Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a pleasure to be here with you today. First and foremost, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the organizers, the Delphi Economic Forum and President Tsomokos, for their kind invitation. I would also like to congratulate President Tsomokos and his team for their outstanding work. Their efforts are not only significant but also incredibly timely. Now, allow me to begin by setting the scene. Todays reality will undoubtedly become a fascinating case study for future historians. For decades, we had grown accustomed to peace in Europe, to collaboration, and to deep political and economic ties. But the pandemic and the war that returned to our continent shattered the stability we had taken for granted for years. At the same time, other challenges emerged: The intensifying global competition and protectionism. The ever-urgent climate crisis. The rapidly advancing technological revolution. And adding to these challenges, we are divisive politics and a cost-of-living crisis. Some see this as an existential crisis for Europe. But I can assure you that we are stronger than that. And what is most important, in these uncertain and destabilizing times, is for Europe to have a steady, measured response, one that addresses the immediate challenges, while also laying the foundation for a secure and prosperous future. And that is precisely what we are doing, through the priorities set in the political guidelines for 2024-2029. Our aim is to address: prosperity and competitiveness, defence and security, people, societies and our social model, quality of life, democracy and values, power and partnerships, and preparing our Union for the future. Now, in every single one of these priorities, transport and tourism have key roles to play. They are beacons of stability, pragmatism, and common sense. This is also why these two sectors come with huge responsibility. And we are ready for that. And we are already working on policies, strategies and concrete plans: To ensure that transport and tourism support EU competitiveness and sustainability. To ensure Europeans are well connected but also safe and secure. To make the transition to greener, smarter transport and tourism, while ensuring that mobility remains affordable, accessible and well-staffed. Now, let me focus on competitiveness. As you probably know, earlier today, we launched the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry. This industry has long been a pillar of the European economy. From the iconic brands that define our automotive heritage, to the millions of jobs across the continent, this sector has contributed massively to Europes prosperity. It also drives innovation, being Europes largest private R&D investor. And our vehicle exports surpass our imports by more than 100bn euros. The European Automotive Sector accounts directly and indirectly for 13 million jobs and 7% of EU GDP. I can assure you that we are not going to let down the sector under any circumstances. I am going to develop the EU Industrial Action Plan for the automotive sector, and I will present in 2025. Competitiveness runs throughout the Commissions priorities, and as I said it is one of my personal priorities too. The Competitiveness Compass will soon be presented. The Clean Industrial Deal will follow. Innovation, decarbonisation and economic security will be the overarching pillars within both strategies. And transport is a vital contributor to competitiveness. We have 1.4 million companies active in transport and storage in Europe. Over 99% of them are SMEs. They drive our economy, and we need to take care of them, including by cutting red tape. We also have industrial champions. Some need to work hard to retain global leadership in the face of growing competition, others to regain it. My goals are clear: defend our industry and its workers, reduce our dependencies, create a level playing field, and fulfil our climate objectives. Tourism is another area where Europe stands as a true global superpower. With 3 million active SMEs, most of them family-run businesses, tourism is at the heart of our economy and culture. I am already working on a comprehensive European Strategy for Tourism to ensure this sector continues to thrive and adapt to future challenges. Also Rail is central to the TEN-T, and one of the greenest modes of transport we have. Completing the railway network and connecting cities by high-speed rail is a priority. We are working on a plan to do this. Doing so will cut travel time from Hamburg to Copenhagen from 4h20 to 2h30, for example. Individuals and businesses have shown that they are willing to switch to rail, including night trains, when it offers affordable, convenient and reliable solutions. Moreover, aviation and maritime are key sectors. I am already preparing a European Ports Strategy, and at the same time, we are developing a modern industrial strategy for shipping. We are also working on the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan to support the production and affordability of sustainable fuels, for both aviation and maritime. This is one objective of, which I plan to present later this year. Finally, we will deal with practical, social issues: protection from transport poverty, from geographical isolation, but also, for a person with reduced mobility, to be able to use public transport. Many people rely on transport daily. They count on us to keep it affordable, available and safe. Just like businesses count on us to connect people, places and goods. I want to assure them, that they can continue to rely on us. Ladies and gentlemen, it is true, we are experiencing turbulence. But if we hold tight and work together, we will weather the storm. Thank you!