- 2026-07-13 “06:54 - 11:10:02): Thanks, Martin. Dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, 1st of all, I would like to wish Ireland a great presidency. And I would like to thank the Commissioner for presenting these documents, which are an important contribution to our discussions on food security. I welcome the objectives of strengthening food security, strategic autonomy and rural sustainability. We have to keep in mind also the sector resilience and competitiveness. Protein set of sufficiency and the future of livestock production should be addressed comprehensively as they are mutually reinforcing in achieving these goals. Expanding protein crop production and supporting are essential to diversify EU agriculture and reduce the dependence on import, while we must also stay at the reliable and predictable trade partner. Diversifying imports also strengthens resilience. In particular, the import of protein crops from Ukraine should be encouraged. We must take a whole value chain approach, improve cooperation across the chain and reflect circular and bioeconomic principles. We should support livestock and protein systems suited to Europe's regions and sustaining rural economies and traditions as there is no 1 size fits all solution across the union. The EU should remain a place where sustainable livestock production is maintained and further developed, but specific new requirements must be proportionate and adequately funded. On animal health, the legal tools are there. The priority is to strengthen disease prevention and better implement biosecurity measures while keeping the framework adaptive to the challenges and avoiding administrative burden. Many member states have experienced the impact of animal diseases as we did with African swine fever last summer. We highly support continued research and innovation in animal health and vaccination. Also, adequate EU financing is key for prevention, surveillance, control and eradication. We appreciate the long term strategic plan on animal welfare. This gives farmers confidence to plan future investments and help authorities ensure financial support. Legislation affecting the sector should be coherent and mutually supportive. And I especially welcome the targeted revision of animal welfare rules for laying hens and broilers. We welcome progress on the use of new genomic techniques to foster developing protein crops that are better adapted to current needs, more resilient and less dependent on inputs. Favorable conditions should be created for the production and consumption of locally produced animal and plant proteins, including consumer awareness raising while ensuring that regulatory requirements do not hinder the sector's development. And I would also like to call to continue closely monitoring the dairy market developments and be ready to intervene there when necessary. Thank you.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- 2026-06-29 “Yes. Thank you chair. Dear Executive Vice President Dear colleagues, addressing housing affordability requires a strong focus on increasing supply while ensuring long term affordability and inclusion. The most immediate impact comes from faster and simpler planning and permitting procedures which reduce costs. It reduced costs on capital, acquiring and holding capital, and it speeds up the delivery. At the same time, renovating existing buildings, particularly energy inefficient stock, is a quick and effective way. It expands supply and improves quality of living, which is especially important for student housing. Public land should be used strategically, for example, through long term building rights instead of sales. Also combined with quality based development conditions to ensure future affordability. Developing a strong, affordable rental housing sector, including cooperation with employers, is essential. We should prioritize prioritize structural solutions over broad subsidies using public resources to leverage private investments. Students must be treated as a priority group. Affordable housing is essential for equal access to higher education and for attracting international talent. The key challenge is affordability, not overall supply. In conclusion, the most effective approach combines faster processes, smarter use of public land, more flexible financial instruments, and strong public private partnership, and a clear focus on long term affordability. Thank you.”
EU housing policy
- 2026-06-29 “Yes. Thank you. Dear presidency Executive Vice President. Dear colleagues, first of all, I would also like to thank the Cyprus Presidency for its significant efforts in reaching an agreement on 883. We support the modernisation and simplification of the coordination of Social security systems. It was a really important milestone. Nevertheless, I have to admit that negotiations took long. The world has moved on rapidly. We see more remote work, self-employment, cross-border mobility and face the challenge of updating the rules again. At this stage, we should take time for the implementation. Recently agreed framework should work effectively in practice before moving forward with new reforms, and we already have space in the pipeline. In fact, I believe key challenge is quality and speed of information exchange between member states. Better data, faster responses and practical cooperation is the key. For example, Estonia has a good practice with Finland, where population registers exchange data automatically on a daily basis that provides up to date and reliable information with limited administrative burden. In the context of the future steps beyond labour mobility package, the rules must remain clear and practically enforceable. We need to avoid creating systems that require disproportionate or intrusive controls. Simplification is essential as cross border cases are relatively limited but require disproportionate administrative effort due to their complexity. I see a clear need to strengthen the simplification agenda throughout the EU social and labour policy. Regulatory updates must remain proportionate and targeted while prioritizing regulatory quality to support innovation, competitiveness and social fairness. Instead of new binding rules, we should consider voluntary supportive measures such as guidelines for the implementation of existing EU law. And with that, I invite the Commission to consider an omnibus approach also in the labour policy field. Thank you.”
EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers
- 2026-06-29 “Yes. Thank you chair. Dear Executive Vice President Colleagues, reducing poverty requires practical support throughout the life cycle, combining income support services and different employment measures. A key challenge is that many people do not use the support available to them. This is why we focus on simplification, clearer communication and proactive outreach. In Estonia, we have learned that the simpler the system, the less burden it creates for both people and the state. For this reason, during the first four months, minimum income in Estonia can be received without complex procedures. The aim is to provide support quickly and help people to get back on their feet. Digitalisation also plays a key role in fighting poverty by making support more accessible, faster and more targeted. Estonia's experience shows that digital solutions can significantly improve, take up and efficiency, for example, through automated automated data exchange and different e-services. Above all, we always keep in mind that the most effective and sustainable way to lift the majority of people out of poverty is through active activation and quality employment. In implementing the new EU strategy, the most important thing for us is not to introduce new binding rules nor increase the administrative burden for member states. We need to build on existing reporting frameworks and tools, making better and more efficient use of what is already in place, and any new initiative needs to bring clear, added value and be truly necessary. Therefore, I am cautious about the idea of activation directive for vulnerable groups in the field of social and labour market services. We shouldn't kick off the discussion with setting up a directive. I asked the commission, therefore, to consider more appropriate measures from the very beginning of the process. Thank you.”
Minimum income harmonisation at EU level
- 2026-06-26 “19:25 - 10:21:08): Thank you, Michalis. Estonia sees this directive as an important step in accelerating renewable energy deployment, strengthening energy security and supporting competitiveness. So this is 1 of the largest investment programs in Europe where I think we are embarking on. Faster and more predictable permitting is essential to deliver clean domestic At the same time, the framework must remain practical and respect national administrative systems. Estonia can support the general approach. Today, the latest text is a balanced compromise, and the problematic provisions for us have been addressed. We welcome a clarification that member states may apply overriding public interest also in spatial planning procedures as in Estonia, renewable energy projects, especially wind, oftentimes face delays already at this stage. We also support a flexible approach to digital platforms. Member states should be able to connect existing systems instead of creating 1 single platform, avoiding so unnecessary administrative and financial burden. We also welcome the possibility to use tacit approval for intermediate procedural steps as this can speed up permitting without lowering environmental protection or legal safeguards. We support provisions on repowering as older wind farms will need modernization. And on benefit sharing, we also welcome flexibility that member states can decide which technologies and projects should be covered based on local impacts and market conditions. And finally, we welcome that the facilitator role remains optional and that notification requirements for small solar and storage installations may be retained where necessary for safety and reliable data. Thank you.”
EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
- 2026-06-26 “48:48 - 10:51:20): Thank you, Michalis. For Estonia, 10 e is the most important file for a stronger and more integrated energy union. Today, I would like to focus on the protection of the critical infrastructure. Since the start of a Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Estonia's priority has been to ensure that they use policies taking to account the need to protect our energy infrastructure. We have experienced the sabotage of cross port energy interconnectors and drone incursions. These threats are not theoretical, and they are Europe wide. 10 e regulation is an important aspect of this bigger picture, and we welcome the progress made. Upgrading the existing network, regional stocks, and exposure pairs, these aspects are all very important for us. I would like to make 4 points in view of future dialogues. 1st, although the 10 EU regulation focuses, on the resilience of cross border electricity networks, the whole matter should be seen as a system wide objective in EU policies. The overall EU approach to resilience should also consider generation assets, storage, distribution grids, and infrastructure for energy carriers that are critical for ensuring energy security at the times of crisis. Tenney regulation is only 1 part of a solution. My point here is to highlight the wider needs we have. Secondly, we understand very why there is a cap to resilience funding from CEF, although we certainly could have supported a higher percentage limit than 5%. Thirdly, the inclusion of ex post repairs is a welcome development. We must ensure that at the time of a major disruption, the procedures are as fast as possible. And 4th, we are facing massive need, of investment in greets, and this is also a massive opportunity here. I think the EIB's role, to fund and facilitate these investments should really be upgraded. We have also made, or prepared a joint statement to East Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, and Sweden, which was circulated before a meeting, and I would like to have this added to the minutes of the meeting. Thank you. Thank you, Anders. So Sweden followed by Latvia followed by Finland.”
