President Juncker's State of the Union Speech 2018, Strasbourg, 12 September

On Wednesday 12 September 2018, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, will deliver his State of the Union Address at the European Parliament. This year's speech comes ahead of the 2019 European elections and in the midst of the ongoing debate about the future of the European Union at 27. President Juncker is expected to present the next concrete steps towards building a 'More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union', which was the theme of his 2017 Address.

In last year's speech, President Juncker outlined his vision for how the European Union could evolve by 2025. The speech was accompanied by concrete initiatives on democracy, trade, investment screening, cybersecurity, industry and data protection, putting words immediately into action. This year, the President will set out proposals that will deliver positive results for citizens by the time of the Sibiu Summit in May 2019.

The background:

Every year in September, the President of the European Commission delivers his State of the Union Address before the European Parliament, taking stock of achievements of the past year and presenting priorities for the year ahead. The President also sets out how the European Commission will address the most pressing challenges the European Union is facing and his ideas for shaping the future of the European Union. The speech is followed by a plenary debate with members of the European Parliament. The first State of the Union Address was delivered in 2010 after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty.

The speech also marks the start of the dialogue with the European Parliament and the Council to prepare the Commission Work Programme for 2019. Anchored in the Treaty of Lisbon, the State of the Union Address is set out in the 2010 Framework Agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the European Commission, which requires the President to send a Letter of Intent to the President of the European Parliament and the Presidency of the Council detailing the actions the European Commission intends to take by means of legislation and other initiatives.

The event:

At 9.00 on Wednesday 12 September 2018, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will deliver his speech in the European Parliament Plenary Chamber in Strasbourg. The event will be broadcast live on EbS and an enhanced livestream will also be available on the Commission's Facebook page.

The sources:

President Juncker's 2017 State of the Union Speech

President Juncker's 2016 State of the Union Speech

President Juncker's 2015 State of the Union Speech

AGENDA/18/5233