for the Union and fair for all its members.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, We are now ready to put the remaining 20% of initiatives on the table by May 2018. This morning, I sent a Letter of Intent to European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and Prime Minister J&uuml;ri Ratas outlining the priorities for the year ahead. I will not list all our proposals here, but let me mention five which are particularly important. Firstly, I want us to strengthen our European trade agenda.  Yes, Europe is open for business. But there must be reciprocity. We have to get what we give. Trade is not something abstract. Trade is about jobs, creating new opportunities for Europe's businesses big and small. Every additional &euro;1 billion in exports supports 14,000 extra jobs in Europe. Trade is about exporting our standards, be they social or environmental standards, data protection or food safety requirements.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Europe has always been an attractive place to do business. But over the last year, partners across the globe are lining up at our door to conclude trade agreements with us. With the help of the European Parliament, we have just secured a trade agreement with Canada that will provisionally apply as of next week. We have a political agreement with Japan on a new economic partnership. By the end of the year, we have a good chance of doing the same with Mexico and South American countries. And today, we are proposing to open trade negotiations with Australia and New Zealand. I want all of these agreements to be finalised by the end of this mandate. And I want them negotiated in the fullest transparency. Open trade must go hand in hand with open policy making.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, The European Parliament will have the final say on all trade agreements. So its Members, like members of national and regional parliaments, must be kept fully informed from day one of the negotiations. The Commission will make sure of this. From now on, the Commission will publish in full all draft negotiating mandates we propose to the Council. Citizens have the right to know what the Commission is proposing. Gone are the days of no transparency. Gone are the days of rumours, of incessantly questioning the Commission's motives. I call on the Council to do the same when it adopts the final negotiating mandates. Let me say once and for all: we are not na&iuml;ve free traders.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Europe must always defend its strategic interests. This is why today we are proposing a new EU framework for investment screening. If a foreign, state-owned, company wants to purchase a European harbour, part of our energy infrastructure or a defence technology firm, this should only happen in transparency, with scrutiny and debate. It is a political responsibility to know what is going on in our own backyard so that we can protect our collective security if needed.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Secondly, I want to make our industry stronger and more competitive.This is particularly true for our manufacturing base and the 32 million workers that form its backbone. They make the world-class products that give us our edge, like our cars. I am proud of our car industry. But I am shocked when consumers are knowingly and deliberately misled. I call on the car industry to come clean and make it right. Instead of looking for loopholes, they should be investing in the clean cars of the future. The new Industrial Policy Strategy we are presenting today will help our industries stay or become the world leader in innovation, digitisation and decarbonisation.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Third: I want Europe to be the leader when it comes to the fight against climate change. Last year, we set the global rules of the game with the Paris Agreement ratified here, in this very House. Set against the collapse of ambition in the United States, Europe will ensure we make our planet great again. It is the shared heritage of all of humanity. The Commission will shortly present proposals to reduce the carbon emissions of our transport sector.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Fourth priority for the year ahead: we need to better protect Europeans in the digital age.  In the past three years, we have made progress in keeping Europeans safe online. New rules, put forward by the Commission, will protect our intellectual property, our cultural diversity and our personal data. We have stepped up the fight against terrorist propaganda and radicalisation online. But Europe is still not well equipped when it comes to cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks can be more dangerous to the stability of democracies and economies than guns and tanks. Last year alone there were more than 4,000 ransomware attacks per day and 80% of European companies experienced at least one cyber-security incident. Cyber-attacks know no borders and no one is immune. This is why, today, the Commission is proposing new tools, including a European Cybersecurity Agency, to help defend us against such attacks.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Fifth: migration will stay on our radar. In spite of the debate and controversy around this topic, we have managed to make solid progress &ndash; though admittedly insufficient in many areas. We are now protecting Europe's external borders more effectively. Over 1,700 officers from the new European Border and Coast Guard are now helping Member States' 100,000 national border guards patrol in places like Greece, Italy, Bulgaria and Spain. We have common borders but Member States that by geography are the first in line cannot be left alone to protect them. Common borders and common protection must go hand in hand. We have managed to stem irregular flows of migrants, which were a cause of great anxiety for many. We have reduced irregular arrivals in the Eastern Mediterranean by 97% thanks our agreement with Turkey. And this summer, we managed to get more control over the Central Mediterranean route with arrivals in August down by 81% compared to the same month last year. In doing so, we have drastically reduced the loss of life in the Mediterranean. Tragically, nearly 2,500 died this year. I will never accept that people are left to die at sea.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I cannot talk about migration without paying strong tribute to Italy for their tireless and noble work. This summer, the Commission again worked closely together with Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and his government to improve the situation, notably by training the Libyan Coast Guard. We will continue to offer strong operational and financial support to Italy. Because Italy is saving Europe's honour in the Mediterranean. We must also urgently improve migrants' living conditions in Libya. I am appalled by the inhumane conditions in detention or reception centres. Europe has a collective responsibility, and the Commission will work in concert with the United Nations to put an end to this scandalous situation that cannot be made to last. Even if it saddens me to see that solidarity is not yet equally shared across all our Member States, Europe as a whole has continued to show solidarity. Last year alone, our Member States resettled or granted asylum to over 720,000 refugees &ndash; three times as much as the United States, Canada and Australia combined. Europe, contrary to what some say, is not a fortress and must never become one. Europe is and must remain the continent of solidarity where those fleeing persecution can find refuge.