Karin KARLSBRO

Policy topics Karin KARLSBRO is active on

What Karin KARLSBRO has said (62)

• 2026-06-17 “President, colleagues, do you really believe that Russia will attack Sweden? That's a question that I hear from time to time, and the answer is absolutely clear. For quite some time now, Russia has been openly threatening all of Europe and our democracy. Russia was being serious when, they said they wanted to go to war, and Russia continues to seek out our vulnerabilities using sabotage, drones, and attacks on our digital systems. Our responsibility as the European Union is that of ensuring that Russia will not be able to make good on its threats. And the European Union and our authorities, we must all stand together to put an end to the Russian threat.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• 2026-06-17 “President. Colleagues. Do you really believe that Russia will attack Sweden? That's a question that I hear from time to time. And the answer is absolutely clear. For quite some time now, Russia has been openly threatening all of Europe and our democracy. Russia was being serious when they said they wanted to go to war and Russia continues to seek out our vulnerabilities using sabotage, drones and attacks on our digital systems. Our responsibility as the European Union is that of ensuring that Russia will not be able to make good on its threats, and the European Union and our authorities, while we must all stand together to put an end to the Russian threat. Thank you.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• 2026-06-15 “President, dear colleagues, you've just got a new neighbor. Now your new neighbor is unreliable, doesn't behave very nicely, threatens you. Now you had a neighbor before then. Over the last year, you really were able to foster a good relationship. You helped each other out. You both benefited from that. But now you have next door a new neighbor with whom you don't get on at all. What do you do? What do you do? I'm actually proud proud of what we have achieved together. We've been able to stand up to the pressure on the blackmail exerted by Trump, and we haven't forgotten Greenland, for 1 thing. We have also built a basis for stability in our Transatlantic trade. In the meantime, of course, Trump is causing chaos. So through this agreement through this agreement, we are, I think, protecting ourselves against new threats. This is really helpful. It's not the last debate that we're having on trade with The USA, but at least we'll be able to escape the worst. And I think that that is definitely in Europe interest Europe's interest.”
  EU-US trade relations
• 2025-11-25 “E-004689/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The Commission cannot comment on the presented case, which falls under the responsibility of the national competent authority. Indeed, national competent authorities, including data protection ones, are primarily responsible for supervising and enforcing the Political Advertising Regulation 1 . A dedicated network of contact points has been established for cooperation at EU level among Member States and with the Commission on all aspects of the Regulation. To support the effective implementation of the Regulation, on 8 October 2025, the Commission published guidelines 2 with practical guidance and detailed explanations on scope of the definition of political ads, transparency and accountability rules and obligations for the different actors involved in political advertising. According to the Regulation, content subject to editorial responsibility shall generally not be considered political advertising 3 , while a message by, for or on behalf of a political actor constitutes a political advertisement, unless it is of a purely private or purely commercial nature 4 . The Regulation further clarifies that an entity directly or indirectly related to the sphere of activity of a political party also qualifies as a political actor. The Commission will continue to support and monitor the application of the rules, together with the network of contact points and with the support of a dedicated expert group, and provide additional guidance where relevant. The Commission will also organise an implementation dialogue in 2026 to draw insights from the application of the rules. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/900 provides common transparency standards for political ads and addresses the targeting and ad-delivery of online political ads relying on the processing of personal data, upholding the fundamental right to data protection - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/900/oj/eng. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C_202505514. 3 Article 1(2) of the Regulation. 4 Article 3(2), point a) of the Regulation.”
  Transparency requirements for interest groups · Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-11-06 “P-004389/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is already conducting investigations into Temu and AliExpress under the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 , which largely pre-date the recent detection in France of sexrelated materials, broader in scope, as to the nature of the possible infringements of the DSA. In June 2025, the Commission addressed preliminary findings to AliExpress regarding its risk assessment and mitigation obligations under the DSA, and on the same day, accepted and made binding commitments from the platform to address other concerns. In July 2025, preliminary findings were addressed to Temu regarding illegal product dissemination. Procedures against both platform providers are ongoing. Wish, not being designated as a very large online platform under the DSA, is under the supervision of the Digital Services Coordinator (DSC) of its Member State of establishment. Regarding the sale of ‘child-like sex dolls’ detected on platforms such as Shein, AliExpress, Temu and Wish, the Commission welcomes the French authorities’ actions and is in contact with them. On 26 November 2025, the Commission sent a request for information to Shein under the DSA, asking the platform to provide detailed information on how it ensures that minors are not exposed to age-inappropriate content, as well as on the circulation of illegal products on its platform. In case of the suspicion of the existence of a systemic risk, the Commission can open a formal investigation. In such proceedings, in extreme cases where infringement persists, causing serious and urgent harm the Commission may according to Article 82 of the DSA request the DSC of the provider’s Member State of establishment to request that the competent judicial authority order the service’s temporary restriction of access. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online · Liability for online marketplaces
• 2025-07-31 “P-003158/2025 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission Following Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, on 9 September 2022, the Council adopted a Decision on the suspension in whole of the application of the Agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation on the facilitation of the issuance of visas to the citizens of the EU and the Russian Federation 1 . On 30 September 2022, the Commission presented the updated guidelines to Member States on visa procedures as well as on border controls for Russian citizens at the EU's external borders 2 . These guidelines already call for reinforced and robust security scrutiny when issuing visas to Russian citizens as well as particularly thorough checks at the EU external borders. The guidelines also recommend a more restrictive approach to visa for non-essential purposes, such as tourism. Figures would indicate that the Member States are following the guidelines in general: overall number of visas issued to Russian applicants has decreased from more than 4 million visas issued in 2019 to around 0.5 million in 2024. The visa refusal rate has evolved from 1.5% in 2019 to 7.5% in 2024. The Commission will continue to monitor and discuss the implementation of these guidelines with Member States as appropriate. If necessary, the Commission might adapt them in accordance with the evolving reality on the ground. 1 Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500 of 9 September 2022 on the suspension in whole of the application of the Agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation on the facilitation of the issuance of visas to the citizens of the European Union and the Russian Federation, OJ L 234I, 09/09/2022, p. 1–3. 2 C(2022) 7111.”
