00:01President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will speak at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday
00:08in one of the most anticipated events of the EU calendar, the State of the Union Address.
00:14The Commission President is expected to announce a proposal for an EU-wide social media ban for minors.
00:21The EU Executive has already said it will present on Thursday a proposal called the EU Kids Act,
00:28which is likely to include the ban.
00:30However, it remains to be seen how far von der Leyen will go in seeking to harmonise the minimum age
00:37across Europe
00:38and what age she will propose.
00:41Ukraine is likely to be high on the agenda as Kiev grapples with a massive budget shortfall
00:47and the debate over using Russia's frozen assets come back to the fore.
00:52The Commission has been asked to find creative solutions that would shield Belgium,
00:57which hosts the most affected asset manager, Eurcleil, from potential litigation.
01:03New measures to tackle irregular migration are highly likely to feature in von der Leyen's speech,
01:09after a massive influx of migrants into Suta last July raised alarm among EU governments
01:15and even put the Schengen-Uriah of free movement under strain.
01:21Regarding EU enlargement, the accession process seems to be gaining momentum in the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe,
01:28while Iceland's recent referendum confirmed that the EU is struggling to attract its wealthier neighbours amid security concerns.
01:37Von der Leyen is also expected to use this speech to argue that Europe's climate agenda is entering a new
01:44phase,
01:45from setting targets to delivering them, while keeping energy costs and industrial competitiveness under control.
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