In her State of the Union address, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, made a series of announcements on EU action in the political year that is now beginning. Here are the main proposals:
Health
- New European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
- New EU-wide Health Preparedness and Resilience Mission, with ¤50 billion up to 2027.
Economy and Single Market
- Addressing structural problems in Member States' economies, specifically citing labour market reforms in Spain.
- Reactivation of the debate on the review of economic governance.
- New own resources.
- Banning the sale of forced labour products on the European market.
Ecological transition
- New Social Climate Fund.
- Increase climate finance by 4 billion euros by 2027.
- Encouraging other countries to redouble their efforts in view of COP26.
Digital transformation
- More investment in 5G and fibre networks, as well as in digital capabilities.
- New European chip law to create a next generation semiconductor ecosystem, including manufacturing and ensuring security of supply, reinforcing the EU's digital sovereignty.
Social Europe
- New European Care Strategy.
- Acceleration of the process of approval of the New Migration and Asylum Pact.
- New law to combat gender violence before the end of the year.
Youth
- Declaration of 2022 as the Year of European Youth.
- New ALMA programme: temporary work experience in another Member State.
Security and Defence
- New EU-NATO Declaration before the end of the year.
- European Defence Summit during the French Presidency of the Council of the EU.
- Greater strategic autonomy to provide stability to neighbouring regions, face increasingly complex threats (hybrid wars, cyber-attacks, etc.) and remain a guarantor of peace and security.
- Coordination of Member States' intelligence at European level.
- Improving interoperability (e.g. by eliminating VAT for defence equipment developed and manufactured in the EU).
- European cyber defence policy and a new European Cyber Resilience Law.
Foreign policy
- New support package for the Afghan people, including coordination of Member States' efforts to assist those who remain in the country and an additional EUR 100 million in humanitarian aid.
- Ursula von der Leyen's trip to the Western Balkans by the end of the month.
- New Global Gateway strategy with countries around the world to facilitate investments in quality infrastructure, with a values-based approach, transparency and good governance where others will not be.
Rule of Law
- Country-specific recommendations in the annual report from 2022.
- Freedom of the press law in 2022.