  Asylum & border control · EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters
• 2025-05-02 “E-001775/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission aims to make the EU the most attractive and secure place for both EU and non-EU scientific talent, especially amid today’s uncertainties. Europe is already a safe haven for scientists, and this role must be protected by enshrining the freedom of scientific research in EU law. The Commission has put forward a EUR 500 million package for 2025–2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This includes the Marie Skłodowska-Curie ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, 1 which supports early-career researchers with attractive allowances and longer employment prospects, as well as measures under the European Research Council, in particular doubling the amount offered to researchers who relocate to Europe from abroad, already available in 2025, as well as a seven-year 'super grant', which will come into effect from 2026. In addition, the Commission has brought together over 70 national and regional initiatives to attract foreign researchers, which can be accessed through a one-stop-shop in EURAXESS 2 . The EU is also making it easier for researchers to relocate and integrate. The ‘Students and Researchers’ Directive 3 provides a framework 4 for researchers to enter and reside in the EU, and the upcoming visa strategy aims to build on this by further easing such relocation procedures. EURAXESS 5 offers information and personalised assistance, helping researchers connect with institutions and regional innovation ecosystems. The European Research Area Act, that the Commission will propose in 2026, will aim to introduce measures strengthening the freedom of scientific research, research careers, mobility and coordination across Member States. 1 In addition to the ‘Choose Europe’ pilot, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers, for them to successfully relocate to Europe. 2 Jobs and opportunities | EURAXESS: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs#choose-europe-for-science-new. 3 Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast). 4 This framework includes, amongst others, equal treatment rights with EU citizens in many areas, possibility to bring their families to the EU, intra-EU mobility rights, right to stay for up to 9 months after the end of the research to look for a job, possibility to teach while conducting research, etc. 5 https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• 2025-03-05 “E-000926/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is well aware of the risks that could emerge from international collaborations in research and innovation (R&I), including at the level of Member States, national funding agencies and research performing organisations. In line with the Global Approach to Research and Innovation of 2021 1 , several legal measures have already been implemented in Horizon Europe to enhance research security 2 . It is to be noted that no new grants or contracts were signed under Horizon Europe with any legal entity (public and private) established in Russia, Belarus or in the non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine. Beyond Horizon Europe, and in full respect of the academic freedom and the institutional autonomy of the R&I sector, the Commission is working to raise awareness on research security and to encourage due diligence processes. As a follow-up to the European Economic Security Strategy of 2023 3 , in January 2024, the Commission proposed a Council Recommendation on enhancing research security 4 (adopted in May 2024) that provides guidance to ensure international cooperation remains both open and secure. In line with the latter, the risk level of international cooperation activities should be assessed on the basis of four criteria 5 . It is the combination of those factors that determines the risk level of a project. The recommendation aims to mobilise research organisations to perform risk appraisals and, where needed, set up risk management plans before international research collaborations. It supports the notion that with academic freedom also comes academic responsibility. The Commission is establishing dedicated structures to support the sector perform due diligence processes. 1 COM(2021) 252 final. 2 These include tools such as the use of Article 22(5) of the Horizon Europe Regulation allowing to limit the participation of certain entities in specific calls, the ethics screening process, ensuring a focus on civil applications and that the highest ethical standards are abided by, and Article 40(4) relating to the right to object to transfers of ownership of results. China-specific restrictions have also been inserted using article 22(6) to exclude entities based in China from participating in innovation actions. At the level of the Horizon Europe Work Programme additional eligibility restrictions are provided for the protection of the EU’s economic security. 3 JOIN(2023)20 final. 4 OJ C, C/2024/3510, 30.5.2024. 5 a) the risk profile of the EU-based organisation entering into the international cooperation: consider the organisation’s strengths and vulnerabilities; b) the research and innovation domain in which the international cooperation is to take place: for example: consider whether the project focusses on research domains involving critical knowledge and technology; c) the risk profile of the third country where the international partner is based or from where it is owned or controlled; d) the risk profile of the international partner organisation.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022) · EU-China relations · Foreign interference in Europe
• 2024-12-12 “E-002897/2024 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Transmission System Operators are currently working on a pan-European Bidding Zone Review and the report is expected early in 2025. Once the report is finalised, it will be sent to all Member States who must take a decision within 6 months on how to address the congestion identified in line with Article 14(7) of the Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943 1 . The Commission is following this process closely and will work with the Member States to ensure that the Electricity Regulation is well-implemented. The Commission’s role in deciding on a bidding zone reconfiguration is determined by a precise set of circumstances as set out in Article 14(8) of the Electricity Regulation. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/943/oj/eng”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-11-25 “P-002650/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities 1 and the Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union 2 provide the legal framework for the security and resilience of critical undersea infrastructure. Following the Council Recommendation on an EU coordinated approach to strengthen critical infrastructure resilience 3 , the Commission works with Member States and the High Representative to enhance preparedness, response and international cooperation, in particular with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as recently stated in a Joint Statement on the damaged electricity and data cables in the Baltic Sea investigation 4 . Maritime domain awareness, in line with the revised EU maritime security strategy 5 and the Common Information Sharing Environment 6 has included, since mid-2024, connecting national maritime authorities’ systems. For energy, Member States are following up the results of a stress test conducted in 2023, along with Protective Security Advisory missions 7 and dedicated training activities. For digital, in July 2024, Member States recommended 8 assessing cables’ criticality, resilience and redundancy and improving threat detection. The EU is investing in the connectivity backbone in the region via the Connecting Europe Facility 9 . Following the Recommendation on Secure and Resilient Submarine Cable Infrastructures 10 , mitigating measures, as well as an EU submarine cable governance system and a dedicated repair and maintenance fleet, are under consideration. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2557/oj 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2555/oj 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32023H0120%2801%29 4 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/joint-statement-european-commission-and-high-representative-investigationdamaged-electricity-and_en 5 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/10/24/maritime-security-council-approvesrevised-eu-strategy-and-action-plan/ 6 https://www.emsa.europa.eu/cise.html 7 https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/internal-security/counter-terrorism-and-radicalisation/protection/euprotective-security-advisors-eu-psa_en 8 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/risk-assessment-report-cyber-resilience-eus-telecommunicationsand-electricity-sectors 9 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/activities/cef-digital 10 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/recommendation-security-and-resilience-submarine-cableinfrastructures”
  Cybersecurity investments for critical infrastructure · Relations with NATO
• 2024-11-25 “E-002652/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission It is primarily the responsibility of Member States 1 to lay down the conditions for the conduct of elections and their authorities are the main responsible for elections oversight. The Commission supports democratic processes with non-legislative tools, such as the European cooperation network on elections 2 , sharing information on election-related incidents in cybersecurity networks and by coordinating response, if necessary. The European External Action Service’s tools against foreign information manipulation and interference, with a focus on third countries, include reinforcing detection, awareness-raising efforts 3 , information sharing 4 , diplomatic measures 5 and collective responses with international partners such as the G7. As a legislative tool, the Digital Services Act 6 obliges providers of very large online platforms and search engines to assess and mitigate risks to electoral processes, while respecting freedom of expression. The Commission started non-compliance proceedings against Meta, X and TikTok in this regard. 7 If infringements are proven, these may result in fines of up to 6% of global turnover. The Regulation on transparency and targeting of political advertising 8 will strengthen public accountability and efforts to counter election interference. The Code of Practice on Disinformation 9 also aims to protect elections including with its Rapid Response System in which signatories 10 commit to exchange swiftly information on content presenting threats to electoral integrity. Experience using these instruments and the Report on the conduct of the 2024 elections to the European Parliament, will contribute to the European Democracy Shield 11 . 