Press release - Metsola to EU leaders: “We need to deliver. We don’t have the luxury of time.”

Metsola to EU leaders: “We need to deliver. We don’t have the luxury of time.” At the European Council, President Roberta Metsola called for seizing the momentum on enlargement, competitiveness and the next long-term EU budget. On enlargement, welcoming the opening of the first accession negotiation cluster with Ukraine and Moldova, Metsola said the decision sent a powerful signal that: “Enlargement is no longer a distant promise. It is here, it is happening.” Describing enlargement as a “win-win” and referring to Parliament’s most recent progress reports, she said: “We need to deliver. We do not have the luxury of time.” While underlining that gradual integration measures and closer access to the Single Market can help bring candidate countries closer to the Union, she also stressed that this “can never become a substitute for full EU membership”. On the future long-term EU budget, Metsola assured leaders that “Parliament will be constructive” in the negotiations “but will also defend its position”. She called for Parliament’s early involvement in the process and to advance discussions on new own resources. “We all agree that we need an ambitious budget. We all agree that it must match the scale of the challenges we face. Sometimes we get so caught up in old dividing lines that we miss the common ground in front of us,” Metsola said. She was optimistic that “if we proceed in this spirit, there is no reason why we cannot try to reach an agreement by the end of the year”. On competitiveness, Metsola highlighted the recent agreements reached between Parliament and Council on simplifying rules for artificial intelligence, midcaps and defence. She also pointed to the Market Integration and Supervision package and EU Inc. as flagship projects that Parliament is swiftly working on to remove barriers in the Single Market and address the concerns raised by European businesses. She welcomed the regular reviews on the One Europe, One Market Roadmap arguing that this will help keep Europe focused on delivery. On progress under the Joint Declaration on EU legislative priorities for 2026, she noted that here too Parliament delivered with the adoption of the Return Regulation. With the Pact on Migration and Asylum in application, “Europe now has the tools to address this challenge”. Find here the full speech Contacts: - Jüri LAAS Spokesperson of the President