Keeping our promise to Europe
When the von der Leyen Commission took office in December 2019, we made a pledge to Europe: we promised to be bold and ambitious. We vowed to meet the aspirations of EU citizens and to address challenges as they emerged. Since then, this Commission has worked tirelessly to deliver on the job with which the European people entrusted it.
And we kept our promise. We stayed the course on the six priorities we set out at the beginning of the mandate, while finding solutions to some of the greatest tests that Europe has ever faced.
From tackling a global pandemic to dealing with climate change’s extreme weather events, from responding to Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine to managing the worst energy crisis in decades, we rolled up our sleeves and tackled extraordinary challenges head-on. Despite the pressures of multiple crises of the present, this Commission has managed to look ahead and address crucial challenges of future generations of Europeans. We have shown that our Union is at its best when we are bold.
This is the story of the von der Leyen Commission.
When the world was hit by the worst pandemic of our generation, the Commission took up the charge to protect lives, livelihoods and our economy.
We helped research and roll out life-saving vaccines in record time. We made sure that all Europeans got access to vaccines at the same time, no matter which Member State they lived in. We secured up to 4.6 billion vaccine doses, on behalf of Member States, to protect Europeans and to share with partner countries. Over 80% of the EU adult population has received at least the first vaccination course.
As vaccination allowed countries to open their borders cautiously, we developed practical tools to enable Europeans to travel safely. We set up the EU Digital COVID Certificate, connecting 78 countries and territories. This has now become the model for a global system to facilitate mobility and protect citizens across the world from pandemics.
As the lockdowns threatened to shut down companies and wipe out jobs, we developed an instrument for temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE). In 2020, it kept 2.5 million companies open and 31.5 million Europeans employed, avoiding a massive economic and social crisis. And when borders were closed and goods got stuck on the road, we launched Green Lanes to facilitate circulation and prevent shortages of basic goods.
Just as vaccines reached all Europeans at the same time, we worked to ensure that the economies of all Member States, especially those worst hit by the pandemic, could recover rapidly. At a time when we faced the deepest recession since World War II, we achieved the strongest recovery since the post-war boom. This recovery was possible because we developed a bold new plan, to raise money on the market and invest together in Europe’s recovery and resilience.
NextGenerationEU has been a boost of confidence for our economy. Worth more than €800 billion, it is propelling our economies with a combination of investment and reforms. Hundreds of projects funded by NextGenerationEU are already delivering tangible results for Europeans, from offshore wind farms to electric trains, from top-notch digital public services to world-class hospitals. In parallel, EU Member States are using NextGenerationEU strategically to carry out deep reforms, like labour market reforms, pension reforms, and accelerated permitting for renewables. This is our Union powering Europe’s prosperity.
As Russian tanks crossed the border, our Union stood up for Ukraine, with unity, strength and resolve. And the Commission, once more, rose to the occasion. We paved the way to hosting more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees in the EU. We organised the delivery of unprecedented humanitarian, financial and military assistance from the EU and Member States, reaching €98.5 billion so far, including €32 billion in military support. And we are working closely with our G7 partners to make sure every euro goes where it is most needed in Ukraine.
The dictator in the Kremlin has gambled on the disunity of Europeans. Together, we proved him wrong. We will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Through the new Ukraine Facility, we will deliver another €50 billion over the next four years, to help provide basic services – keep schools open, pay salaries and pensions, while Ukraine’s people continue to fight back against the invader. Every victory for Ukraine against the aggressor is also a victory for our common security in Europe.
At the same time, we have supported Ukraine every step of the way as it works hard to reform and get closer to the EU. Recognising the country's tremendous progress and responding to the aspirations of the Ukrainian people, our Union took the historic decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, based on the Commission’s recommendation.
We also helped tackle the impact of Russia’s aggression worldwide. As Russia’s war threatened to trigger a global food crisis, we came up with our trademark solutions to bring Ukraine’s crops to countries that needed them most. We opened Solidarity Lanes, which have helped export 122 million tonnes of Ukrainian goods, including 66 million tonnes of agricultural products, mainly for export.
At the same time, we are at the forefront of efforts to hold Russia accountable for its actions and pay for the destruction that it has caused. We have introduced 13 packages of sanctions to cripple Moscow's war machine. We have immobilised over €200 billion of Russian Central Bank assets in the EU. We are supporting the collection of evidence on Russia's war crimes and its crime of aggression. Because Europe stands up for international law.
As the strategic environment around us has fundamentally changed, Europe needs to face up to a new responsibility. This is why this Commission has developed a new European Defence Industrial Strategy. It brings strategic focus and helps to tie together Member States’ and European firms’ efforts - from research to industrialisation and commercialisation of new systems, on to production ramp-up, coordinated procurement and security of supply. Because peace requires security.