1 Subject to the principles laid down in Articles 2 and 10 of the Treaty on EU. 2 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/eu-citizenship-anddemocracy/democracy-and-electoral-rights/european-cooperation-network-elections_en 3 Such as the website EUvsDisinfo, https://euvsdisinfo.eu/ 4 Such as the EU Rapid Alert System, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/factsheet-eu-rapid-alert-system_en 5 Such as sanctions, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1490 6 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market for Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1–102. 7 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses 8 Regulation (EU) 2024/900 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2024 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising, OJ L, 2024/900, 20.3.2024. 9 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/code-practice-disinformation 10 https://disinfocode.eu/signatories-archive/ 11 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf, p. 23.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you. Commissioner. Council colleagues, there is no reason to put a lipstick on a pig. The deal with United States is not good. Is not good for the EU, nor for the US or for the shared security interests. It's because of Trump, who has taken the United States out of the rules based international order and into an era of disorder and chaos. In this situation, a stronger EU is needed more than ever. But I hear colleagues from the extremists, from the left and from the right complain that we did not get a better deal, while at the same time doing everything they can to weakening the EU. This is not serious. Our best response to strengthen is now to strengthen the single market, to say yes to more free trade agreements, to support Ukraine and to impose tougher sanctions on Russia. We must also draw a hard line when Trump attempts to interfere with legislation that is ours to decide. We cannot have a situation where Donald Trump dictates the rules for the biggest tech companies operating in Europe, or how we should protect children from addictive use and endless scrolling of social media. That is up to us to decide. No one else. When the EU speaks, it does so with a voice of 27 countries, 450 million Europeans, and the world's second largest economy. Let's use that. Thank you.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “It's not very long ago that the Commission wanted to put this through the Commission. The Parliament in an in a fast procedure. Luckily, we were able to put a stop to this. This is so stupid that I lack words to describe it. Well, we need to look to the future, but we also need to learn from the horrible mistakes that we made earlier. I would like to thank the professor for the recommendations. We know that we need new rules and a better implementation of these new rules to have a chance to turn things around. I would also like to point out how important it is that we do not work in silos. We need to work together. We need to work on a global EU level and on a local level. I'm very happy that the Swedish government has new rules on how to move the, uh, limits for where you can fish with trolling equipment. Um, we have not very much time to just continue discussion. We need to act.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Commission. Council. Colleagues, we must stop all kinds of economic activities that feed Putin's war machinery. Israel is currently importing grain looted by Russia in occupied territories of Ukraine, stolen wheat transported by Dark Fleet vessels through complex maritime routes to evade sanctions. This is unacceptable. It undermines Ukraine. It circumvents international sanctions and the EU has to act. Thanks to bravery, determination and technical innovation, Ukraine can. And Ukraine will win this war. It's up to us to make it happen. Thank you.”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
• “We faced a lot of disinformation about the content to form. A Polish Commissioner for agriculture. A right wing populist was one key source behind it. Tomorrow we vote on another proposal increased import tariffs on fertilizers from Russia and Belarus. Yet another decision that has been preceded by false narratives and misleading claims from the European agricultural lobby. Let's be frank, colleagues, let's be frank. At the moment, we let the agricultural lobby in Brussels dictate our trade relations with Ukraine. So let me ask the Commission. In what way has free trade with Ukraine harmed the EU farmers? Could you provide us with facts and figures, please? Why do you hide the fact that free trade has been mutually beneficial? In what way is it good for European farmers if Ukraine loses and Russia wins the war? What kind of signal do you think you sent to Kiev, to Moscow or to Washington today? When Europe is using Trump style trade negotiations on tactics tactics with Ukraine, what the EU and the Commission should do now is withdraw the proposal to impose pre-war tariffs and offer continued tariff free access until a new agreement is in place to launch negotiations for a long term and generous free trade agreement with Ukraine. The situation hasn't changed in Ukraine at all. There is no absolutely no reason for the EU to turn our backs on Ukraine now. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “President. Commissioner. Colleagues, it is a disgrace that Europe has made Russia's war of aggression possible. As the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs explained, since the full scale invasion, Europe has imported Russian oil and gas to a amount of €201 billion. If we add other imports, the number grows to €311 billion. That is 124 billion more than we have sent in support to Ukraine. The decision to stop Russian gas imports is is important, but not enough. We have to stop every single euro going into Putin's war chest. It is out rageous that we are still buying steel from Russia. Last year, a volume as large as Sweden's entire annual steel production was imported to the EU. It's about damn time to stop doing business with Russia.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Is it possible to come back? Thank you. Chair. Um, I just would like to to follow up to to have an answer because I asked about some, some questions related to trade with Ukraine. It would be it would be good if we could have any answer. In which direction do you want to work with the trade relation with Ukraine? Because it's not only a neighbour country in in a very, very dangerous and problematic situation. It's also a candidate country, which we have ongoing negotiations about integration as well as different trade relations in different files. So I think it's a it's actually a very, very urgent topic. And we, we need to, to work together with the council and uh, we have to, to find a I think it's important that we have a common ground, uh, together on this. So I still want to know your view on this. Thank you very much.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you. And thank you very much to the Commission for their answer to save the Baltic Sea. We are going to have to have more cooperation, and we're going to have to have a policy based on science. And I would very much like to repeat and refer to what has been said by my colleague's colleague, Isabella Levine. We have the science. We're talking to the scientists, and we've got the voices of the commercial fishers and the leisure fishers. We are talking to all of these people. We know that there are no fish, and this is likely to undermine trust in the common fisheries policy of the EU, with implications for the whole of EU cooperation. That makes me extremely concerned.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Thank you, chair, and thank you for being here with us today. Today we mark four years of the full scale invasion of Ukraine. And we have to ask ourselves, have we done everything possible to stop Putins war machine? Have we done everything we can to support Ukraine? Unfortunately, the answer is no. Trade is both an economic lifeline for the war torn Ukrainian economy, and one of our most important tools for speeding up Ukraine's integration into the EU. Initially, the EU did the right thing. We introduced full tariff free access for Ukrainian Ukraine through the autonomous trade measures since last summer. However, we have gone completely in the wrong direction. First, we removed the ATM regime and worsened Ukraine's access to the EU market for agricultural products. Then we promised that Ukraine would be able to trade steel tariff, steel tariff free, something we are now in the process of taking away through the new steel tariffs. Let us stop that. And still three member states maintain special import bans against Ukraine. Commissioner, this situation is unacceptable. And I really want to ask how the commission how you will handle this urgent issue if we truly mean what we say when we claim that we will do everything we can for Ukraine for as long as it takes. We cannot continue like this. We are talking about a country that fights for our freedom and security, and that is soon becoming a member of the internal market. The Ukrainian economy is under high pressure and Ukraine needs trade and aid. And I would like to take the opportunity to say that it's a shame. It's a shame that some member states blocked a €90 billion support package to Ukraine. And it's a disgrace that Hungary, that Hungary is taking the support package as their hostage. And I wonder how colleagues from Hungary can be proud of themselves when when you put not only Ukraine but the whole Europe at risk. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Madam president, Commissioner Zivkovic, dear colleagues, for 25 years, the European Commission, the European Commission has been negotiating this Mercosur trade agreement. And finally, we have an agreement on the table. Now, some people want to stop this agreement. But why? Why do you want to, uh, allow these people to go towards Russia and China? These negotiations began in a different time. The world was focusing on the Millennium bug in the year 2000. But now there's other factors which are important. 25 years later, we are in a period of global uncertainty. European competitiveness means that we need to reduce our vulnerability when faced with crises. We need to build industry and we need to build our services and agricultural sector. We want trade agreements with other blocks around the world. We want human based relations. When we're seeing the US trying to start a trade war, we are, I agree.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you chairman. Thank you, Madam Commissioner Roosevelt, for coming. I'm here. Hello. Thank you for coming to the committee today. We already met in the trilogue. About the matter of microplastics. Microplastics being prevented in nature and also in the oceans that was the subject of the trilogue. My question. Where will we have less plastic pollution if the industry is prepared to do that? Or will we say to European industry? That they've invested in the wrong thing when it comes to environmental protection? During this mandate, we could show that Europe. Has an ambitious fact based environmental policy. At the same time, we should avoid unnecessary bureaucracy. And. We should send out a message that. We're very ambitious on environmental protection.”
