Ursula von der Leyen – Photo EC
(BRUSSELS) – The EU’s key challenge in 2020 is to grasp opportunities offered by the ecological and digital transitions, its chief Ursula von der Leyen said as she set out her Commission’s new Work Programme Wednesday.
“This Commission is committed to tackle our generational challenges such as climate change, digitisation and migration,” said Ms von der Leyen. “We are committed to deliver on the European Green Deal and to improve chances for European citizens and businesses in the digital transformation.”
At the heart of the work programme is kick-starting the transition to a fair, climate-neutral and digital Europe.
In 2020, the European Commission will start turning the six headline ambitions of President von der Leyen into concrete initiatives that will then be negotiated and implemented in cooperation with the European Parliament, Member States and other partners:
- A European Green Deal: After tabling the first key initiatives in December 2019 and January 2020, the Commission will propose a European climate law to enshrine the 2050 carbon neutrality objective into legislation. A European Climate Pact will bring together all of these efforts, involving regions, local communities, civil society, schools, industry and individuals. The EU will also lead international negotiations ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow. The Commission will present initiatives to tackle the loss of biodiversity and through a ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy support farmers in providing high quality, affordable and safe food in a more sustainable way.
- A Europe fit for the digital age: A new European Data Strategy will enable our Union to make the most of the enormous value of non-personal data as an ever-expanding and re-usable asset in the digital economy. This will cover the best possible use of the potential of digital data and the development and uptake of artificial intelligence that respects our European values and fundamental rights. A new Industrial Strategy for Europe will strengthen our industrial and innovation capacities, while the Digital Services Act will reinforce the single market for digital services and help provide smaller businesses with the legal clarity and level playing field they need.
- An economy that works for people: After presenting its first ideas on a strong social Europe in January 2020, the Commission will take action to embed the twin digital and climate transitions into our unique social market economy ensuring our economy combines social fairness, sustainability and economic growth. While respecting national traditions, the Commission will put forward proposals to guarantee fair minimum wages for workers in the EU, for a European unemployment reinsurance scheme, and initiatives to ensure effective and fair taxation. The Commission will also propose a European Child Guarantee to ensure that children have access to basic services and will reinforce the Youth Guarantee to support the education of young people as well as the training and job opportunities they need.
- A stronger Europe in the world: The Commission will develop new strategies for working with our neighbours in Africa and the Western Balkans. The Commission will continue to push for the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. In parallel, it will seek to keep up the momentum by putting forward ways to enhance the accession process, including on theenlargement methodology and on a reinforced investment framework. We will remain committed to upholding, updating and upgrading the rules-based order to make it fit for today’s realities. To strengthen the geopolitical role of the Commission, all Work Programme initiatives will have a strong external dimension.
- Promoting our European way of life: The Commission will present a New Pact on Migration and Asylum – the centrepiece in the reform of the asylum policy. The Commission will also support the health protection of Europeans and lead the fight against cancer. Initiatives will help to step up investment in people’s skills and help them to master the challenges of the digital and ecological transitions. The Commission will also put forward a newEU Security Union Strategy setting out the areas where the Union can bring added value to support Member States in ensuring security from combatting terrorism and organised crime, to preventing and detecting hybrid threats and enhancing cybersecurity and increasing the resilience of our critical infrastructure.
- A new push for European democracy: Together with the other EU institutions and partners, the Commission will launch the Conference on the Future of Europe, engaging citizens to shape EU actions. The Commission will continue ensuring a strong rule of law culture in the EU. We will also look at how new demographic realities affect everything from employment, to social protection, public health, public finance and regional policy, digital connectivity, skills and integration and respond through initiatives on ageing for example.
