Committees to enter inter-institutional negotiations pursuant to Rule 72, paragraph 1, announced at the opening of the session on Monday 15th December. I have received no requests for a vote in Parliament by members or political groups reaching the medium threshold. Therefore, the LIBE and EMPL committees may start negotiations. The next item on the agenda is Council and Commission statements: preparation of the European Council meeting of the 18th and 19th of December 2025, in particular the need to support Ukraine, transatlantic relations, and the EU strategic autonomy. I'd like to remind you that we continue with the newish format for this debate. So there will be no speakers list, and after the first round of speakers, members who receive time by their political groups and all non-attached secretaries will be called to speak. So please keep an eye on the screen and please make your way to the lectern when your name appears as an upcoming speaker. Normal rules for blue cards and catch the eye apply. So I start with the Council Minister for European Affairs, Mari Berry.
President, honorable members, President of the Commission. Tomorrow, EU leaders will meet in Brussels for the December European Council. Among a range of important topics, the focus will be on two issues: Ukraine and the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028 to 2034. This European Council will be preceded by the EU Western Balkan Summit to be held later today. As always, the European Council meeting will start with an exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament. After that, leaders are expected to hear from President Zelenskyy. Ukraine remains a top priority for the European Council. The latest developments once again highlight the need for urgent EU action. As you know, diplomatic efforts to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine are ongoing. In this context, leaders will discuss how best to strengthen Ukraine's negotiation position to achieve a just and lasting peace and to continue defending Europe's interest. An important part of that needs to be increased pressure on Russia. Leaders will also come back to the pressing issue of Ukraine's financing needs for 2026 to 2027, including for its military and defense efforts. It is of crucial importance that a solution is found on this, and the Danish presidency has worked hard to coordinate efforts in the run-up to the European Council to ensure a positive outcome. Another important topic on the agenda is the next Multiannual Financial Framework. This European Council meeting will be an occasion to take stock of progress so far and to provide guidance for the next phase of negotiations. The Danish presidency has considerably advanced the preparatory work. This work must continue to enable an agreement by the end of 2026 on the next MFF and its financing. Keeping to this timetable is important for the EU to have the new funding programs in place right from the start of 2028. It will also demonstrate that the European Union is able to work in a timely and prudent way on budgetary foundations for its action. Intertwined with both topics is the issue of ramping up Europe's defense readiness by 2030. Leaders will take stock of the implementation of the previous decisions on European defense and security. Recent events show that Russia and Belarus have intensified their hybrid campaign in Europe. This reminds us that we need to accelerate efforts across all strands towards our defense readiness. Enlargement will also be on the European Council agenda. This is particularly important in the current geopolitical context. Through the merit-based approach, reform processes have a profoundly transformative effect in the candidate countries. Leaders are expected to hold discussion on the way forward. Yesterday, we adopted presidency conclusions on enlargement supported by 26 member states. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach a consensus conclusion as one member country was blocking this. Leaders will also discuss migration as they take stock of progress made in this area. During the Danish presidency, we have prioritized tackling irregular migration and ensuring effective control of the EU's external borders. Work that has now borne fruit. At last week's Justice and Home Affairs Council, we were able to establish general approaches on three legislative files: the regulations on safe country of origin, safe third country, and returns. We are now ready for trialogue this week. We also managed to reach an agreement on the Council Implementation Decision establishing the first annual solidarity pool following long negotiations. This agreement comes only six months after the June European Council encouraged us to intensify work on these topics, and it is one example of how the Danish presidency has aimed to ensure strong and swift follow-up to the European Council this past semester. Over the past six months, the Danish presidency has worked for a strong and resolute European Union that takes responsibility for its own security and for strengthening its competitiveness. In this context, we welcome the leaders' planned discussion on the geoeconomic situation and its implications for EU competitiveness. Earlier this year, leaders addressed the internal dimension of increasing our competitiveness, notably through simplification. In this context, I want to highlight the agreement we reached with the European Parliament last week to simplify the directives on Corporate Sustainability Reporting and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence by reducing the reporting burden and limiting the trickle-down effect of obligations on smaller companies. I am very happy that the agreement was voted through this Parliament yesterday.
