OECD data show that in many European countries, a small minority owns a disproportionately large share of the wealth. Income inequality is also higher than it was a generation ago. But let us not forget the shared economic benefits of the Union. The average GDP per capita of EU countries has almost doubled in the past 20 years alone.
And our future prosperity is also a function of today’s education, research and innovation. Some of the best universities in the world are located in the EU. Over the past 30 years, around 9 million people have benefited from the Erasmus programme. The EU also supports research across the Union.