State of the European Union (SOTEU) 2022

Summary:

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen delivered the third State of the Union (SOTEU) address of her mandate to the European Parliament on 14 September 2022.

Further information:

The address was delivered amidst rising energy prices and accelerating climate change, and as the way in Ukraine still unfolded months after Russia decided to invade the country. The Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs) of most Member States were approved, and the NextGenerationEU spending programme was set to finance the European Union's twin transition. The enforcement of EU values - and in particular the rule of law - remained a challenge. Other matters included the conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), and the long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Ms von der Leyen outlined a number of initiatives for the year ahead, which include:

• Continuous support to Ukraine and its people, including the full mobilisation of the EU's Single Market;
• Measures aimed at weathering the energy crisis;
• Support to the business environment, particularly small and medium enterprises;
• Addressing the EU's dependency on Russian fossil fuels;
• Investing further in renewable energy, and in hydrogen in particular;
• Leading globally on climate adaptation and nature protection;
• Defending democracy and the rule of law, internally and across the world.

The President of the European Commission also sent a Letter of Intent to the Presidents of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, in which actions intended to be carried out in the following year were detailed.

Commentary and Analysis

European Disability Forum (EDF-FEPH): News, 01/09/2022: The EU’s State of the Union must be accessible https://www.edf-feph.org/the-eus-state-of-the-union-must-be-accessible/

EPRS: Briefing, September 2022: State of the Union address, European Parliament, 2022 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)733640

Politico, 13/09/2022: The EU’s incredible shrinking energy crisis plan https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-shrinking-energy-emergency-response-leyen-soteu-speech-russia-gas-war/

Euro|topics, September 2022: How is the energy crisis affecting Europe? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/288352/

Institute of International & European Affairs (IIEA): Events, 14/09/2022: The State of the European Union 2022 https://www.iiea.com/events/the-state-of-the-european-union-2022-1

Bruegel: Events, 14/09/2022: The Sound of Economics Live: Assessing the State of the Union 2022 https://www.bruegel.org/event/sound-economics-live-assessing-state-union-2022

Politico, 14/09/2022: Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech — in 5 charts https://www.politico.eu/article/ursula-von-der-leyen-state-of-the-eu-speech-charts-soteu-2022/

Euronews, 14/09/2022: What do Europeans think about the state of the EU? https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/14/what-do-europeans-think-about-the-state-of-their-union

The New Statesman, 14/09/2022: “For the long haul”: Ursula von der Leyen doubles down on support for Ukraine https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2022/09/ursula-von-der-leyen-support-ukraine

European Policy Centre (EPC): Round-Up, 14/09/2022: Von der Leyen makes big promises, but will they be enough? https://www.epc.eu/en/Publications/Von-der-Leyen-makes-big-promis~4ac888

Euronews, 14/09/2022: State of the Union: Six takeaways from Ursula von der Leyen's keynote speech https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/14/state-of-the-european-union-six-takeaways-from-ursula-von-der-leyens-keynote-speech

European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI), 14/09/2022: CESI on the EU State of the Union address: The EU needs to deliver for workers, citizens & families https://www.cesi.org/posts/eu-state-of-the-union-address-the-eu-needs-to-deliver-for-workers-citizens-families-as-commission-president-von-der-leyen-issues-words-of-solidarity/

Friedrich Naumann Foundation: Analysis, 15/09/2022: Von der Leyen’s State of the Union Address – Many nice headlines and few propositions https://www.freiheit.org/european-union/von-der-leyens-state-union-address-many-nice-headlines-and-few-propositions

EUObserver: Opinion, 15/09/2022: What von der Leyen's 'State of Union' didn't mention https://euobserver.com/opinion/156061

RFE/RL, 15/09/2022: The Most Important Takeaways From Von Der Leyen's State-Of-The-EU Speech https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-leyen-speech-russia-enlargement/32034877.html

