Our vision for a better Europe

The EPP Group has adopted a position paper outlining its idea of what the EU should be in the future.

"The position paper that we have endorsed is a key document at a crucial time for Europe and the world”, explained Paulo Rangel MEP, EPP Group Vice-Chairman responsible for the Future of Europe portfolio.

The paper is based on the three ‘non-negotiable’ transversal pillars of the EPP Group: defence of the democratic rule of law, defence of the four freedoms of Europe (free movement of goods, capital, services, and people), and defence of a social market economy. The great innovations of the document lie in the area of security and defence, in reforming the EU Institutions to bring them closer to European citizens, complementing the Economic and Monetary Union with an Innovation Union in the Digital Single Market, and reinforcing investment to boost growth.

The EPP Group’s position paper on the Future of Europe advances without reservation to a European Defence Union with real operational capabilities and in cooperation with the UN and NATO. It also calls for the development of military capacities for the European Border and Coast Guard and the European Civil Protection Body and a new generation of counter-terrorism measures.

It also suggests the conversion of the Council of Ministers (ECOFIN, AGRI, etc.) into a second parliamentary chamber - the House of States - and that Turkey cannot join the EU, but should remain in close partnership.

The document also expresses the EPP Group’s commitment to completing the Economic and Monetary Union, to seek a fairer social market economy with a social dimension at its core, to seek fair free trade agreements that make globalisation work for the citizens, and to address the demographic challenges and territorial inequalities within the EU.

Inspired by humanist thinking and Judeo-Christian roots, this strategic document is the ideological self-portrait of the EPP Group and reflects our belief in the European project and its indispensability for a global affirmation of the States, nations and citizens of the Union.

“After almost a year of deep debate with all our MEPs, the EPP Group is taking the lead and showing that it has a vision, a direction and a design for Europe in these times of uncertainty and turbulence", stated Rangel. "There is no opposition, but complementarity and synergy between national pride and European identity", he concluded.