“What the pandemic did for our response to health, and Ukraine did for our response to defence – now is the time to do for European competitiveness.”
In her speech to leaders, President Metsola made four points:
1/ Complete the Single Market
“Fragmentation means we are allowing ourselves to be squeezed from our East and our West. At the speed with which things are moving, we need to act – now.”
“If we can go forward together let’s do it, but we cannot be stuck. The way forward needs to be defined by pragmatic realism that delivers tangible results.”
2/ Keep cutting red tape
“Parliament has done a lot in the last year on simplification. We have eased requirements in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, reduced red-tape in the Common Agricultural Policy and in InvestEU. We have narrowed the scope of the CSRD and CSDDD. (…) Regarding proposals to revise rules on digital, environmental, automotive and food sectors, work in committees is moving fast. Now we also need to see the examples of national rules that stunt growth. Ultimately, good intentions must translate into urgent tangible outcomes for businesses and families.”
3/ Reinforce public and private funding, especially in energy
“Our task is to find ways to inject more capital into high potential sectors without causing instability and weighing down our budgets. Europe does not suffer from a lack of savings. It suffers from a lack of turning those savings into investment.”
President Metsola stressed the urgency of investing in grids and generation capacity to “build a genuine Energy Union – one that guarantees stable supply for our industries, at affordable prices for our people. As we enter the Age of Electricity – investment in energy supply and delivery is crucial. Energy is the new gold and the global rush for it is the same.”
4/ Pursue an ambitious free trade agenda with partners and allies around the world
“The trade agreement with India was exactly the right message, the right tone, and the right deal. We know that strategic autonomy is not about isolation – it is about influence. “
“Where possible we should buy European. But where not, we shouldn’t sacrifice our industries that depend on external resources under the illusion of self-reliance. Openness must remain at the core of our European model.”
“In this spirit, Parliament cleared the agricultural safeguards for the EU-Mercosur agreement. Now we are finalising our work on the EU-US trade agreement. The vote in committee will take place on the 24th, then we’ll go to plenary in March. We recognise the urgency to get this trade deal done – just as we recognise the need for it to be grounded in mutual trust, understanding and respect. Open, but never naive.”
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