On 16 September 2026, President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her 2026 State of the European Union speech before Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Strasbourg. This annual debate provides an opportunity to discuss the Commission’s work over the past year and the EU’s most immediate challenges. The key priorities highlighted for the coming year centre on competitiveness and jobs, social inclusion, security and defence, climate and resilience, and democracy, the rule of law and European values.

Together, these priorities provide a useful indication of where the European Commission intends to concentrate its political attention and resources.

Notably, biodiversity does not feature as a priority, while there was extensive reference to this summer’s wildfires across Europe and what steps the EU intends to take in this area (including an EU firefighting fleet). Reference was made to the importance of working both on adaptation and mitigation when it comes to climate change.

However, relevant work on biodiversity is currently ongoing, especially with the adoption of the National Restoration Plans by Member States.

You can watch the full video of the State of the Union 2026 speech here