  Microplastics
• “Thank you. Chair. And thanks to the commission for the presentation. Um, of course, we can't say that we are satisfied with the outcome of the Eu-us deal, and there are still several questions marks we would like to straighten out. Uh, I share the concerns on the wide use of the section 232 tariffs by the US, and we urge the Commission to find a solution on this as, uh, as soon as possible. And I think it's important to say also that it is completely unacceptable that the United States continues to blackmail the EU after the deal, most notably with threats of tariffs hikes if countries introduce, for example, digital taxes. That's not acceptable. The commission mentioned article three, the suspension clause and the chair has already raised relevant questions. But I think it is also important for the EU to remain ready to to retaliate and be prepared to use the anti-corruption instrument. If the United States chooses to undermine the framework agreement or escalate the trade conflict with the EU. With this being said, I note that some colleagues in this committee, to the left and to the right have already rejected the agreement. And I'm very, very curious to hear from you. What's your alternative? What would you like to see instead? I also note that the same colleagues are among those who say no to all free trade, and do not wish to see a stronger EU You either. So I think it's a bit, it's a bit strange that the situation we have, we found ourselves in. Um, this is serious. Uh, this is not serious and does not benefit the European interest in in this situation. I think the key word is unity and that we stay strong together and, uh, and keep up the high level of expectations from also the member states. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you chair. Dear colleagues commission are given today's realities. We must act responsibly to secure Europe's strategic steel production in a time of global overcapacity. This is a matter of industrial security. Our defence capacity and the question of the future for the investments in Europe's green transition. The objective of the new instrument must be clear. We need a platform for more stable and fair trade. Trade with steel and in the future, not less. But it must fully respect the WTO rules and support cooperation with like minded partners to address this problem with global overcapacity. So with this introduction, I will move forward to focus on my report and my proposal and I will focus on four things. First, stop all kinds of steel imports from Russia and Belarus. Actually, we are still financing Putin's war machinery by allowing some Russian steel products to enter the EU market. And we need clear, melt and pour provisions to fight circumvention in a broader sense. And with regard to Russian imports especially, it is our duty to prevent and close every potential loophole. So let's, uh, take this opportunity in this file. Second trade with Ukraine. Ukraine is a close trading partner to US and Kyiv needs fair and predictable trade relation with us, and the safeguard arrangements agreed this spring must be fully respected even in this context. Supporting Ukraine, a candidate country with deep trade relations with the EU and protecting the integrity of our own market must be done at the same time.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you. Chair. Thank you for having the opportunity to come to to our committee. And thank you to the commission for the presentation. In an article in Politico last week, we could all read about Ukrainian farmer Oleksandr Gordienko, who was killed by Russian munition when he drove across the fields. The killing of Oleksandr is another example of how Ukrainians fight for their existence and our European freedom, but are attacked and murdered by the Russian war machinery. Ukraine has shown that even during an ongoing war, farms continue to be competitive while adopting EU rules. They are able to to to produce grain, oil, seeds and milk even when the sky is burning over and over again. Ukraine shows that they have chosen the European path since the full scale invasion, the free trade with Ukraine has served as an economic lifeline. It was it was a mistake to reduce the import from Ukraine this summer, and it's frankly deeply embarrassing that that member states continue to oppose the revised free trade agreement and uphold illegal import bans from Ukraine. We should trade more with Ukraine. We need to trade more with Ukraine. Remember that trade with Ukraine resulted in an €18 billion trade surplus last year and strengthened Ukraine's war effort, keeping Russian tanks and soldiers out of Europe is also an existential challenge for European farmers. Ukrainian farmers are European farmers. We need to remember that Ukraine and Moldova are future EU members. I can remember the concerns and the discussion we had before the enlargement of the EU in the past, and I think we can all agree that it went pretty well in the end. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you chair. It's more than painful to follow the situation in Ukraine this cold winter due to the Russian attacks. Ukraine is not only Defending itself. It's also defending all of us. And since the war started, free trade has served as an economic lifeline. And that must be continued. And it's important that the new Ukraine loan is finally under way. I would have preferred to make use of the frozen Russian assets, but despite these two important achievements have been reached, the Russian assets have been permanently frozen and the EU has agreed on this new support package. It's also important that the Commission has made clear that the proposal for a reparations loan has not been withdrawn. And the most important thing on the use of the funds is that they are directed where they can have the greatest impact. Let's go for the most. Bang for the buck. Thank you.”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
• “Thank you. And thanks to the Commission for for the report, uh, on this important subject. Um, it's no secret that my and others position has been clear from the start. Uh, a long term trade agreement arrangement should have been based on the actual import levels we have seen over recent years under the autonomous trade measures. That would have been a fair and realistic baseline for Ukraine, a country at war, fighting for its survival and for our common security. The war is far from over, and Ukraine still needs every form of support we can offer financial, political, military and through trade to promote resilience. To say that ATMs was an exceptional measure implies that the exceptional situation in Ukraine is is over. I think we can all agree that the situation hasn't changed at all. Trade is not charity. It's a way for Ukraine to sustain its economy, finance its defence and maintain hope for the future and for the EU. The trade with Ukraine has been very good. Business. Let me remind you that the trade surplus for the EU was €18 billion last year, and I think that has not really been reflected in the debate yet. The estimates we have seen suggest that this agreement could cost Ukraine close to €1 billion per year in lost export revenues. This money could have been spent on Ukrainian defence for saving lives. We must also remember Ukraine is a candidate country with its path towards EU membership and that is not automatic. Kyiv listens carefully to every signal the EU sends, and the way we handle our trade relations speaks volumes.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Herr President, Commissioner, colleagues. Listeners. Already ahead of the EU elections in 2009, the Liberal Party in Sweden warned Europe of becoming dependent on Putin's gas because there are two problems linked to Russian gas one it's Russian and two it's gas. Finally, we are now putting an end to Russian gas flowing to Europe, even though this is something that should have been done a long time ago. It's been over three years since the full scale invasion of Ukraine was started, and 11 years since Russia annexed Crimea. But the continued naive approach to Russian gas, and the unfortunate winding up of nuclear power in Germany has contributed to this drawing out in time. Let us now be happy that we've finally taken the right decision. Let us stop the flow to Putin's war chest. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you chair. Thank you, dear colleagues. Thank you to all of you involved in this long and quite tough process. I'm so proud of the European Parliament and what we have achieved together, because we have shown two things. We do not give in to blackmail, and we contribute to predictability and stability in EU trade relations when needed. We have shown that despite pressure and attempts to push the process forward, we post when necessary and went forward when we should. Thanks to the strong European Parliament mandate. We entered into negotiations from a very solid position, and what we now have on the table is far better than where we started. But this is this is not the end. Not at all. And I have to remind us that we haven't forgotten Greenland. And we will not accept future threats or blackmail. Of course, we want to embrace the transatlantic relations in general and trade relations specifically. Of course we want to do that, but it must be built on mutual respect. Europe will always be constructive when it comes to deepening trade relations with the United States, and we should never hesitate to stand firm when faced with threats or coercion. In addition to the trade, bazooka and other instruments, we now have an additional additional tool to respond if we are addressed with new, different kind of threats. And I also want to add that let's Turnberry serve as a reminder that the only way for the European Union to be in a stronger position dealing with the United States in the future is through a stronger united Union. We will not achieve that by isolation, but by trading more with each other and with the rest of the world. Unity makes us stronger and together we can achieve much more. So I hope for a broad support for for this deal, for what we achieved. And that will have a huge impact for our relation and for our economy and for millions of European citizens. Thank you so much.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you, chair. And thank you, Sabine, for your introduction. It's time to be clear at this point. We have an agreement on the table, but it is not the deal we wanted. We need to draw a red line for what we can accept when it comes to transatlantic relationships. So how can we ensure that enough is enough, and that the agreement with the United States actually delivers on what it was intended to do, namely, to contribute to greater stability? The news from yesterday that the European Commission pulled back a fine for Google over the misuse of its powerful position in the online advertisement advertisement market is very worrying. It is another concession from the EU Or can we expect more? We and we can't have a situation where Donald Trump dictates the rule for the biggest tech companies operating in Europe. How we shall protect our children from addictive use and endless scrolling is up to us to decide. Not someone in the white House. This is something we have to stand up for and be very clear in the upcoming days and years. Thank you so much.”
