Thank you very much.

Madam President, Ministers,

Honourable Members,

in just under 300 days,

Europeans will take to the polls

in our unique and remarkable democracy.

As with any election, it will be the time for people to reflect

on the state of our Union

and the work done by those that represent them.

But it will also be a time to decide on what kind of future

and what kind of Europe they want.

Among them will be millions of first time voters.

The youngest of them were born in 2008,

the economic and financial crisis.

As they stand in that polling booth,

they will think about what matters to them.

They will think about the war that rages at our borders,

or the impact of destructive climate change,

about how artificial intelligence will influence their lives,

or their chances of getting a house,

or a job in the years ahead.

Our Union today reflects the vision of those

who dreamt of a better future after World War Two.

A future in which a union of nations,

democracies, and people work together

to share peace and prosperity.

They believe that Europe was the answer

to the call of history.

And when I speak to the new generation of young people today,

I see that same vision for a better future.

That same burning desire to build something better.

That same belief that in a world of uncertainty,

Europe once again must answer the call of history.

And that is what we have to do together.

This starts with earning the trust of Europeans

to deal with aspirations and anxieties.

And in the next 300 days,

we must finish the job that they entrusted us with.

I want to thank this house

for its leading role in delivering on the most ambitious transformations

this Union has ever embarked on.

When I stood in front of you in 2019

with my programme for a green, a digital, and geopolitical Europe,

I know that some had doubts.

And that was before the world turned upside down

with a global pandemic and a brutal war on European soil.

But look at where Europe is today.

We've seen the birth of a geopolitical union

supporting Ukraine,

standing up to Russia's aggression,

responding to an assertive China,

investing in partnerships.

We now have a European Green Deal

as a centrepiece of our economy and unmatched in ambition.

We have set the path for a digital transition to become

global pioneers in online rights.

We have the historic NextGenerationEU

combining €800 billion of investment and reform

and creating decent jobs for today and tomorrow.

We have set the building blocks for a Health Union,

helping to vaccinate an entire continent

and large parts of the world.

We've started making ourselves more independent

in critical sectors like energy, chips, and raw materials.

I would also like to thank you

for the groundbreaking and pioneering work we did on gender equity.

As a woman, this means a lot to me.

We've concluded files that many thought would be blocked forever,

like the Women on Boards Directive

and the historic accession of the EU to the Istanbul Convention.

With the Directive on pay transparency, we have passed into law

the basic principle

that equal work deserves equal pay.

There is not a single argument why,

for the same type of work,

a woman should be paid less than a man.

But our work is far from over,

and we must continue pushing for progress together.

I know this house supports our proposal

on combating violence against women,

and here too,

I would like that we cast into law

another basic principle.

No means no.

There can be no true equality without freedom from violence.

And thanks to this Parliament,

to Member States and to my team of commissioners,

we have delivered over 90% of the political guidelines

I presented in 2019.

Together, we have shown that when Europe is bold and united,

it gets things done,

and our work is far from over.

So let's stand together.

Let's deliver today

and prepare for tomorrow.

Honourable Members,

four years ago,

the European Green Deal was our answer

to the call of history.

And this summer,

the hottest ever on record in Europe was a stark reminder of that.

Greece and Spain was struck

by ravaging wildfires

and were hit again only a few weeks later by devastating floods.

And we saw the chaos and carnage of extreme weather

from Slovenia to Bulgaria and right across our Union.

This is the reality of a boiling planet.

A European Green deal was born out of this necessity

to protect our planet,

but it was also designed as an opportunity

to preserve our future prosperity.

We started this mandate

by setting a long-term perspective with a climate law and the 2050 goals.

We shifted the climate agenda to being an economic one.

And this has given a clear sense of direction

for investment and innovation.

And we have already seen this growth strategy

delivering in the short term.

Europe's industry is showing every single day

that it is ready to power this transition.

Proving that modernisation

and decarbonisation can go hand in hand.

In the last five years,

the number of clean steel factories in the European Union

has grown from 0 to 38.

