“Europe in June 2022 is very different from Europe in January 2022”
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
Over the past six months, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union has accompanied the profound transformations of the European Union, at a time when war has again struck our continent. It has worked to provide a united and firm response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine, while continuing to work on the major projects for the future of our Europe, so that it can be more sovereign, greener and more human.
A strong and united response to Ukraine's aggression
“The Ukrainian people give us a unique example of courage. It is up to us to do our part.”
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
Under the French Presidency, acting with total determination and unity, the European Union has:
- Welcomed more than 7.6 million Ukrainian women and men and opened up the possibility of access to education, employment and social protection;
- Supported the Ukrainian army with the deployment of unprecedented military aid, totalling €2 billion;
- Supported the Ukrainian economy, with assistance of almost €2 billion. The Union is ready to grant a new financial assistance of €9 billion in 2022 and is committed to playing a major role in the reconstruction of Ukraine;
- Provided massive humanitarian aid of €335 million, in addition to Member States' bilateral humanitarian aid of €1.28 billion;
- Adopted sanctions that have a massive impact on Russia and Belarus: six packages of sanctions against individuals involved in the aggression and against the financial, transport, defence and energy sectors;
- Provided practical support to the Ukrainian authorities and international courts, including the International Criminal Court, to preserve evidence of war crimes;
- Granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of candidates for membership of the European Union.
On the proposal of the President of the French Republic and in the context of the return of war to our continent, a reflection has been initiated on a "European Political Community". Endorsed on 23 June by European leaders, it will strengthen the political, economic, cultural and security links at the level of our continent, with the European States that share our democratic values.
“European sovereignty is not just a slogan, it is today an imperative. It is the Versailles agenda.”
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
During the summit that France hosted in Versailles on 10 and 11 March, important steps were taken to:
- Strengthen our defence capabilities: in Versailles, leaders agreed on the need to strengthen our defence industrial base; two tools will soon make this possible: one to support the replenishment of stocks of Member States that have provided material support to Ukraine, and the other to encourage investment in the construction of European defence equipment, thanks to a VAT exemption and financial support;
- Break our dependence on Russian gas, oil and coal imports;
- Build a stronger economic base. The Versailles summit thus set an agenda of European sovereignty for food products, health products, critical raw materials and semi-conductors.
Delivering the 5 priorities of the French Presidency of the Council
A more sovereign Europe
"A sovereign Europe is first and foremost a Europe capable of controlling its borders."
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
✔ Reform the functioning of the Schengen area: creation of political steering with the "Schengen Council"; increased trust between Member States in the application of our common rules with a reinforced evaluation mechanism; better management of our borders with the revision of the Schengen Borders Code.
✔ Better respond to migratory flows into Europe: Greater solidarity with the countries in the front line for the reception of refugees with a solidarity mechanism including relocations; strengthening work with countries of origin and transit through the establishment of a coordination mechanism for the external dimension of migration; better protection of our borders, with compulsory screening for asylum seekers entering the Union and the expansion of the database collected on their arrival to include biometric data and then allow the monitoring of asylum seekers;
✔ Strengthen European defence: adoption of a strategic roadmap for the decade (Strategic Compass), which helps define European interests and a shared security and defence strategy; strengthening incentives to invest in European capability projects.
✔ Renew the EU-Africa partnership: EU-African Union summit, around an economic and financial New Deal with Africa, an agenda on health education and climate, development of plant proteins, a security partnership between Africa and Europe, and an agenda on chosen mobilities.
A greener Europe
"Europe has an opportunity: it must become a champion in reconciling economic development and climate ambition, because this is a lever for creating jobs and value for today and tomorrow"
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
✔ Adopt the Climate Package to reduce our emissions by 55% by 2030. It includes the introduction of a carbon tax at the borders, the strengthening of the carbon market and its extension to maritime transport, the end of the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles in 2035 and social support for the ecological transition of €59 billion.
✔ Promote the establishment of identical production standards for products manufactured in the EU and for imported products, via the introduction of mirror measures.
✔ Reorient European trade policy to include stronger environmental and social requirements in trade agreements.
✔ Establish a European instrument to combat imported deforestation.
✔ Strengthen the transparency of companies' environmental and social policy, by requiring the publication of sustainability reporting in substantiated and certified documents.
A more digital Europe
"Digital technology is transforming all our production sectors and is at the heart of global innovation. If we succeed in creating growth and new jobs on our continent, if we succeed in defending our values and principles, we will succeed in creating a digital Europe.“
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
✔ Limit the distribution of illegal content and products online (adoption of the "DSA" legislation).
✔ End the economic dominance of large digital platforms and strengthen consumers' freedom of choice (adoption of the "DMA" legislation).
✔ Support innovation and growth of emerging players, by mobilising institutional investors (€3.5bn mobilised for the Scale up initiative).
A more social Europe
"What must distinguish the European production model from others is our collective capacity to offer workers quality, qualified and better paid jobs, to create good jobs."
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
✔ Adopt the directive on minimum wages in the European Union.
✔ Adopt legislation on quotas on the boards of European companies.
A more humane Europe
"A certain idea of Man. That is why, beyond the priorities I have just presented, I want us to make this French Presidency a great moment of European humanism, a time of mobilisation for what I call this "human Europe".
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
✔ Rebuild a founding impetus to rethink Europe's humanist vocation, making it more efficient and closer to our citizens – this is essential. This is the objective of the Conference on the Future of Europe. It brought together tens of thousands of Europeans who put forward numerous proposals: it is now up to the institutions to follow them up and respond to them.
✔ Deploy “Micro-Folies” across all European countries, regions and cities that wish to join in.
✔ Build a network between Member States in favour of a European civic service open to all young people under 25 for a university or apprenticeship exchange, an internship or working with associations.
✔ Strengthen the European strategy to combat racism and anti-Semitism.
Results have been achieved on other concrete priorities for citizens and business
✔ Provide the EU with a reciprocity instrument on public procurement (IPI): third countries will no longer be able to close their public procurement markets without Europe closing its own.
✔ Give the EU an instrument to fight distorting foreign subsidies: third country companies will no longer be able to receive subsidies from their governments to win public contracts in Europe;
✔ Implement a universal charger for electronic devices.
✔ Promote more responsible and transparent practices of all consumer credit actors by better informing consumers and preventing over-indebtedness.
Read the press kit.
