Today more than ever, Europe stands at a critical juncture. From trade to innovation, from energy to security, we are facing challenges that demand a renewed dedication to our core values.
If we look at the last few months, it is clear we have entered a new era of harsh geostrategic competition, in which we cannot take the benefits of free trade for granted. For decades, open markets have driven global prosperity, lifting billions out of poverty and supporting millions of European families. Now, global markets are shaken by the unpredictable tariff policy of the US administration. Tariffs are like taxes, harming consumers and businesses alike on both sides of the Atlantic. Millions of citizens will face higher grocery bills, medicines will cost more, transportation will cost more, inflation will go up, and this is hurting in particular the most vulnerable citizens.
But in every crisis, there is also an opportunity. Today, it pays off that Europe is reliable and predictable. Our Single Market, the largest in the world, coupled with our extensive network of free trade agreements with 76 countries, positions us as a beacon of stability and predictability in a turbulent global landscape. Our companies need access to new markets. Our commitment to open markets, fair competition, and rules-based trade makes us a preferred partner for nations around the world. Since last year, we have concluded a new wave of trade deals, from Mercosur, to Mexico, to Switzerland. We are working with India and Indonesia, with the Emirates and Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, and the Pacific. Europe will stay the course, cool headed and united, because that is who we are.
And we are putting our house in order, to make business easy right here in Europe. Our Single Market is a safe harbour for European businesses, a place where they can grow strong before they set sail on global markets. But the vitality of the Single Market is held back by too many national barriers, fragmentation and bureaucracy. That is why we are taking action to simplify and speed-up processes. If we remove all trade obstacles inside our Union, we could boost our GDP by as much as 10%. It’s time to remove the obstacles holding back our entrepreneurs and innovators.
And we must unleash Europe’s innovative spirit. Europe has everything that is needed for science to thrive: we have the stable and sustained investment; we have the infrastructure; we have the commitment to open and collaborative science, we have a social market economy that delivers access to good schools, education and healthcare for all. We want Europe to continue to be at the forefront of fundamental research, to be a leader in priority technologies from AI to quantum, from space, semiconductors and microelectronics to digital health, genomics and biotechnology. We want scientists, researchers, academics and highly skilled workers to choose Europe. And this is why this week I have presented the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative, including a new EUR 500 million package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers.
We are also more aware than ever of the need to reduce our structural dependencies, starting with energy. The war in Ukraine has brutally exposed the risks of blackmail, economic coercion and price shocks. With REPowerEU, we have diversified our energy supply and drastically reduced Europe’s former dependency on Russian fossil fuel. It is now time for Europe to completely cut off its energy ties with an unreliable supplier. And energy that comes to our continent should not pay for a war of aggression against Ukraine. This is why this week the European Commission has presented a Roadmap to pave the way to ensure the EU’s full energy independence from Russia. The EU will further reduce its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phase out Russian nuclear energy, while ensuring stable energy supplies and prices across the Union. We owe this to our citizens, to our companies and to our brave Ukrainian friends. Our message to Ukraine is clear: Your freedom is our freedom; your security is our security; and your future is in our Union.
Europe is more than a market, more than a set of institutions. It is more than a Union. Europe is our home. It is our common mission to protect it – to protect its prosperity, its security and its democracy. Telling Europe’s story with honesty, competence, and passion is a key contribution to shaping its future.