We're now attracting more investment in clean hydrogen

than the United States and China together.

And tomorrow, I will be in Denmark with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen

to see that innovation first hand.

We will mark the launch of the first container ship

powered by clean methanol made with solar energy.

This is the strength of Europe's response to climate change.

The European Green Deal provides

the necessary frame, incentives, and investment,

but it is the people, the innovators, the inventors, the engineers

who develop the solutions.

And this is why Honourable Members,

as we enter the next phase of the European Green Deal,

one thing will never change.

We will keep supporting European industry throughout this transition.

They can rely on that.

We started with a package of measures from the Net-Zero Industry Act

to the Critical Raw Materials Act

with our industry strategy.

We're looking at the risks and needs of each ecosystem

in this transition and we need to finish this work.

And with this,

we need to develop an approach for each industrial ecosystem.

Therefore, starting from this month,

we will hold a series of clean transition dialogues

with industry.

The core aim will be to support every sector

in building its business model for the decarbonisation of industry

because we believe that this transition

is essential for our future competitiveness in Europe.

And this is just as much about the people and their jobs today.

Our wind industry, for instance,

is a European success story,

but it is currently facing a unique mix of challenges.

And this is why we will put forward a European wind power package

working closely with industry and Member states.

We will fast track permitting even more.

We will improve the auction systems across the European Union.

We will focus on skills, access to finance,

and stable supply chains.

But this is broader than just one sector.

From wind to steel,

from batteries to electric vehicles,

our ambition is crystal clear.

The future of our clean tech industry has to be made in Europe.

This is our task.

Honourable Members,

this shows that when it comes to the European Green Deal, we stay the course,

we stay ambitious

and we stick to our growth strategy,

and we will always strive for a fair and just transition.

That means a fair outcome for future generations

to live on a healthy planet,

a fair journey for all those impacted

with decent jobs and a solemn promise

to leave no one behind.

Just think about manufacturing jobs and competitiveness.

The topic we are discussing a lot in these days.

Our industries and tech companies like competition.

They know that global competition is good for business,

and that it creates and protects jobs here in Europe.

But competition is only true

as long as it is fair.

Too often, our companies are excluded from foreign markets

or are victims of predatory practices.

They are often undercut by competitors benefiting from huge state subsidies.

We have not forgotten how China's unfair trade practices

affected our solar industry.

Many young businesses were pushed out by heavily subsidised Chinese competitors.

Pioneering companies had to file for bankruptcies.

Promising talents went searching for fortune abroad.

This is why fairness in the global economy is so important

because it affects lives and livelihoods.

Entire industries and communities depend on it.

So we have to be clear eyed

about the risks we face.

Take the electric vehicle sector.

It is a crucial industry for the clean economy

with a huge potential in Europe.

But global markets are now flooded

with cheaper Chinese electric cars,

and their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies.

This is distorting our market,

and as we do not accept this distortion

from the inside of our market,

we do not accept this from the outside.

So I can announce today

that the commission is launching an anti-subsidy investigation

into electric vehicles coming from China.

Europe is open to competition,

but not for a race to the bottom.

We must defend ourselves against unfair practices.

But equally, it is vital to keep open lines of communication

and dialogue with China

because there are also topics where we can and have to cooperate,

de-risk, not decouple.

This will be my approach with the Chinese leadership

at the EU China summit later this year.

Honourable Members,

In the European Union,

we are proud of our cultural diversity.

We are the 'Europe of regions'

with a very special diversity

in languages, music, art, traditions, craft,

culinary delicacies.

We are also a Europe of unique biodiversity.

Around 6,500 species are only found in Europe.

Nowhere else in the world.

The Wadden Sea, a World Heritage Site, is located in northern Europe.

It is a unique habitat for rare animals and plants

It offers them a home

and is vital for millions of migratory birds.

With the Baltic Sea, we have the world's biggest brackish water sea.

European lowlands join to the south,

which were and are characterised by large marshes and wetlands.

