State of The Union 2020 Letter of Intent en
State of The Union 2020 Letter of Intent en
State of The Union 2020 Letter of Intent en
Almost 500 days ago, the people of Europe made their voice heard loud and clear. Through the
European Parliament elections, they gave the EU institutions an emphatic mandate to be bold,
and ambitious and to lead change to a healthier, stronger and fairer world. The political
guidelines presented to the European Parliament in July 2019 reflected this ambition. They
have framed our common work ever since and we would like to thank both the Parliament and
the Council for their support and cooperation over the last year.
Since the very beginning, our Commission has been guided by the following commitment made
last year in the political guidelines: “We will adapt and update as challenges and
opportunities inevitably emerge, but we will always stick to the principles and the
aspirations”. This sums up both our first 10 months in office and our work for the year ahead.
In the Commission’s first 100 days in office, we laid the foundations for the systemic change
Europe needs. We presented the European Green Deal – our new growth strategy – and set out
our plans for Europe’s digital decade. And because the twin green and digital transitions must
go hand in hand with our competitiveness, we presented a new industrial strategy to
strengthen our single market, support small businesses and boost our competitive edge.
Our work was well under way when the world was shaken by a virus that had tragic
consequences for hundreds of thousands of families. It exposed us to the fragility all around
us, locked down our communities and slowed down our economies. In response, we took urgent
and decisive action – from using the flexibility in our fiscal and State aid rules, to creating the
SURE instrument and putting every available euro in our EU funds towards protecting lives and
livelihoods. We brought home more than 600,000 EU citizens stranded abroad and took over
790 measures to manage the health and economic crisis – from supporting farmers and
fishermen to opening up green lanes.
Our message from the outset has been that Europe is in this together and must pull
through this together. This is why the Commission proposed NextGenerationEU and a
revamped long-term budget – a historic proposal and the most ambitious stimulus package in
the history of the Union. It will help kick-start our economies focusing on investment and
reforms. I want to thank the co-legislators for working towards an agreement at maximum
speed so it can start making a difference on the ground as soon as possible.
While many things have changed around us, our ambitions have not. In fact, we are
witnessing a great acceleration in thechanges that had already started and there is even
greater urgency for Europe to lead that transformation. This is a once-in-a-generation
opportunity. We have the vision, we have the plan, we have the will. And with
NextGenerationEU we now have the investment. In the next year, we will work hard with
Member States on preparing recovery plans and on implementation. This will help ensure that
Europe not only recovers for the here and now but also shapes the economy of tomorrow.
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STATE OF THE UNION 2020
LETTER OF INTENT
Of course, the work for the year ahead starts with continuing to manage the pandemic in a
coordinated way. With the number of cases again on the up, this is now more important than
ever. The people of Europe have made sacrifices to protect each other and we must protect the
progress we have made. Similarly, at this still early and uncertain stage of the economic
recovery, we must hold our course and protect the progress that has been made. This is not the
time to withdraw support from our economies and as the year goes on we will have to find a
balance between providing financial support and ensuring fiscal sustainability.
In parallel with managing the current situation, we will start work on building the Union of
tomorrow, with major initiatives planned across all six of our headline ambitions. These reflect
the need to learn lessons from the crisis and to get ahead of the great acceleration of change
in order to shape a fairer, healthier, greener and more digital society. Our work will focus on
strengthening our competitiveness and making our economies and industries more resilient.
This Commission will ensure that Europe plays its ever more vital role in this fragile world –
whether that be leading global efforts to secure a safe and accessible vaccine, building
partnerships or strengthening the rules-based multilateral system. We will be open wherever
we can but more assertive wherever we must.
Listed below you will see some of the major initiatives the Commission intends to propose in
the coming year – initiatives that also reflect the input received from the Parliament and the
Council. This is not an exhaustive list, and it will be followed in October by the Commission’s
work programme for 2021, on which I look forward to working closely with you.
In addition to the actions listed below, the Commission will continue to carry out its work
programme for 2020, with a number of major initiatives still to be adopted before the end of
this year. These include the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the first annual rule of law
report and the 2030 Climate Target Plan – all due to adopted in the coming days and weeks.
This letter also marks the start of the interinstitutional dialogue on our priorities for the next
year, on which I look forward to engaging with you. We are strongly committed to
strengthening dialogue with the European Parliament and the Council.
This is the moment for Europe to lead the way from fragility towards a new vitality.
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STATE OF THE UNION 2020
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STATE OF THE UNION 2020
LETTER OF INTENT