Jordan BARDELLA

Policy topics Jordan BARDELLA is active on

What Jordan BARDELLA has said (34)

• 2026-02-23 “E-000736/2026 Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission 1. As announced in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting on 26 January 2026, the Commission is considering suspending the use of inward processing in the sugar sector. The internal preparatory work is under way. The Commission’s decision will be based on the assessment of the impact of sugar imports under the inward processing procedure on the sugar market. 2. In line with Article 195 of Regulation 1308/2013 1 , such suspension must be aimed at addressing a market disturbance stemming from imports under these arrangements. In parallel, the Commission is discussing an update to the guidance for custom authorities on the use of inward processing for sugar with the aim to provide accurate recommendations on the implementation of the procedure. 1 Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC) No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p 671 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj).”
  Import of agri-food products in the EU · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2026-02-17 “Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission 8.5.2026 Written question The functioning of the EU electricity market does not prioritise certain types of generation over others. It ensures at all times that the cheapest generation assets required to meet the demand are producing. In line with the article 194 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Member States are free to determine their own energy mix. This sovereignty is exercised within the EU framework of binding targets for climate, renewable energy and energy efficiency in order to decarbonise the European energy system. Member States outline their national targets, policies and measures for climate and energy in their National Energy and Climate Plans, taking into account in particular energy security and internal market aspects. Renewable energy sources bring cheap and clean energy into the system but also require flexibility to cope with their variability. The 2024 revision of the Electricity Regulation mandates a periodic assessment of flexibility needs to be done at national level [1] , following which the Member States can set objectives for non-fossil flexibility. This complements the resource adequacy assessments which are performed to monitor and plan security of supply [2] . Investments in generation should be market-based. However, Member States can use different tools to support additional capacity in order to preserve security of supply and achieve decarbonisation. In particular, Member States can introduce a capacity mechanism which provides payment to generators [3] , or apply support schemes for non-fossil flexibility [4] . [1] Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943, Article 19e. [2] Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943, Article 20. [3] Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943, Article 21. [4] Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943, Article 19g.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · Nuclear energy · EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• 2026-02-05 “E-000471/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission fully recognises the strategic importance of securing resilient supply chains for critical raw materials. Supply security and climate ambition are mutually reinforcing. A competitive, resilient and decarbonised industry requires access to robust and diversified value chains. For this reason, the EU has accelerated implementation of the Critical Raw Materials Act 1 (CRMA) and adopted the RESourceEU Action Plan 2 . These initiatives directly contribute to addressing some of the challenges identified by the Court of Auditors, such as financing gaps, lengthy permitting procedures and limited processing capacity. The Commission has already identified 60 strategic projects, and concrete implementation to deploy these projects and strengthen international partnerships is ongoing. Measures to boost recycling and circularity also contribute to further reduce structural dependency. For instance, the Commission will propose targeted measures to retain certain types of scrap in the EU to support critical raw materials recycling capacity of the EU. Minimum shares of secondary materials in products, set by the CRMA and the Battery Regulation 3 , are also a leverage to promote uptake of secondary raw materials. By integrating climate, industrial and raw materials policies, the EU is reducing external dependencies, including on fossil fuel, while reinforcing competitiveness and long-term resilience. To this objective, the Commission plans to adopt a Circular Economy Act for the third quarter of 2026. The Act will help create a single market for secondary raw materials, by among others fostering the recovery of CRMs from waste. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401252. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2025:945:FIN. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02023R1542-20250731.”
  Sourcing of critical raw materials · Climate efforts · Energy (green transition)
• 2025-10-30 “E-004269/2025 Answer given by Mr Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission To date, France has submitted four out of the five payment requests under its recovery and resilience plan (RRP) 1 . All related milestones and targets were positively assessed, and the Commission paid France a total of EUR 34.1 billion 2 , including prefinancing, out of the EUR 40.3 billion of total non-repayable support committed under the French RRP. The comprehensive set of reforms and investments under the French RRP are expected to have a significant positive economic impact, improving gross domestic product (GDP) growth and increasing productivity and potential GDP in the medium and long run 3 . Furthermore, French companies also benefit from the economic activity triggered by the RRPs of other Member States, further increasing the positive impact of the overall implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) on the French economy 4 . Overall, the direct and indirect impact of the RRF on France’s economy is estimated to reach EUR 57.5 billion, largely exceeding the size of the French RRP. The funds made available to Member States for the RRF are financed from NextGenerationEU (NGEU) 5 . The repayment of NGEU grants is borne by the Union budget and the current Own Resources decision sets out legal requirements that must be complied with, including a complete repayment by 2058. Within these legal parameters, the Commission proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034) proposes a fixed annual debt of EUR 21.3 billion on average in 2025 prices for the EU budget to cover both interest costs and capital repayment. To cater for the repayment of NGEU and ensure the sustainable funding of EU common policies, the Commission also proposed the introduction of new own resources which will help modernise and diversify the sources of revenue for the EU budget. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resiliencefacility/country-pages/frances-recovery-and-resilience-plan_en. 2 Further information can be found on the RRF scoreboard: https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/recovery-andresilience-scoreboard/index.html. 3 Further information can be found in the mid-term evaluation of the RRF: https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/economic-and-financialaffairs/evaluation-reports-economic-and-financial-affairs-policies-and-spending-activities/mid-term-evaluationrecovery-and-resilience-facility-rrf_en. 4 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/8b16b77c-3a92-40eb-b540eaef8bf16e13_en?filename=250620_RRF_impact_France_v11.pdf. 5 With the exemption of the REPowerEU chapters which are also financed from Emission Trading Scheme allowances and Brexit Adjustment Reserve transferred by the Member States.”
