European Parliament elections
“In 50 days’ time, hundreds of millions of Europeans will start heading to the polls. I have been visiting Member States, where alongside MEPs we are listening to citizens. The people that we have met have mentioned the fight against poverty and social exclusion, security, the strengthening of the economy and the creation of new jobs among their top priorities. These are the issues that people expect us to deliver on, like we already delivered on migration.” “This is the last European Council before the elections in June. Rest assured, the European Parliament will continue to work until the last moment of the mandate to deliver for all Europeans.”
Competitiveness and the Single Market
“I welcome our discussion on driving economic growth and boosting European competitiveness aided by the analysis of Enrico Letta in his High-Level Report on the Future of the Single Market. This comes at a critical time.”
“The Single Market is our Union’s unique growth model. It has been a powerful engine of convergence and our most valuable asset. Today, people are able to live, work, study and travel anywhere within our Union. It helps businesses, large and small, to set-up shop wherever they choose, giving them greater market access while fostering competitiveness. It also enables consumers to have wider choices, at cheaper prices and with stronger consumer protection that will account for their interests. In being the world’s largest single democratic market, it has even strengthened our place in the world.”
“The Single Market is an evolving project, inherently linked to the EU’s strategic priorities. I believe that our economic area still holds the potential to deliver even wider benefits for our people. The time is now for a renewed commitment to it. That means deepening our Single Market. Only by increasing productivity, speeding-up investments in own industrial capabilities, including in smart electricity grids, and integrating the Single Market for energy, finance and telecoms, can we reduce strategic dependencies while simultaneously supporting and sustaining economic growth. The Single Market is our greatest economic driver.”
“More effort to level the playing field is required. The adoptions of the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act and the AI act are key steps in the right direction. But an equal level of commitment is needed when it comes to energy and more broadly for the green transition. The reality is that while our targets here are world-leading, which is something that we should be proud of, excessive bureaucracy risks holding us back, and even presents a barrier to socio-economic inclusion.”
“For the green transition to work, it must incorporate every sector. It cannot leave anyone behind. It must provide real incentives and safety nets for industry. People must have confidence in the process and they must be able to afford it. Otherwise, it risks driving more and more people to the comfort of the fringes.”
“Another barrier that hinders economic progress is the fragmentation of our financial sector and more specifically obstacles to capital flows across our Union. Even though green investments have gained momentum in recent years, a gap of more than €400 billion remains to be filled annually – a gap that that simply cannot be filled by public financing alone. We need to create the right conditions and frameworks for our start-ups and SMEs to stay in Europe. Meaning that we need to complete our Banking Union and our Capital Markets Union.”
“That is how we can show our people that ours is a project that delivers, that addresses the real issues and cushions the challenges facing businesses and families across Europe. How we will ensure long-term competitiveness, prosperity and leadership on the global stage.”
Source: European Parliament
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