This week, the von der Leyen 2024-2029 Commission marks its first 100 days in office. Despite the challenging context of geopolitical shifts, the Commission has stayed the course laid out in President Ursula von der Leyen's Political Guidelines and made it a priority to boost Europe's competitiveness, increase European defence, and continue supporting Ukraine.
President von der Leyen held a press conference and reflected on the first months of her Commission, highlighting the significant progress made in building a stronger, more secure, and more prosperous Europe.
"From day one, we engaged in building new partnerships and strengthening old ones. We forged landmark agreements – with Switzerland, Mexico and Mercosur. We reignited trade talks with Malaysia and re-engaged with the Caricom countries. And in India, which I visited with the College of Commissioners last week, we deepened cooperation on trade, technology and innovation. I agreed with Prime Minister Modi to aim for a conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement still this year," the President said, emphasising the importance of keeping Europe open.
The President stressed the work that has been done to make Europe more competitive, with eight related initiatives put forward in just 100 days, including the Competitiveness Compass , the Clean Industrial Deal , the Strategic Dialogues on the automotive industry and on steel, the Union of Skills , and the Vision for Agriculture and Food .
The President also drew attention to the pressing issue of defence and security. She spoke of European values being under threat in a world of harsher geopolitical competition. That is why Europe must be prepared to defend itself.
The Commission has taken historic steps in this direction with the REARM Europe package, a €800 billion plan for defence, which was unanimously supported by Leaders at their special European Council of 6 March.
President von der Leyen said: "It is important to state that economic strength and Europe's plan to REARM are two sides of the same coin. Europe's economic and innovative potential is an asset for its security. Vice versa, Europe's defence efforts can give a massive boost to a more competitive Single Market in the mid and long term."
By investing in the next generation of military equipment and security infrastructure, the EU can trigger a powerful tailwind for important industries such as digitisation, transport networks, AI applications, quantum computing, and secure communication. This, in turn, will have a positive impact on Europe's competitiveness and economic growth.
The Commission is also committed to supporting SMEs across the Union, which are at the heart of the defence supply chain. The President said new omnibus packages will simplify rules and cut red tape, especially in the defence sector.
A Security College for extraordinary times
During the press conference, the President called to switch to a preparedness mindset and announced that she will convene the first-ever Security College. This new configuration will ensure that College members receive updates on security developments, including external and internal security, energy, defence, cyber, and trade. By having an in-depth understanding of the threats, including hybrid threats, the Commission will contribute to collective security.
The President concluded highlighting: "This Commission is ready to tackle today's crises; we need speed, scale and determination. We have a once-in-a-generation chance to build a stronger, more secure and more prosperous Europe. Let us seize this moment because it is Europe's moment."