Atlantic Council: New Atlanticist Blog, 15/09/2022: What’s next for European energy security? Our experts decipher the State of the European Union Address https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/whats-next-for-european-energy-security-our-experts-decipher-the-state-of-the-european-union-address/

The Economist, 15/09/2022: The European Commission searches for a gas-price villain https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/15/the-european-commission-searches-for-a-gas-price-villain

European Citizen Action Service (ECAS): Publications, 15/09/2022: ECAS’s Takeaways on the ‘State of the Union’ 2022 https://ecas.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ECAS_SOTEU_2022.pdf

Euro|topics, September 2022: State of the Union: was von der Leyen convincing? https://www.eurotopics.net/en/288425/

UK in a Changing Europe (UKiCE): Commentary, 16/09/2022: State of the Union address: a new European Political Community https://ukandeu.ac.uk/state-of-the-union-address-a-new-european-political-community/

France24: Talking Europe, 16/09/2022: 'State of the EU' speech: Is the Union rising to acute challenges? https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/talking-europe/20220916-state-of-the-eu-speech-is-the-union-rising-to-acute-challenges

European Council on Foreign Affairs (ECFR): Commentary, 16/09/2022: State of the Union: How the energy crisis can strengthen EU unity https://ecfr.eu/article/state-of-the-union-how-the-energy-crisis-can-strengthen-eu-unity/

European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU): Newsletter, 21/09/2022: State of the European Union speech disappoints https://www.epsu.org/newsletter/state-european-union-speech-disappoints

EPRS: Briefing, September 2022: The State of the Union [What Think Tanks are thinking] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)733653

GMFUS: Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD), 22/09/2022: A Call for Securing Democracy: Von der Leyen Delivers Her Third State of the European Union Address https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/a-call-for-securing-democracy-von-der-leyen-delivers-her-third-state-of-the-european-union-address/

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News

Reuters, 13/09/2022: Ukraine's first lady to be guest of honor at EU State of Union https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-first-lady-be-guest-honor-eu-state-union-2022-09-13/

Politico: Live Blog: As it happened: Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech (14 September 2022) https://www.politico.eu/article/live-blog-ursula-von-der-leyens-state-of-the-union-speech/

Euronews: State of the EU: Live updates as MEPs react to von der Leyen's annual speech (14 September 2022) https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/14/live-ursula-von-der-leyen-delivers-her-annual-state-of-the-union-speech

EurActiv, 14/09/2022: #SOTEU: EU Commission chief outlines priorities ahead of hard winter https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/soteu-eu-commission-chief-outlines-priorities-ahead-of-hard-winter/

Politico, 14/09/2022: Shadow of war darkens von der Leyen’s big speech https://www.politico.eu/article/war-von-der-leyen-speech-state-union-brussel-european-commission-ukraine-russia-gas-energy-cap-price-inflation-olena-zelenska-russia/

EurActiv, 14/09/2022: EU’s von der Leyen rows back on plans to cap fossil gas prices https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/eus-von-der-leyen-rows-back-on-plans-to-cap-fossil-gas-prices/

Deutsche Welle, 14/09/2022: State of the EU address: 'Putin will fail and Europe will prevail' https://p.dw.com/p/4Gq6e

Reuters, 14/09/2022: EU lays out energy crisis plan, says solidarity with Ukraine unshakeable https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hold-eus-solidarity-with-ukraine-unshakeable-commission-chief-says-2022-09-14/

The Guardian, 14/09/2022: ‘Putin will fail and Europe will prevail,’ EU chief tells MEPs https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/14/putin-will-fail-and-europe-will-prevail-eu-chief-tells-meps

BBC News, 14/09/2022: Ukraine war: EU moves to cut peak electricity use by 5% https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-62899940

Politico, 14/09/2022: East-West divide over von der Leyen’s Russia mea culpa https://www.politico.eu/article/von-der-leyens-russia-mea-culpa-gets-kremlinology-treatment/

