As Commission President von der Leyen will deliver the State of the European Union speech, Europe faces monumental challenges: a war on our continent, the climate crisis, rising geopolitical tensions, and fierce global competition.  

No Member State can meet these challenges alone. Only by acting together as a Union can we protect our citizens, defend our values, and secure Europe’s place in the world, turning challenges into opportunities. This requires leadership, unity, and the political will to turn words into action. From budgetary matters to supporting Ukraine and addressing the climate crisis, here’s what should be at the top of the European Agenda: 

Security & Defence:  

• Work towards a fully-fledged European Defence Union (EDU), with security and military cooperation that extends beyond joint procurement and shared defence budgets; 

• Ensure faster and more effective EU responses in foreign affairs and security by introducing qualified majority voting (QMV) and strengthen democratic legitimacy by granting the European Parliament a co-decision role alongside the Council. 

Budget: 

• Substantially increase the share of the EU budget that emanates from own resources and raise the overall budget to be able to address current and future challenges effectively;  

• Enhance the EU’s investment capacity and address fiscal constraints by completing the Savings and Investment Union and drawing on the key lessons from Mario Draghi’s Report on the future of EU competitiveness;  

Ukraine: 

• Continue the unwavering support and increase humanitarian, financial and military assistance;  

• Maintain strong pressure on Russia by upholding existing sanctions and introducing new measures that effectively target its energy exports;  

Enlargement:  

• Advance enlargement as a geopolitical necessity by offering candidate countries credible prospects, while preparing the EU through essential internal reforms;  

• Promote peace and security through the accession process to enhance and expand the area of stability and prosperity in Europe;  

Competitiveness:  

• Accelerate joint investment in key industries to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy by reducing exposure to external shocks and making decarbonisation a core pillar;   

• Uphold environmental and social standards while simplifying regulations to ease the burden on businesses, without resorting to deregulation;  

 Climate:  

• Implement the European Green Deal (EGD) to strengthen Europe’s climate ambitions and strong social standards;  

• Continue to spearhead international efforts to combat climate change and promote green diplomacy by putting forward ambitious targets, such as the proposed 2040 emissions-reduction goal;  

Democracy:  

• Strengthen democratic resilience by advancing the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) to promote media literacy, support free and trusted media, and effectively fight misinformation and disinformation;  

• Support a well-informed and resilient civil society by providing substantial funding to civil society organisations (CSOs). 

Digital: 

• Uphold the integrity of the EU’s digital regulatory framework by resisting deregulation pressures from Member States and external actors; 

• Ensure the full and timely implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA), safeguarding consumer protection, fair competition, and accountability of online platforms; 

For more details, see our comprehensive set of proposals on how to deepen EU integration in a meaningful way here. 

About the European Movement International 

Set up in 1948 to advocate for European reconciliation and cooperation, we have worked for over 75 years to promote peace, democracy and closer integration. Today we bring together the biggest and most diverse network of national and European organisations, representing stakeholders and citizens across society, in pursuit of innovative ideas for the future of our Union.