(Strasbourg) “In pursuing our action, two things remain paramount: acting in unity and acting in solidarity”. This was stated by the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, opening a debate that lasted all morning. “We need to protect the fundamentals of our economy, and in particular our Single Market. This is the strength of the European Union. That is where the wealth of the European Union comes from. Without a common European solution, we risk fragmentation. So it is paramount that we preserve a level playing field for all in the European Union”, she warned. Von der Leyen then added that critical infrastructure needs to be better protected, clearly referring to the attacks on the Nord Stream gas pipelines. “F r this, we will present a five-point plan. First, we must be better prepared; then we need to stress test our infrastructure. Third, we will increase our capacity to respond through our Union Civil Protection Mechanism already in place. With this, we can support Member States in addressing the disruption of critical infrastructure. Fourth, we will make best use of our satellite surveillance capacity to detect potential threats. And finally, we will strengthen cooperation with NATO and key partners like the US on this critical issue”.
Then, the speaker stated that “with REPowerEU, we have developed a crucial instrument to accelerate the transition to energy independence. It will allow to invest in infrastructure, like pipelines, interconnectors or renewables. And it allows to support businesses and households to invest in energy efficiency”.