Remarks by President Charles Michel at the press conference on the EU response to the coronavirus crisis
The crisis we are facing is huge and unprecedented. My thoughts go out firstly to all citizens of the world, but especially European citizens who are directly or indirectly affected by the virus. I would like to commend all the citizens in every country who are working to make sure healthcare systems are as effective as possible. I would also like to commend all those who are working to maintain activity within the internal market and keep essential goods flowing to the fullest extent possible.
The task that the European Council has entrusted to the President of the Commission and to myself is based on two pillars. The idea of submitting a roadmap to the European Council proposing a number of measures in connection with an exit strategy - these points were presented moments ago by the President of the European Commission with the aim of ensuring that our approach is as coordinated as possible when we are able to gradually lift the exceptional restrictive measures that have had to be put in place in each country over the last few weeks. These exceptional restrictions are impacting life all over the world, but especially life in the European Union, and we are well aware that they are directly affecting every one of us on a personal level. It is our most basic individual freedoms which are directly affected by the decisions that have been taken. And of course we are facing a potentially extraordinary and extremely serious economic and social impact, which will continue to be felt over the next few months, and perhaps even for several years to come.
That is why we and the 27 Member States are fully convinced that it is essential, with the help of these recommendations, which draw on common sense, scientific data and the trust we readily place in those advising us in this decision-making process, for us to gradually move - not in exactly the same way in every country, but in any case in a similar way as part of a common approach - towards the successful implementation of this exit strategy.
The second very important task for the President of the Commission and for myself is the recovery strategy. How is it possible to work together with the different European institutions and with the Member States in order to be able to tackle this huge challenge that we need to face together.
We will have next week, again, a European Council via video conference. It will be the fourth one in a few weeks, in only a few weeks.
Our goal is to open a strategic discussion in order to see how it is possible to deal together to take some very strong decisions and to open the process in the mid-term, in the longer term, in order to be able to guarantee, again, more welfare for the European citizens in the next weeks, in the next months, in the next years.
In my opinion, we need to tackle four chapters, four strong points that could be corner stones for a strong recovery strategy.
The first point is the internal market. The internal market is a common good for the European Union. The internal market is the beating heart of economic development and therefore of the European Union’s capacity for social cohesion. The internal market has been damaged. It has been affected by the decisions that have been taken for legitimate reasons, for health reasons. The first priority is to repair the internal market and make sure that it can function properly. The second priority is to put ourselves in a position to improve the internal market, remove certain elements, make corrections, ensure that we are able to strengthen the internal market with a particular focus, as far as I am concerned, on issues relating to industrial strategy. The Commission has made some very useful proposals on this subject, bearing in mind the importance of considering the fabric, the network, of Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises as a network that is vital to the well-being and success of the European project.
And as regards the first pillar, the internal market, I have not forgotten the issue of the digital agenda, the issue of the European Green Deal or the climate issue, which will be more essential than ever as levers to achieve this economic transformation, to be able to meet this challenge that our generation is facing.
The second important chapter, in my opinion, that we need to discuss with the colleagues in the European Council, and with the support of the European Commission, is the need, the absolute necessity to develop a massive investment strategy.
And I agree with the Commission, I think that the next European budget, the next seven-year European budget is a key element in order to succeed. We also need to use the different tools we have in our hands. The European Investment Bank can be a very essential tool in order to focus on our priorities, to be coherent with our priorities, and to develop a very strong investment strategy in the next months, in the next years.
And we need to see what is possible from the European perspective, but also with the support of all the Member States to be effective and to be successful in this very essential strategy.
The third pillar, in my opinion, in order to succeed in a global recovery strategy, is not to forget the external responsibility of the European Union and you know, as European Union, we have a very strong external ambition. We consider that it is important and essential for us to play a stronger role at the international level. And you know, that as European Union, we are a strong promoter of multilateralism.
We believe that multilateralism is an added value because the global challenges confronting us - and this has been made painfully clear once again by this pandemic, which has affected the whole world and not just one country or part of the world - require global responses. That is why, along with the Commission, we propose to assume our responsibilities, within the framework of the G7 and of the G20 for example, by developing the capacity to concentrate and channel financial resources so as to accelerate the process of finding effective vaccines and treatments as quickly as possible. And when we have found these treatments, we need to ensure that they are made accessible to the whole world, and not just one part of the world which would be in a privileged position in the face of this pandemic.
In this international context, I will be focusing on an issue that needs to be a priority for us and to which we need to be fully, totally committed. This issue is the importance of a very strong partnership with Africa: that is why we have supported - European leaders together with African leaders - this call to mobilise more support for the healthcare system in Africa. This is a task for the short and medium term. It is also a call for a discussion on the debt situation in Africa, on how we can alleviate the burden of debt on the African continent and on how we can, in the medium and long term, transform our strategy in Africa, basing it on a partnership of equals and of mutual interests, and focussing on strategic investments that must be consistent with the digital agenda and with the Green Deal.
The fourth point for a strategic debate in the European Council that we need to have, in my opinion, is the resilience and the governance How is it possible from the European perspective to learn the lessons, it's a key issue, in my opinion. How is it possible for us to be stronger after this crisis. How is it possible to show more unity, to show more solidarity and to be able to give the best possible answers.
There are certainly lessons to be learned as regards crisis management from a European perspective - lessons to be learned in terms of our ability to work together and to coordinate our actions under European impetus. On all these issues, we want the European Union to step up to the plate and be capable of meeting the challenges which face us. I shall end by saying that, now more than ever, the beating heart of the European Union rests on the principles of solidarity, unity and responsibility, and on our ability to constantly evaluate and take action, with common sense and a medium and long term vision, to give European citizens the justified and strong responses they are entitled to expect.
Joint European Roadmap towards lifting COVID-19 containment measures