  EU-US data transfers
• “Commissioner Dombrovskis colleagues. Transatlantic trade relations are important, but they must be built on mutual respect. We have not forgotten Greenland threats and a blackmail. One could hardly say that a Turnberry agreement is balanced, but we are ready to move forward if it can provide stability and predictability as the United States don't deliver. It's up to us Europeans to put our own safeguards in place to protect ourselves from cows. This is exactly what the Parliament is doing today through this vote by Trump proving our position on the Turnberry tariff agreements. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues and listeners, the EU continues to be the world leading environmental organisation. It is important to simplify, but also to stick to our climate ambitions in a global economy. We all need to look at what we can do to reduce emissions, rather than simply offshoring them to another part of the world. I think our system is an excellent example of our emissions trading scheme. What a useful tool it is and how it prevents, uh, these emissions being offshored. Being a polluter should not be a competitive advantage. And when we look at the Paris Agreement, we need to look at what we can do to promote the green transition and to help industry. It's important for our environment as well. Thank you.”
  Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
• “Having said this, I. I, of course, would like to underline for the Commission that a swift adoption of the omnibus proposal is far from the same as a blank cheque from the European Parliament on future updates on cbam. On the contrary, a solid democratic process will be crucial when it when it is time for a broader review of this key legislation for the green transition. To end my intervention with a question to the Commission, I would like to take the opportunity to ask about Trump's comparing Cbam to his tariffs. I fully understand you cannot share negotiation tactics with us here today, but can you share something? Some insights on the role of sebum in the trade negotiations with the US. And do you foresee that the upcoming review of sebum would have to take this into consideration in some way? I know things are moving on while we are sitting here, but it would be very interesting to listen to you with some aspects of this. Thank you.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you, Bernd. And thank you, colleagues, for this exchange. And as many as said, we deeply regret that we have come to this, uh, situation and this position, because the need of sustainable trade when it comes to forest products is as. Alarming. Alarming as as it was before, the need for us to mobilize for fighting deforestation is. Alarming. And also the the fight against corruption. It's urgent. It's super urgent. And this case shows that. And once again, I think one of the most important things when in future is to, um, involve. Keep the dialogue open and care for the situation with the for the civil society because they play such a. Crucial role. But with that said, I think, uh, the the proposed decision on this is is right. But thank you to all of you who have been working with this file. Thank you.”
  Trade impact on forests
• “Chair. Dear colleagues, it's impossible to discuss trade relations with the US without addressing the last statement from President Trump. While Ukraine is fighting for its existence, and after an illegal full scale Russian invasion, President Trump blames Ukraine for starting the war and urges Ukraine to hold an election. While Russian missiles are falling over the country and around 20% of the land is held under Russian control. This is totally Utterly absurd. When our best friend, our closest ally, our most important trade, trade and business partner breaks up with us, we have to stay united and stand with Ukraine more than ever because Ukraine is Europe. At the same time, President Trump announces new tariffs and aims to force others to dance to his tune and actually pushing us into a trade war. To our friends all around the world, we have to say that we are open for business to the US. We must state that we are ready to respond and it is time to open the toolbox. We do have and use the heavy artillery at hand and we will fire if we have to. Thank you.”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
• “President. Commissioner. Colleagues, the strength of Europe's steel industry must be built on trade, competition and innovation, not protectionism. But in a world where some countries pour billions into subsidies while others turn their back on, the climate, competition is distorted. There is a broad political support in this parliament for future proofing Europe's steel industry, and we are now securing the steel industry as a backbone for our competitiveness so that investments in innovation and lower emissions will pay off so that Europe's defence industry is never left without steel and to achieve stronger rules on melt and pour. It's not enough to know where the bread was baked. You also want to know that where the flour that the flour was clean. This is necessary for this legislation, but also to prevent sanctions from being circumvented. So on the topic of sanctions, I'm happy that with this legislation, the Parliament, the Council and the Commission have jointly agreed on putting a sharp and final end to the exemption that still allow allows for importing steel slabs from Russia. Enough is enough with cheap Russian steel flooding EU markets while finding their war. Addressing overcapacity cutting imports from Russia must be the lowest hanging fruit. But at the same time, Ukraine's steel industry has strategically targeted by Russian attacks.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you chair, and thank you have to to the excellent presentation from our side, from renew. We welcome the proposal to strengthen the the sebum. We need transparency on the process of broadening the scope and developing the sebum. Otherwise, we are undermining our industry. The opportunity to make the necessary long term investments to stay competitive and the credibility in the system will erode. So two questions to the commission after your clear presentation, I would still like to understand better why certain products are included, while others within the same product category aren't for, for instance, certain fridges and washing machines, but not others. And can you clarify a bit on the process on how to ensure that the ETS and sebum are developed hand in hand in the fair, efficient and predictable way for our industries to reach the end goal of decarbonization while staying profitable. Profitable. Thank you.”
  Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
• “Gentlemen, President. Dear colleagues. We've heard these promises of high tariffs for the rest of the world, and the United States is hoping to enter into a golden age. And this is how. President Trump announced this during his election campaign. Well, has this been successful? Not particularly. Not particularly so because there's no protectionism. And we have seen that the reputation of the United States is being undermined. We're talking about reliability and for the markets. And if we take a look at what the successive governments in the USA have built up over a decade, this is now crumbling. So are they a reliable partner? Is the question we have to ask ourselves. The United States is still too important a trade partner for us in Europe, but the European Union is equally important as a partner of the United States. So I think I would have a demand for the commissioner. For Commissioner Sefcovic, but also for the Council. We should not allow ourselves just to sit back and take what's been imposed on us. The conditions that are being forced upon us. If there are going to be these tariffs that are built up against us, we have to be able to defend ourselves. We have to be able to defend free trade, and we have to punch it at the same weight as the United States. We know that. There are over 70 trade agreements, so that would show that you should be able to negotiate then.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “The world we live in, a world where we depend on each other. European agriculture, uh, depends on imports. That depends on fuel that are imported from elsewhere in the world. This is part of the debate that people are just ignoring. We depend on other, other countries. The better the cooperation we can have with other countries, and the better things will be for everyone, the more we will win more. We will wake up and drive the economy. People are denying the fact that this agreement leads to commercial benefits when it has um, points, which are very good for European agriculture.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you chair. And thanks to the Commission for the the important update to us here today. The United States has announced the United States announcement of new 30% tariffs on the European. On European goods is not only unjustified, it is a direct attack on the EU. The European Union must now give in to President Trump's blackmail. Despite our efforts to avoid escalation, the US administration has chosen threats and coercion over cooperation. This is deeply disappointing and undermines transatlantic relations at a critical geopolitical moment. Since January, the European Union has shown patience with a new approach to trade by the United States. When the American president has challenged our relationship and our cooperation for peace and security, we have stayed calm, focused and constructive because it's in our common interest. But now, after a month of unpredictability and let's say one man show, we have reached the point where it's necessary to speak up and act and to use the European power. It's time to use the language that President Trump understands. So my question is, is the commission prepared now to activate the EU's anti-corruption instrument? Because I think we really have to evaluate the strategy. We are patient. We want to see a result. And as it's it's it's very obvious during the negotiations, during the talks, uh, the president continues to, uh, to to realize this campaign diplomacy, this Campaign negotiations. And it's actually not serious. So please could you explain more to us in more in detail if. If and when you are ready to to act. Because the EU has to stand firm, united and ready to use every tool at our disposal to protect our interests, defend jobs and uphold the rules based international trading system. We also have instruments designed precisely for this kind of situation. So if not now, then. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you. And I'm going to speak Swedish. First of all, thank you very much, Professor Murman, for this presentation and the incredibly important report that states what we know for a long time and that is that the situation for the herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea is dire. We've had a lot of meetings. We have discussed this. Commissioner caddis was visiting Sweden during two days earlier this year. I think that everyone in this room, everyone that has something to say about the EU legislation, know exactly what this is about. To the representative of the EPP, I would like to say that this is not a question of following the quotas. It is the policies. It is how the quotas are made. This is the problem. Then there are other aspects, like cormorants and seals that, uh, also affect the situation. But this is not the biggest problem. The question is we have the possibility to put an end to this. We can make the decisions to save the situation and put a stop to this. We have the power. What? The commission has the power of initiative, but we have the power to legislate. I would also like to remind everyone how embarrassing it is that to remind everyone that the Commission not long ago said that we could remove the protection rule for the Baltic Sea.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Thank you chair. Every day we can add a new trade agreement with the new country to our trading family is a very good day. The EU is Switzerland's most important trading partner. But I'm sure that this agreement will be mutually beneficial. And it's not only about trade. This is something which I think is going to be very important for for citizens, for for people, because this is about it's a it's a framework for deeper cooperation. It's it expresses our willingness to solve problems together and create better opportunities for our common future. So congratulations to us and to Switzerland. Thank you.”
