A competitive Europe needs the courage to put European companies first
Concrete steps to advance Europe’s competitiveness were achieved when we reached a significant outcome in the negotiations on the InvestEU loan program. I served as the Parliament’s Rapporteur in the negotiations. The European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission agreed on an additional €2.9 billion in guarantees for one of the EU’s most successful programs of all time.
As a result of these negotiations, we will be able to mobilize up to €60 billion in private investments across Europe. This is a major opportunity, especially for European SMEs. It will also give Finnish companies the confidence to invest and innovate, backed by EU guarantees. In addition, we secured further investments in Europe’s defense—investments that strengthen Europe’s overall competitiveness.
Additional investments in defense are needed. One of the EU’s key roles is to support NATO’s operations. NATO is Europe’s military backbone. Drone attacks in various parts of the continent have sparked discussion about Europe’s capacity to respond effectively. There is now a clear need in Europe for a comprehensive system capable of detecting, identifying, and neutralizing drones efficiently. The systems of EU Member States must be interoperable and able to move freely across the Union.
As the Parliament’s Rapporteur on the Defence Readiness Simplification Package from the committee on Industry, my goal is to reduce regulatory burdens. This will allow us to move equipment across borders more easily and to deploy new technologies, such as drones, more quickly, while at the same time strengthening Europe’s defence industry.
Last week, the Parliament voted in plenary on whether plant-based sausages can be called sausages. In my view, they can, but the final decision did not reflect my position. In Strasbourg, we also discussed the Commission’s strategy on the use of artificial intelligence, which includes proposals such as digital tools for farmers. This is hair-splitting. The EU must instead focus on actions that drive investment, growth, and competitiveness.
We must create market conditions that support the growth of European companies. My work for European companies continues. Next week, I will head once again to Strasbourg for the Parliament’s second October plenary session.
With autumn greetings,
Aura
Member of the European Parliament, National Coalition Party, EPP Group
