A new travel information system to better monitor people entering the EU, an investment fund twice as large and a concerted push towards a common European military force were all highlighted by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in a speech outlining his EU vision.
In a 50-minute State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mr Juncker discussed a gamut of issues, from solidarity with refugees to Brexit, digital strategy and the EU’s conspicuous absence at the Syrian negotiating table.
He admitted that cooperation was scant in many areas, and argued that Europe “cannot become a colourless melting pot”. But he also pushed against hardened nationalism, and said that “Europe is not social enough”.
This is what the Commission President had to say about some key issues:
Border security
Early in his speech, Mr Juncker trotted out the EU’s favourite line about it having guaranteed “70 years of peace”.
But a few minutes later, he acknowledged that Europe had a problem with terrorism, noting that the continent had been the victim of 14 terrorist attacks in the past year.
He said that the Commission would, by November, present plans for a new automated travel system.
“We need to know who is travelling to Europe before they get here,” Mr Juncker told MEPs. “Anyone coming into EU or leaving will be registered. The date, place and reason why the person is moving across borders will all be listed.”
Mr Juncker also said he expected a stronger border presence along the Bulgarian border, saying he wanted "at least 200 extra border guards and 50 extra vehicles" deployed there by the end of October.
Foreign policy and defence
Mr Juncker praised EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini and argued that the time had come for her to be made the EU’s first-ever Foreign Affairs Minister.
He insisted it was unthinkable for the EU to not be part of negotiations to resolve the war in Syria.
Mr Juncker addressed MEPs in Strasbourg. Photo: Ivan Martin
“We should work towards a common military force to complement NATO,” Mr Juncker said, arguing that the Lisbon Treaty allowed member states to pool their resources for the sake of defence cooperation.
He said that by the end of this year, the Commission would be proposing a European Defence Fund “to turbo boost research and innovation".
Brexit
Mr Juncker admitted that the shock Brexit vote had left many wondering whether it was “the beginning of the disintegration process”. But he moved to reassure his audience, saying “the EU is not at risk”.
The Commission President condemned the racially-motivated killing of a Polish worker in Essex.
He repeated previous assertions that there could be no “a la carte access” to the single market, in a pointed message to UK negotiators – and perhaps British Eurosceptic MEP Nigel Farage, who was seated in the front row to Mr Juncker’s right.
Tax evasion
Mr Juncker argued that every company had to pay its taxes where it made its profits. He insisted that "in Europe we do not accept powerful companies getting illegal backroom deals on their taxes."
His line that “this Commission is delivering in the fight against tax evasion” drew loud sarcastic guffaws from some MEPS in the audience.
As Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr Juncker oversaw multiple tax avoidance deals concerning multinationals.
Juncker's tax evasion claims prompted sarcastic laughter.Climate change
Mr Juncker said he expected a concerted effort to ensure the Paris climate deal was ratified as quickly as possible. “Dragging our feet affects our credibility and makes us look ridiculous,” he said.
Investment and banking
Mr Juncker proposed doubling a European investment fund to provide at least €500 billion by 2020 and €630 billion by 2022.
He also said the Commission would be pushing for work on a capital markets union to be accelerated, saying it would provide more diversified access to capital for start-ups and small-scale entrepreneurs, while making the financial system more resilient.
Refugees
Mr Juncker urged the Slovak Presidency to build bridges between member states reluctant to integrate refugees and others – “as I am”, the Commission President added in an aside – that believed resettlement was vital.
He acknowledged that “solidarity cannot be forced or imposed".
Solidarity
The European Commission wants to create a “European Solidarity Corps” which would allow young people to volunteer to provide assistance in crisis situations, Mr Juncker said.
The proposal would see the EU have its equivalent of the USA’s Peace Corps, and Mr Juncker said he hoped to see the first 100,000 young Europeans take part in the initiative by 2020.
Mr Juncker also called for a €44 billion investment plan for Africa, with the idea of helping to stem migrant flows by addressing some of the push factors leading many migrants to up sticks and head north.
Connectivity
Mr Juncker proposed reforming the telecommunications market, arguing that the EU needed a new framework to ensure businesses could plan their European investments “for the next 20 years”.
The Commission wanted EU-wide 5G access by 2025, and free wifi access in public areas of every EU city and town by 2020, he said.
Data privacy
"Europeans do not like drones overhead recording their every move, or companies stockpiling their every mouse click," Mr Juncker said, as he pledged to ensure the EU would be a strong advocate of data protection and privacy rights.
Trade
“We will not accept that milk is cheaper than water,” Mr Juncker told his audience, as he recalled the difficulties faced by dairy farmers in the wake of sanctions by Russia.
He argued that the EU had to come down hard on dumping, much as the US had done.
Mr Juncker called the recently-signed trade deal between the EU and Canada “the best and most progressive” such deal the EU had ever signed.
Youth
Saying Europe had become a continent known for its youth unemployment, Mr Juncker said he would “not accept” that Generation Y would end up being economically worse off than their parents.
But despite saying the EU would invest in its young people, his speech was thin on details as to how exactly this would happen.