  EU-Switzerland relations
• “We have to move on to the next speaker, Mrs. Ivanova Ivanovich. So, Sacha, please. One minute. **Diana Ivanovici Șoșoacă: Thank you very much. I come from a steel making community, and I believe that steel production is putting it in danger is an extremely poor strategy, but we don't seem to have a real solution here. You've got car production moving from Germany, and this has an impact on the European economy. And I don't think we should go forward with this green economy strategy. No other continent is doing what Europe is doing. We've only got 7% of the world production now. Do you not think that all these steel experts who have left for China, uh, have had that success in their market for nothing? Instead of Instead of reducing energy prices, we see the risk of destroying European industry. Now, I think it would be better to go back now.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “President. Commission. Colleagues. The world is changing rapidly, but the EU remains the world's best environmental organization. Now we are confirming that we want to, and that we can have the courage to reduce our emissions and show global leadership, to reduce our climate emissions and complete the work that we started in the last parliamentary term. The carbon border adjustment mechanism sounds complicated, but it is based on a very simple principle. It means that producers have to pay wherever the emissions take place. It will teach them to take climate responsibility because we have just one planet. It's not enough for us to simply reduce our emissions in Europe if those emissions end up taking place in China. Lower emission prices should never be a competitive advantage. That's why this decision is so important.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you. And I also would like to say something about Moldova. First of all, I would say that it's such an opportunity we have to continue with free trade with Moldova, especially when it comes to some fruits, because we could easily swift shift from trade with us. We have other problems with that, as we talked about earlier in this meeting, but just go into free trade with Moldova. So that's a good case for the for us also for, for good business with with Moldova. And uh, I also really wonder why why has it been so. Why have we been the EU been so slow to update the trade, uh, negotiations with with Moldova. And what are the are the questions on the, on the table what's left. Because soon they they're going to have election. And of course if we are not prepared and show our willingness to move forward to to continue the EU integration. It will. It will also be used misused in the election campaign. So at the same applies here as with the trade relations with Ukraine, that we have to step up and really show that Moldovan Moldavian farmers, as well as Ukrainian farmers or European farmers, we are all European citizens. We have to step up, do our homework better and faster. Thank you.”
  EU-Moldova relations
• “38:12 – 16:41:38): Thank you so much. Maybe it will not be five minutes but we'll see and thanks to the commission. Thank you Mister Delvo for your presentation. Let me begin with saying that since the beginning of the full scale Russian invasion, free trade with the EU has served as an economic lifeline for Ukraine. It has been said before but it's important to underline that. And I must say when the commission describes reduced imports from Ukraine as a success, I do not agree. I really do not agree. This is a very strange message to a candidate country in general but when it comes to Ukraine, Ukraine is defending not only itself, Ukraine is defending us. So what do you want to say with this? It needs to be explained actually. Well last year when the EU decided on the trade agreement with Ukraine, we promised them predictability and stability. We promised this an increased tariffs and agricultural products compared to the ATMs. Almost six months after the implementation of the DCFTA, the national import bans are still there and according to figures from Ukraine this has led to a ten percent reduction of Ukraine's agriculture exports to the EU in two thousand twenty five. And from the commission side we have over and over heard that there is no justification for the import bans. Despite this, no actions have been taken. Well, a letter but no actions have been taken in real reality. I mean actions to and or attempts to actually punish the concerned member states for what they are doing. This also sends a very strange signal to Ukraine, a candidate country currently marking their utmost to comply with EU standards when three member states so bluntly disregards EU rules. So my very straightforward question to the commission is when will you start to take real action on this matter? You said the commission has sent a letter, as I said it is clearly not enough. Another question not directly linked to the import bans, could you give us a short update on the flanking measures the commission promised when the DCFTA was revised? I think it's important that we go directly to these concrete questions because time is ticking and we see no action and not enough commitment from the commission on these items. Thank you very much.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I'm going to be speaking Swedish now. We're all familiar with the incredibly serious situation in the Baltic Sea. And when the Commission recently was describing it, saying quite how serious this was and how biological diversity is at risk. The situation concerning stocks to concerning eutrophication and the spreading of toxins, etc., and that we have to take an overall approach. Well, in addition to that, now we've got the Russian shadow fleet, which is a potential environmental threat or potentially a catastrophe every day, given that they are out there sailing with unsafe vessels in our inland waters, but we are now today focusing on the survival of fish stocks. And it has been a negative trend now for a very long time. And we've heard today the Commission's presentation. And in listening to it we get very surprised and extremely concerned. The situation is very uncertain and the numbers are very uncertain. And they are based upon uncertain, just assessments. And yet an increase of 180%, sorry, 108% is being suggested for one of these. Now, obviously, it's a good thing that we are able to have this debate here, but we we do have to understand what is behind the numbers of that kind, given the background against which this is taking place. There are a lot of aspects to this, but one of them is the fact that we're seeing a lot of fluctuation from year to year in these recommendations, and it's only the big operators that can survive now, it's going to be a sort of death blow to the local small scale sustainable fishery. When we met here a few weeks ago. I placed a rhetorical question to the commission on that occasion who is it that is going to benefit? Who is going to be who are going to be the winners of this policy? And I didn't get an answer on that occasion. So let me repeat that question once again. Who will be the winners? I think we need to stress that we are going to need to take a much longer term perspective, rather than this one year cycle, in trying to get to grips with what's going on. And as a Swedish person, like most of my Patriots. I feel an almost sorrow about what's going on in the Baltic Sea, and I would really like to have a stronger message that the Commission was able to emit, taking a much bigger picture approach to the future of the Baltic Sea. Um, for example, questions about how to protect fish against bottom trawling is something that needs to be looked into. But we do need this holistic approach. We need a total starting from the bottom up, maybe in 15, 20 or 30 years time, looking ahead rather than bouncing around from year to year with these objectives. And that will ensure that our grandchildren will be able to eat fish from the Baltic Sea in the future and be able to swim in our common waters. Thank you.