  EU fiscal rules and oversight of national budgets · Size of EU budget
• 2025-10-30 “E-004270/2025 Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission The adverse opinion of the Court of Auditors (ECA) concerns the legality and regularity of the EU budget expenditure 1 , not the Resilience and Recovery Facility 2 (RRF), for which the ECA provided a qualified opinion 3 . The ECA’s error rate, determined only for the EU budget expenditure, is a measure of irregularities, not fraud. These irregularities are addressed during the entire life cycle of the programme through corrective measures taken by the Commission. Regarding EU budget expenditure, the ECA finds the highest error rate for Cohesion funds. In their implementation (under shared management), national authorities play a key role in ensuring the regularity of spending. The Commission conducts its own audits, based on a risk assessment per Member State. Cases of serious weaknesses and high levels of errors lead to reservations, reported in the Annual Activity Reports 4 , as well as to immediate remedial action plans. The Commission implements the Court’s recommendations to improve, wherever and whenever needed, the capacity and effectiveness of the national authorities. For example, in line with the ECA’s recommendations, the Commission updated its audit approach to cover more programmes and audit authorities in its on-the-spot re-performance audit work. In addition, the Commission agreed with national audit authorities an action plan 5 to enhance the programme authorities’ detection capacity. Under the RRF Regulation 6 , it is primarily the responsibility of Member States to protect the financial interests of the EU and ensure that the use of RRF funds complies with relevant EU and national law 7 . The Commission checks, via its own audit work, that Member States fulfil their obligations pursuant to the RRF Regulation and Financing Agreement. The Commission has the right to reduce proportionately the support under the RRF and recover any amount due to the EU budget in cases of serious irregularities, including fraud, corruption and conflict of interest affecting the financial interests of the EU that have not been corrected by the Member State. In addition, the Commission’s services closely monitor fraud cases thanks to an indepth cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office and the European Public Prosecutor's Office and are following up on their recommendations. 1 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/multiple-reports. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/241/oj/eng. 3 https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/RV-2025-02/RV-2025-02_EN.pdf. 4 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/how-it-works/annual-lifecycle/assessment/annualaccounts-and-reports_en. 5 Action plan to enhance detection capacity: A Member State drive initiative – CPRE_24-0020-00 of 16/12/2024. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0241. 7 Article 22 of the RRF Regulation.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• 2025-10-27 “E-004221/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The recently presented Pact for the Mediterranean 1 sets out a new ambitious strategy to strengthen EU relations with its southern Mediterranean partners. Investing in people, in growth and mobility, will reinforce the cultural, academic, social, and economic relationships between the two sides of the Mediterranean that will make Europe and the region stronger and more resilient. The Pact also focuses on security and preparedness and promotes a comprehensive approach to migration management. There is no expansion of the Erasmus+ programme. The possibility for short term student exchanges from any region in the world towards the EU, including from the Southern Mediterranean, already exists under the international dimension of Erasmus+. This is financed through funding stemming from the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe), which currently enables the mobility of around 6 000 students per year. Erasmus+ promotes exchange and mobility of knowledge, skills, and talent across borders, contributing to brain circulation, not migration, whereby students study for a limited amount of time (from two months to one academic year) at an institution in the EU as part of their studies in their home country. Students return to their home country to finalise their studies, bringing back new skills and perspectives. Several international studies point towards the positive impact of international student mobility in terms of enhancing teaching and research quality, fostering intercultural learning, driving innovation, and strengthening universities’ global engagement. At the same time, international students contribute also significantly to local economies. 1 JOIN(2025) 26 final https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025JC0026.”
  EU and national cultural identities
• 2025-07-01 “E-002669/2025 Answer given by Mr Síkela on behalf of the European Commission The grant for the Malagasy miady isanandro amin’ny kolikoly sy ny amboletra (MAIKA) project was awarded in December 2022 and is currently at its closing phase. It is strictly intended to foster democracy and human rights. It is financed under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights 1 and was awarded in accordance with Article 195 of the EU Financial Regulation 2 and section 6.4.2.c) of the Practical Guide to Procedures 3 . Transparency International Initiative Madagascar was selected based on objective and rigorous criteria, including relevance to EU priorities in Madagascar, the organisation’s capacity to implement the project, its recognised expertise in combating corruption, and its role as a structuring local actor in supporting aid localisation. Protecting freedom of expression and freedom of association in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights is among EU´s priorities in external action. The EU recognises the essential role civil society plays in contributing to good and inclusive governance, the promotion of human rights and an open civic space, the meaningful participation of diverse civil society actors in society as well as sustainable development in the EU, in Madagascar and elsewhere. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/235/oj. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018R1046. 3 https://intpa-econtent-public.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/ePrag/2021.0/ePRAG_public_full_en.pdf.”
  EU Development & Humanitarian Aid · Conditions to access EU humanitarian aid
• 2025-03-24 “E-001227/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The EU countermeasures in response to the unjustified United States (US) tariffs on EU exports of steel and aluminium were adopted on 14 April 2025 1 . Following exchanges with the Member States, the adopted measures do not include alcoholic products. This decision is in line with the objective to defend European interests effectively while ensuring a proportionate and well calibrated response. In the meantime, the US have delayed by 90 days its country-specific universal tariffs. Given the commitment to negotiated solutions, the Commission decided to put the adopted EU countermeasures on hold for 90 days 2 . This gesture of goodwill will give time for negotiations to proceed. If, however, the negotiations are not satisfactory, the EU countermeasures will come into force on 14 July 2025. In addition, on 8 May 2025, the Commission launched a stakeholder consultation on further EU rebalancing measures 3 against other unjustified US tariffs, which also hit EU exports of wine and spirits. Wine and spirits are covered in the list of products considered for a possible EU response. While the priority remains a negotiated solution, the Commission is fully committed to defending EU interests in a firm, proportional and calibrated manner. No options are off the table, including in the digital services sector. However, for now, the immediate priority is to preserve room for negotiation. 1 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 of 14 April 2025 on commercial rebalancing measures concerning certain products originating in the United States of America and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/886, OJ L, 2025/778, 14.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/778/oj. 2 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/786 of 14 April 2025 suspending commercial rebalancing measures concerning certain products originating in the United States imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2882, OJ L, 2025/786, 14.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/786/oj. 3 https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/consultations/information-gathering-notice-under-regulation-eu-no-6542014new-us-tariffs-imports-originating-or-eu_en.”
