The European People’s Party (EPP) has put strengthening the defence industry, combating illegal immigration, and boosting competitiveness at the top of its political priorities in a ten-point declaration on “a strong Europe that protects”.
According to the Christian-Democratic family, establishing a Defence Union also involves creating a ‘European Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency’ (DARPA) and appointing a European commissioner responsible for expanding the industrial base in this sector.
With regard to migration, the European agency Frontex would see its staff triple to 30,000 people. The EPP advocates having reinforced “physical infrastructure” to monitor and protect the EU’s external borders as well as a “Mediterranean Pact” to establish strategic partnerships with countries in the Mediterranean region. But there is no reference to the possibility of applying the model devised by Italy, which consists of transferring asylum seekers to third countries while their applications are being processed.
Still in the area of security, the Christian Democrats want to more than double the staff of Europol, the European agency for law enforcement cooperation, (from 1,400 people to 3,000 people) and to create a centre dedicated to combating human trafficking. They also want to strengthen the European arrest warrant and launch a European action plan against cyberbullying and child abuse.
On the economic front, the EPP wants to remove the barriers that are still standing in the way of the single market, particularly in the services sector. It recommends a portfolio for a European commissioner for SMEs and combating administrative burden. Also mentioned is the realisation of the capital markets union, energy union, and health union—the EU notably needing to become “the pharmacy of the world” once again.
The European Green Deal, which should enable the EU to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 (by cutting greenhouse gas emissions 55% by 2030), is not called into question but must serve the interests of the economy.
See the EPP’s declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/cum (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)