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “(17:33:44 – 17:36:52): President, commission, colleagues, the strength of Europe's steel industry must be built on trade, competition, and innovation, not protectionism. But in a world where some countries pour billions into subsidies while others turn their back, on the climate, competition is distorted. There is a broad political support in this parliament for future proving Europe's steel industry. And we are now securing the steel industry as a backbone for our competitiveness so that investments in innovation and lower emissions will pay off, so that Europe's defense industry is never left without steel, And to achieve stronger rules on melt and pour, it's not enough to know where the bread was baked. You also want to know that, where the flour, that the flour was clean. This is necessary for this legislation, but also to prevent sanctions from being circumvented. So on the topic of sanctions, I'm happy that with this legislation, the parliament, the council, and the commission has jointly agreed on putting a sharp and final end to the exemption that still allow allows for importing steel slabs from Russia. Enough is enough with cheap Russian steel flooding EU markets while finding their war. Addressing overcapacity, cutting imports from Russia must be the lowest hanging fruit. But at the same time, Ukraine steel industry is strategically targeted by Russian attacks. Last week, I visited the steel plants in Kriviri, Dniepry, Kamyansk, and witnessed the witnesses the brutal reality. Several production facility facilities are located in occupied areas or have been completely been completely destroyed. Since the full scale invasion, the remaining production faces enormous costs. The fact that the industry, all odds, managed to operate under these circumstances must be encouraged, not punished. Under the current steel safeguard, Ukraine has an exemption supposed to run until summer 20 28. And in this new trade measure, Ukraine situation as a candidate country with special security concerns shall be considered when allocating country quotas. Ukraine's steel production”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term) · EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you Brent. And thank you colleagues and commission for this exchange. And well, just a reflection. After we worked so hard to find the historic agreement last mandate, I, I, I have mixed feelings to open up the discussion again. So now we are where we are. And I think this discussion, it really shows how important it is to involve the Parliament in all steps on reviews and everything coming with this, because, um, as as we have heard during this very short, short debate, there are so many aspects of cbam connected to other, uh, regulations and connected to, uh, not only trade policy, environmental policy, etc. and so on. So, uh, we have to be on board in future to, to review, to make it even better, to work better, evaluate, etc., etc. but now we should focus on this and keep the high ambition. But do it. Do it together in a, in a, in a in a fast but correct way. Thank you.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “(16:33:03 – 16:33:29): Thank you, Cher. So on behalf of Renew Group, thank you so much for excellent cooperation. Thank you so much for your dedicated work, for your willingness to to share information, to to defend your position, very, stubborn sometimes, for”
  EU engagement with civil society
• “But we must also learn, uh, from, uh, from mistakes and use the experience we have. Um, it is also essential to, to preserve parliamentary oversight. The European Parliament must remain closely involved in assessing the progress, impact and future direction of all Vpas. We must learn from past experience and use our our experience, as I said. But finally, in the end, we must continue the work for sustainable trade. And, uh, this is the key message I want to send to you. This discussion to terminate this VPA. This must also lead to a greater effort when it comes to sustainable trade in forestry at the same time. Finally, I would like to thank the rapporteur for the opinion. Monsieur Charles Goerens and I agree that solutions must be in place before terminating the EPA. It's a problematic. That is a problem that there is still no timeline on when the New Forest partnership will be in place, and I look forward to continuing dialogue with the Commission on how this can be addressed, and I would welcome hearing directly from the Commission on how you intend to proceed to upholding the important dialogue with the stakeholders, especially the civil society. And I'm looking forward to the exchange on this topic with you. Thank you.”
  Trade impact on forests
• “Unfortunately, I believe that the way we in the EU have dealt with this file over the past year first, delaying negotiations and missing the June deadline and then pressing a restrictive offer has caused real damage to our credibility, and we need to do much better in future. This should be a lesson for for the future. Lesson to learn. It's right and necessary to set clear expectations for Ukraine to align its agricultural standards with European rules, of course. But I also believe the long term agreement should have included stronger incentives, more so-called carrots, to support Ukraine in this transition, to help accelerate reforms. My question to the commission are these first, how do you see the 2020 a review of the Dcfta as an opportunity to further strengthen Ukraine's integration into the EU single market? What should we be aiming for in that process? Secondly, what concrete measures will you take against the member States that impose the unilateral bans on Ukrainian Agriculture imports. Finally, I would like to thank the Commission for being open and transparent with the European Parliament. Throughout this process, I do not know how many monitoring groups we have held since last year, but they have been always been useful, frank and insightful and as they should be. And in the end, it's good news for the EU and Ukraine that there is a long term trade agreement in place, and I'm looking forward to seeing Ukraine in the single market soon. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you. And thank you so much, Vice Prime Minister, for for being here with us today. Last week, the European Parliament voted in favour of a tariff free trade between the EU and Ukraine. I think that was a super important step actually towards European integration for Ukraine. Now we know that on the 5th of June the autonomous trade measures will expire and we're still waiting for next step from the commission side. I wonder if you would like, here in this committee to share your views on this and how important it is for Ukraine that we move forward on this. Um, when it comes to trade and trade relations. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “President, Commissioner, colleagues, thank you very much for this debate. And once again, thank you for very good collaboration during the negotiations. But let me come back to Ukraine. I am not fully reassured by the Commission. I am rather worried. From what I hear, Ukraine is under attack. Colleagues right now, at this very moment, there is another flight alarm over the steel plants in Kryvyi Rih in Dnipro and Kamianske right now. Why we are having this debate. Thousands of steelworkers have to protect themselves in underground shelters. Several production facilities are located in occupied areas or have been completely destroyed. And since the full scale invasion, the remaining production faces enormous costs for reparation or replacement of destroyed facilities and trains and railways. High energy costs and energy costs are at an all time high, with prices more than twice as high compared to the European Union. High costs for cbam without access to certifications for emissions restricted access to financing for investments. The fact that the industry, against all odds, managed to operate under these circumstances must be encouraged, not punished, by the European Commission. A collapse of the Ukrainian steel industry would be an immense catastrophe, not only for Ukraine, but the whole Europe, and the social consequences for unemployment and financial resources for the region would be alarming. Our trade policy should be a tool to keep the Ukrainian economy alive while they are defending us. Let's move into an integrated steel market. Ukraina. Sverige. Thank you.”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term) · Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “08:12 – 17:09:42): Thank you, thank you so much for this exchange which I unfortunately think shows that we have to follow-up very soon because we have not received acceptable answers from the Commission so far. And I think you have promised us in the Parliament as well as Ukraine action on these subjects and I can't hear that enough has been done so far. So we have to follow-up. And I also want to comment on the debate among the colleagues. I have to say something because first I want to remind everyone in the room that Ukraine is Europe. Second, EU membership means rights and responsibilities. And colleague Gurri, do you think the EU is a bank machine? It demands rights and obligations. I have never heard anyone complaining about receiving support from the Common Agriculture Policy, never ever. But a lot of complaints about rules and that we are supporting Ukraine and trading with Ukraine. If you want to be a member of this union, you have to behave. It's simple like that. Thank you so much.”
