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European Commission - Statement Statement by President von der Leyen with Taioseach Martin on the occasion of the College visit to the Irish Presidency Cork, 3 July 2026 Thank you, dear Micheál, for welcoming us to your native Cork. Thank you very much for the visit over the last two days and the intense talks we had. And thank you for our visit yesterday evening to the Tyndall National Institute and its semiconducto...
European Commission - Statement Statement by President von der Leyen with Taioseach Martin on the occasion of the College visit to the Irish Presidency Cork, 3 July 2026 Thank you, dear Micheál, for welcoming us to your native Cork. Thank you very much for the visit over the last two days and the intense talks we had. And thank you for our visit yesterday evening to the Tyndall National Institute and its semiconductor labs. For me, it perfectly set the tone for the Irish Presidency. At the research and innovation powerhouse that is Tyndall, Europe is bridging a gap we have long struggled with. We have to move from the test to the scale. And that was yesterday also the motto at the visit, where they said they have all the ingredients that are necessary. We have the talent, the innovation, the research and development. We have the infrastructure and the capital, if we get a Capital Markets Union. But what we now need is scale. And I think this, as I said, sets the tone for this presidency. This brings me to our first shared priority. A competitive European economy that is good jobs for Europe. The task ahead is clear. Outside our borders, we must keep moving on diversification. This year has already delivered one trade agreement breakthrough after another. The Irish Presidency will be central to getting our deals with India and Mexico operational at record speed. So that Europe can trade more with trusted partners, that is growing our exports while, very crucially, reducing our dependencies. The more we are diversified, the less we are dependent on a single supplier At home, we must keep building the industrial capacity we need to create jobs and growth, and to better withstand shocks. For this, we have our “One Europe, One Market” Roadmap. As you have said, all three institutions have committed to deliver until the end of 2027. It spans over 18 months. So it is about delivery and urgency. We have several key proposals to see through across the clean and digital transitions. The list is long. So I will highlight just a few of them. On the clean energy side, the Commission will table a new energy package in July. It will include a target to boost electrification in Europe. And the modernisation of our emissions trading system. On the digital side, we have our Tech Sovereignty Package. We need it to strengthen Europe's capacity in tech. From chips to AI. From cloud to language models. Quite a big menu. Then we have a number of horizontal priorities. To make Europe the best place to innovate, invest and grow. We must keep working hard on making life easier for businesses. Your Presidency's leadership will be essential to deliver on our simplification agenda. The famous omnibuses. Six have already reached the finish line, but four must now come to the finish line during this presidency. The same goes for EU Inc, our single rulebook for innovative companies. We should aim for an agreement before the end of this year. Because entrepreneurs have no time to lose. And you are committed to making the Savings and Investment Union a reality. That is very much welcome. We hear it over and over again. We need to end the fragmentation of the capital market, then there is a lot of capital that is available for our startups. And for that, we need the Savings and Investment Union. My second point is security – it underpins everything we do. As a matter of fact, many of the technologies that power our economy are also critical to our security. Semiconductors are a perfect example, which is why Ireland's contribution here is important. Security also means taking more responsibility for our own defence. So, we welcome your decision to increase defence spending by 55% by 2030. During your Presidency, we will continue to advance Europe's Defence Readiness. Given the increasingly threatening landscape, our defence readiness is critical to deter adversaries. This includes building up capabilities through our SAFE program. So far, we have signed in record time loan agreements worth 100m Euro with 10 Member States. This enables Member States to undertake joint defence project through common procurement. Of course, while stepping up on defence in Europe, we continue our support to Ukraine. Already from the EUR 90 billion Ukraine Loan, we have disbursed more than EUR 3 billion in budget support, and the first part of the EUR 6 billion for air defence. At the same time, we are working with Ukraine to build a more structural defence industrial partnership so that we can benefit from their defence industrial innovation. My third point is the next long-term budget. In June, the Council reached an important agreement on the architecture of the next MFF. This is a big step forward. We have now agreed on the architecture. It is set in stone. Now we have to fill the negotiation box. The next step is to match it with the right level of ambition and the right financing. We should aim for a revised negotiation box for the October European Council, including a shared understanding on how we want to finance the next MFF. This is essential so that the next budget is ready to deliver from 1 January 2028. This will require a lot of hard work. We know and we will support you in this endeavour. Ireland successfully brokered an MFF agreement in 2013. And you can do it again. My fourth point is on housing. Europe is facing a housing crisis. A crisis of affordability, access and quality. Our citizens are calling for solutions. And we are responding. Under your Presidency, we aim to launch a European Housing Alliance. And we will convene a high-level European Housing Summit. This is one of the defining social challenges of our time. And our people expect us to deliver. My last point is on enlargement. Ukraine and Moldova have opened their first accession cluster. That is a big step forward. Albania and Montenegro continue to progress. I welcome Ireland's strong support for this merits-based process. Including the intention to complete accession negotiations with Montenegro this year. We have every reason to trust Ireland on this. After all, the historic 2004 enlargement was agreed under an Irish Presidency. And Ireland's own story reminds us why enlargement is one of Europe's smartest investments. When Ireland joined the European Community in 1973, its GDP per capita was around half the European average. Today, it is roughly double. You were catching up; now you are leading the way. There is hardly a more convincing argument for enlargement. So, dear Micheál, thank you again. Ireland has always had a talent for turning ambition into achievement. I am confident your Presidency will do the same for Europe. STATEMENT/26/1519 Press contacts: Paula PINHO (+32 2 29 20815) Arianna PODESTA (+32 2 298 70 24) Olof GILL (+32 2 29 65966) General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email Related media Visit of the College of Commissioners to the Irish Presidency in Cork, Ireland
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