Over the past 20 years, the EU has invested substantially in infrastructure to make Europe a better place to live and work – from highways to pipelines, public transport, connectivity, data centres and cross-border infrastructure.
Our integrated energy market has helped us to weather crises, for instance when Russia cut gas deliveries. EU countries have worked together to source more secure and sustainable energy supplies, driving the clean energy transition and reducing our dependence on Russian fossil fuels. With substantial EU investments, coverage of high-speed broadband networks and internet access have surged across the EU. Digital leaders such as Estonia, are helping to pioneer e-government services. In all parts of Europe, millions of people have gained access to the 5G network.
Today, we are taking things further with NextGenerationEU. Worth €800 billion, it is funding hundreds of projects, from offshore wind farms to electric trains, from top-notch digital services to world-class medical centres, creating quality jobs – in all 27 Member States.
As the strategic environment around us continues to change and Europe needs to step up on defence, all Member States are taking part in the effort – from Estonian defence research to Swedish aircraft development and Polish ammunition production.