While launching its assault on Ukraine, Russia used energy to blackmail us, triggering an energy crisis in Europe and the fear of blackouts. Once again, our Union pulled together.
With the Commission’s groundbreaking REPowerEU plan, we secured our energy supplies and reduced our dependence on Russia. We diversified our supplies, by finding reliable new partners. We reduced our gas use by 18% - thanks to tremendous efforts by European people and companies. And we doubled down on the roll-out of renewables.
For the first time, we produced more electricity from wind in the EU than from gas last year. We have almost doubled the amount of solar energy produced in Europe. And installations of solar and wind energy have increased on an annual basis by around 35%.
To address the spike in energy prices caused by Russia’s blackmail, which caused hardship for our people and companies, we put in place an approach that had already proved successful during the pandemic.
We put in place the EU Energy Platform to pool demand for gas and launch competitive tenders, giving our companies a stronger bargaining position on global markets. And it works. In 2023, European buyers had access to 42 billion cubic metres of gas through the Platform. And the latest EU joint tender from February 2024 was three times oversubscribed attracting a total volume of 97.4 billion cubic metres from international suppliers.
Thanks to the combined actions that we took, today's prices are almost 10 times lower than they were at the height of the crisis. And Europe's dependence on fossil fuels from Russia is over, once and for all.
Throughout the mandate, the Commission has boosted Europe’s capacity to provide vital support to countries hit by disaster, from floods to forest fires, from earthquakes to medical emergencies.
The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has channelled support to all parts of the continent and beyond. Our teams were at work to rescue people and clear the rubble just hours after deadly earthquakes ravaged Albania, Croatia, and Türkiye. They were quick with support on the ground following devastating floods in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.
Since 2019, we have provided over €3 billion through the EU Solidarity Fund to Member States and accession countries hit by natural disasters and public health emergencies.
Our firefighting fleet has helped battle wildfires from Greece to Portugal, from France to Albania. And across the Atlantic too. In a historic first, Canada turned to Europe for support when it was hit by the worst forest fires in recent times. And Europe answered the call. Hundreds of European firefighters combatted the violent fires which ravaged Canada’s forests.
But the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, as well as the pandemic, have shown that we need to do more to respond to disasters. This is why we created rescEU: a common reserve of European resources, including a fleet of firefighting planes and helicopters, medical evacuation planes, and stockpiles of medical items. A real European safety net for emergencies.
When disaster strikes, our Union is now better equipped than ever to support Europeans – and the rest of the world. Since 2020, we have coordinated 232 Humanitarian Air Bridge operations, responding to 12 crises worldwide, most recently the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Right at the start of our mandate, we rallied Europe around a common goal: to develop a new growth model, the European Green Deal, based on a clean and circular economy. We set ourselves targets to become climate neutral by 2050. Because only what gets measured, gets done. With this compass, we pushed forward a clean transition that protects people and the planet, is economically sound and socially fair.
Our vision is clear: Europe should remain a prime destination for investments that bring stable, future-proof quality jobs, with a strong industrial base.
We put in place a framework to deliver a reduction of at least 55% of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to 1990 by the end of this decade. We ramped up EU-level investments. Almost €400 billion of EU funds from NextGenerationEU and cohesion policy are funding climate-related projects. We set out a robust framework for sustainable finance and became the biggest issuer of green bonds worldwide.
And we have shown that it is possible to decouple economic growth from emissions: since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 32,5%, and our economy has grown by close to 70%.
And we have fostered the development of innovative technologies that we need to reduce emissions. With the Net-Zero Industry Act, we will dramatically speed up permitting processes for clean tech manufacturing and we will support European businesses to deliver the transition while maintaining their competitive edge.
But the rest of the world needs to level up. To address carbon leakage, we put in place the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. This helps to make sure that emissions are reduced wherever they are produced, and the EU's climate objectives are not undermined.
From the beginning, we promised to Europeans to work on making the transition socially fair. We kept our promise. We set up the Just Transition Fund and the Social Climate Fund, to support those who are more vulnerable and face the biggest challenges to adapt.
Our Green Deal is delivering on its objectives - Europe is on track to achieve its climate targets. And we are turning the necessary decarbonisation of our industries into a growth opportunity.
In the past years, Europe has achieved more for citizens and businesses in the digital space than ever before.
We set a clear vision at the start of the mandate: ensure that our society benefits from technology and that innovation boosts our competitiveness, while minimising risks for citizens.
We fulfilled our mandate. Across Europe, we have invested billions in the expansion of fibre optics and 5G. We have connected rural regions and equipped hundreds of thousands of workers with skills for the digital future. We delivered a human-centred vision of the digital space and consolidated our technological leadership.
In 2019, none of the top eight supercomputers were European. Today, the EU is home to four of the most powerful computers in the world – based in Finland, Italy, Spain and Germany.
