The State of the Union 2017: Catching the wind in our sails

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his 2017 State of the Union speech earlier this month, presenting his priorities for the year ahead and outlining his vision for how the European Union could evolve by 2025. “The wind is back in Europe's sails. But we will go nowhere unless we catch that wind. (...) Now is the time to build a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe for 2025," he said.

President Juncker defined 5 priorities: a free and fair trade agenda, a stronger and more competitive industrial policy, leadership in climate policies, protection of citizens in the digital world and migration which remains a key policy area. His speech was accompanied by the adoption of concrete initiatives by the European Commission on trade, investment screening, cybersecurity, industry, data and democracy.

President Juncker also confirmed that the 5 scenarios on the future of Europe had triggered a debate which was the objective. Now it is time to move from reflection to action. President Juncker presented his 6th scenario which is based on 3 values: freedom, equality and the respect of law.

The 6th scenario in a greater detail:

  • The scenario is based on freedom, equality (equal pay, mobility for all, including a new labour supervision agency, a posting regime that works, food standards, and equality between member states), and the respect of law.
  • New treaties and new institutions have no meaning for citizens.
  • The euro must become the currency for all member states, an instrument of pre-accession assistance was proposed, all member states must be members of the Banking Union.
  • Member states must agree on the Social Pillar and on common social standards for the internal market.
  • An accession perspective for the western Balkans must be retained.
  • All decisions in the Council should be made by qualified majority and the European Parliament must be fully involved, especially in tax matters.
  • The European Stability Mechanism should be transformed into a European Monetary Fund. A position of a European Finance Minister and a special euro area budget within the EU budget should be established.
  • A new anti-terror intelligence unit is needed.
  • Foreign policy decisions must be made by qualified majority.
  • By 2025 an EU Defence Union must be established.
  • The “big on big things, small on small things” philosophy is the right one.

"The vision of President Juncker's sixth scenario is certainly a great challenge for the Union and for us. However, we must not forget that all these ambitions and principles are conditioned by Europe's economic performance and its competitiveness towards other regional players. As business representatives in the Czech Republic and Europe we welcome a renewed strategy for EU industrial policy, among others. We also welcome the proposals aimed at a balanced and progressive trade policy based on openness and reciprocity. Juncker's emphasis on the adoption of the euro by the countries that have committed to it and the creation of so-called pre-accession assistance may be a good incentive for the future government to seriously address the Czech Republic's entry into the euro area, for what our Confederation has been calling for years", said Jaroslav Hanák, the President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic.

President Juncker presented the Roadmap for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union. Concrete decisions might be made at a special EU27 summit on the future of Europe which will take place on 30 March 2019.

State of the Union 2017 here.
Roadmap for a more united, stronger and more democratic Union here.