These regions are important allies

against climate change's progression.

Protected marshes and wetlands sequester large amounts of greenhouse gases,

safeguard national and regional water cycles

and are home to unique biodiversity.

Europe is rich in forests.

From the mighty coniferous forests

in the north and east

to the last primeval oak forests and beeches in central Europe

all the way to the cork oak forests in southern Europe.

These forests provide us with goods and services

that can't be replaced.

They retain carbon dioxide.

They provide us with wood and other products.

They produce fertile soils, filter our air and water.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services are vital for everyone in Europe.

Losing this part of nature

does not only destroy livelihoods,

it also destroys our sense of home.

We have to protect it.

And at the same time,

securing our food supply with and in nature

must be and remain a duty.

Today, I would like to express my appreciation to our farmers,

and thank them for supplying us with food day after day.

Healthy food.

For us in Europe, this task is the foundation of agricultural policy.

And also independence

in food supply is important to us.

This is what our farmers do.

But it's not a given.

Because of the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine,

of climate change with droughts, forest fires, flooding,

but also new obligations are increasingly shaping the work of farmers

and their financial situation.

We have to take this into account.

Many are already pushing for more sustainable farming.

Together with the farmers, we must overcome these new challenges.

This is the only way for us to ensure our food security in the future.

This means we need more dialogue

and less polarisation.

And for this reason,

we would like to start a strategic dialogue

about the future of agriculture in the European Union.

Because I am and remain convinced

that agriculture and environmental protections can go together.

Both are important.

Honourable Members, a fair transition for farmers, families and industry.

This is the hallmark of this mandate,

and it is all the more important as we face strong economic headwinds.

I see three major economic challenges for our industry in the year ahead.

Labour and skill challenges.

Inflation.

And making business easier for our companies.

The first has to do with our labour market.

We have not forgotten the early days of the global pandemic

when everyone predicted a new wave of 1930-style mass unemployment.

But we defied this prediction

With SURE,

the first-ever European short-time work initiative,

we saved 40 million jobs.

This is and was Europe's social market economy in action.

And I think we can be proud of it.

We then immediately restarted our economic engine

thanks to NextGenerationEU.

And today, we see the results.

Europe is close to full employment.

Instead of millions of people looking for jobs,

millions of jobs are looking for people.

Labour and skill shortages are reaching record levels

both here and across all major economies.

74% of SMEs are saying

they are facing skill shortages.

In the peak of tourist season, restaurants and bars in Europe

are reducing their hours

because they cannot find the staff they need.

Hospitals are postponing treatments because lack of nurses and doctors,

and two thirds of European companies are looking for IT specialists.

Two thirds!

At the same time,

millions of parents, mostly mothers, are struggling

to reconcile work and family because there is no appropriate childcare.

And 8 million young people are

neither in employment nor in education, nor in training.

8 million.

Their dreams put on hold, their lives on standby.

This is not only the cause of so much personal distress,

it is also one of the most significant bottlenecks

of our competitiveness

because labour shortages hamper the capacity

for innovation, growth, and prosperity.

So we need to improve access to the labour market,

most importantly for young people, for women,

and we need qualified migration.

In addition, we need to respond

to the deep-rooted shifts in technology, society, and demography.

And for that, we should rely on the expertise

of business and trade unions, our collective bargaining partners.

It is almost 40 years ago

since Jacques Delors convened the Val Duchesse meeting

that saw the birth

of European social dialogue.

Since then, social partners have shaped the Union of today,

ensuring progress and prosperity for millions.

And as the world around changes faster than ever,

social partners must again be at the heart of the future.

Together, we must focus on the challenges facing the labour market,

from skills and labour shortages to new challenges like AI.

This is why, together with the Belgian Presidency,

next year,

we will convene a new Social Partner Summit

once again at Val Duchesse.

The future of Europe will be built

with and by the social partners.

This is our task.

The second major economic challenge: persistent high inflation.