At the same time, Europe has become the global pioneer of citizen's rights online. With the Digital Services Act, we set out the basic principles for all digital companies in Europe, as well as clear rights for users. We defined the special responsibilities of large internet platforms on the content they promote and propagate – to help tackle hate speech and disinformation, for instance, and to protect minors. And with the Digital Markets Act, we are ensuring that major digital companies play by fair rules and ensure transparency and legal certainty for EU businesses.
The same goes for Artificial Intelligence. With our innovation-friendly AI Act, the EU is the first and so far only continent to have a dedicated AI regulation in place, focused on high-risk uses. More than a rulebook, the AI Act is a springboard for our companies to lead the way in developing trustworthy AI.
We know that AI can boost the productivity of our companies tremendously. We are therefore helping them to integrate AI in their business processes. For instance, we are providing start-ups and SMEs with access to our world-class supercomputers, so that they can develop, train and test large AI models.
At the same time, we have developed a secure way to tap into the economic potential of data. With the Data Act, we will incentivise the sharing of data by those who generate it and make our cloud markets more competitive – adding tens of billions of euros to our GDP by 2028.
Europe’s Digital Decade delivers.
Europe’s industry is at the centre of our mission to deliver prosperity for our people. And it is key to our ambition to build a clean economy. To help our industry remain competitive globally during the transition, we developed a fast-track-approach to supporting key sectors, from chips to clean tech, from batteries to wind. This combines investment, skills, smart regulatory facilities and cooperation with partners.
We tested this approach with the European Chips Act, to boost the manufacturing of chips and support scale-up and innovation across the value chain. And it worked. The European Chips Act has already generated over €100 billion of planned investments along the entire value chain. And it is creating good jobs across Europe, from Magdeburg to Catania, from Dublin to Dresden, from Wrocław to Grenoble.
We are applying the same approach to make sure that the future of our clean tech industry is made in Europe. Our Net-Zero Industry Act will help the EU build a strong domestic manufacturing capacity. By 2030, at least 40% of our demand for net-zero technologies should be covered by European manufacturing capacity. Our strategic projects and valleys, permitting reforms and targeted procurement and auction rules, can help the EU to become a global frontrunner in the clean energy transition and to create green, quality jobs at home.
Similarly, we developed the Critical Raw Materials Act to secure access for our companies to essential materials, which are key to Europe’s competitiveness and economic security. Today, Europe sources the lion's share of its rare earths and other critical raw materials from China. Geopolitical tensions or events such as the pandemic could at any time trigger serious downstream production problems in Europe. This is why we developed the new "De-risk, not decouple" principle towards China, which is by now accepted by EU Member States and G7 partners. We are developing new projects in Europe, but also beneficial strategic partnerships with countries such as Australia, Chile and Canada, to secure and process critical raw materials and diversify the supply chains of European companies.
And to adapt to geopolitical realities, we developed our first-ever Economic Security Strategy, with concrete steps to increase our resilience and de-risk our economy. There too, our approach is pragmatic: promotion of Europe’s own capacities in key sectors, protection against dependencies and partnerships to advance shared interests. This is making Europe stronger and safer.
The competitiveness of our social market economy is built on our human capital – on the skills and the wellbeing of our workers. Since the beginning of the mandate, this has been at the core of our action.
We established the Pact for Skills, to give workers the training that they need to match business’ needs, and we backed it with €65 billion worth of investments in skills from the EU budget and NextGenerationEU. This is paramount for our people and for our companies, as two thirds of SMEs in Europe say they cannot find the talent that they need.
But our competitiveness is also built on working conditions that allow our workers to thrive and to focus on their job. The von der Leyen Commission promised and delivered: we now have an EU framework to improve the adequacy of minimum wages. Workers should earn wages that allow for a decent living wherever they work.
As new ways of work emerge, they also come with challenges, for instance in terms of access to labour rights and social protection. This is why we proposed rules to improve the working conditions in platform work – as we committed to at the start of this Commission’s mandate. In 2021, over 500 digital platforms were active in the EU offering work to over 28 million people – most of them are self-employed but others are in fact workers.
We also set out rules on pay transparency, to make the basic principle that equal work deserves equal pay a reality, no matter whether you are a woman or a man. And we introduced a Child Guarantee, so that families in need can afford childcare, and that mothers and fathers are able to both work and have a family. Europe needs all of its talent.
We also succeeded in pushing over the line a long-lasting goal: to bring more women in Europe’s corporate boardrooms. With the adoption of the ‘Women on boards’ Directive, which had been stuck for a decade, our Union has now in place a target of 40% of non-executive directors in listed companies to be women. This is good news for women, as it breaks the glass ceiling. And it is good news for our economy, as companies that embrace diversity are more successful.
