At the European Council, President Metsola called for a long-term EU budget that matches Europe's ambitions, faster progress on competitiveness and continued momentum for enlargement.
Dear colleagues, When we agreed on the ‘One Europe, One Market’ Roadmap and our legislative priorities for 2026, I emphasised the need for clear deadlines, results and regular checks on progress. So let me begin with where we stand. The momentum by which we are delivering on our priorities is positive. And to be clear: the European Parliament remains on schedule. Despite receiving the proposal for EU Inc. only in spring, and working through 1,800 amendments on EU, Parliament’s rapporteur managed to schedule a vote next week. The Artificial Intelligence Omnibus and the e-Declaration proposals have been finalised. Negotiations are under way on securitisation and the digital euro, and we are close to adopting our positions on the review of the Emissions Trading System, Automotive Package, and the Environmental Omnibus, specifically on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. We are determined to continue with the same pace on all other files but given the gaps in impact assessments, the Digital Omnibus and the Market Integration and Supervision Package may need a little more time. We need to work through their implications carefully to ensure the rules achieve what we intend and do not create unintended consequences we might later need to fix. I know we share that objective, and we will work with you to keep both files moving as quickly as possible. On the Environmental and Food and Feed Omnibuses, there is one practical step we can take to avoid unnecessary delays and help us move faster. These packages contain several proposals that amend 16 legislative files which the European Parliament is considering in smaller clusters and adopting each one as it is ready. If the Council can negotiate on that basis, we can begin without waiting for every element of each package to be finalised. I would ask you to encourage your ministers to show flexibility so we can start negotiations sooner. We also need to do more to integrate the social dimension – this cannot be an afterthought. As regards our upcoming work, I want to emphasise that there are still several proposals namely the Energy Security Package, the European Product Act and the Quantum Act which the co-legislators are ready to start working on. On energy, the strategy we have adopted is delivering. The roll-out of renewable energy continues across Europe. Renewables now supply nearly half of the EU’s electricity which helps reduce our exposure to shocks. But we still have vulnerabilities to address. Gas storage levels are lower than in previous years, and we need to move faster on connections between our countries. Negotiations on the EU Grids Package are under way, and I remain hopeful that we can reach agreement before the end of the year. Also on energy, let us not underestimate the importance of global partnerships. Prime Minister Carney’s address to the European Parliament in September reaffirmed the close friendship between Europe and Canada and our shared interests. We should build on that momentum and extend it to our relationship with the United Kingdom. The upcoming EU-Canada and EU-UK Summits offer perfect opportunities to deepen cooperation on security, including energy security, technology and trade. Strengthening these partnerships is even more urgent given the pressure that China’s unfair economic practices are putting on our businesses. Our automotive sector is being forced to cut tens of thousands of jobs. Our machinery, aluminium and steel industries face similar challenges. There is a limit to what our industries can absorb, and we are reaching it. I will always favour diplomacy, and I welcome the progress being made in the EU-China Trade and Investment Consultations, but we must also be ready to use the instruments we have and develop others if necessary. There are already proposals on the table, including the Industrial Accelerator Act that could be part of the solution. Parliament adopted a clear position on China last week, and the Franco-German letter reinforces our shared determination to act. Dear colleagues, Delivering on all these issues requires a budget to match. So let me now turn to the next Multiannual Financial Framework. In April, Parliament adopted its position after months of negotiations across eight political groups. We found a careful balance between cohesion and agriculture, new demands on competitiveness and defence, and the flexibility to respond to crises. No one got everything they wanted. But we reached a compromise a majority could support. That is the same spirit we now bring to our discussions with you. Bringing 27 positions together is no easy task. In the European Parliament we need a minimum of 361 votes. I appreciate that this new proposal preserves funding for policies whose benefits people feel directly. That is essential for the European Parliament. But so is ensuring a budget that is fit for purpose. I can tell you we were very surprised to see cuts to the very funds intended to strengthen our competitiveness, defence and civil protection mechanisms. We cannot agree on our ambitions, spend meeting after meeting discussing them, and reduce the means to achieve them. Our members need to answer to people for who housing, the cost of living and climate change are very real very immediate concerns. A smaller budget makes it harder to deliver for them and harder for a majority in the European Parliament to support. There is a path to agreement. If Member States want to finance our common priorities while limiting pressure on national budgets, the solution is new sources of European revenue. This is the missing element that can bridge everybody’s position. Yesterday, President Costa made a very good point when he came to the European Parliament. He said, the first thing we need to do is agree on a common vocabulary and talk on the basis of the same figures. I couldn’t agree with you more. Leaving the question of our support until the end would be a mistake. Members will not accept a fait accompli that fails to meet the needs of our people. Parliament is not a rubber stamp and never will be. I want us to find a way forward. Ultimately, that is why I am raising these concerns with you here. The sooner we move away from institutional silos and work together, the better our chances of delivering a good budget on time. I know the focus of today’s discussion is on competitiveness and the MFF, but Ukraine is approaching another winter at war, and the humanitarian situation is worsening. I welcome the agreement on our biggest set of listings that target Russia’s missile production chain. I see no signs of fatigue in the European Parliament, but we need to reinforce why it is important to stand with Ukraine and counter the Russian narrative. That counts for enlargement as well. This week Ukraine and Moldova each opened two new negotiation clusters, while Montenegro closed three chapters and Albania one. We need to do our part. I understand the concerns, but the safeguards tied to reforms in the Commission’s communication offer a good basis to address them. It helps no one, least of all us, to keep putting off the decisions we know we need to make. Let me end on a positive point on migration. I am happy to inform you that last week, we signed the Return Regulation into law. It will not solve every challenge, but it was a crucial piece of the puzzle we needed to deliver on, and we did. We now look to Member States to follow through with its swift implementation. Thank you.