15 April 2020

President Charles Michel at the press conference on the EU response to the coronavirus crisis

We will have next week, again, a European Council via video conference. It will be the fourth one in a few weeks.Our goal is to open a strategic discussion in order to see how it is possible to deal together to take some very strong decisions.

The second very important task for the President of the Commission and for myself is the recovery strategy. How is it possible to work together with the different European institutions and with the Member States in order to be able to tackle this huge challenge that we need to face together.

Our goal is to open a strategic discussion in order to see how it is possible to deal together to take some very strong decisions and to open the process in the mid-term, in the longer term, in order to be able to guarantee, again, more welfare for the European citizens in the next weeks, in the next months, in the next years.

In my opinion, we need to tackle four chapters, four strong points that could be corner stones for a strong recovery strategy.

Le premier point est le marché intérieur. Le marché intérieur est un bien commun pour l'Union européenne. Le marché intérieur est le cœur qui bat du développement économique et donc de la capacité de cohésion sociale pour l'Union européenne. Le marché intérieur a été abîmé. Il a été affecté par les décisions qui ont été prises pour des raisons légitimes, pour des raisons sanitaires. La première priorité est de réparer le marché intérieur, de faire en sorte qu'il puisse fonctionner convenablement. La deuxième priorité est de faire en sorte que l'on puisse améliorer le marché intérieur, gommer, corriger, faire en sorte que l'on puisse avoir la capacité de renforcer ce marché intérieur avec un focus particulier à mes yeux, sur les questions qui touchent à la stratégie industrielle. La Commission a fait des propositions très utiles sur ce sujet, sans oublier l'importance de considérer le tissu, le réseau des petites et moyennes entreprises européennes comme étant un réseau vital pour les capacités de bien-être et la capacité de succès de ce projet européen.

Et sur ce premier pilier, le marché intérieur, je n'oublie pas que la question de l'agenda digital et la question du European Green Deal, la question de cet enjeu climatique doivent être des leviers plus nécessaires que jamais pour réussir cette transformation économique, pour réussir cette capacité de relever ce défi auquel, comme génération, nous sommes confrontés.

The second important chapter, in my opinion, that we need to discuss with the colleagues in the European Council, and with the support of the European Commission, is the need, the absolute necessity to develop a massive investment strategy.

And I agree with the Commission, I think that the next European budget, the next seven-year European budget is a key element in order to succeed. We also need to use the different tools we have in our hands. The European Investment Bank can be a very essential tool in order to focus on our priorities, to be coherent with our priorities, and to develop a very strong investment strategy in the next months, in the next years.

And we need to see what is possible from the European perspective, but also with the support of all the Member States to be effective and to be successful in this very essential strategy.

The third pillar, in my opinion, in order to succeed in a global recovery strategy, is not to forget the external responsiblity of the European Union and you know, as European Union, we have a very strong external ambition. We consider that it is important and essential for us to play a stronger role at the international level. And you know, that as European Union, we are a strong promoter of multilateralism.

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