Thank you Carl-Albert,

And thank you to the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise and Swedish Trade Unions for inviting me. Congratulations on your inspiring publication, Europaperspektiv!

I truly value your dedication to EU affairs in Sweden. Promoting understanding of the EU has always been my personal mission, both as a national politician and now as a European Commissioner.

In times of disinformation, this mission is more urgent than ever. Europe faces many challenges, such as aggression from Russia and geopolitical shifts by China and the US.

To adapt, we must strengthen our security and economy. Growth must be sustainable. Our industries need stable ecosystems and access to resources.

The pandemic and dependence on Russian energy have been wake-up calls. We must make our economy circular to ensure strategic autonomy.

The European Commission has launched plans like the Competitiveness Compass and Clean Industrial Deal to better manage our resources.

Circular technologies are a strong point for Europe. We aim to fulfill our ambitions by promoting a circular economy.

Water is crucial for life and the economy. The Water Resilience Strategy will help us address scarcity and pollution.

The bioeconomy offers opportunities for innovation and growth. Europe has the resources and knowledge to excel in this area.

Strategic autonomy does not mean isolation. We remain open to trade and cooperation. Europe is open for business.

The European Union must pursue both competitiveness and environmental responsibility. These are inseparably linked.

Let us work together towards a cleaner, stronger, and freer Europe.

Thank you.