Twenty-two of the EU’s 28-member states are also members of the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance, headquartered in Brussels, but Juncker insisted the bloc’s military ambitions would not undercut this key relationship.
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“There can be no a la carte access to the single market”, he told the European Parliament yesterday in his annual State of the Union address.
The plan, part of a drive to create a “digital single market” in the EU, suggests all European households, rural or urban, should have access to superfast connectivity offering download speeds of at least 100 mbps, while all urban areas as well as major roads and railways should have uninterrupted 5G coverage.
Juncker also hit back at rising nationalism and racism, referring to the recent killing of a Polish man in Britain with the words: “We Europeans can never accept Polish workers being harassed, beaten up or even murdered on the streets of Harlow”.
Leaders must also compensate for Britain’s departure from the bloc.
Juncker stressed that post-Brexit, the EU’s remaining 27 member states had to stick together and that included taking on increased responsibility for their defence. He stressed that he was not proposing a European Union army, but rather the creation of a centralized location from which operations can be based.
“There are splits out there and often fragmentation where we need further union – that is leaving space for galloping populism”, he added, in a speech that mixed German, French and English.
Mr Farage seized on an ethics probe by Mr Juncker into his predecessor, Jose Manuel Barroso, for taking a job at Goldman Sachs, to revive his accusation that the European Union is run like a cosy club for big business.
The initial aim of the Investment Plan for Europe, which was first announced last year, was to mobilize 315 billion euros over three years.
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage was in the room at the time and reacted strongly to the proposals.
“Having listened to you, I am pleased we voted to leave”, Farage said.
“Europe’s creative content should not be locked-up, but it should also be highly protected, in particular to improve the remuneration possibilities for our creators”, he said.
Juncker’s performance in front of 751 MEPs was closely scrutinised amid speculation he has health concerns, despite strong denials by him and his spokespeople.
Juncker’s speech also touched on the UK’s decision to leave the bloc encouraging the European Union to stick together after the shock Brexit vote on 23 June.
At the Bratislava summit, they will start work on a roadmap for the future, including a joint plan by France and Germany for a “more active” European defense policy now that an always reluctant Britain is on the way out.
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“It is clear there are no lessons that are going to be learned here from Brexit”.