  Export of EU agri-food products · EU-US trade relations
• 2025-03-18 “E-001139/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Under the Union pharmaceutical legislation, the granting of an EU marketing authorisation for a medicine is based on a scientific opinion of the European Medicine Agency concluding that, following a thorough assessment of the medicine quality, efficacy and safety, the benefitrisk balance for the medicine is positive. There are no current plans to propose a local production quota as a prerequisite for obtaining a marketing authorisation from the Commission. The Commission fully agrees with the need to strengthen the manufacturing of medicines, in particular critical medicines, in the EU. This is why the Commission adopted a proposal for a Critical Medicines Act 1 on 11 March 2025. The proposed Act aims to support manufacturing and improve the availability of critical medicines in the EU. Key elements of the proposal include facilitating investments in EU’s manufacturing capacity for critical medicines through the identification of strategic projects and using public procurement to encourage reliable supply chains of critical medicines. In case of high dependency on a single or a limited number of countries, procurers would also have to use procurement requirements that support the production of critical medicines in the EU in line with EU international commitments. 1 COM(2025) 102 final.”
  Pharmaceutical imports & exports rules · Supply chain diversification requirements in medicine procurement · Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2025-03-18 “E-001142/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is determined to make road transport across the EU more sustainable and resilient, while boosting the competitiveness of EU industry and operators. In March 2025, the Commission published the Automotive Action Plan 1 and the Communication on Decarbonising Corporate Fleets 2 . Based on its commitments, the Commission is preparing a legislative proposal that will help support the uptake of zero-emission vehicles by corporate buyers, without putting unnecessary burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and considering criteria on sustainability and resilience. The final result will be adopted by the Council and the European Parliament as the co-legislators. In the past years, the share of zero-emission vehicles in the EU’s new car fleet has increased, to around 15.2% in the first quarter of 2025. These vehicles are produced by a broad range of manufacturers, including all EU manufacturers which have already launched or announced they would launch in the coming years a wider offer of affordable battery-electric vehicles. The actions set out in the Automotive Action Plan aim to ensure that the EU automotive industry will shape the transition to zero-emission, connected and increasingly automated vehicles and demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to support the EU automotive sector in this transition. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0095. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0096.”
  Corporate fleet electrification: binding zero-emission quotas vs. voluntary approach · Road transport environmental policy
• 2025-03-18 “E-001140/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is actively monitoring Northvolt's situation to mitigate potential negative impacts on the European battery value chain. While this bankruptcy, that is mainly due to industrial issues, presents a setback, the Commission’s determination to build a resilient, costcompetitive battery ecosystem in Europe remains. A Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry began on 30 January 2025, and an Action Plan to enhance the sector's global competitiveness was published on 5 March 2025 1 . This includes a ‘Battery Booster’ to support the European value chain, in particular cell production and components through direct funding and non-price criteria for components. EUR 1.8 billion will be allocated over two years from the Innovation Fund to support EU battery manufacturing. The Regulation (EU) 2019/631 2 on CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles, as amended in 2023 by Regulation (EU) 2023/851 3 , provides a framework for transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, aligning with the EU’s goal to be climate-neutral by 2050 4 . Based on Article 14a and 15 of that Regulation, the Commission is preparing a report on progress towards zero-emission mobility and is reviewing the impact and effectiveness of the regulation also taking into account all the technological developments. The Industrial Action Plan for the automotive sector 5 calls for an acceleration of the work on this review which will be based on a fact-based analysis of technological developments. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_25_636. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019R0631. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32023R0851. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R1119. 5 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/89b3143e-09b6-4ae6-a826932b90ed0816_en?filename=Communication%20-%20Action%20Plan.pdf.”
  EU industrial funding · Battery supply chain: EU gigafactory sovereignty vs. reliance on Asian suppliers
• 2025-03-18 “E-001141/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera on behalf of the European Commission The Commission values and supports rail transport. Recognising the challenges it is facing, the Commission approved aid worth more than EUR 13.5 billion for investment aid measures between 2008 and 2023, including support for the construction of railway facilities, single wagon load operations, the use of service facilities and the reduction of track access charges. In 2024, the Commission presented the draft new State aid rules for Land and multimodal transport, extending the possibilities offered to Member States to finance investment and operating aid for sustainable modes of transport such as rail and inland waterway transport 1 . Market opening does not explain the difficulties of rail freight in France. Indeed, Member States, despite having all experienced market opening to competition, show different developments between 2006 and 2022. While in France, the tonne/kilometres of freight transported by rail declined (-14%), it did increase in Germany (+20%), Belgium (+18%), Denmark (+17%), the Netherlands (+14%) and Poland (+10%) 2 . The Commission is still investigating the individual State support for Fret SNCF of more than EUR 5 billion. Pending the decision, the French authorities decided to transform Fret SNCF into Hexafret and Technis which started operations in 2025 with no disruption to rail freight services. In addition, certain activities of former Fret SNCF have been successfully transferred to other operators bringing new opportunities to those operators and to the market as a whole and fostering competitiveness. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3346. 2 Source: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/facts-funding/studies-data/eu-transport-figures-statisticalpocketbook/statistical-pocketbook-2024_en.”