During this mandate, the Commission also put forward novel initiatives against racism and anti-semitism, but also for LGBTIQ people, individuals with disabilities, and Roma. We worked for a better Union, where Europeans of all colours, faiths, ages, genders, and sexual orientations can thrive.
Europe is a continent whose history has been shaped by many peoples. We will always stand by our obligations to provide safety to people who seek international protection, and we are proud to offer legal migration pathways that will also benefit European societies and economies.
However, in past crises, when unprecedented numbers of refugees and irregular migrants entered the EU, it became clear that Europe did not have the right tools to cope with the pressures.
At the start of this Commission’s mandate, we therefore committed to establish a common system to better manage migration in the EU. This is why we proposed a new Pact on Migration and Asylum.
After complex political and legal negotiations, Member States and the European Parliament reached an agreement on this comprehensive set of rules, giving Europe a fresh start, where for decades we have only seen blockage and stagnation.
With the new rules, we will better secure control of our external border. We are making asylum, return and border procedures quicker and more effective, with stricter time limits and more stringent rules to limit abusive or subsequent applications, with the necessary guarantees for individuals. Return decisions for those without a right to stay will be issued immediately.
And we have now clearer rules on the responsibility of Member States, with improved measures to limit secondary movements.
Member States will support each other using a flexible but permanent solidarity mechanism. Each of them will be able to choose the type of solidarity that they wish to provide. Our Union is now better equipped to manage migration.
In parallel with developing more effective legislation, throughout this mandate, the Commission supported Member States to address immediate challenges – from increased arrivals in the Mediterranean to the instrumentalisation of migration by Belarus - with operational support and with assistance from EU agencies. And we built partnerships with third countries to fight smuggling and increase returns.
The comprehensive partnership that we signed with Tunisia, for instance, brings mutual benefits beyond migration – from energy and education to skills and security. This is the blueprint for other agreements to be signed with partner countries, to foster cooperation and improve migration management.
At the beginning of the mandate, the von der Leyen Commission committed to prioritise the rule of law and give a new push to European democracy. Many events within and outside our Union have proved us right: we cannot take democracy for granted. We have to fight for it every day anew. This Commission has developed legislation to defend and strengthen democracy, counter foreign interference, fight disinformation and protect the freedom and pluralism of the media, as well as the safety of journalists.
And we took unprecedented action to uphold the rule of law in all Member States. We put in place an annual Rule of Law Report, with tailored recommendations for each Member State to prevent breaches of the rule of law and to strengthen it further. When dialogue was not enough, we used all the tools at our disposal, including infringements or the Budget Conditionality Mechanism. This allows the suspension of payments from the EU budget in case the rule of law is not upheld in a Member State. At the Commission’s request, this provision was activated for Hungary.
We have addressed challenges to the rule of law firmly, to protect our European democracy and our free and open societies.
In recent years, the von der Leyen Commission has shown many times how tremendous challenges can be overcome when working with friends and partners. The EU's ability to form powerful alliances across the world has helped strengthen Europe’s role globally.
The first visit of the current College of Commissioners was to Africa. The work of the von der Leyen Commission has brought relations with the United States to new levels, through close cooperation in support of Ukraine, as well as on energy, climate action, trade and technology. It has also helped reset post-Brexit relations with the United Kingdom. We negotiated the Windsor Framework, which has put one of our most important relations in Europe back on a positive path.
And we developed a new generation of partnerships, with Global Gateway, Europe's largest global investment programme ever. Global Gateway, worth €300 billion, is our offer for quality investment and infrastructure projects that respect high environmental and social standards, and create jobs and growth locally.
Global Gateway is about developing win-win partnerships, taking into account our partners’ as well as the EU’s interests in a geopolitical perspective.
And it is already delivering. Over 200 flagship projects have been selected, with €66 billion in investment from strategic partnerships on raw materials with Namibia, Chile and Argentina, to collaboration on renewable hydrogen with Morocco and Egypt, or a digital submarine cable system, called Medusa, linking the EU with North African countries. Many more will come.
Implemented in a ‘Team Europe’ approach – EU institutions and EU Member States working together – Global Gateway not only supports the clean and digital transitions around the world, but also increases the EU’s clout on the world stage.
Europe is consolidating its reputation as a reliable long-term partner, working for mutual benefits.
Working together as a Union
Every day since the start of the mandate, this Commission has worked to make Europe more united and stronger. At home, we have weathered together unprecedented crises.
On the world stage, our Team Europe approach has enabled the EU to be more strategic, assertive and united.
Throughout this mandate, we have seen the birth of a real geopolitical Union – supporting Ukraine, standing up to Russia’s aggression, promoting the rules-based order and investing in partnerships.
We promised to be bold and ambitious. We stayed the course and delivered.
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