EU energy infrastructure integration
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you very much, Maria. And thank you, Sarah, for bringing the topic for our discussion today. Uh, we too in Estonia see the live program as highly successful instrument. Uh, and it has been really invaluable for a number of projects on climate action, biodiversity, circular economy, water management, and other environmental priorities. Uh, and therefore, we strongly see continued and adequate funding for these sectors to be maintained in the next MFF to ensure sustained progress towards good agreed environmental and climate goals, especially in nature and water aspects. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you very much, Maria. Estonia can largely support the planned adjustments and introducing additional flexibilities. These are important for ensuring a smooth transition for both consumers and the industry, but also to maintain the competitiveness of the European automotive sector. The flexibilities must be practical and achievable. Consumers must have access to competitively priced vehicles. The choice of vehicles should remain broad and accessible, and this is particularly important to ensure that the transition to a clean economy works well also in smaller markets. I would also emphasise the importance of legal clarity and legal certainty. It is essential that key concepts and criteria across the relevant files of legislation, including those related to small electric vehicles and low CO2 emission steel, are clearly defined and aligned. This would ensure a coherent regulatory framework, reduce administrative burden, provide legal certainty and predictability for businesses, and help avoid overlaps or divergent interpretations. In this process, Member states member states should retain a meaningful role in shaping the relevant criteria. Thank you very much.”
2035 ICE phase-out: strict zero-emission target vs. flexibility for carmakers
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you. Chair. Estonia continues to support the objectives set out in the Chemical strategy for sustainability, including improving the quality of registration dossiers, ensuring earlier identification of substances of concern and making authorisation and restriction procedures more efficient. Given the current circumstances, we agree that immediate priority should be on better implementation and targeted updates of the existing Framework. This could include measures such as updating registration data requirements, harmonizing and digitizing digitalizing safety data sheets. Effective enforcement enforcement is essential. We consider it particularly important to ensure that imported substances and products comply with the same environmental and safety requirements as those placed on the markets by EU companies. E-commerce presents growing enforcement challenges, particularly due to increasing number of reach non-compliant products entering the EU markets from third countries, often without an economic operator established in the union, who can be held responsible. Improving interoperability between national and EU market surveillance information systems could facilitate more efficient information exchange and strengthen cross-border enforcement of reach requirements. Thank you.”
Chemicals regulation
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you very much. And thank you, Jessica, for for your intro as well. So water is becoming one of the key challenges we see across Europe more frequent droughts, floods and water scarcity, which all highlights the need for smarter and more resilient water management. Our goal in Estonia is straightforward. It is to ensure clean and affordable water while strengthening the resilience of a sector. So we have launched a reform of water services to improve long term sustainability and and to respond to emerging set of risks. Achieving this goal requires a significant investment, which in part also assumes a significant consolidation of water sector utilities, which we have a relatively big, big number. Also, we must take into account regional differences in addition to growing climate pressures. We see the progress also being dependent on making better use of existing measures, strengthening links between water, climate and regional policies, and of course, relying on science based decision making and strong risk management. We also see water as part of a critical infrastructure. Digital tools, of course, will play a key role. Technologies such as satellite monitoring, data analytics and artificial intelligence can help to manage water resources more effectively, while cooperation between countries can also accelerate the progress. In the end, success depends on practical cooperation between the public and private sectors, ensuring solutions that are sustainable, affordable and ready for future challenges. Thank you.”
EU policy on water management
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you very much, Maria. Nature and the economy are deeply connected, and this makes protecting nature not only an environmental responsibility, but also an economic and strategic priority. Healthy ecosystems provide clean water, fertile soils, and natural protection against floods, heatwaves and other climate risks. They also help reduce long term costs for governments and businesses. Simply put, investing in nature today helps prevent higher costs in the future. To unlock these benefits, we need better recognize the value of ecosystem services in everyday decisions. Nature should be integrated into investments, spatial planning, infrastructure development and risk management. At the European level, a fair approach is essential. A Polish policy should support both restoring damaged ecosystems and also preserving those already in a good condition. Countries, regions and land owners who have protected nature should not be disadvantaged. We are also open to developing new solutions to secure additional funding and incentives for nature restoration and protection. So we welcome the development of nature credits as a tool to demonstrate measurable, evidence based positive impacts on biodiversity and to encourage private finance for nature. In conclusion, nature should be treated as a strategic asset by valuing and integrating it into decision making will strengthen both economic resilience and long term sustainability. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you, chair. And we would like to thank the Commission for the overview as well. We are glad to see that, in general EU fisheries are becoming more sustainable and at the state of the fish stocks is improving in many areas. However, there are still a number of problems that are increasing with each year. I will highlight the most important ones for Estonia. First, the lack of legal clarity and multiannual plans hinders future planning for both the sector and administrations. We have repeatedly addressed that. Stressed that the Baltic Multiannual Plan needs to be amended, and therefore we welcome that the Commission has launched the procedures to review the Map regulation and we urge to act quickly. Secondly, fish stocks are best protected through catch limits not by restrictions on the number of fishing vessels an operator may own. The regulation of vessel capacity may be justified in segments where active gears are used and fishing is not limited. Limited by catch quotas, but it is not reasonable to use the same approach. Where fishing is regulated with quotas and in small scale coastal fisheries using passive gear. The government. The Common Fisheries policy needs to be reformed accordingly. And thirdly, managing the sustainability of coastal fisheries requires an urgent solution to the growing conflict between fisheries and cormorants and grey seals. The populations of these species have increased drastically, and they consume more fish than we allow to catch in the Baltic Sea. More coordinated action at the EU level is needed to manage cormorant numbers more effectively. Finally, the status of the Baltic Sea is not good, but improving the status of fish stocks is not achieved simply by drastically reducing fishing. Much more needs to be done also in other sectors. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Chair. Estonia is home to over 1000 bears, thanks to strict management and protection, the population has doubled since joining the EU, reaching to one of the highest densities in Europe. Estonia has proven that our past practice practice in protecting peers bears has been effective while successfully limiting damages. However, in recent years, bear hunting has been challenged in court cases in Estonia, which has led to an increase in the number of bears and hence more frequent human encounters. Therefore, we support greater flexibility and legal clarity in managing the bear population to reduce damages and prevent potential serious conflicts. Thank you.”
Large Carnivores
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Chair. In general, we believe that the CFP regulation has worked reasonably well and many of its core principles remain valid also today. However, the world has changed since 2013 and the regulation must be updated accordingly. Furthermore, we do not agree that the problem lies solely solely in the in the implementation of the CFP. In response to the first question, we would like to stress that sustainable fisheries depend on healthy, well-managed and stable fish stocks. To achieve the right balance, more trust should be given to decisions and proposals developed at the regional level. We should focus on what is essential and simplify rules to support the sector's own capacity to invest and improve its economic viability, and any new or additional measures should be designed with a clear focus on reducing administrative burden and costs. Updating the CFB regulations should also address fleet management and simplification. Our fleet is aging with an average age of 35 years. From the perspective of fisheries sustainability, fleet renewal will be one of the crucial elements on fishing opportunities. We have observed different interpretations of management plans and at times, significant year to year fluctuation fluctuations. These aspects would benefit from further improvements and second question in response to the changing challenges and needs, coherence with environmental policies should be strengthened. We should take a more comprehensive approach at EU level to addressing the pressure on fish stocks. This includes giving a greater attention to managing predator populations and reducing their impact on fish stocks. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Chair. Um, and we would also like to thank the chairman delegation for bringing this point to the agenda. In our view, it must be always kept in mind that above all, any rule or provision has to be implementable. Unfortunately, we see that this principle is not being followed with the control regulation as its implementing acts go beyond the principle of simplification. So I would like to we would like to use this opportunity once again to emphasize that the requirements have to be balanced and feasible for both the sector and the control authorities. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you chair. Um, and we would like to thank the presidency for all your hard work and efforts in trying to find an agreement on this file, which will be of crucial importance for the fishing sector. Um, overall we are. Overall, we are of the view that the support provided in the next multiannual financial framework should increase the sector's resilience and enable generational renewal and energy transition. And in that regard, the latest compromise text has moved in the right direction on many elements. And we thank you for that. We especially welcome the clearer recognition of the importance of fleet renewal as a key enabler of the sectors and energy transition. However, we are of the opinion that more clarity will be needed regarding the eligibility eligibility conditions to support the fleet in order to ensure the level playing level playing field. The regulation should establish clear eligibility criteria. Furthermore, we believe the investments into fishing vessels, which do not lead to overfishing, should be considered to be in line with the do not significant harm principle. So to sum up, we find the latest compromise as a good basis for further discussions, and we are ready to continue working so that the preparations for the implementation of the next MFF could be could be started as soon as possible. Thank you.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- 2026-06-16 “We need to establish a maximum cofinancing rate for member states cap measures. Also, it is very important for us that the mandatory minimum for digressive area based income support should be significantly lower than €130 per hectare. In our view, the horizontal cut in heading two is not justified. There is a reason the commission has proposed a modernised budget. Urgent challenges in defence, military mobility and cross-border connectivity have clearly increased and should therefore be prioritized. Cuts in the ECF defense window and CF are counterproductive. We should learn from the mistakes of previous negotiations on global Europe. It's important that the 100 billion for Ukraine reserve has been preserved. In addition, we believe that the budget must be made enlargement proof. Considering all the horizontal cuts in heading two and three, we were surprised to see only very modest cuts in heading four for administrative expenditure. And finally, regarding the revenue side, we accept that all options for own resources remain on the table in the Negro box. However, we have to reiterate our objection to the ETS own resource and rebates for a modernised budget. Thank you.”