  EU support of rail transport · EU Competition policy
• 2025-03-18 “E-001144/2025 Answer given by Ms Albuquerque on behalf of the European Commission Following the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the EU has acted firmly to cut its reliance on Russian energy. REPowerEU 1 aims to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports, accelerate the clean transition, diversify supplies and enhance EU energy resilience. To put pressure on Russia to cease its war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has adopted 17 packages of massive and unprecedented restrictive measures 2 , including sanctions to ban coal and oil imports from Russia and to target the ‘shadow’ fleet 3 . Sanctions and diversification away from an unreliable supplier have reduced the share of oil imports from Russia from almost a third to 3% of total EU imports. Losing this lucrative market has a significant effect on Russia’s economy, whose budget relies largely on oil revenues. Price caps, agreed with the international G7+ Price Cap Coalition, have further reduced Russia’s oil revenues and helped to stabilise global energy markets. There are no sanctions on the import of Russian natural gas. Sanctions therefore play no role in the increase in gas prices in 2022. This was largely due to Russia weaponising gas supplies and inflating prices with its reduced supply. The EU cut its Russian gas imports from over 45% in 2021 to 19% in 2024, replacing it with alternatives like liquefied natural gas from other sources. Moving to reliable suppliers has made the EU more resilient to price shocks. This will further be taken into account in the revision of the Security of Supply Framework due in 2026. Sanctions have an impact on the Russian economy, which is shrinking, facing serious inflationary pressures and challenges with cross-border payments as well as inability to attract funds in the international markets and distortions in various economic sectors. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/key-documents-repowereu_en. 2 https://finance.ec.europa.eu/eu-and-world/sanctions-restrictive-measures/sanctions-adopted-following-russiasmilitary-aggression-against-ukraine_en. 3 The ‘shadow’ fleet is composed of vessels practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices as set out in the International Maritime Organisation General Assembly resolution A.1192(33).”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022) · Climate efforts
• 2024-09-30 “E-001872/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission In line with the EU Treaties, the Commission has received a mandate from the Council to negotiate an agreement with Mercosur. It informs all Member States and the European Parliament regularly during the negotiations. The last meeting of Chief Negotiators took place on 7-9 October 2024 in Brasilia. Technical negotiations continue, with a view to finding mutually acceptable landing zones. The EU focus remains on ensuring that the agreement delivers on the EU’s sustainability goals, while respecting the EU’s sensitivities in the agricultural sector. The Commission is requesting Mercosur a clear commitment to stop deforestation and to have the Paris Agreement 1 as an essential element of the agreement. 1 https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement”
  Trade relations with Mercosur · Import of agri-food products in the EU
• 2024-09-30 “E-001867/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is politically committed and legally bound to ensuring that persons and entities do not receive EU financial support if they are involved in criminal, unethical practices, offences related to terrorist activities or in other activities that are incompatible with EU values 1 . EU provisions allow to take restrictive measures against those who support, facilitate or enable violent actions. Such measures have been taken, for example, in respect of persons, groups, entities and bodies who provide support to Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad 2 . The recent Financial Regulation recast 3 introduced an explicit ground under the Early Detection and Exclusion System 4 for excluding entities from receiving EU funds in case of activities contrary to the values on which the EU is founded, such as incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence 5 . The ‘Şark Forum Derneği’ 6 is currently not receiving any funding under Erasmus+. It did in the past, as coordinator of four Erasmus+ projects for a total amount 7 of EUR 85 173 in 2021 and EUR 18 755 in 2020 8 . The regular monitoring activities carried out during the project implementation period did not result in any issues being detected. As these projects have been completed and this organisation has no longer contractual relations within the programme, there is no legal ground to take action vis-à-vis the projects in the specific context described (alleged facts occurred in August 2024). The Commission can take action in the future, should it become aware of any evidence in this respect, by implementing any appropriate measures against unreliable entities, including by excluding them from EU financing. 1 These values are enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 2 Also listed as on https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02024D0385-20240119 3 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast). 4 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/eu-budget/how-it-works/annuallifecycle/implementation/anti-fraud-measures/edes/edes-database_en 5 Article 138(1), point (c)(vi) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509. 6 https://www.sharqforum.org/ 7 Shared with project partners. 8 These figures are those granted by the national agency to the entire consortium managing each project after finalisation.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget · EU engagement with civil society
• 2024-09-30 “E-001869/2024 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell i Fontelles on behalf of the European Commission The function of the Regional Media Officer (RMO) is to communicate externally to Arabicspeaking audiences in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in order to build trust and improve perception of the EU as a relatable partner through a combination of soft content (people-to-people approach) and more institutional and policy-related messages. Similar models in like-minded partners are the United Kingdom Government Arabic Spokesperson for the MENA region, the Arabic Spokesperson for the United States State Department, Germany’s Arabic Spokesperson or France’s Arabic Spokesperson. Mr Bueno’s departure from the RMO position is in no way precipitated and is an ordinary move in the career progression of any member of the EU staff. The Commission’s reply to written question E-000250/2024 has already clarified that the reference to alleged participation of the RMO in a video shared by ‘an organisation influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood’ is incorrect. As part of his engagement with regional audiences, the RMO was invited to an event organised by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation 1 , an intergovernmental organisation not affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. His video message on the occasion of the United Nations-designated Arabic Language Day 2 , which was screened during the event, recognises, inter alia, the significant role the Arabic language has played in developing European scholarship, with hundreds of scientific terms borrowed from Arabic across European languages. The EU, together with its Member States, is actively engaged 3 in the prevention of radicalisation and extremism, as well as the promotion of a culture of tolerance and respect for diversity. EU officials carry out their duties solely with the interests of the EU in mind, as foreseen in the Staff Regulations 4 . 1 https://icesco.org/en/ 2 The United Nations has designated Language Days for each of its six official languages: https://www.un.org/en/our-work/official-languages 3 Strategic orientations on a coordinated EU approach to prevention of radicalisation for 2024-2025, European Commission: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/a4bd65f1-4987-4213-851cdf5b2d071d49_en?filename=Strategic%20Orientations%202024-2025_en.pdf 4 Regulation No 31 (EEC), 11 (EAEC), laying down the Staff Regulations of officials and the conditions of employment of other servants of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/1962/31(1)/2024-01-01”