Christine Lagarde and the European Central Bank,

are working hard to keep inflation under control.

We know that returning to the ECB's medium-term target

will take some time.

The good news is

that Europe has started bringing energy prices down.

We have not forgotten

Putin's deliberate use of gas as a weapon,

and how it triggered fears of blackouts and an energy crisis like in the 70s.

Many thought we would not make it through the winter

because of lack of energy.

But we made it.

We made it because we stayed united,

pooling our demand and buying energy together.

And at the same time and different from the 70s,

we use this crisis to massively invest in renewable energy

and fast track the clean transition.

We used Europe's critical mass

to bring prices down and secure our supply.

Just take this: the price for gas in Europe

was over €300 per megawatt hour one year ago.

It is now around €35.

300. Today, 35.

So we need to look at how we can replicate

this model of power, purchasing power at the market.

A model of success also in other fields

like critical raw materials and, for example, clean hydrogen.

The third challenge

of European companies is about making it

easier to do business.

Small companies do not have the capacity

to cope with complex administration,

or they are held back by lengthy processes.

This often means they do less with the time they have,

and that they miss out on opportunities to grow.

This is why

before the end of the year, we will appoint an EU SME envoy

reporting directly to me.

We want to hear directly from small and medium enterprises

about their everyday challenges.

For every new piece of legislation,

we conduct a competitiveness check by an independent board,

and next month, we will make the first legislative proposal

towards reducing reporting obligations at the European level by 25%.

Honourable Members,

let's be frank, this will not be easy,

and we will need your support

because this is a common endeavour

for all European institutions.

So we also have to work with Member States to match the 25%

of reduction also at the national level.

I think it's time to make business easier in Europe.

But European companies also need access to key technologies

to innovate, develop, and manufacture.

And this is a question of European sovereignty

as the Leaders underlined in Versailles.

It is an economic and national security imperative

to preserve a European edge on critical and emerging technologies.

This European industrial policy also requires common European funding.

And this is why, as part of our proposal

for a review of our budget,

we proposed the STEP platform.

With STEP,

we can boost, leverage, and steer EU funds

to invest in everything from microelectronics

to quantum computing and AI, from biotech to clean tech.

Our companies need this support now.

So I urge for a quick agreement on our budget proposal.

And I know I can count on this House.

And there is more when it comes to competitiveness.

We have seen real bottlenecks along global supply chains, including,

because of the deliberate policies of other countries.

Just think about China's export restrictions

on gallium and germanium,

which are essential for goods like semiconductors and solar panels.

This shows why it is so important for Europe

to step up on economic security,

de-risking, not decoupling.

And I'm very proud that this concept has found broad support

from key partners from Australia to Japan and the United States,

and many other countries around the world want to work together.

Many are overly dependent on a single supplier

for critical raw materials.

Others, from Latin America to Africa

want to develop, rightly so,

local value chains, local industries for processing and refining

instead of just shipping their resources abroad.

This is why later this year, we will convene the first meeting

of our Critical Raw Materials Club.

At the same time,

we will continue to drive open and fair trade.

So far we have concluded new free trade agreements

with Chile, with New Zealand, with Kenya.

We should aim to complete deals with Australia, Mexico and Mercosur

by the end of this year and soon thereafter with India and Indonesia.

I think smart trade delivers good jobs and prosperity.

Honourable Members, these three challenges:

labour, inflation, and business environment

come at a time

when we are also asking industry to lead on the clean transition.

So we need to look further ahead

and set out how we remain competitive as we do that.

And that is why

I have asked Mario Draghi,

one of Europe's great economic minds,

to prepare a report on the future of European competitiveness.

Because Europe will do whatever it takes to keep its competitive edge.

Now, when it comes to making business and life easier,

we have seen how important digital technology is.

It is telling that we have far overshot

the 20% investment target in digital projects

in NextGenerationEU.

Member States have used that investment to digitise

their health care system justice system, transport network.

And at the same time,

Europe has led on managing the risk of the digital world.