Defence spending · Agricultural funding · Size of EU budget
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you very much, chair. And let me begin by expressing our appreciation for the work done by the Cypriot presidency. We share the aim of reaching an agreement by the end of the year, and we are ready to continue work on the basis of the box prepared by the Cypriot presidency. The modernised structure. Prioritising competitiveness, defence, climate reforms, rule of law. All of these are valid aims that should be maintained. This was also the spirit of the Friends of Cohesion joint declaration from Estonia's perspective. The proposed cuts to the overall volume of the MFF is a step in the wrong direction. We should not reduce the ambition of the MFF. We want more Europe, not less. Having said that, we do appreciate the presidency who has taken on board the views of the majority of Member States regarding the budget of heading one. However, we regret that the unique challenges and needs of the eastern border regions in defence, in competitiveness and security are still not recognised, as are the. Also hybrid threats in the Negro box. All elements should be on the table for the negotiations. We also have concerns regarding cofinancing rates. In addition, we believe that the N plus one rule should be extended to N plus three, and the compulsory flexibility amount should be reduced in order to maximise the results for the NPS on agriculture, in order to enable fair competition.”
Size of EU budget
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you very much, chair, and thank you to the presidency team for all the hard work on achieving the partial general approaches. Um, I can be very brief. Uh, we support the PGA, um, on European Competitiveness Fund, and we've submitted a joint statement with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland already referred to by my colleagues. We also support the partial general approach of the global Europe regulation on the NRP. However, we feel that the text changes don't sufficiently reflect the challenges faced by the EU's eastern border regions. Um, so sadly, we cannot support it and we will be abstaining. And we have also joined a statement together with Latvia and Lithuania on these challenges. Thank you.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “Thank you. First, on the Strait Of Hormuz, our operation has been as is already in the region. So currently operating in the Red Sea, but the operation area is much wider. But it doesn't have enough ships right now. So the member states are putting their contributions to the operation as bid as then we can also have more ships and really to escort. Also, if we need to change the mandate to also cover the demining activities, then we can also do that.
Now, on your second question, Putin can end this war immediately if he just stops bombing civilians, civilian infrastructure, and withdraws its troops, it's that easy. But what his statement really shows is that he's not in a strong position. So I think there's an opportunity for ending this war. Of course, the security guarantees that we need to see is also we need to see concessions from the Russian side because they are always the ones who are attacking their neighbors. How can we make sure that we don't only have a ceasefire or a truce that would give them possibility to regroup and get their army in a better shape than it is right now and then to go on attacking? But it would be sustainable and lasting peace that they would refrain from attacking other countries.
That's why we have the discussion with the foreign ministers coming up of what kind of concessions we need to see from the Russian side. It's coming up already in May.”
Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
- “Madam chairman, commissioner, colleagues, first of all, I'd like to thank, commissioner Glenn. Thank you ever so much for this honest overview that came from the bottom of your heart. Thank you very much again. The EU work plans for culture have been an important tool. They will help member states to work together and learn from each other. I'm sure that the next work plan should continue this. The new work plan must be clearly linked to both the culture compass and national priorities. Without this, its impact will be limited.
For Estonia, cultural resilience is a central horizontal topic. Well, simply put, culture must withstand change and crisis, and that's why it should be linked to crisis management and security planning. Culture is what holds the society together. It builds trust. It brings people together and provides stability in difficult times.
Second important topic, the AI and algorithms. They shape more and more what culture reaches people and what part of culture stays in the shadow. The AI doesn't only just reflect culture. It's also started to shape it. How can we ensure that European creative works are visible and easy to find? How do we protect human creations in the fast developing digital environment? This is where we need to find shared European solutions.
Estonia has a very highly developed cultural space in digital terms, but there's a specific question. Our language is widely present online. That's why the AI has learned Estonian at least at a basic level, but its cultural understanding remains shallow. There's no wider context because cultural content hasn't been systematically included in training data. The content of small languages and small cultures often stays in the background. Background. However, Europe's strength is its diversity. I think we agree on it all. Small languages and cultures are like voices in a choir. They make Europe special. We need to keep this diversity. We need to strengthen it.
And finally, cultural sustainability starts with education. Young people are not just participants. They are future creators and guardians of culture. A strong connection to culture builds a responsibility to carry on the heritage. Culture helps prevention. It supports the well-being of youngsters and offers safe channels for self expression.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you. Chair. Dear ministers colleagues, first, of course, thank you to the Commissioner for introducing the report. And I would also like to thank the presidency and [00:31:00] his team for raising important topics related to the Cap during the Spanish presidency. Now to your questions. First, I can support the presidency's assessment of the Cap strategic plans. And I agree that the first year of implementation has been full of challenges, mostly because of time pressure and the complexity of the changes that had to be made. At the same time, the Commission report included [00:31:30] very little information on amending the strategic plans. For example, the report could have described the main difficulties that emerged during the first year or the problems that member states had when amending the strategic plans. I think that it is important to distinguish between technical and substantive amendments, all changes that do not have a direct impact on the objectives set by result indicators should be considered as technical, and the procedures related [00:32:00] to them should be flexible and faster. It is also important to evaluate the results. This gives valuable feedback on the efficiency of implementation to policymakers, but also to producers and the wider public.
An important role here is played by a well-functioning agricultural knowledge and innovation system that enables our companies to have access to the latest knowhow and new solutions. Yet, we would like to thank the Commission for good cooperation [00:32:30] during the process of negotiating our strategic plan on question two. Recent crisis and extreme weather conditions have shown that there is one thing certain, and that is that nothing is certain. Thus, I agree with the presidency that farmers need stability, and I also support the conclusion in the Commission report that it is vital to ensure crisis prevention and adaptation. But in order to efficiently react to crisis, it is [00:33:00] important that the Commission and Member States could simultaneously and rapidly amend the strategic plans. Also, I would like to emphasise that other financial financing resources must also contribute to the Cap objectives. In conclusion, I can support the issue raised by Slovakia on the external convergence in order for EU farmers to efficiently meet the ambitious Cap objectives, it is important to abolish inequalities [00:33:30] between Member States as regards support levels. Levels. Thank you. Presidency.”
Agricultural funding
- “Yes. Thank you. President. Dear colleagues. Of course, we agree with the need for targeted sectorial measures where necessary. But we must not lose sight of the most important goal that all EU industries need a streamlined, simplified and predictable regulatory framework, not only specific areas. There are many new proposals on the table, with more still coming, and all of them should follow one core principle simplifying the current regulatory landscape for our businesses. This also means considering the cumulative impact of different legal acts, for example, requirements on permitting industrial projects. Those are currently scattered across existing legislation, current proposals and upcoming ones. To actually streamline permitting procedures, we need a unified and consistent approach so companies and business owners could actually understand what is the near future legislation coming up. Another fundamental challenge for our industry is, of course, as mentioned previously, many, many times high energy prices. Here, let's be honest, it's more easy to say than be done. We need to focus on cross-border energy connections, and we have to invest heavily and fast to new energy projects that will help to stabilize energy prices and will increase our region and our union's energy security.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Thank you. You know, on the, summer, actually, in the morning, we had the same discussion because there was, like, you know, something is supposed to happen before summer. And I said, that's 2 weeks. But actually, apparently, European summer is August. So so let's see.
Now that, on the 20 first package, there's a call for the member states to, put forward the proposals. So we are targeting the military industrial complex, of, of Russia, and, of course, member states can put forward ideas, shadow fleet as well. But, as we agreed last time that we are, you know, putting the sanctions, on rolling paces. We're not gathering, you know, big package together, but just rolling basis when we see that this could actually, achieve our goal, which is to deprive Russia of the funding to finance this war. Mhmm. Augustin?”
EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
- “Thank you. Chair. Colleagues, I would like to start by thanking the Spanish presidency, but also the Swedish presidency for the efforts made on moving the negotiations forward on this important [00:11:30] file. In principle, we can support the establishment of stricter emission standards for the new heavy duty vehicles and extensions of the scope to the new vehicle categories. However, in our view, the compromise text needs a final touch before we will be able to support the general approach. Our key concern is related to the fair treatment of biofuels in the heavy duty sector, particularly for urban buses. We need to consider [00:12:00] the bigger picture energy security concerns related to connectivity and competitiveness, cost effectiveness, climate contribution and as well local circumstances. Therefore, we see that biofuels such as biomethane will with neutral or negative Co two emissions can be viable locally produced alternative that helps us to move towards climate neutrality in a cost efficient way. Estonia has made significant [00:12:30] investments to support the use of biomethane in urban public transport, and it is one of the reasons that Estonia ranks ranks fifth among the EU member states in the share of renewable fuels in the transport sector, with 12%. Banning the sale of gas powered urban buses from 2030 will jeopardise the return of investments already made in Estonia, and will clearly have an adverse effect on achieving the overall ambitions in the transport sector. [00:13:00] That is both by jeopardising the return on investments already made in Estonia, as well as increasing the demand for imported fossil fuels. Therefore, we ask for an extension of the deadline for urban buses to at least 2035. It is also crucial that there remains a strong and clear review clause to take adequately into account investments already made into biomethane, without an extension of the deadline for urban [00:13:30] buses. Unfortunately, we will not be able to support the general approach on this file. A similar concern for urban buses were echoed also from other colleagues. I hope we can accommodate these worries in the text and agree on a general approach today. Thank you..”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you, Madam President. We too welcome the Commission's work programme. Program. But I'd like to highlight three priorities that Alstonia holds dear. First, as for the single market, we appreciate the emphasis on simplification. We support highlighting the 28th regime, which should be as simple, flexible and usable as possible for all entrepreneurs. However, we should be even more ambitious on deepening the single market on the services side in particular as the services sector remains highly fragmented. Secondly, on Ukraine, it is crucial that urgent and long term financial and military support continues and that we keep increasing the pressure on Russia through broader sanctions targeting revenue generating sectors and military use goods. And finally, third, on defence, a priority for us is to quickly start implementing the European readiness flagships, especially the eastern flank watch. We do appreciate the focus on increasing the capacity of European defence industry. We support the simplification of defence procurement but underscore that it needs to be balanced according to our own needs. Thank you.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you, Cher. And I would also like to thank Mr. Executive Vice President for this overview. We need ambitious implementation of the single market strategy, especially in the area of cross border services. Furthermore, we need to accelerate tackling the Terrible 10 in priority areas. Estonia remains fully committed to the single markets. We are willing to do our parts and continue to work towards removing the barriers identified in the heat maps. In addition to removing barriers, we must also make sure that our toolbox is sufficient to prevent new barriers from rising. So we'll be looking forward to the next stock taking where we can hopefully already assess tangible results that the businesses and the citizens can really feel. Thank you.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. And and the Commissioner, the ministers. First we would like to to sincerely thank the Commission for the first simplification proposals, as well as the Polish Presidency, for swiftly taking the work forward. As we have said before, deregulating and simplifying the EU acquis is essential, which also means reducing the amount of new legislation. We are pleased that Member States calls have been heard, heard and progress is being made with this omnibus package. And here I would just like to support our Lithuanian colleagues comments on on corporate sustainable due diligence directive. However, simplification should of course not be a once only thing, but a continuous process. And and I would like to bring a few examples which I think we will expect from the further packages. Our enterprises have expressed concerns about new labelling requirements in the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals regulation and additionally, the Urban Wastewater Directive should be included in the in the omnibus package. And we share the concern of many other member states how disproportionate burdens would affect the price and availability of medicines. And regarding digital sector regulations, I think we really do need legislative pause for a certain period of time, followed by an ex post evaluation to assess the effectiveness and implementation of different regulations and more generally, digitalisation, data re-use and cross use are key to simplification and legislation should support this. Prohibition of reusing data like in Doc seven directive should be avoided and if possible, amended. And we also need ongoing dialogue and reality checks with businesses to ensure we meet their actual needs. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you. Estonia supports the update because harmonization of minimum rates depending on energy content is a step forward anyway, and further delays will risk losing the progress made. Inclusion of new energy products like peat and hydrogen is very positive. But now I continue with my disappointment. For me, I can't recognize Europe. Actually, Europe used to be the leader of responsibility in saving energy and and environment. Now, during discussions and environmental ambition has significantly decreased. For example, opportunity to exempt fuels used in agriculture, forestry, fishing, fishing, or an opportunity to differentiate the excess rates of commercial diesel. Those are wrong stimulus, and the worst possible way to subsidize anyway is via the amount of consumption of fossils and energy. This is the worst possible way, I believe, for Europe at least. All in all in all, we support moving on with the even that limited progress, those first steps must be taken anyway, but the overall progress is still not satisfactory. Thank you.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you. Chair. We're facing a number of problems that can be solved only through reforming of common fisheries policy. The reform needs to take into account realities that the fisheries sector and coastal communities are facing. For instance, the problem of predators in some patients. Patients have, um, have become a major issue and needs to be tackled at EU level. We also already discussed vessel capacity question and the need to change these rules. Secondly, the multiannual management plans should support decision making instead of creating misunderstandings as is the current situation. We have to find a way to update the maps last night. But not but not least, CFP should be structured in a way that minimises administrative burden and costs. It should also avoid disproportionate proportionate control measures, for example regarding weighing and serious infringement criteria. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Yes. I share your frustration, because I have this same feeling. Somehow, we haven't seen the industry ramping up as we would have expected. And of course, some things have come better. I mean, the industry was also showing how much they have actually increased their production when it comes to ammunition, air defense, and critical capabilities. The problem is just that the needs have also grown by the member states. Some of the things that we already know, we are working on them, and some of the things that clearly we need to develop further.
One of the things I bring you as an example that was raised today and really needs to move faster is the procurement directive. Many were raising this, you know, the clear rules because the industry was saying also you have different rules everywhere, and it's hard to operate also the standards. Every member state is tweaking things a bit, so everybody has different orders. You can't really produce in line like this. But on the positive side, we have done a lot, and we have managed to solve some of the issues. But still, there's a lot to do. So, yeah, I share your frustration.”
"Buy European" provisions
- “First of all, I must inform you that Estonia has a parliamentary scrutiny reservation on the draft as a whole. Estonia considers it's important to ensure that the provision of the legal protection is as child friendly and victim centered as possible. But in the negotiations on the Victims Rights Directive, more proportionate solutions [00:20:30] must be achieved, which would leave member states more flexibility when ensuring the range of the appropriate support services for the victims. The Member States should have the possibility to maintain flexibility in deciding on what services would be necessary for each victim, focusing on the foremost needed assistance and services that can be provided within reasonable and proportionate financial means. Thank you.”
EU policy on victims' compensation rights
- “Dear chair, dear colleagues. Dear Commissioner, I think it is quite a symbolic thing that your first meeting is also beginning with a point that takes us closer to achieving Vision Zero. And of course, we hope that this is only the first step and not the last. I would like to thank both the Hungarian and Belgian presidencies for the very good work done. And I can say that Estonia is very positive about the text. This file is an important missing piece of legislation that will no doubt prove important in increasing road safety, and I'm sure this will be a significant step in cooperation for making sure that dangerous, dangerous drivers are kept off the roads all across the European Union. For us, one of the most important aspects of the discussions was to make sure that the administrative burden is in line with the added value, and we are pleased to see that our concerns have been taken into account. And we would like to thank the presidency team for that. With this in mind, we are supportive of the general approach and wish the next presidency the best of luck with the trialogues. Moreover, I would like to say that we are eager to learn from our French colleagues and their experience with the automated scrutiny of this matter. Thank you colleagues, and good luck.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you very much. Thank you to Denmark and to Spain for raising this important topic. We have high expectations when it comes to this proposed Biotechnology Act. New solutions would contribute to achieving our sustainability objectives and to addressing the challenges the agriculture and food sector is facing here. However, we would like to highlight new breeding techniques or genomic techniques. We hope to reach a positive solution there shortly. It's important to reduce regulatory barriers to simplify the processes, but again, we cannot make any concessions regarding food safety. Simplification of flexibility are essential for the green transition of the sector, as it allows us to implement the cap more effectively and to guide the industry towards transition.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “Thank you, president. And thank you to Germany for raising the issue. We carried out a similar analysis in Estonia in 2021 21 and in and in our analysis, we found that the main problem for our businesses was the lack of guidelines on how to donate food. We have taken steps to address these shortcomings and we have developed a guide for businesses. We believe it's important to keep in mind that we need to maintain a high level of food safety, and this also includes donations. And in this context, it's important that people from a lower economic or socio economic background are also able to make conscious choices. Our German colleagues came to the conclusion that in order to improve food donations, we need to change EU food law. Our findings did not include this, but we are open to discussions. However, I'd like to point out that in order to reduce food waste, we also need to revise the requirements related to shelf life labelling in EU legislation. We therefore hope that the Commission will come forward with the planned food label package. This will contribute to making the food system more sustainable.”
Food labelling harmonisation at EU level · Food waste
- “03:57 – 14:06:42): we are also we have joined the Friends of, Cohesion as presented by Romania. We shared these, objectives that the partnership programs are very important for our security and for our economy. For us, the connecting your facilities is essential for effectively integrating different parts of the EU to ensure integration with a single market.
Given the geographically distant location of Estonia, it is very important for Estonia. The Rail Baltica is a very important project to connect the transport networks. It helps to reduce the structural disadvantage cheese, enhance military mobility, and strengthen the resilience of regions bordering aggressive neighbors.
Electricity interconnections are also of critical importance for ensuring affordable energy prices and strength carrying energy security. The resilience of energy and digital networks must be prioritized. In this regard, the connecting Europe facility and the European Competitiveness Fund should play a pivotal role to make sure that, Europe is more secure.
Also, hybrid threats directly impact economic stability, supply chains, and trust in the single market. Therefore, preventing and responding to hybrid threats should be embedded across EU funding.
Cohesion policy has proven to be 1 of the cornerstones of the single market. Continued socioeconomic convergence across Europe, together with its positive spillover effects, is essential for strengthening our competitiveness. Cohesion policy is not just redistribution. It's a strategic investment with focus on reforms for a stronger and more integrated economy.
The EU eastern border regions neighboring Russia face adverse impacts on their economy budgets and society of having the aggressor as neighbor. This should be addressed by a top up funding for eastern border regions.
A larger, more integrated, and more secure single market will strengthen the EU's global economic and trade influence. Achieving this requires both EU enlargement and continued support for Ukraine. We support the Ukraine reserve in the amount of at least €100,000,000,000 Thank you. Thank you, Markus. Now Joakim of Finland, followed by Sweden.”