  EU policy on Islam · Transparency requirements of EU institutions
• 2024-09-30 “E-001870/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of studies indicating that the presence of glyphosate in EU waters may be linked not only to its herbicidal use 1,2 but also to the breakdown of phosphorus compounds present in some detergents. It notes that a) since 2012 the Detergents Regulation 3 , now being revised 4 , has introduced limits on the content of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in laundry and dishwasher detergents, b) the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive 5 includes stricter limits on the release of phosphorus and c) the revised Industrial Emissions Directive 6 requires all companies falling in its scope - including large manufacturers of detergents - to reduce the use of hazardous substances in processes and products, in interplay with the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation 7 . Pollution from chemical pesticides used in agriculture remains a key pressure on waters 8 . The search for alternatives is supported by EU-funded research projects 9 focusing on replacement by safer low-risk pesticides, integrated weed management 10 , non-chemical weed-control solutions 11 and agroecology 12 , as well as projects monitoring the effects of pesticides. Through Eco-Schemes (ES) and Agri-Environmental and Climate Commitments (AECC), the Common Agricultural Policy supports the reduction of chemical dependencies on a total of 43 million hectares (26.6% of the EU agricultural area, either by ES (in 21 of the 28 CAP Strategic Plans 2023-2027) or AECC (in 26 Plans) or both. The Commission is working on promoting good practices as recommended by the European Court of Auditors 13 . 1 Agricultural, municipal and household weed treatment. 2 Recently re-approved under the Plant Protection Products Regulation: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2660 of 28 November 2023 renewing the approval of the active substance glyphosate in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 540/2011, OJ L, 2023/2660, 29.11.2023. 3 Regulation (EU) No 259/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2012 amending Regulation (EC) No 648/2004 as regards the use of phosphates and other phosphorus compounds in consumer laundry detergents and consumer automatic dishwasher detergents, OJ L 94, 30.3.2012, p. 16–21. 4 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on detergents and surfactants, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 648/2004; COM(2023) 217 final. 5 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-revised-urban-wastewater-treatment-directive_en 6 Directive (EU) 2024/1785 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 amending Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) and Council Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste, OJ L, 2024/1785, 15.7.2024 7 https://commission.europa.eu/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/productslabelling-rules-and-requirements/ecodesign-sustainable-products-regulation_en 8 Europe's state of water 2024, EEA Report 07/2024, https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-state-of-water-2024 9 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/e8a5772e-9fca-4583-a81b-649729068f1e_en; https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/document/download/4ae48c83-5852-4d7a-8892-718a02d29595_en 10 IWMPraise developed a toolbox of integrated weed-management methods https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/727321 11 Conserwa - https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101081802’ Good https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101083589; Agrosus - https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101084084; Oper8 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060591; 12 Agroecology Partnership; First call: https://agroecology.ptj.de/call1 13 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications/SR-2024-20”
  GMOs
• 2024-09-30 “E-001871/2024 Answer given by Ms Šuica on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is working on a more strategic approach to procurement, with stronger focus on quality and environmental, social, and technical standards. It is also reinforcing its outreach to EU companies, so that EU support to partner countries is more often accompanied by attractive offers from the EU private sector. Regarding the Bizerte bridge, Tunisia has borrowed EUR 123 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and a similar amount from the African Development Bank (AfDB), plus additional loans from the AfDB for adjacent roads. The EU has provided a grant for the bridge’s technical design (by a Spanish company) and a guarantee for the EIB loan. No guarantee claims have been made so far. In accordance with applicable legislation, the procurement process was governed by the EIB’s Guide to Procurement 1 ; the Commission was not involved in it. As is the case for other multilateral development banks, EIB procurement rules do not contain geographic restrictions on the eligibility of bidders. Following the call for tenders by the Tunisian promoter eight bidders prequalified, including European firms; however, no European firms submitted full offers, only two Chinese bidders did. The EIB reviewed the dossier independently and concluded that the evaluation was carried out in line with the tender documents and that the selected bid was not abnormally low. The EIB thus issued a non-objection to the outcome of the second tender 2 . All procurement notices for projects financed by the EIB are published on the EIB website 3 . The EU Funding & Tenders Portal 4 is the main hub for consulting calls for proposals and calls for tenders of EU institutions and agencies. 1 https://www.eib.org/en/publications/20240132-guide-to-procurement-for-projects-financed-by-the-eib 2 https://ted.europa.eu/en/notice/-/detail/336321-2024 3 https://www.eib.org/en/about/procurement/index 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home”
  Trade relations with China · EU-Tunisia relations
