Everything from less bureaucracy to more police and simpler train travel is promised in Ursula von der Leyen's plans for the EU Commission until 2029.
The guidelines were presented both orally and in writing on Thursday and include, among other things, a European growth plan with simpler rules for companies. All of von der Leyen's future commissioners will be tasked with "diving into" their portfolios and reducing the regulatory burden.
Among the commissioners, there will also be a defense commissioner, a special Mediterranean commissioner for the region, and a commissioner responsible for housing.
Further defense investments are promised, such as a European "air defense shield". The police cooperation Europol will be developed with double the personnel, while the common border guard will be expanded to a personnel force of at least 30,000.
On the environmental side, a "European ocean pact" will help both fish and fishermen, and von der Leyen also wants to write into the EU's climate law the goal of 90 percent emission reductions by 2040.
Even train travel is given space, with a promise to propose cross-border digital booking rules so that it will be enough to buy one ticket for an entire long journey.
When Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected as Commission President on Thursday, 360 votes were enough, rather than the 361 previously stated as necessary.
The fact that the number has decreased by one vote is because only 719 of the 720 members have been able to register so far. The 720th is the Belgium-based Catalan exiled politician Toni Comín, who has not yet been approved by Spanish authorities.
In the end, the number didn't matter since von der Leyen got support from 401 members in total.