EU transport infrastructure integration · Cybersecurity investments for critical infrastructure · EU funding for transportation
- “Thank you. Chair. As to the matter at hand, then, while we note the the concerns raised by several border border countries, we think that we must also not forget that Ukraine is still in war and fighting not only for its independence, but also for our freedom, our values. So fighting also for Europe. And in order to survive, Europe needs our help, including support with its economy and Ukraine's agricultural sector has a substantial contribution to its economy. Thus, we find that it is of critical importance to support trade facilitation for Ukraine and agricultural products, as well as Ukraine's rapid integration to the EU. This is our common interest and priority. Consequently, as I already said before, we welcome the agreement reached at this point. Though the agreed solution we think is the very minimum and cannot be further diluted, as the Commission has also explained, several safeguards are in place there. And in addition, we have to continue stepping up pressure on Russia and Belarus. So I call once more for further support to impose tariffs on trade with Russia, including all types of fertilizers and fish. Thank you.”
Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
- “Thank you, Lewis. What do we have here is an important initiative for the sector. I believe that negotiations in the council's working group are on the right track. We welcome the inclusion of soil greenhouse gas emissions in this initiative, which creates realistic possibilities for climate change mitigation in agriculture. But considering high forest coverage in Estonia and concentration of private land, it is important that certification methodologies take such national specificities into account. We believe that based on the European Joint Programme on Soil, reference to composts should be added to the example of biochar. This supports our objectives of soil health, biodiversity and circular economy. Also, regenerative farming [00:20:30] practices should be included, such as sustainable grazing of livestock. In addition, we may consider including the reduction of methane emissions in the scope of the regulation as was proposed by the European Parliament's committee. Thank you.”
Soil protection policy
- “Madam chair. Commissioner. Colleagues. Culture is crucial for European democracy, resilience and security. It creates connection and a sense of belonging across national borders. And this all is very clear from the recently published Eurobarometer survey, where more than 80% of Europeans highlighted these aspects that I just mentioned with regard to programme Creative Europe. Estonia supports strong and accessible funding for cross-border cultural cooperation. I would like to reiterate what I already said in the joint communication professional cross-border cooperation in the cultural and creative sectors, including audiovisual. The distribution and accessibility of our works in Europe must continue to be supported as much as possible. Estonia's opinion is that specific targeted funding measures for the creative sector at EU level must continue. The Creative Europe programme must maintain visibility, inclusiveness and flexibility. Application processes must be simple. We should consider how to better implement AI tools for both beneficiaries and project evaluators. We also see that the system of advanced payments and lump sums so far has helped to simplify the work of cultural organisations in realising these projects, especially for smaller countries and artists with fewer resources. We believe that the future EU cultural strategy must stand firmly for our common European values democracy, human rights, cultural diversity, credible media and pluralism. At the same time, we need to be innovative in promoting these values. In addition to our already well-known media such as literature, audiovisual industry or news media. We should also look more closely at what happens in the world of video games, increasingly powerful tools to tell stories and create meanings, especially for younger generations.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you very much. Presidency Estonia would like to thank Germany for raising such an important topic. We agree organic farming plays a crucial role in promoting the green transition. The main task of farmers, however, is to produce food. This is why it is extremely important to avoid excessive administrative burden which disrupts that important work. Reducing the administrative burden for organic farmers helps to make the organic sector more attractive and increase its overall share. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “Colleagues, Presidency Nature restoration is important to protect biodiversity and to mitigate climate change. But also we have to [00:50:30] strike a reasonable balance between the goals of the Green Deal and the ways in which land is used to apply The regulation. Subsidies from EU funds are necessary and funding cannot be left up to the CAP alone. For us, when it comes to restoring organic soils, it's important to be able to control the water level both ways in order to prevent floods and to preserve the use of agricultural land to produce food. The presidency proposal for the definition of Rewetting doesn't [00:51:00] give us the full confidence, and it does not take into account the specificities of the member States also a precondition for the restoration target for drained organic soils would be a detailed location Specific analysis. Estonia has large drainage systems, fragmented land ownership, a high proportion of lands that's being rented. This makes it difficult to motivate landowners to reach the Rewetting targets. Therefore, we welcome the Presidency proposal [00:51:30] to increase the percentage for flexibility for the organic soils target. It's very important for this flexibility to remain in the final text. We support a monitoring obligation for the biodiversity indicators for agro ecosystems. Based on studies in Estonia, we find that the monitoring for the organic carbon stock should be done throughout the entirety of the surface [00:52:00] soil horizon instead of just at 30cm. Then when it comes to areas with landscape features, then I think that it should be permissible to carry out extensive agriculture. Long term grasslands help with restoring and increasing biodiversity, but without some moderate mowing and without some moderate grazing, these areas cannot be preserved. Thank you very much.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- “So we must also notice what's happening in the video game industry. Opportunities and risks. What happened to the Ukraine game stalker two, which was used by Russia to spread false information about war and mobilization in Ukraine? We strongly support mainstreaming of culture in the EU enlargement process. Ukraine's cultural heritage needs to be protected and restored. This is key to safeguarding Ukraine's identity and thus to preserving Europe's cultural heritage. We consider it important for the future cultural strategy to take into account the role of the EU preparedness and resilience plans. There is a clear link and opportunity for joint action in cross-border preservation of digital cultural heritage. I will come to this under another agenda item. And to conclude, we find it important that European cultural policy also addresses the status of artists, secure working conditions, social protection and fair remuneration and ethical use of creative outputs. Also, copyrights must be clearly regulated. Innovation must not come at the expense of creators and artists. Large online platforms must also contribute their fair share also through taxation, to preserve Europe's cultural and linguistic diversity. Our future cultural strategy must reach all Europeans, combining timeless values and modern solutions that support the vitality of culture and dignified livelihood of creative people. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you. A lot of questions. So first, yes, we discussed the security and defense cooperation because the Western Balkans are also worried about the hybrid attacks that they see, you know, in their societies and and, you know, exchange of views of our practices, that we have already had with Moldova, that we are now using with Armenia as well, helping them to to really be resilient, to these attacks. Foreign malign influence is 1 of the issues. Of course, you know very well that all the Western Balkan countries are are different, and and they also have a different view. And that is very much reflected in the alignment of common foreign and security policy. For some of the countries, it's 100% aligned, also sanctions, which are hard. For some others, it's much lower. Member states were also expressing that they expect, all the countries to move on, on the European track to be fully aligned with the common foreign and security policy because in these geopolitical times that we are living, it's not a box ticking exercise, but it's actually showing whether you see the world in a similar way.
And on, Christian Smith, of course, the question is, maybe a bit rhetorical question, but, can it, I mean, the, operation functioning of this country, can it, get more complicated? But I think, it actually, can. So that's why we were discussing, how, we are supporting that the new high representative is appointed by the peace implementation commission, that, is supposed to take place, I think, in June. But, but this is the format, that Europe is supporting.”
EU relations with Western Balkans
- “Thank you very much, president. And I would very much like to thank for thank the Spanish presidency. Yes, we do agree that finding a consensus about this proposal is very [00:27:30] important for European research, and it's a time critical issue. We have stated before that the principles and the provisions governing new breeding techniques need to be renewed, and Europe needs to keep pace with technical and scientific progress, and we have to remain in global competition, and we have to ensure that we don't hamper that beneficial innovation. Innovation and these needs should be available also for small and medium sized enterprises and provide faster [00:28:00] and more precise opportunities to respond to changing market and environmental conditions. So I expect that we come to a positive agreement. Thank you.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “38:01 – 10:39:14): Thank you. Thank you for bringing this important file to the attention of ministers to seek political guidance. Estonia appreciates very highly the efforts made in the negotiations so far. And Estonia fully supports the overall objective of this proposal.
We support the continuity of parenthood in cross border situations within union. And we also support clarity, and thus, we politically support proceeding with all the issues to find the balance points.
It is also important to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent conflicts with national law as many colleagues have already pointed out as well.
Also, we attach particular importance to preserving member states' competence in a substantive family law alongside ensuring that the key concepts and rules on applicable law are clear, consistent, and easily applicable in practice.
So Estonia remains open to further work, preferable in the council with all member states on this sensitive but very important issue. Thank you.”
Jurisdiction conflicts between EU and national courts
- “Thank you, Mr. President. And you, you have our full support in reaching agreement with Parliament close to the council position. The Council has decided to increase the funding for military mobility, borders, humanitarian aid, which are all important for our security now and in the future. We are glad to see that this increase is also are part of the draft elements in joint conclusions presented by the Commission. However, to further support the crisis resilience of the EU, we are flexible to further increase these areas but also transport and energy connectivity. And finally, it is important that payment payments reflect the needs and we support the inclusion of statement on payment appropriations. Thank you. And and thank you.”
Size of EU budget
- “Thank you. Yes. We were analyzing also, what do these messages, by Putin mean because it's different than he has said before. And I think the overall understanding is that, you know, Putin is in a weaker position than he has ever been before. We see they are not, they are losing on the battlefield, a lot of lives. There is growing discontent in the Russian society, and that's why they are also turning, off, the Internet that people couldn't access, the actual, news. That's why also the deep strikes that Ukraine has made have made, really an impact. The support for Putin's war is going down. We see also, you know, influencers expressing this, more. So I think it all shows that actually, really, Putin is not standing, that, that strong. And, and that's why but but we are not in the point where actually, they would genuinely negotiate because they are still presenting, maximum, claims. And that's why we need to continue, with our work.
