The Brussels Binder’s Post

📣 Today Ursula von der Leyen presented to the EP her Political Guidelines for the next European Commission 2024-2029: 🔹Make business easier and deepen the #SingleMarket (introduction of a new category of small #midcaps; #SME and competitiveness check) 🔹Build a Clean Industrial Deal to decarbonize and bring down energy prices (Industrial decarbonization accelerator act; #green diplomacy; new #CircularEconomy act; #Chemicals industry package; Critical medicines act) 🔹Put #research and #innovation at the heart of EU‘s economy (increase EU‘s research spending; expand #ERC and #EIC; new European Biotech Act in 2025, part of a broader Strategy for European Life Sciences; new public-private partnerships; strengthen University alliances) 🔹Boost productivity with #digital tech diffusion (#AI factories initiative, Apply AI Strategy to boost new industrial uses of AI; European AI Research Council; European #Data Union Strategy) 🔹Invest massively in EU‘s sustainable competitiveness (European Savings and Investments Union, including banking and capital markets; better use of public procurement – revision of the Public Procurement Directive; a new European Competitiveness Fund which will support IPCEIs) 🔹Tackle #skills and labor gap (establish a Union of Skills; propose a STEM Education Strategic Plan; European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training; a new Skills Portability Initiative to ensure a skill acquired in one country is recognized in another) 🔹A new era for European #defence and #security (invest in the security of Ukraine; new Commissioner for Defence; white paper on the Future of European Defence; build up the European Defence Fund and reinforce the European Defence Industry Programme) 🔹Supporting people, strengthening EU‘s societies and social model (Commissioner responsible for housing and first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan; enlarge New European Bauhaus community; strengthen Erasmus+; launch an EU-wide inquiry on the broader impacts of social media on well-being; a new Gender Equality Strategy for post-2025; Roadmap for Women‘s Rights) 🔹Sustaining EU‘s quality of life: food security, water and nature (vision for agriculture and food; a European Oceans Pact; a new European Water Resilience Strategy) 🔹Protecting EU‘s democracy, upholding EU‘s values (new European Democracy Shield to counter foreign information manipulation and interference online; create a European network of fact-checkers; strengthening the rule of law) 🔹A global Europe: leveraging our power and partnerships (strengthen relations with the UK; initiatives for Mediterranean and active role in the Middle East; trade defence instruments) 🔹Delivering together and preparing the Union for the future (a new budget fir for the ambitions; an ambitious reform agenda for Europe with a proposal to change the Treaty; strengthen the cooperation with the European Parliament) 👉 https://lnkd.in/ezz_S9ad

"Intergenerational fairness is one of the most important societal challenges we have today [...] we have a collective responsibility to ensure holistic and long-term responses." "𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲." Thanks to the commitment of Commissioner-designate Glenn Micallef, we look forward to seeing future generations taken into account in EU legislation, ensuring policies that safeguard their interests and promote a sustainable Europe for all. Discover our campaign for an EU #FitForFutureGenerations: https://lnkd.in/dW-vBwE4

🌍 The EU and Its Global Partners: Leveraging Power or Struggling to Deliver? 🌍 By: Olaf Wientzek, Jonas Nitschke, Louis Bout, Nicole Linsenbold Under re-elected Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU aims to “leverage” its power and partnerships globally. With rising global tensions, strengthening ties with global partners has become a necessity, not a choice. While a major shift in strategy seems unlikely, we can expect: 🔑 More Pragmatism: Focus on interest-driven, pragmatic approaches. 🌐 Prioritization: Resources will be focused where most needed. 🤝 Equal Partnerships: Efforts to build more balanced global alliances. Will the EU’s ambitions align with action? You can read more here👇 #EUPolicy #Geopolitics #GlobalPartnerships #ForeignPolicy #EUCommission

At last week's Article 17 meeting in the European Parliament, which focused on the importance of intergenerational dialogue in tackling Europe's future challenges, Sina Varaei from our Brussels office emphasized the need to strengthen interactions between generations and to value the unique contributions each generation brings. #Art17Dialogue #SocialCohesion #IntergenerationalDialogue

🌍 The upcoming UN Summit of the Future presents a pivotal moment to reform international governance. Civil society is advocating for meaningful participation, including a global citizens’ initiative and stronger human rights protections. But will these proposals survive diplomatic negotiations? Opinion article, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. #UNSummit #CivilSociety #PeopleAtTheCenter

The new European Commission The 26 nominees still need to undergo confirmation hearings at the European Parliament and some might succumb during the grilling due to their past controversies, lack of competence or just good old-fashioned partisan retaliation. Nevertheless, von der Leyen's proposed structure offers a unique insight into how she wants to reshape the executive to cope with the overwhelming challenges besetting the European Union, from Russia's war on Ukraine and China's unfair competition to stagnant economic growth, a rapidly aging population, a steady rise in asylum seekers and the widespread ravages of climate change. Here are the biggest surprises from the much-anticipated announcement.

Alarming leak by POLITICO Europe today on the direction of international partnerships at EU level. The EU will score an own goal if the next European Commission mandate prioritises economic interests at the expense of a people-centred approach in international partnerships. This is a dangerous path to go down, not only at odds with EU Treaties but also the principles it was founded on. If the "EU’s PR is lagging" we expect solutions rather than abandoning what the EU stands for. Solidarity and human rights are not a negotiating chip. https://lnkd.in/eehtcy2x

💭 In July 2024, we shared three blog posts about territorial futures. One looks at Ursula von der Leyen's speech to the European Parliament, where she revealed her plan for the future of the EU. The other two blog posts look at the need for transformative change in Europe. Ursula von der Leyen’s plan for 2024-29 & future Cohesion Policy 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQgaQ7iG The need for transformative change - Part 2 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQgaQ7iG Need for transformative change - Part 1 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQgaQ7iG

The week is nearly at its end, and the wrap up, at the Belgian EU Presidency Conference, was all about government and institutional commitments. Which we got plenty of. But I also got to share a detailed list of specific policy improvements which for us and our 700+ members are on the top of the agenda. For the future, better, Union of Equality. #eu2024be ILGA-Europe

Today's leak in POLITICO Europe is shocking. The EU international partnerships guideline for the next European Commission mandate seems to completely miss the mark. It builds on an alarming trend of a self-sabotaging EU that continues a path towards global irrelevance. A credible global EU is not one mimicking other international actors at the expense of its own values - apart from the ethical objections one should have, this is also a game it's bound to lose. A credible global EU is the one that identifies where it can do better and finds ways to improve while staying true to its principles. If the "EU's PR is lagging", we need real solutions put forward. Sacrificing a people-centred approach in international partnerships in favour of economic-driven interests is short-sighted and dangerous. International solidarity is just “not nice-to-have”. Human rights are not just “nice-to-have”. Turning our values into optional add-ons is an own goal - and I am not sure how many more of these the EU can afford to score. Follow CONCORD for more on this.