• 2024-09-30 “E-001873/2024 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission For over 50 years, nuclear power has played an important role in those Member States that have chosen to rely on it. Currently, nuclear reactors operate across 12 of the 27 Member States and generate almost a quarter of the EU’s total electricity. The Commission has long acknowledged the role of nuclear energy as a low-carbon energy source, while recognising that the decision on its use remains within the discretion of each Member State, in line with their rights to determine their energy mix enshrined in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Commission Communication on the 2040 climate target 1 emphasises the need for further electrification with a fully decarbonised power system by 2040, using all available low-carbon technologies. Projections show that decarbonised sources will generate over 90% of electricity in the EU in 2040. The bulk is projected to come from renewable energy with an important contribution from nuclear energy. In line with his mission letter, the Commissioner for Energy and Housing is committed to support the acceleration of the development of Small Modular Reactors in Europe, and to continue ensuring nuclear safety and safeguards, including diversified supplies, safe waste management and new technologies. As regards the Renewable Energy Directive, the priority is a timely and thorough implementation of the existing legal framework for 2030. The Commission has worked closely with all stakeholders to prepare the legal framework for energy for 2030 and will continue to do so with all stakeholders on board and in close cooperation with all Member States. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52024DC0063”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you, Madam President. Colleagues. President von der Leyen on the. In the name of millions of French people, I ask you a simple question. What interests are you actually defending? What interests are you defending when you are putting imposing on France, which is the second largest economy in Europe in the Mercosur agreement, will increase unfair competition for farmers and will mean that we all have products on our plates which don't respect the drastic standards you depend on imposed on farmers. What you are proposing to cut tariffs on Chinese vehicles and your preventing our, um constructors by to, um, to make, uh, combustion and hybrid vehicles by 2035. And when you want to define the European rules on the energy market, we deprive France of, uh, low prices in nuclear. And which destroys the competitiveness of our industry and companies and low income households. What interests you? Are you defending when you sign in our name, a trade agreement with the with the US, which is against the interests of Europe. Our Exports have a 15% tariffs imposed on them, but American exports will come to us without any tariffs at all. If that wasn't enough, you are calling on the member states to pay €750 on US energy exports.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you very much, Madam President. Colleagues. Today, the truth is out there that no one can deny. Europe talks like a power, but it lives like a continent in decline. While Brussels holds summits and has strategies and slogans. Our factories are closing. Our engineers are going away and our supply chains are being delocalized. Europe is no longer in a position to prepare for the future. What it's doing is organizing its own exit from industrial history. Climate policy has turned into religion. You made energy more expensive. You've suffocated our companies under rules. You've opened our doors wide to powers that themselves ferociously protect their industries. The Green Deal for millions of Europeans has become the symbol of an organized fall. More imports, less, uh, jobs, more dependency, more Chinese products. So the final result is as follows €300 billion a year leave our continent to finance Chinese industry. Europe is in a stranglehold in the West. It has technological dependency on the US in the East. Industrial dependency on China and in the middle, a European Union that is bureaucratic and is pursuing the same recipes that have brought us into this dead end. This is an admission. This is an admission that you have imposed unbearable rules on our industry, that you have been accelerating the economic backsliding of the continent. Europe is becoming a simple open market without any capacity for innovation or autonomy. A Europe that depends on what other people decide. That is the true face of the model that you have built up. If Europe wants to survive in the world that's coming to us, then we need to set immediate targets, suspend the Green Deal to give freedom to our companies, protect our strategic markets with economic patriotism, and let's have no fears in financing our strategic independence. There's no Sovereignty without growth, no future in submission and servitude.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you, Madam President. Madam Minister, president von der Leyen, 15 hours a week is the time a farmer spends filling in paperwork instead of cultivating his land 130 days per year. That's the time that the head of an SME spends dealing with red tape instead of developing his activity. €200 million a year is what it costs Michelin, um, to cope with this Green Deal nonsense. So all of these for these business people, for these workers, for these farmers, I want to propose a different type of taxation. I want to talk about the invisible tax that doesn't speak its name, which is red tape. This is the result of faceless bureaucracy, which makes life complicated for the people who are actually producing things. This regulatory burden built in Brussels and is transposed in our capitals and. Is. Burdening our economy by 7% of GDP. It's a disincentive to innovate and to invest. It's a burden on our families. Europe has become a burden. The due diligence directives, the corporate social reporting directives, all of these things are going to lead to a loss of industry from our continent. In the Europe of Ursula von der Leyen, in the Europe of Macron. Growth has become a A taboo word. Our farmers, our businessmen, our craftsmen, our industrialists are wrongly considered to be suspects when they have a crucial role to play for our future and to reduce our dependence on outside powers. We need to respond to this when China and India are moving forward. Europe is just looking back at its past achievements. It is now time to. Equip our countries and our continent for international competition. We need to free up our productive forces. We need to suspend the Green Deal. We need to simplify national economies. We need to give, uh, create conducive conditions for our businesses to thrive. We have to live freely or we will just be wiped off the map. This is the existential crisis that we are facing in Europe. And that too, I can tell you that our wee patriots have already made our choice.”
  Climate efforts