On your second question, yes, it is true that many member states, want, more. There are also many member states who don't want more. So, this is, where we where we are, but I'm happy that we were able to put, sanctions on the violent settlers and agree on that today because it has been on the table for quite some time. Thank you.”
Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
- “Thank you. As for all member states, [00:26:00] the protection of freedom of expression is very important to us as well. Similarly, however, it has been especially important that effective access to justice would be guaranteed and that the new measures would not unduly burden court proceedings in general. The negotiations have been fruitful and effective, and the text in its current form is fairly well balanced. Therefore, Estonia can support the general approach. I would like to thank all the presidencies [00:26:30] for your hard work to achieve this result. Thank you.”
Anti-SLAPP / protection of public participation
- “Thank you. We had very good discussions over the operation speed as today. So as I said, it's a naval operation that is already in the region, and the area of operation is also covering so that we only need to change the operational plan. But what it needs is more vessels, more ships. And of course, there were also member states today actually saying that they will contribute with more ships to this operation. So it's the fastest way to move forward.
We have the call of the coalition of the willing, and that is defense minister's level this term. It's clearly the operation of speed has caused to contribute to the coalition of the willing. So if the idea of the coalition of the willing is to have more countries also joining from outside, then we could contribute as one Europe with the operations that we already have. Because if you have a member state that only has one ship, you can't give it to different initiatives. But I think that if we operate together under operation Aspires, that could be our contribution also to the coalition of the willing as Europe.
I really think that this is the way we could do it, the fastest way we could do it, and also the way we could make Europe really strong in the region, but also stronger geopolitically because our contribution then is much bigger if we do it together. My favorite quote of Europe only having small countries and those countries who haven't realized that they are small countries yet. So doing it together, we are a force.”
EU competences on defence
- “Very much, Mr. Chair and dear Commissioner, their ministers. Well, first of all, I must say that. Estonia regrets to see this point in the agenda. Today. And. And why so? In these difficult times, we really need to support Ukraine, and not just in rhetoric, but also in actions with the right practical steps [00:23:00] and also with the right political signals. What to see here at the moment, I think is a de facto a blockade which is severely hampering the movement of essential goods on the EU's external border to our close ally, who of course, everyone knows is at war. Therefore, we encourage finding an appropriate political solution and finding it very quickly. And I must say that we reject all possible notions that these political solutions should somehow [00:23:30] entail the opening or somehow downgrading the temporary land transport agreement, which is already in place with Ukraine. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.”
EU–Ukraine road transport / haulage agreement
- “Transition to clean energy is definitely needed, no question about that. But it must be gradual and aligned with technological readiness to avoid unreasonable costs for companies and societies. Ets has been, I would say, an effective tool for cutting emissions and financing our emission reduction. Different measures in the upcoming ETS review. We, of course support changes that will reduce price volatility. That's a huge issue for companies to improve predictability and to prevent price spikes. It is important that any review continues to safeguard the strengths of the current allocation logic, which has ensured that its revenues actually support domestic green transition. Finally, on automotive, uh, unfortunately, we do not support mandatory targets in the corporate fleet proposal. Why? Companies and a lot of member states have already made long term investment decisions and plannings based on the existing regulatory framework. Introducing additional binding targets at this stage will risk undermining predictability. As I mentioned previously, what's most important for companies to have stability and predictability? Therefore, policy efforts should focus on effective implementation of existing legislation rather than creating new mandatory targets. Thank you.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “Thank you, chair, and thank you for including this topic into the agenda. When it comes to energy transition in fisheries, um, then one of the main barriers lays in the current legislation. The existing capacity and engine power ceilings are outdated and prevent fleet modernisation and renewal in fisheries managed by Tacs and quotas. Fishing opportunities already set clear limits on efforts. Replacing an old vessel with a more efficient one or using a more efficient engine does not increase pressure on fish stocks. The same applies to segments using passive gear. Secondly, as fisheries is a common policy, the financing framework must also ensure a level playing field across member states based on common rules for supports and financing. We need targeted changes to the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund to remove legislative barriers to finance, to financial instruments, pilot projects and support for research and development so that public funding funding can be used more effectively. In addition, private funding is also needed for fleet renewal and infrastructure, so the sector must have better access to loan based financing, and an EU level guarantee instrument is needed to attract private investments.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- “Thank you. Chair. We see the EU strategy for coastal communities closely linked to the EU Island strategy as the concept of and the concept of island proofing as they cover similar areas and challenges. The strategy should also include inland fisheries, such as lakes and rivers, where commercial and recreational fishing remains extremely important for local communities. It should also address a major challenge that is not reflected currently in the commission's document. Conflicts with piscivores, such as cormorants and seals in some areas, like the Baltic Sea, their impact on fish stocks already exceeds that of fisheries, and their growing population also affects aquaculture. Another important element is the need to ensure sufficient support for community led local development, in the same way as leader has so far. Finally, it should take into account the realities of small scale operators and aim to reduce administrative burden through more proportionate and simplified approach. Thank you.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture · Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Mhmm. Thank you. No. The 42 7 was not discussed today, because we will have a discussion in the informal meeting of defense ministers. You rightly pointed out that we had the tabletop exercise for the BSC ambassadors to really identify the gaps. But before that, we also actually mapped all what could be done on the 427. So basically, three scenarios. One scenario when article 42 7 is triggered together with article 5. So who does what really? How these two tracks complement each other? Then the other scenario is when you have a member state that is not part of NATO. So it's only Article 42 7 what could be done then. And then the third is when it is below the threshold. So it's hybrid attacks and threats like this. What could be done, what are the tools that are in the toolbox of the commission, of the external action service, of the member states, and how does it work. But we will have deeper discussions in Cyprus when we have the informal meeting of the ministers.”
Relations with NATO
- “Yes. Thank you very much, presidency Commissioner. Dear colleagues, I would like to thank all of you for sharing information and experience. It's important to be transparent and share the best practices in Estonia. The situation is stable. During the recent years we have not had ASF among the domestic pigs. But regarding wild boars, yes, this disease is spreading in the border areas and we are monitoring this and we do understand that this is a very dangerous disease and it takes a lot of work to contain it. And what we heard from you today shows that institutional and sector based cooperation is very important in combating ASF and other diseases. I would like to emphasize that we should remain vigilant regarding African swine fever and regarding biosecurity. We have to keep the requirements on both in pig farming and in hunting, and we have to continue working with the scientists in order to to develop a vaccine. Thank you very much.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you. Not concretely, but it is clear when we go around then we are actually raising this issue, especially now with the countries who are actually benefiting from the cooperation with Ukraine that they could also help them more, even if they can't help them with the military means. Also, energy, infrastructure reconstruction needs. I know that some of those countries where we have been pushing this have also contributed. So also to share the burden, if we are providing support for the defense capabilities, then some other countries who share the views of United Nations charter and who also understand what is at stake could also contribute in other fields to take the burden away from us.”
Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
- “Dear Commissioner, dear colleagues. We are very happy that an Estonian city has once again the honour of being a European Capital of Culture. This time it will be our second biggest city, Tartu, a city of university and students, the intellectual capital of our country and the city of good, fresh ideas. The motto Arts of survival has also become more topical than we could have thought a few years ago. Next year will show how artists and creators, both from Estonia and Europe, will interpret it. Having seen the programme, I can assure you that it will be busy and very inspiring. But the Capital of Culture project will not concern only Tartu. In fact, one quarter of Estonia will be involved. The entire southern Estonia has joined forces. This is a rich region at the crossroads of cultures, where you can hear different dialects and enjoy traditional smoke sauna that is on the Unesco Cultural Heritage list, and where you can take a moment for yourself, cleanse your mind, and recharge your creativity. So, dear friends, you are warmly welcome. Thank you.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Thank you. Thank you very much. European Union has always supported and continues to support multilateral environmental agreements and conventions, which contribute to a clean and sustainable economy in all areas of economic activity. This is the only way forward. The EU's and its member states active participation in international environmental negotiations makes clear our intentions in this field. We advocate for stronger global environmental institutions and frameworks. We need to make sure. That strong enough monitoring, reporting and verification system are written into so we can track the actual progress on Mes. To achieve effective global treaty on plastic pollution, we need to continue with that process, even if it is challenging. We underline that the agreement should cover all plastic pollution aspects in complex. Minimise the use of avoidable plastics. Restrict the use of hazardous chemicals in plastics and have environmentally sound management of plastic waste. The implementation of a treaty should be effective and straightforward. To this end, we consider it very important to engage and strengthen cooperation with countries in different regions of the world to gain clear positions on the critical issues. This also applies to the current plastic treaty negotiations. Thank you.”
EU position at multilateral environmental negotiations
- “Thank you. And to pick up from our discussions related to the resilience of our telecommunication networks in Leon, the issue of a readiness to face large scale cyber incidents is equally crucial subject. In Estonia, we have spent years for raising awareness about the importance of adequate investments into cybersecurity and making [00:09:00] sure that that every public entity, especially those offering the vital services, understand its responsibilities in this matter. And we conduct regularly security tests on these services. We welcome further discussions on how to boost our readiness to face cyber crisis, and to increase solidarity between the member states and like minded partners. But in our view, [00:09:30] the discussions on the Cyber Solidarity Act are moving in principle. To the right is the right direction. But we should make sure that the consortia that forms the cross-border entity would be able to decide what kind of information is shared and how it is done. The result of this work should help to diversify and improve the information that is treated on the search network. It is absolutely crucial to avoid creating [00:10:00] new platforms, which would cause fragmentation in our efforts of bolstering cyber cooperation. And finally, the creation of EU Cyber Reserve should help us to create a single market for cybersecurity services and bring incentives for companies to grow outside their member states. We propose deleting measures that would hinder this, such as the language requirements. We should make sure that the cyber reserve would [00:10:30] be actionable and would not result in wasting our scarce funding resources. And finally, we firmly support involving third countries in this mechanism. Thank you.”