Deutsche Welle, 14/09/2022: EU's Ursula von der Leyen announces cap on revenue from electricity to combat energy crisis https://p.dw.com/p/4GoU8

EurActiv, 14/09/2022: Von der Leyen: Treaty change needed to show EU is ‘serious’ on reform https://www.euractiv.com/section/future-eu/news/von-der-leyen-treaty-change-needed-to-show-eu-is-serious-on-reform/

Reuters, 14/09/2022: EU will propose windfall levies on energy firms, von der Leyen says https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/eu-will-propose-windfall-levies-energy-firms-von-der-leyen-says-2022-09-14/

Associated Press (AP News), 14/09/2022: EU chief Von der Leyen to visit Ukraine to stress support https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-kyiv-france-ursula-von-der-leyen-1c8edbda522a12935b333146be826d42

Bloomberg, 14/09/2022: EU Aims to Boost Ukraine’s Economy With Single Market Access https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-14/eu-seeks-to-boost-ukraine-s-economy-with-single-market-access

LRT News, 14/09/2022: We should have listened to the Baltics on Putin, says Ursula von der Leyen https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/1779532/we-should-have-listened-to-the-baltics-on-putin-says-ursula-von-der-leyen

RFE/RL, 14/09/2022: Von Der Leyen Says EU Cannot Appease Russia Over Ukraine, Putin Will 'Fail' https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-leyen-cannot-appease-russia/32033030.html

The Irish Times, 14/09/2022: ‘Putin will fail, Ukraine will prevail’: Von der Leyen urges Europeans to remain steadfast in Kyiv support https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2022/09/14/ukraine-can-win-with-our-support-von-der-leyen-tells-europeans/

Times of Malta, 14/09/2022: EU's von der Leyen seeks to raise €140 billion by capping energy giant profits https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/russias-war-looms-large-eu-holds-annual-state-union-speech.980714

N1 News, 14/09/2022: Von der Leyen: EU not complete without Western Balkans https://rs.n1info.com/english/news/von-der-leyen-eu-not-complete-without-western-balkans/

ERR News, 14/09/2022: Minister: Von der Leyen energy price proposals disappointing for Estonia https://news.err.ee/1608715522/minister-von-der-leyen-energy-price-proposals-disappointing-for-estonia

Delano, 14/09/2022: Von der Leyen puts partnerships on EU agenda https://delano.lu/article/von-der-leyen-puts-partnership

RTÉ News, 14/09/2022: EU lays out energy crisis plan, says solidarity with Ukraine 'unshakeable' https://www.rte.ie/news/europe/2022/0914/1323283-european-union/

RFI News, 14/09/2022: EU chief vows continued solidarity with Ukraine, energy reform in annual address https://www.rfi.fr/en/europe/20220914-eu-chief-vows-continued-solidarity-with-ukraine-energy-reform-in-annual-address

Le Monde, 15/09/2022: EU's von der Leyen addresses windfall energy profits and promotes 'investing in democracies' https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/09/15/eu-state-of-the-union-von-der-leyen-addresses-windfall-energy-profits-and-promotes-investing-in-democracies_5997007_4.html

Reuters, 15/09/2022: Von der Leyen: Supporting Ukraine is costly, but freedom is priceless https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/von-der-leyen-supporting-ukraine-is-costly-freedom-is-priceless-2022-09-15/

EurActiv, 16/09/2022: State of the Union gets a mixed reception https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/state-of-the-union-gets-a-mixed-reception/

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Official

European Commission: State of the Union 2022 https://state-of-the-union.ec.europa.eu/state-union-2022_en

European Parliament: Headlines, 02/09/2022: State of the EU debate 2022: here's how to follow it https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20220823STO37802/

European Commission: 2022 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen (14 September 2022) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_22_5493

European Parliament: Press Release, 14/09/2022: State of the EU: Ukraine, energy, climate change, economy https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220909IPR40133/

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