This is a good example of how we can take measures ourselves to improve our competitiveness. However, we also recognize that European competitiveness does not exist in a vacuum. It is important that we discuss the pressures and the opportunities that arise in a world marked by rising geoeconomic competition. In their strategic discussion, leaders will touch on issues like trade diversification, strategic autonomy, and how the EU can best defend itself from external economic and political pressures. Leaders will return to the topic of competitiveness at the upcoming retreat on the 12th of February and at the March European Council. Last but not least, the situation in the Middle East will also be discussed by the leaders. The adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 offers an opportunity to advance towards peace. The European Union has a role to play in contributing to the full implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza and in ensuring that the path to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the two-state solution remains viable. In closing, this European Council will focus on some of the most pressing issues of the day, taking crucial steps towards ensuring Europe's security and competitiveness in a volatile and uncertain world. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you very much. May I also take the opportunity to thank the Danish presidency for the cooperation we've had over the last six months as we start to prepare for the Croatian presidency. Now I give the floor to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
President Mets, dear Roberta, Minister Vieira, honorable members. This week's European Council is about facing the reality of the moment, the reality of a world that has become dangerous and transactional, a world of wars, a world of predators. The reality of this world means we Europeans must defend ourselves and we must depend on ourselves. We have been living in this world for some time, even before the biggest wake-up call of all, which was Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Yesterday's peace is gone. We have no time to indulge in nostalgia. What matters is how we confront today. We cannot afford to let the worldviews of others define us. None of us should be shocked by what others say about Europe. But let me say this: it would not be the first time that assumptions about Europe were shown to be outdated. It would not be the first realization that the post-war world order is changing beyond recognition. The National Security Strategy is right to say, and I quote, 'Europe has been losing share of global GDP, down from 25% in 1990 to 14% today.' End quote. But what is not written is that the figures for the United States are on the same path. The United States has been losing share of global GDP from 22% in 1990 down to 14% today. So this is not a story of an economy on one side of the Atlantic or the other. This is the story of a shift in the world economy. If you take China alone, their share of global GDP went up from 4% in 1990 to 20% today. And this is why the United States has been clear for some time about its shifting strategic interests and priorities as China rises. The point I am making is that this strategy is not the cause of the disruption that Europe is facing in the world. It is a symptom of the reality of today's world. So our task at this week's summit is to show that we are focused on our own strategy and our own interests and our own priorities. And this is why I want to repeat from this very place what I said in the State of the Union: this is Europe's independence moment. Ever since we started using this term 'independence', many have been skeptical about what that entails. Is it even realistic? Well, just look at what we have already done. From defense to energy, we have made the impossible possible as part of our new reality. And we are ready to do more, because in our independence, we make ourselves stronger. A stronger Europe is a stronger partner, not just to promote, but to guarantee a safer world. Let us look at the progress we have made. We are entering a new era, and that is Europe's energy independence from Russian fossil fuels. This house has been a leader on this from day one, and I thank you for that. Your efforts have paid off because, thanks to REPowerEU, Russian gas imports — both LNG and pipeline — are down from 45% at the beginning of the war to 13% today. Coal imports are down from 51% at the beginning of the war to zero. And crude oil from 26% at the beginning of the war to 2% today. All this means we are going to phase out Russian fossil fuels for good and forever. Just a few years ago, this was unthinkable, but we acted and we earned our independence from Russia. This is not a coincidence. This is hard work that we've done together. And this is hard work that was driven by what makes us European: our sense of purpose, our union, our political will. We now have our template for the way forward. Whether it be on critical raw materials with our CRMA plan or on diversification and strengthening supply chains through ambitious trade agreements from Latin America to the Indo-Pacific, Europe's era of independence must be unstoppable. We have more work to do. We have to go further. We must move swiftly, and that is particularly important when it comes to security and defense. The bottom line is simple: Europe must be responsible for its own security. This is no longer an option; this is a must. We know the threats that we face, and we will confront them. This means we need to be ready. We have to develop and deploy new capabilities so that we can fight a modern hybrid war. Here again, we are moving mountains after decades of underinvestment. We are turning a corner. We are transforming our defense industrial base into one that can deliver cutting-edge technologies and fast mass production in the cauldron of war. This year, we have done more for defense than in the last decades. Over the last 10 years, we invested 8 billion euros in the defense fund. This year, we enabled up to 800 billion euros of investment until 2030. And we have seen how oversubscribed our SAFE program has been, with demand from 19 member states fast outstripping the 150 billion euros on the table. Member states are already asking for a new round of SAFE. This shows our European commitment to our European security. Honorable members, this surge in defense is not only about defense; we all know it is about our freedom, our prosperity, and our independence. There is no more important act of European defense than supporting Ukraine's defense. The next days will be a crucial step for securing this. It is up to us to choose how we fund Ukraine's fight. We know the urgency is acute. We all feel it, we all see it, because just as peace negotiations are stepping up, so is the Russian barrage of attacks intensifying. The IMF and our estimates show that Ukraine's needs for the years 2026 and 2027 are around 137 billion euros. Europe should cover two-thirds, that is 90 billion euros. This is not just about numbers; this is about strengthening Ukraine's ability to secure a real peace, one that is just, one that is lasting, one that protects Ukraine and thus also protects Europe. It is also about ramping up the cost of war for Russia. This is why I proposed two different options for this upcoming European Council: one based on assets and one based on EU borrowing. We will have to decide which way we want to take, but one thing is very, very clear: we have to take the decision to fund Ukraine for the next two years at this European Council. We have already done one very important step: last week we agreed on the sustained immobilization of Russian assets. This is a decisive step that sends a very strong political message. It means that the Russian assets will remain immobilized until we decide otherwise, until Russia stops the war, and until Russia pays due reparations to Ukraine for the damage that is done. With the assets immobilized indefinitely, this is also about strengthening Ukraine's ability to secure a real peace, one that is just, one that is lasting, and one that protects Ukraine and Europe. Honorable members, we also have to agree this week on the topics that have been mentioned by Minister Vieira. I want to focus on the topics I have mentioned here. We will speak a lot in this debate about the need for European independence and how we achieve it. This European Council and the decision on Ukraine is a central part of this. But we must always remember why independence is so important in today's world. It is important because independence is ultimately about our freedom: the freedom to decide and to make laws for ourselves, the freedom to act however we want, to pursue our own interests and our own partnerships, the freedom to vote for whoever we want without being pressured or subjected to a torrent of manipulated information, the freedom to choose diversity, to choose democracy. Above all, it is about the freedom to live the way we want. And that is the European way of life. Our cultures and our traditions are so distinct and so central to our way of life, and this is what binds us together. When we are united, we have experienced that we are unstoppable. I am deeply proud of this. Our differences do not divide us; we celebrate our different cultures. They connect us as Europeans. The pride we have in Europe is what connects us. So as we look ahead, I urge you to be confident in what we can achieve in our quest to be a strong, independent Europe. Thank you, and long live Europe.