Governance of EU cyber crisis-response mechanisms (Cyber Solidarity Act)
- “Commissioner Colleagues, I would like to thank the Latvian delegation for raising this important issue. I would like to support the Latvian delegation and I agree with the problems raised when we introduced changes. It is important to take into account all relevant aspects here. I would like to mention the Council decision for additional impact assessment. Further impact assessment is needed in order to address all challenges that we face. We need to ensure that the proposed changes would not jeopardise food security or the. Also important that we take into account the specificities of member states and the progress made so far. And maintaining the competitiveness of our agricultural sector is crucial for us. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “First, on the need of participation, as I said, we were discussing that before we, talk to the Russians, we should agree and talk to, amongst ourselves what we want to talk to, the Russians about. And that's why I've presented also a list of requests, concessions that we need to see, from the Russian side already some months ago, and we will discuss this in Gimli.
On your other, question, you know, I was, half of my working life, I've been a lawyer. So a partner in a law firm, participating in a lot of, negotiations. And the difference between politics and private sector is that in private sector, if you're a good, lawyer or negotiator, you don't have to tell yourself because others are telling this. But in politics, have to, you know, how was it, like, George w Bush said that when a politician doesn't toot his own horn, the horn usually remains untooted. So I have to say, I think I I could see through the traps that Russia is presenting, but, of course, you know, we are not there in entering the negotiations in any way. Right now, we don't see that Russia is really negotiating in good faith at all. And and first, we have the discussion with the member states, what we want to see, you know, conceding Russia conceding as well.”
EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
- “Good afternoon. Good to see you again. We just concluded a meeting of the defense ministers, which began this morning with the European Defense Agency steering board. Following from the tasking that we got from the European leaders, ministers today agreed to strengthen the EDA with the dedicated structures for innovation and experimentation. Work will continue to strengthen the agency even further also on joint procurement. Ukraine's experience shows how quickly modern warfare evolves and also the lessons learned must shape our policy decisions. Defense innovation has to become a political priority.
Then we discussed Ukraine. We had the minister Fyodorov joining with us and also NATO deputy secretary general Shekharinska. Ukraine will receive the first disbursement of the 90,000,000,000 loan already in June, and these funds will go directly to drones, which are the key capability in pushing back Russian forces at the moment. At the same time, it is clear that, although the 90,000,000,000 loan is there, the bilateral support must continue. The same goes for more sanctions, more pressure on Russia.
Ministers discussed also the €6,600,000,000 that is blocked in the EPF, and there was strong support to find solutions to mobilize these funds. We will come up with proposals in this regard because, of course, member states have different ideas how to mobilize it, and then we need to have a balanced approach to take that all into account. We are also advancing our work on the EU security guarantees to Ukraine when the truce is there. This includes strengthening the EU satellite center so it could also provide support for the ceasefire monitoring, track Russia's shadow fleet, and help prevent sanctions circumvention. But it's also clear that we need it for Europe ourselves to strengthen this capability.
Ministers also discussed the modernization of the two training centers for Ukrainian military, and I thank those member states who have already contributed with funding for this. Then turning to the Middle East. The Strait Of Hormuz is caught in a gray zone between war and peace. We support all diplomatic initiatives to have a way out and prevent further escalation. Closure of the world's most important shipping lane is untenable. EU naval operations in the region can play a vital role in restoring energy and trade flows.
Operation Aspiras already makes a crucial contribution in protecting the shipping in the Red Sea, but its activities could also be extended to the Strait. It only requires the change of the operational plan because the mandate already allows this. Of course, this is when the conditions are appropriate. This is a discussion we will continue shortly after this press conference when we have the meeting hosted by UK and France on the coalition of the willing.
In Lebanon, we discussed also what more can we do there. Europe is doing its part to mitigate the crisis. Thousands of European troops serve as part of UNIFIL. We have also supported Lebanese armed forces by €100,000,000. But it's clear that when UNIFIL mandate ends, then there needs to be also something in addition, and the ministers were discussing how that could be. We are currently looking into new EU mission to help to strengthen the state control in Lebanon. The stronger we make Lebanese army, the weaker we make Hezbollah.
And finally, we had discussion on the defense readiness. Russia is gearing up for long term confrontation with the West. Tanks and missiles are pretty much the only thing that Russia's economy is producing right now. Whether Putin dares to test European defenses is really dependent on us. Deterrence works if it is credible. Showing weakness only invites aggression. Member states have put a lot of funding on the table, but defense industry production in Europe is still not ramped up. So we need faster arms production, also cheaper and rapid delivery to close those capability gaps.
We also had the defense industry representative present, so we were able to discuss with them as well. Ministers stressed that the industry needs to deliver in time and with volume and the industry representatives were then explaining what is hindering them from ramping up. Then we had discussion of the next steps, how to speed up this effort. With that, I take your questions.”
EU-Ukraine relations
- “Thank you. Thank you for the commission for introducing for the revised initiative. We agree that this is an issue that has to be addressed and highlighted. [00:38:00] The decrease in the number of pollinators may be caused by changes in the environment or climate, and they see a P is equipped with the measures to protect pollinators. In Estonia, we have provided support for measures that promote natural pollinators using CAP funding here. However, I would like to say that if we talk about the causes of this decrease, then it's important to analyse the combined interplay of various risk factors. We have to support scientific studies and [00:38:30] to raise awareness. And I also understand the concerns by the Lithuanian and Polish colleagues. Thank you. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- “26:50 – 11:27:55): Thank you, Estonia. Thanks to the presidency for the work on the cybersecurity package. We support strengthening cybersecurity at the EU level, and it is very important that the CSA 2 focuses on areas where EU action brings clear added value and ensures legal certainty for member states and stakeholders.
We support strengthening ENISA's role, but we should avoid overlaps with national competencies. We are also very thankful to the commission for presenting such an ambitious proposal on ICT supply chain security, but member states need to have a strong role in processes of identifying inferred countries of cybersecurity concern and managing both technical and nontechnical ICT supply chain risks.
It is important to preserve member states' flexibility in setting risk management measures. Thank you.”
Scope of EU cybersecurity obligations
- “Yes. Thank you, dear Vice President, dear colleagues, Estonia also supports the overall goal of boosting our industrial capacity and the decarbonization in key strategic sectors in the union. Achieving this by supporting local production and improving the impact of foreign investment requires predictability. It requires business friendly rules and, of course, flexibility to reflect member states specifics on union origin rules. The key point for us is definitely clarity. We need to be very clear about which sectors are covered and which partner countries are included. Sectors like steel, automotive and clean tech are central to Europe's growth, so strengthening their competitiveness is essential. At the same time, for smaller economies like Estonia, openness definitely is fundamental, fundamental, both within the European Union and with like minded partners. Union. Origin rules must be coherent, easy to apply and not create excessive burdens. Clear guidance from the Commission will be crucial to make procurement of European products products straightforward. Lastly, we need enough flexibility to avoid supply bottlenecks and ensure access to alternatives when needed. On permitting, we unfortunately have several concerns. Having provisions on permitting scattered across different legal acts with often inconsistent rules causes fragmentation, complicates implementation and may even at some point slow down the process. While we support the aims of simplification and digitalisation, they should not come at the expense of well-functioning and already existing national systems. Member States, who have already made investments to streamline and digitalized operating systems should not be penalized for that. Lastly, we note the need to actually limit the use of delegated acts. Member states need to be strongly involved in the decision making, making, for example, when excluding third countries in relation to union origin rules. Thank you.”
"Buy European" provisions (generic) · EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you. Chair. Um, like at the previous council meetings, we would like to emphasize again that to survive, Ukraine needs our help, including our support to effective functioning of its economy. Ukraine's agriculture sector has an important role to play there. The Eu-ukraine Dcfta agreed solution is a very minimum. The EU market is well monitored and well balanced, and the free Trade agreement with Ukraine is offering a stable and transparent trade framework for both parties, including market protection measures. We would also like to recall that Ukraine agreed to comply with higher SPS and production standards than any other trade partner of the EU. And also, I would like to recall what my minister said during a previous debate regarding stepping up pressure on Russia and Belarus in order to weaken their capacity to continue carrying on its war of aggression, for example through imposing further tariffs. Thank you.”
Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
- “Thank [00:47:30] you very much, Mr. Chair and Minister colleagues. I would also like to start by thanking the presidency for all the work you've been doing on this file. And Estonia supports the overall objective of the proposal to combat forced labour and to prohibit relevant products on the EU market. At the same time, we would like to point out that as a complex issue and a new EU acquis, the regulation should be clear and effectively applicable in [00:48:00] practice and with a limited administrative burden. Therefore, sufficient time is needed to enable qualitative discussions, especially given that the proposal lacks an impact assessment. So we are grateful to the presidency for taking into account the concerns of the Member States and for having increased the role of the Commission in the first compromise text. But however, further work is needed to strengthen the Commission's role, and we would increase the role of the Commission regarding the investigations [00:48:30] and investigations, particularly in the third countries and in other Member States, if necessary, and also regarding the enforcement of decisions in the in other Member States. We would like to see more central role for the Commission, and however, we do not support further harmonisation of the sanctions and the sanctions must remain the responsibility of the Member States. So but with all of that, I still wish you the best of luck [00:49:00] to the incoming Belgian presidency for further work. Thank you very much.”
EU policy on labour exploitation in global supply chains
- “Thank you. No. Maybe you don't know because it's logical that, high representatives should also deal with trade, but it's not my portfolio. So, you know, it is commission's initiative, and, and every commissioner has their portfolio. Immediately after the last FAC, we also had the commission. I raised this issue that member states want this proposal. I asked this, but the proposal is not there, and I can't draft it. I'm sorry.”
EU competences on foreign affairs
- “So thank you very much, president. I'd also like to thank the Latvian and Lithuanian delegations for this subject. We understand this problem well because we are aware that there have been difficulties with applying the new margins of tolerance. Small quantities that constitute less than 5% of the catch are difficult to estimate without resulting in a serious infringement. Here the Commission has a chance to amend via delegated act. The criteria for the serious infringement sets out in annex four of the control regulation, and we see an urgent need for an amendment. It's also important that the Commission improve the application of the derogation for certain listed ports and the procedure for the designation of these boards must become quick and efficient. To sum up. We have to carry on with simplification of the rules and regulations, especially when it comes to rules on weighing procedures.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Uh, thank you chair. In our view, ETS one remains an effective tool for reducing emissions and supporting the transition, but it needs balanced and targeted improvements. We need greater price stability and predictability. Also, current benchmark reductions are outpacing technological economic realities. Therefore, we should consider maintaining current benchmark levels or showing the pace of reductions until the end of the decade. Also, we need to review the benchmark methodology. And finally, adequate funding is also needed. The Innovation Fund, Industrial Decarbonisation Fund and upcoming investment booster must reflect geographical balance and the needs of small economies. The modernisation fund works well and especially important for smaller member states, which is why its continuation is crucial. Thank you.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “Thank you. Chair. Um, and first of all, we would like to thank the Irish delegation for raising this important issue. I can be very brief. We are as well very concerned about this situation. And therefore, we urge the Commission to present a comprehensive action plan to address this dire situation of mackerel stocks in the North east Atlantic. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “First, the burden sharing issue comes up every time. So, of course, those member states who are really contributing more are raising this every single time. If we look at the numbers, it's clear that the burden is not equally shared. So today, again, EPF could play a role and is actually there. 6,600,000,000 has been blocked. But now there are also different views of how to proceed with this. That's why my services need to come up with options really to cater for those who say that we need to use the EPF for reimbursement, as it was initially, and those who say that it should be looking to the future, what more can we do? So I think we need to find a balance there.
On the 42.07, I still think, and hope, and wish that this is a hypothetical scenario. It would benefit our adversaries immensely if we would start to discuss something like that.”
Defence spending
- “Yes. Thank you. President. Dear colleagues. Of course, we agree with the need for targeted sectorial measures where necessary. But we must not lose sight of the most important goal that all EU industries need a streamlined, simplified and predictable regulatory framework, not only specific areas. There are many new proposals on the table, with more still coming, and all of them should follow one core principle simplifying the current regulatory landscape for our businesses. This also means considering the cumulative impact of different legal acts, for example, requirements on permitting industrial projects. Those are currently scattered across existing legislation, current proposals and upcoming ones. To actually streamline permitting procedures, we need a unified and consistent approach so companies and business owners could actually understand what is the near future legislation coming up. Another fundamental challenge for our industry is, of course, as mentioned previously, many, many times high energy prices. Here, let's be honest, it's more easy to say than be done. We need to focus on cross-border energy connections, and we have to invest heavily and fast to new energy projects that will help to stabilize energy prices and will increase our region and our union's energy security.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Thank you and thanks, Commissioner, for the progress report focusing on better application of existing legislative acts. Reducing administrative burden and streamlining the current framework is crucial to ensure that it delivers the intended ambition in the most efficient and practical way. Simplification is a priority for Estonia, so we see it as necessary to better reach our shared objective on energy without putting into question the overall ambition. A good example is the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, where practical and cost effective solutions should guide implementation. Like Finland and Sweden already noted, this is particularly relevant for the provisions related to sustainable mobility, such as charging points and bicycle parking spaces. So we look forward to the Commission's next steps in simplification effort. Thank you.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Transition to clean energy is definitely needed, no question about that. But it must be gradual and aligned with technological readiness to avoid unreasonable costs for companies and societies. Ets has been, I would say, an effective tool for cutting emissions and financing our emission reduction. Different measures in the upcoming ETS review. We, of course support changes that will reduce price volatility. That's a huge issue for companies to improve predictability and to prevent price spikes. It is important that any review continues to safeguard the strengths of the current allocation logic, which has ensured that its revenues actually support domestic green transition. Finally, on automotive, uh, unfortunately, we do not support mandatory targets in the corporate fleet proposal. Why? Companies and a lot of member states have already made long term investment decisions and plannings based on the existing regulatory framework. Introducing additional binding targets at this stage will risk undermining predictability. As I mentioned previously, what's most important for companies to have stability and predictability? Therefore, policy efforts should focus on effective implementation of existing legislation rather than creating new mandatory targets. Thank you.”
Corporate fleet electrification: binding zero-emission quotas vs. voluntary approach
- “I also congratulate the Commissioner for the nomination and the new portfolio. Estonia supports the adoption of the new recommendations. They are long awaited. And of course, as my colleague says, better evidence and impact assessments would help each and every one of us to to implement national policies as well. But we shouldn't wait for the assessments in order to strengthen our public health policies to effectively protect people, especially youngsters, from the negative effects of new nicotine products and national policies are often difficult to implement politically and practically. For example, Estonia has banned a distant sales. But but half of the member states allow it, and it's very difficult to control what goes on cross borders. So EU level policies would benefit the people and would be much more easy to to implement. So we also call for stepping up the ongoing evaluation process of EU tobacco legislation and the revision of Tobacco Directive, and redesign it into a Nicotine Products Directive. Thank you.”
Smoking regulation
- “Thank you. The colleagues commission presidency. As you know from our statement, we strongly support the nature restoration law and call for its swift adaptation without any delay. Biodiversity loss is an imminent threat to all aspects of our life. Science is also very clear on that. Restoration [00:27:30] of degraded ecosystems is both our moral obligation as well as pure economic calculations. We need nature and the invisible and visible services it provides. Not to mention that the nature is our strongest ally in climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is crucial that we do not fail on this critical step. Let us stay on the right side of the history and adopt a law that is so urgently needed by us and by [00:28:00] our children. That is to remind that it is responsibility to us as a union. And also a big question to the presidency. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- “Thank you. Estonia is ready to support this proposal, but we also regret that the ambition in the compromise text has fallen, fallen very low, and there are too many exemptions here. As a minimum, we hope that it would not be watered down even even more. And I remind you that neither environment security has as asks us about for such compromises. And the idea of energy taxation is not making consuming fossils easier. Thank you.”
Fossil fuels
- “Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The Commissioner and the ministers. We are very grateful for the work done on the Ways and Dimensions proposal, and we take good note of the progress report. And let me just highlight that in order to continue with this file in a good spirit, we need to be technologically neutral and future proof. Therefore, the deletion of 2035 cut off date or having a review clause as a compromise is a very important to us, as the operation would still practically benefit from being as efficient as possible. It is also crucial to utilise the window of opportunity, for example, when it comes to using biogas in the transitioning phase. That means also allowing extra length for those articulated vehicles, and we hope that negotiations will continue under the Belgian presidency and we are able to find a very good compromise. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Noncommunicable and chronic diseases remain the primary reason for health loss in EU. And our main aim should be prevention. We should keep the focus on the most impactful changes. We need to continue with strengthening prevention policies, in particular addressing health concerns caused by tobacco and tobacco and alcohol consumption. Consumption Assumption. At the same time, we should support healthy nutrition and physical activity. We need to continue with strengthening prevention. I'm sorry in many areas to be more effective. We need EU regulations and closer collaboration to harmonise tobacco and alcohol policies. Urgent revision of the Tobacco Directive is needed. Estonia joined the call to request prompt action in 2025. In view of the new nicotine products that are attractive to young people, even children, we need more affection. Effective regulations at the EU level, we need to extend the scope of all tobacco and nicotine products, and we should agree on EU wide ban on flavours in e-cigarettes and on cross-border distance sales. When it comes to alcohol, we need to further restrict availability, visibility and affordability. Eu can act, for example, to harmonise labelling requirements and restrict advertising, especially in social media. Also, we should follow W.H.O. lead and put cancer warnings on alcohol labels to protect public health. Food and drink advertising contributes to unhealthy eating habits. A common approach is needed to regulate marketing to children as this is a global challenge. Eu level initiatives are also needed to require a front of package nutrition label. Finally, I would like to emphasize the importance that member States are actively involved and have a decisive role in setting the priorities and allocation of resources. Thank you.”
EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)