Germany’s prosperity is closely linked to the European single market. It is a pity, therefore, that in the EU’s largest member state, the 30th anniversary of this achievement receives little attention. 

It is thanks to the courage and foresight of the twelve founding states that created the common market of free movement of persons, goods, services and capital in 1993. Germany, an export nation, has benefited so much from this idea that this should make any net contributor debate about the EU budget obsolete.

But just because Germany’s prosperity depends on free European trade, the German government has a responsibility to make the single market fit for the green, digital and geopolitical Zeitenwende of the century. The first step begins with the completion of the Digital Single Market and the provision of a powerful, resilient and EU-wide digital infrastructure. Similarly, the EU and its member states must work together to advance key digital and green technologies. The Green Deal Industrial Plan is an ambitious step in this direction, which the EU Commission should quickly put into action using concrete policy measures. 

However, it is important that loosening state aid rules through the Green Deal Industrial Plan remains temporary. and is accompanied by fresh money from a financially strong European Sovereignty Fund. The internal market must remain fair so that it continues to bring prosperity for Germany and Europe. 

Yours

Dr. Linn Selle

President of the European Movement Germany

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#EBDGrafik of the week

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EM Germany News

EM Germany Secretary General Bernd Hüttemann comments on Ukraine’s EU accession prospects | Last week, Bernd Hüttemann was a guest on the WDR 5 program Mittagsecho, on the NDR podcast „Streitkräfte undStrategien“ (Forces and Strategies) and a live broadcast on the ntv channel, where he spoke about Ukraine’s EU accession prospects. He emphasized that EM Germany welcomed the European Council’s decision last summer to recognize Ukraine’s candidate status. In the WDR 5 program, Hüttemann explained that the EU accession process is an opportunity for Ukraine to implement anti-corruption measures and accelerate necessary reforms in the country. Speaking to NDR, Hüttemann also stressed the importance of a clear European perspective on accelerating democratization processes within Ukraine. The fact that the EU summit took place last week in Kiev was an important signal for the European community and its cohesion, he said. | More (in German)

The President of EM Germany as guest on SoVD.TV | On January 31, the EM Germany member organization Sozialverband Deutschland e.V. (SoVD) held a discussion on the topic of „Social Europe – why we need the EU“, in which EM Germanys President Dr. Linn Selle, SoVD Vice-President Ursula Engelen-Kefer and Left Party MEP Özlem Demirel discussed social policy and solidarity in the EU. Dr. Selle discussed the social policy achievements already made in the EU, but also emphasized how important it is for the EU to set even more minimum social standards, for example in the area of the statutory minimum wage. The complete talk will soon appear on the SoVD YouTube channel. | More (in German)

Start of the first consultation round for the EBD-Politik 2023/24| The European Movement Germany lives from the diverse voices of its network. Thereby, the EBD-Politik (Policy of EM Germany) forms the political basis of our work, it legitimizes activities, priorities and positioning of EM Germany. To update the policy framework for 2023/24, EM Germany is now launching the first round of consultations. 246 member organizations are invited to contribute to the policy positioning with the aim of reaching a joint decision at the General Assembly in July. | More (in German) 

Upcoming Events

In order to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the EM Germany hosts its events as video conferences whenever possible.

13.02.2023 | EM Germany De-Briefing on the Special European Council with Sibylle Katharina Sorg, Head of the European Department at the German Foreign Office. The initial commentary will be given by Dr. Jörg Wojahn, representative of the European Commission in Germany, and Dr. Linn Selle, President of the European Movement Germany. 

15.02.2023 | EM Germany De-Briefing ECOFIN and Euro Group with Dr. Judith Hermes, Head of the European Policy Department at the German Federal Ministry of Finance.

More information

Our Presidency Calendar on the Swedish EU Council Presidency contains all dates of the semester.

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