• “Thank you, Mr. President. With the green Deal the EU has imposed on the automotive sector a transition which is in no way in line with the industrial reality. You've been pushing more constraints on the sector without looking at the impact, their impact on growth. And now you've discovered that your naivety has led to this situation for the automobile sector is on its knees. We're offering China a higher total monopoly on electric vehicles. This three year moratorium will do absolutely nothing. It will just highlight the failure of industrial policy based on the idea of degrowth. You must not close your eyes to the desire of the sector. This will lead to a complete failure and have irreversible consequences. Yes, we will vote for this report, but we need to go back to the idea of growth. We need to get rid of the ideology of degrowth, which is imposed on countries by Brussels. We need to give choices back to our countries. We need to reaffirm our economic vision, which is simple and clear, and that's ours. Produce, produce, produce.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “€600 billion in investments made here. And France has a high class, um, military industry and you are favouring American industries. Wines, cosmetics, luxury products and cosmetics are sacrificed around US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Japan or South Korea have better agreements than we have. In other words, even the smallest countries are better at defending their interests than you're doing when it comes to the US. A few years ago. And we were told that Europe would provide strength. We have 450 million consumers in our market. Nonetheless, you gave in on everything, almost everything, when it comes to the interests of German interests. You defended national interests. No CEO? No. Um, uh, men of state would have signed such an agreement. You, madam, you did this on our behalf. I'm speaking today on the behalf of millions of French people and millions of Europeans who think that the European Union is not defending Europe. The world is a world of strength. And you're talking about the. You promise, uh, disappearance and decline. This history will. History will judge you severely, as will our people.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner. Why do you hate what creates wealth so much? For five years now, you've been working to make Europe a hell for our businesses. Today, with our back against the wall, Ursula von der Leyen is proposing a shock therapy. After a decade of astonishing trade naivety, weighing down our entrepreneurs and farmers with red tape. Setting contradictory objectives for our industry. We see the results. Growth is virtually stagnant. Factories are closing down. Purchasing power is down and talent is migrating to get better working conditions. Craftsmen, SMEs, businessmen, even Bernard Arnault are sounding the alarm across our continent far and wide. The corporate sustainability rules or the AI act? All sorts of new regulations which are just driving our entrepreneurs to despair. Despite our warnings, you have made Europe a bureaucratic hell where it's just a nightmare to invest. The suspension of the Green Deal is the absolutely prerequisite to get rid of all the constraints we have put on growth in the car sector, aeronautics, digital sector, agriculture. There is no sector which has been spared by your De-growth project. In order to survive in competition with great powers. We will have to reassert our ambitions, give freedom to our businesses, have economic patriotism. We need to restore our nations to their true place in global competition.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Migration to the European migration pact threatens to slap financial sanctions on member states, thereby forcing us to accept more and more migrants at the local level. Enlargement also continues ridiculous enlargements. Tomorrow Turkey, perhaps, which is completely alien to our civilisation, will be sitting down around our table in the near future. There'll soon be nothing left of Europe except a sad image with flags to Iran. Syria. Madam, you seem to be believing. Dreaming of a Europe without governments. Your commissioners are paid €27,000 a month and red tape is out of control. It's not just Europe is not a machine. It's a civilization. Civilization can be managed by the imposition of standards with the consent of the people. As together with the French members from the European People's Party, I would say this censorship brings us to a moment of truth. You can't turn a blind eye to our farmers. Voting for the motion of no confidence in the European Commission won't destroy Europe. It will save it for us, the Patriots. One thing is sure we will be voting our heads held high in favor of this motion of no confidence. This is a vote against the Europe of Macron, the Europe of von der Leyen. Above all, this is a vote for the survival of Europe, of free nations.”
  Asylum & border control
• “Président. Thank you. Commissioner. There was no effort to anticipate what happened. No effort was made. But Europe seems to be discovering something which was announced clearly a long time ago, in line with Trump's project. He promised to use tariffs as a weapon to ensure that both his rivals and competitors pay the price. This now affects practically all sectors across the board. The president of the United States has been creating uncertainty and doubt for our businesses. So the time isn't one where we should just be regretting things. We should be responding. We should be defending our economic interests. In the short term, we are fully entitled to respond with graduated tariffs. This is an excellent way to step up the pressure to ensure that we negotiate a way back to normality. The European market involves 450 million consumers. It would be incomprehensible if we were to simply stand aside and do nothing. Another option would, of course, be a clear break, a clear break with the commission's the decisions taken by the European Commission. We are now in a period marked by confrontation in this area. Europe cannot remain the only power which continues to respect rules of courtesy which nobody else respects. Facing major powers, including emerging powers in an increasingly unsure and dangerous world, my advice to you is it's time to wake up.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you. President. President von der Leyen. Dear colleagues, if we take a look at the military operation that's been carried out by Israel and the United States of America against the terrorist regime of Iran, this has plunged the Middle East into a new period of instability. The mullahs regime has seized their regime based on terror. Partially, but this has always repressed the people, people who were looking forward to a better future. They've also sponsored terrorism in the Middle East and around the world. France itself can recall the scars that were left by the assassination of 58 paratroopers in 1983, during the attack on Raqqa, when they were killed. France has a responsibility, especially if you follow the thread of history. The idea is to work towards de-escalation, protect stability in the region and France has to protect its interests and those of its allies. We are thinking of the people of Lebanon who are also being dragged into this war by Hezbollah, which is not only an adversary of Israel, but the worst enemy of the people of Lebanon themselves. And we think of Lebanon's sovereignty, its territorial integrity. We have to try and help them get rid of Hezbollah and also look at the aspect of security. We know that the Middle Eastern region is the lung of the supply of energy for the rest of the world. We've seen what has happened to the price of oil, gas, fertilizers, which have all been penalized from Europe by the carbon tax. We've seen that the price of petrol at the pump is going to go up. What about farmers, entrepreneurs, uh, craftsmen. They're all very worried. It is not acceptable that governments, uh, enrich themselves on the backs of people who are suffering in the crisis. So we have to bring down energy taxes, and each member state should be allowed to go back to their own energy sovereignty and do away with the ridiculous European laws that fix energy tariffs. France, for example. When it comes to families and entrepreneurs, we should be able to have cheaper electricity. So let's act before it's too late.”