The Internet was born as an instrument

for sharing knowledge, opening minds, and connecting people.

It still is,

but it has also given rise to serious challenges.

Disinformation, spread of harmful content,

risk to the privacy of our data.

All of this led to a lack of trust,

and sometimes a breach of fundamental rights of people.

In response,

Europe has become the global pioneer of citizen's rights in the digital world.

The DSA and DMA are creating a safer digital space

where fundamental rights are protected,

and they are ensuring fairness

and clear responsibility for big tech.

This is a historic achievement, and I think we should be proud of it.

The same should be true for artificial intelligence.

It will improve without any question.

Health care, boost productivity, address climate change.

We need it.

But we also should not underestimate the real threats coming from AI,

mostly Gen-AI.

Hundreds of leading AI developers, academics, and experts

warned recently in the following words, and I quote,

'Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI

should be a global priority

alongside other societal scale risks

such as pandemics and nuclear war.'

End of quote.

AI is a general technology that is accessible, powerful,

and adaptable for a vast range of uses,

both civilian and military,

and it is moving faster than even its developers anticipated.

So we have a narrowing window of opportunity

to guide this technology responsibly.

And I believe Europe, together with partners,

should lead the way on a new global framework on AI,

built on three pillars:

guardrails,

governance, and guiding innovation.

First, guardrails.

Our number one priority is to ensure AI

develops in a human-centric, transparent, and responsible way.

And this is why, in my political guidelines, I committed

to setting out a legislative approach In the first 100 days.

You remember we put forward the AI Act

the world's first comprehensive pro-innovation AI law.

And I want to thank this House and the Council

for the tireless work on this groundbreaking law.

Our AI Act is already a blueprint for the whole world.

We must now focus on adopting the rules as soon as possible

and turn to implementation.

The second pillar is governance.

We are now laying the foundation for a single governance system in Europe.

But we should also join forces with our partners to ensure

a global approach

to understanding the impact of AI on our societies.

Now, think about the invaluable contribution

of the IPCC for climate.

This is a global panel

that provides the latest science to policymakers.

I believe we need a similar body for AI

on the risks and on its benefits for humanity.

Yes, with scientists, but also tech companies

and independent experts

all around the world.

This will allow us to develop

a fast and globally coordinated response.

Building on the work done by the Hiroshima Process and others.

And the third pillar is guiding innovation in a responsible way.

Thanks to our investment in the last years,

Europe has now become a leader in supercomputing,

with three out of the five most powerful supercomputers in the world.

So we need to capitalise on that.

And this is why I can announce today a new initiative

to open up our high performance computers to AI start-ups

that gives them the opportunity to train their models,

but in a responsible way.

But this will only be one part of our work to guide innovation.

What we need is an open dialogue with those that develop and deploy AI.

This dialogue happens already in the United States.

As you know, seven major tech companies have already agreed

to voluntary rules around safety, security and trust.

It happens here where we will work with AI companies

so that they voluntarily commit

to the principles of the AI Act before it enters into force.

Because we cannot lose time anymore.

So now we should bring all of this work together

towards minimum global standards

for safe and ethical use of AI.

Our people deserve it.

Honourable Members, when I stood here four years ago,

I said that if we are united on the inside,

nobody will divide us from the outside.

And this was the thinking behind the Geopolitical Commission.

Our Team Europe approach

has enabled us to be more strategic, more assertive, and more united,

and that is more important than ever.

Our heart bleeds when we see the devastating loss of life

in Libya and Morocco after the violent floods and earthquake.

Europe will always stand ready

to support in any way we can.

I think about the Sahel region,

one of the poorest, yet fastest growing demographically.

The succession of military coups

will make the region more unstable for years ahead.

Russia is both influencing and benefiting from the crisis

and the region has become fertile ground to the rise of terrorism.

This is of direct concern for Europe,

for our security and our prosperity.

So we need to show the same unity of purpose towards Africa

as we have shown towards Ukraine.

This is a must.

We need to focus on cooperation with legitimate governments

and regional organisations.

We need to develop a mutually beneficial partnership

which focuses on common issues

for Europe and Africa.

And this is why, together with HR/VP Borrell,

we will work on a new strategic approach to take forward

at the next EU-AU summit.

Honourable Members, history is on the move.

Russia is waging a full scale war against the founding principles of the UN Charter.

This has raised immense concerns

in countries from Central Asia

to the Indo-Pacific.

They are worried

that in a lawless world

they might face the same fate as Ukraine.

We see a clear attempt by some to return to bloc thinking,

trying to isolate and influence countries in between.

And it comes at a time

when there is a deeper unease by many emerging economies about the way

institutions and globalisation work for them.

These concerns are legitimate.

These emerging economies with its people and natural assets

are essential allies in building

a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous world.

So Europe will always work with them

to reform and improve the international system.

We want to lead efforts

to make the rules-based order fairer

and make distribution more equal.

This will also mean working with new and old partners to deepen our connections.

And here, Europe's offer with Global Gateway is unique.

Global Gateway is more transparent, more sustainable,

and more economically attractive.

Just last week when I was in Delhi, we signed,

I think the most ambitious project of our generation,

the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

It will be the most direct connection to date

between India, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe,

with a rail link

that will make trade between India and Europe 40% faster

with an electricity cable and a clean hydrogen pipeline

to foster clean energy trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe,

and with a high-speed data cable to link

some of the most innovative digital ecosystems in the world

and create business opportunities all along the way.

These are state of the art connections for the world of tomorrow.

Faster, shorter, cleaner.

We need more of them.

And Global Gateway is making the real difference.

I've seen it in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and across Africa.

From building a local hydrogen economy with Namibia and Kenya

to the digital economy with the Philippines.

These are investments in our partners' economies

and their investment in Europe's prosperity

and security in a fast changing world.

Honourable Members,

every day, conflicts, climate change,

and instability

are pushing people to seek refuge elsewhere.

I have always firmly believed

that migration has to be managed.

This requires patience,

long-term efforts with our partners,

and above all, unity within our Union.

And that is the spirit of the new pact on migration and asylum.

When I took office,

there did not seem to be any possible compromises in sight.

But with this pact, we have found a new balance

between the protection of our borders

and the protection of people,

between sovereignty

and solidarity,

between security

and humanity.

We listened to all of the Member States.

We looked at all migration routes,

and we translated the spirit of the pact

into practical solutions.

We reacted quickly and in a unified manner

to the hybrid attack from Belarus.

We worked closely with our Western Balkan partners,

and we reduced the flow of migrants.

We signed a partnership with Tunisia

that offers advantages for both sides, beyond immigration:

from education and professional skills to energy and security.

And we now want to work on similar agreements

with other countries.

We reinforced our border protection.

The European agencies increased

their cooperation with Member States.

And I would like to thank Bulgaria and Romania specifically

for showing the way,

by highlighting best practices in asylum and returnees.

And they proved that Bulgaria and Romania

are part of our Schengen Area.

Let them in at last, without further delay!

Honourable Members, our work on migration is based

on the conviction that unity is within our grasp.

An agreement on the pact has never been so close.

The Parliament and the Council have an historic opportunity

to make it happen.

Let's show that Europe can manage migration

effectively and compassionately.

Finish the job.

Honourable Members, we know that migration requires constant work

and nowhere is that more vital than in the fight against human smugglers.

They attract desperate people with their lies,

and put them on deadly routes across the desert

or on boats that are unfit for the sea.

The way the smugglers operate is continuously evolving.

But our legislation is over 20 years old and needs an urgent update.

So we need new legislation and a new governance structure.

We need stronger law enforcement, prosecution and a more prominent role

for agencies Europol, Eurojust and Frontex.

And we need to work with our partners to tackle

this global plague of human trafficking.

And this is why the Commission will organise

an international conference on fighting people smuggling.

It is time to put an end to this callous and criminal business.

Honourable Members.

On the day

when Russian tanks crossed the border into Ukraine,

a young Ukrainian mother set off for Prague

to bring her child to safety.

When the Czech border official stamped her passport,

she started to cry.

Her son didn't understand,

and he asked his mother why she was crying.

She answered,

'Because we are at home.'

'But this is not Ukraine', he said.

So she explained, 'This is Europe.'

On that day, that Ukrainian mother

felt that Europe was her home

because home, as she said, is where we trust each other.

And the people of Ukraine could trust their fellow Europeans.

Her name was Victoria Amelina.

She was one of the great young writers of her generation

and a tireless activist for justice.

Once her son was safe,

Victoria returned to Ukraine

to document Russia's war crimes.

One year later,

she was killed by a Russian ballistic missile

while having dinner with other writer colleagues.

She was the victim of a Russian war crime,

one of the countless attacks against innocent civilians.

Amelina was with three friends that day,

including Héctor Abad,

a fellow writer from Colombia.

He is part of a campaign called 'Aguanta, Ucrania',

'Resist, Ukraine.'

Created to tell Latin Americans

of Russia's war of aggression and attacks on civilians.

But Héctor could never imagine becoming the target himself.

Afterwards, he said he did not know why he lived, and she died.

But now he is telling the world about Victoria

to save her memory and to end this war.

And I am honoured

that Héctor is with us here today.

I want to thank you, Héctor.

I want to thank you,

and I want you to know that we will keep the memory of Victoria

and all other victims alive.

Aguanta, Ucrania.

Honourable Members,

we will be at Ukraine's side every step of the way

for as long as it takes.

Since the start of the war,

4 million Ukrainians have found refuge in our Union.

And I want to say to them

that they are as welcome now

as they were in those fateful first weeks.

We have ensured that they have access to housing,

health care, the job market and much more.

And Honourable Members,

this was Europe answering the call of history.

And so I am proud to announce that the Commission will propose to extend

our temporary protection to Ukrainians in the European Union.

Our support to Ukraine will endure.

We have provided 12 billion this year alone

to help pay the wages and pensions,

to help keep hospitals, schools, and other services running.

And through our ASAP proposal, we are ramping up ammunition production

to help match Ukraine's immediate needs.

But we are also looking further ahead.

And this is why we have proposed an additional €50 billion

for over four years for investment and reforms.

This will help build Ukraine's future

to rebuild a modern and prosperous country.

And that future is clear to see.

This House

has said it out loud.

The future of Ukraine is in our Union.

The future of the Western Balkans is in our Union.

The future of Moldova is in our Union.

And I know how important

the EU perspective is for so many people in Georgia.

Honourable Members,

I started by speaking of Europe responding to the call of history,

and history is now calling us

to work on completing our Union.

In a world, where some are trying to pick off countries one by one.

We cannot afford to leave our fellow Europeans behind.

In a world where size and weight matters,

it is clearly in Europe's strategic interest

to complete our Union.

But beyond the politics and geopolitics of it,

we need to picture what is at stake.

We need to set out a vision for a successful enlargement.

A Union complete with over 500 million people

living in a free, democratic, and prosperous Union,

a Union complete with young people who can live, study, and work in freedom.

A Union complete with vibrant democracies in which judiciaries are independent.

our positions are respected,

and journalists are respected

because the rule of law and fundamental rights are always

and will always be the foundation of our Union

in current and in future Member States.

And this is why the Commission has made the rule of law reports a key priority.

We now work closely with Member States to identify progress and concerns

and make recommendations for the year ahead.

This has ensured accountability

in front of this House and national parliaments.

It has allowed for dialogue between Member States,

and it is delivering results.

I believe

that we can do the same for future Member States.

And this is why I am very happy to announce

that we will open the rule of law reports

to those accession countries

who get up to speed even faster.

This will place them on an equal footing with Member States

and support them in their reform efforts.

And it will help ensure that our future

is a Union of freedom, rights, and values for all.

Honourable Member States.

Honourable Members.

The next sentence is 'This is in our shared interest.'

Parliament, Member States, and Commission.

This is in our shared interest.

Just think about the great enlargement of 20 years ago.

We called it

the European Day of Welcomes.

And it was a triumph of determination and hope over the burdens of the past.

And in the 20 years since,

we have seen an economic success story

which has improved the lives of millions.

I want us to look forward

to the next European Day of Welcomes

and the next economic success stories.

I know this is not an easy road.

Accession is merit-based,

and the Commission will always defend this principle.

It takes hard work and leadership,

but there is already a lot of progress.

We have seen the great strides Ukraine has already made

since we granted them candidate status,

and we have seen the determination of other candidate countries to reform.

So Honourable Members,

it is now time for us to match this determination.

And that means thinking about how we get ready for a completed Union.

We need to move past old binary debates about enlargement.

This is not a question of deepening integration

or widening the Union.

We can, and we must do both

to give us the geopolitical weight and the capacity to act.

And this is what our Union has always done.

Each wave of enlargement came with a political deepening.

We went from coal and steel towards full economic integration.

And after the fall of the Iron Curtain,

we turned an economic project

into a true union of people and states.

I believe that the next enlargement must also be a catalyst

for progress.

We have started to build a Health Union at 27,

and I believe we can finish it at 30+.

We have started to build a European Defence Union by 27.

I am convinced we can finish it at 30+.

We have proven that we can be a geopolitical union,

and showed that we can move fast

when we are united.

And I believe that Team Europe also works at 30+.

Honourable Members,

I know this House believes the same

and the European Parliament has always been

one of the main drivers of European integration.

It has been so throughout the decades,

and it is once again today,

and I will always support this House and all of those who want to reform

the European Union to make it work better for citizens.

And yes, that means including through a European Convention and treaty change

if and where it is needed.

But we cannot and we should not wait for treaty change

to move ahead with enlargement.

A union fit for enlargement can be achieved faster.

That means answering practical questions about how

a union of over 30 countries will work in practice,

and in particular about our capacity to act.

The good news is

that with every enlargement,

those who said it would make us less efficient were proven wrong.

Take the last few years.

We agreed on NextGenerationEU at 27.

We agreed to buy vaccines by 27.

We agreed on sanctions in record time.

Also at 27.

We agreed to purchase natural gas not only at 27,

but already including Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia.

So it can be done.

But we need to look closer at each policy

and see how they could be affected

by a larger union.

And this is why the Commission will start working on a series

of pre-enlargement policy reviews

to see how each area might need to be adapted to a larger Union.

We will need to think about how our institutions would work,

how the Parliament and the Commission would work.

We need to discuss the future of our budget

in terms of what it finances,

how it finances it, and how it is financed.

And we need to understand how to ensure credible security commitments

in a world deterrence matters more than ever.

These are questions we must address today

if we want to be ready for tomorrow.

And the Commission will play its part.

And this is why we will put forward our ideas

to the leaders discussion under the Belgian Presidency.

We will be driven by the belief

that completing our union

is the best investment in peace, security,

and prosperity for our Continent.

So it is time for Europe,

to once again, think big and write our own destiny.

Honourable Members,

Victoria Amelina believed

that it is our collective duty to write a new story of Europe.

This is where Europe stands today.

At a time and place

where history is written.

The future of our continent depends on the choices we make today,

on the steps we take to complete our Union.

The people of Europe want a Union that stands up for them

in a time of great power competition,

but also one that protects

and stands close to them

as a partner, an ally in their daily battles.

And we will listen to their voice.

If it matters to Europeans,

it matters to Europe.

Think again about the vision and imagination of the young generation

I started my speech with.

It is the moment to show them

that we can build a continent

where you can be who you are,

love who you want, aim as high as you want,

a continent reconciled with nature

and leading the way on new technologies.

A continent that is united in freedom and peace.

Once again,

this is Europe's moment to answer the call of history.

Long live Europe.

Thank you.