EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday (15 September) urged more European sovereignty - by calling for more independence in digital technology, defence, and a global investment programme.
In her second annual speech on the state of the union, von der Leyen also called for other countries to join in accelerating the fight against climate change.
The commission chief hailed the EU's scientific capabilities at providing the most vaccines to the world, and the speed at which the bloc rolled out its digital Covid-19 vaccine certificate, as examples of the EU's resources and capacities.
"Europe can and clearly should be able and willing to do more on its own," she told MEPs in Strasbourg.
Von der Leyen called for a "European Chips Act" to ensure that semiconductors - vital for chips in anything digital - are produced in Europe, so that the bloc is not exposed to China and the US.
Von der Leyen added that digital independence is a "make-or-break issue".
The German politician also made a proposal for a global infrastructure programme to counter China's massive 'Belt and Road Initiative' investment push, calling it the EU version the "Global Gateway".
She also called for the EU to find the political will to fill in the security gaps that the US leaves behind as it retreats from policing the world.
Von der Leyen, herself a former German defence minister, called on EU countries to build forces that can intervene militarily abroad without US support.
"What has held us back until now is not just shortfalls of capacity, it is a lack of political will," she said, adding proposals on improving intelligence-sharing and a better common defence against cyber attacks.
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