  EU-Iran relations
• “Thank you, Madam President. President von der Leyen. History will judge the Green Deal very severely. The Green Deal that you built, it won't be seen as something ambitious, but one of the largest industrial areas of our continent. It's a pact to reduce growth. It's a strategy to unravel our economy. Where in Washington and Beijing. They're protecting themselves. We are banning the internal combustion engines from 2035. In doing so, you are undermining the largest industry in Europe. There's a century of engineering which you're just wiping away without asking if we have the necessary industries to, uh, to overcome this. Uh, the Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Mercedes and other national champions are being weakened. We are increasing our dependency on China. We're seeing drivers just disappointed. You're imposing electric cars, um, on Aren't everyone, but the majority of people still drive internal combustion engines. You've sacrificed our industry for the Green Deal. The Patriots will continue to defend technological neutrality and local content for our industry, and we will protect our national champions and also commit to growth. Europe will not be built on bans and constrictions, but will be built on factories and SMEs, built on those who innovate on a daily basis and believe in prosperity, prosperity in Europe. Thank you very much.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you, Madam President. President of the European Commission, president of Council. Colleagues, today I will talk about our farmers, which you are putting to slaughter. Madam von der Leyen, you're just back from Paraguay, where you struck another nail in the coffin of our farmers. You signed a trade agreement with the Mercosur countries. It is a profoundly unfair agreement which will open our markets to hundreds of thousands of tons of meat from markets that do not respect our health and environmental standards. And you know this very well, this betrayal of the rural world. Um. Justifies hypocrisy. We know that we have angered farmers, even though, uh, there has been awareness that the blocking minority would not have enough power. President Macron and yourselves have always been in favor of this agreement. And in this hemicycle, MEPs have voted 13 times against Mercosur agreement. And we've seen the greatest level of opposition ever to this agreement. As we approach signature, President Macron and you yourself have tried to get us to swallow the bitter pill through a couple of provisions the safeguard clause, which is temporary and insufficient, and the Mercosur countries themselves do not recognise it. Then we have the safeguarding of the Cap budget. We had an alleged €45 billion and this is therefore not an extension as promised. So these are empty promises. And once again, madam von der Leyen, you have sacrificed French farmers and favoured German industry. We continue to oppose the dismantling of our food sovereignty. Let us support farmers and enable them to live in dignity from their work, and contribute to our sovereignty in an increasingly uncertain world. Agriculture should be taken out of free trade agreements. Economic patriotism should be assumed. Company standards should be simplified, and for our economies we should have only one dictate produce, produce, produce.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you. President. President of the European Central Bank. Colleagues. Madam president, your mandate is clear to ensure price stability. But no monetary policy can continue over the long term to ignore economic reality. We're seeing increasing early that Europe is not competitive on global scale. China and India have prices that support their exports. But the EU now faces competition, which is not just difficult but increasingly unfair. Europe is losing market share on international markets, even on the single market. We're trying to companies are trying to maintain their share, but they're faced with excessive regulatory burdens. And I think this is a alarm bell for our production sectors. The production sector just shows how dependent we are. You're trying to tax Europe and turn it into a vast consumer market rather than a global power in terms of production and innovation. And, uh, in long term, over the long term, um, the independence of our markets and our nations is at risk. Since the middle of 2025, um, rates have not dropped and growth remains fragile. Um, inflation is um, continues in many member states, including France. The ECB cannot act too late. If you look at the history of the continent's economy, we see that all too often opportunities are missed. So my question is a simple one. But it's key for our economies. Will the ECB be able to adapt its policies to support activities, ensure that our businesses can remain competitive, and to ensure that we can keep up with the growth and power on the rest of the world? This is really what we should be focusing on.”
  ECB monetary policy
• “Thank you. President. Commissioner. One minute to midnight. And Europe stands poised on the brink. After decades of peace. The return of war on our to our continent and imperialistic logic throughout the world is a reminder power has never disappeared. We've simply stopped looking in the face. The war of aggression carried out by Russia, coupled with the election to the presidency of Donald Trump, have highlighted our failures, but also your naivety when it comes to defense. This is no pretext. May I state to creating an EU army? An army is the expression of national sovereignty, the condition for its survival? The air to its sacrifice. An EU army would mean the watering down of France's sovereignty in a federalist project, which our people reject. The emergency is elsewhere. It's about us being able to produce what will guarantee today and tomorrow our security, our safety. Europe must set up a European preference when it comes to defence. A nation that is not in charge of its weapons is at the mercy of that which produces its weapons. This is about defending a new European architecture. It's about the EU placing at the heart of its priority national sovereignty. Far from the weighty red tape of the commission that is trying to take on competence that does not belong to it. We need to change the way that we're doing things, change the track that we're on in order to take our destiny in hand. And so some major choices have to be made and defended together today and tomorrow.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Thank you, Madam President. Commissioner. It's three letters, an acronym that stinks of bureaucracy and a question which comes back time and time again. Who is going to pay the bill? Three letters that are strangling our flourishing industry. Sacrificed for a carbon industry. Three letters that every day represent failures and bankruptcy in the steel sector. Chemicals building all of these sectors that represent the solidity of our countries. Three letters, which are echoing around as the nightmare of a Polish, Italian or French automotive industries. As of 2028, ETS two will come into force, and this will mean that fuel costs at the petrol station would increase by $0.15 a litre. This is in surcharges for French families who defend depend on their vehicles to work, to visit their families or to go on holiday in Brussels. In Paris we are seeing the same thing said time and time again. Middle classes, working families. The self-employed. These are the ones paying the bills. We are being told time and time again that they are the life force of our economy. And Hormoz reminds us time and time again these days that we're looking at the elements which are crucial for our economy. We need reindustrialisation, but that just seems like a pretty slogan for our politicians. We need to, uh, we need liberalisation of our economies and our work. We need to put a stop to these policies. Faced with the dominance of the U.S. and Chinese economies, what do our European citizens expect from us producing here, defending our industries Uh, encourage growth for the common good and for the prosperity of all. Thank you.”
  Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
• “Thank you, Madam President. President von der Leyen, madam. For many years now, under your presidency, the European Union has been rushing headlong to no one knows where. The Mercosur agreement with South America is a sad symbol of this in the face of Trump's America. You haven't managed to reach an agreement without counterparties. You actually sign the trade surrender of Europe while other major powers are fighting hard to defend their interests. You are handing everything to our neighbour, to our competitors on a plateau. Our factories, our jobs, our industry. Next, you came forward with a proposal for a European budget, up by 86%. While people back in our home states are being expected to tighten their belts. At the same time, you are sabotaging the cap by depriving farmers of 24% of the funding they need to survive. If there were any doubt about the consideration you have for our farmers, I think those doubts can now be dispelled. This headlong rush also takes place in terms of bureaucracy. Thousands and thousands of new texts. Europe is once again the world champion of red tape. By doing this, you are punishing our businesses by forcing them into a process of de-growth, which is signed the death warrant. Madam, for the first time for 50 years, the French agricultural trade balance will be in deficit. And it seems you've killed the European motor industry for many years to come.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur