EU President Calls for Unity on Climate, AI, Competition and Canada Relations
European Commission President's Annual Address: Key Priorities and Challenges
By Jan Strupczewski and Yves Herman
BRUSSELS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The head of the European Commission will call on Wednesday for European Union solidarity in tackling climate change, artificial intelligence and competition from China, arguing no single EU country can handle these challenges on its own.
Setting the Agenda for the Year Ahead
In her annual speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will set out priorities for the 27-nation EU for the year ahead.
Maintaining European Independence
Von der Leyen, now in her second five-year term at the helm of the EU executive arm, will stress the need to maintain European independence in various sectors, including energy, raw materials and clean technologies, officials said.
Strengthening Partnerships Beyond the EU
To achieve that, EU countries will not only need to work together, but also have strong partners like Canada, whose Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Strasbourg and deliver his own address to the EU assembly on Thursday.
Canada-EU Relations and Shared Values
Von der Leyen is likely to say that while Canada cannot become a member of the European Union, the EU wants to bring it as close as possible to the bloc because it shares Europe's values and could help the EU become less dependent on China for raw materials and their processing, officials said.
Addressing Competition and Trade with China
She is likely to note that she was in favour of negotiations with China on how to bring down the unsustainable €1-billion-a-day EU trade deficit, but that these talks had to bring results soon, or the EU would have to resort to other steps to protect its economy.
Responding to Climate Change and Technological Shifts
Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation
Officials said she was expected to point out that the EU is already experiencing the effects of climate change like no other continent. The bloc will need to stay its ambitious course on mitigating climate change but step up efforts to adapt to it, drawing on experiences from the last three months when the continent was hit by unprecedented heat waves and wildfires.
Artificial Intelligence: Risks and Opportunities
She is likely to say EU leaders will have to do more to address citizens' concerns that artificial intelligence is a threat to jobs and cybersecurity and make sure Europe's economy benefits from AI.
Migration and Border Security
Von der Leyen is also to talk about migration to the EU and the need to learn from crises like the events in Ceuta at the end of July, possibly through increasing the role of the EU border agency Frontex, officials said.
(€1 = $1.15)
(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski; editing by David Gaffen)