  EU-Ukraine relations
• “Thank you, chair, and welcome to the Parliament Minister. I look forward to working with you in the coming months, especially to strengthen and improve trade relations with Ukraine in the most difficult moment, especially as trade free trade has served as a lifeline, an economic lifeline for Ukraine since the war started. Today, we took an important step forward by improving the text on the Eu-ukraine trade in steel when we voted on the steel file. So I would like to ask if and how you intend to address the issue of the unilateral import bans that several member states still maintain against Ukraine. Will you push for these measures to be lifted once and for all? That's my first question. And another extremely important and urgent issue I would like to raise is how we can further cut off the flow of funds to the Russian war economy. How do you intend to tackle the issue of the Russian shadow fleet? And do you have experience working on this matter, given that the owners and managers of shadow fleet tankers and gas carriers are also registered in member states in the European Union, most notably in Greece and Cyprus? I would be very happy if you could tell us a little bit more about these very important topics. Thank you so much.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you chair. Thank you Bant. Dear colleagues, it is once again time to discuss the termination of one of our flagged BPA agreements. This time the agreement with Liberia. And let me begin by being very, very clear. I deeply regret the developments we have seen in recent years that where the EU has chosen to end several agreements due to lack of progress. During the discussion on the termination of the agreement with Cameroon, Parliament was very clear that we wanted to preserve the parts of the GPA framework that we have been that have been particularly successful. Now we do regret the need to terminate the VPA with Liberia and stress the importance of the Commission continuing its engagement with the government of Liberia on forestry issues. At the same time, this should not mean turning our back on Liberia. On the contrary, we must continue constructive engagement to combat illegal logging. Dialogue with stakeholders, including civil society, indigenous communities and local authorities must continue even without a formal VPA in place. I also want to reaffirm the value of the VPA model as such, despite challenges in some cases, VPA remain an important legal and policy framework. They have delivered results in countries where there has been a genuine political commitment and also meaningful bilateral cooperation. We should therefore not abandon the VPA concept. Instead, we should continue promoting new agreements with committed partners and support implementation where VPA remains viable tools for reform and sustainable sustainability.”
  EU-Cameroon relations
• “Thank you. Chair. Commissioner Sefcovic. Dear colleagues, thank you for being here. First of all, in our vision we would have the best and deepest trade relations with the US, but with President Trump in the white House, this seems to be impossible. To that, we have to react strongly and full support to the Commission's reaction so far. A question you will now have two more weeks of negotiations with the US before our countermeasures enter into force. Is your assessment that our American partners are still open for negotiations? Dear Commissioner, it is impossible to discuss trade relations with the US without mentioning Ukraine. We follow how the US treats the country. Fighting for its existence due to free trade with the EU has served as an economic lifeline for Ukraine. At the same time, this trade has also been highly beneficial for the EU. However, the EU's temporary trade liberalization measures are set to expire at the beginning of June, could you give us an update? Why? There has been no progress on the Ukraine Dcfta. Please. Thank you so much.”
  EU-US trade relations · Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you, thank you, chair, and thanks for the excellent presentation and for the report. This report will absolutely contribute to better understanding of trade, and I will underline how important it is that we that the discussion about trade is built on facts, not fear or disinformation. There is no doubt that we are currently living in a very difficult times when it comes to international trade. However, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight a few success stories from this report. Eu Ukraine trade is, as you know, close to my heart and we can read in this report that EU exports have increased by 12. €1 billion to Ukraine, its plus 139% since 2016, thanks to the free trade agreements we have had with Ukraine. I think it's important to repeat that message that Ukraine's accession and entry into the EU market is not a threat to EU markets, as some claim, but an opportunity. The increase in trade with Ukraine, of course, also carries a political signal in a very at a very timely moment. But I have several times asked for more specific statistics around our trade with Ukraine, especially, for example, when it comes to agriculture. And so which is in the heart of the centre of the debate. So could we expect that from the Commission in the future? I think it would be very helpful. One other thing is, um, we can also read, um, the important aspects of free trade agreements when it comes to resilience. I think that's also very interesting to read. Um, and in time, in terms of imports, free trade to ensure stability. Free trade agreements ensure stability in trade relations between the EU and its partners, boosting the whole EU resilience. And I think that's a very important point in this report, which we should highlight much more in a time when resilience is one of the most priority priority issues in in the European Union. Thank you so much.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Thank you, Bernd and dear colleagues. Second time I talk about Ukraine this afternoon, and I would like to try to be brief. We had a monitoring group. It was the second monitoring group, and it took place this Monday. And the meeting consisted of two parts. Firstly, we held a very interesting exchange of views with the Economic Development Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the prospects of further trade liberalization under article 29 of the Association Agreement, and our Ukrainian colleagues emphasized the importance of extending the EU's current trade preferences beyond the expiry of the autonomous trade measures on the 5th of June, and they really highlighted the need for long term economic certainty of the preserving of Ukrainian economy, which is facing immense challenges due to the ongoing Russian war of aggression. The discussion showed once more that the Eu-ukraine trade relationship is mutually beneficial. The EU enjoys a large and growing trade surplus with Ukraine, currently in the order of €10 billion. While Ukraine currently mainly exports raw materials. It aspires to move beyond this dependence on the primary sector and increasingly become a supplier of finished products. Therefore, I firmly believe that both sides would benefit from a further liberalization of trade between Ukraine and the EU. The second part of the meeting was dedicated to an exchange of views with the Commission on the State of Play of the article 29 consultations and the suspension of the EU Safeguard Instrument for Ukraine. As we discussed this topic in more detail during this afternoon's committee meeting, I will not delve into the specific, more specific here. Let me just stress once more that it's time to move ahead and start the negotiations on the review of the Dcfta. We cannot allow Ukraine to fall over the cliff, especially in the current political and geopolitical context. Thank you.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you band. Dear colleagues. Today is a day of disappointment here in the European Parliament. Why? Because the Commission has put forward a sudden and drastic increase of tariffs on Ukraine. It's straight out of Donald Trump's playbook. This happens in a moment when Ukraine is fighting harder than ever, not only for its own existence, but for us. How can we let them down? Um, since the beginning of the full scale Russian invasion, free trade with the EU has served as an economic lifeline for Ukraine, and it has been mutually beneficial. The EU is Ukraine's most important trade partner. In 2024, the EU exported 42.8 billion in goods to Ukraine and imported €24.5 billion, resulting in an €18.3 billion trade surplus. The so-called autonomous trade measures expires in a few weeks on the 5th of June, and we have repeatedly, repeatedly asked for a solution to keep the free trade flow even after that date. So finally, after months of silence. We got the answer from the commission. Instead of offering Ukraine a soft landing into a more long term, long term solution, the commission will give them a complete crash landing. The justification we have been given for this shameful decision is to protect the farmers in the EU. Before I ask the Commission more about this, I will remind you about two things. Last week we voted in plenary about free trade for Ukrainian steel products.”
  Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
• “Thank you. Chair. I'm back again. Colleagues, Commission. Uh, first of all, I think it's good that we have this debate. It was a long time since we had a debate on trade and climate change, and the climate change is our despite all other challenges we face today, one of the biggest threats to our planet and trade can serve as a tool. If we find a way to keep our policy in line with the WTO rules. We want sustainable trade, not green protectionism. And as the rapporteur on the carbon border adjustment mechanism last mandate, I feel a responsibility to follow this filing in a constructive manner. I also see the targeted clarification that the Commission has presented here as an important improvement in general, simplified procedures, while ensuring that more than 99% of total emissions stay. Stay in the scope is an example of the good kind of simplification that the EU needs in today's world. Therefore, I am convinced that the best thing we can do at this point is to the swiftly adopt the Commission's proposal for clarity and predictability in turbulent times. I would at this point also like to thank my colleagues from the other political groups for their cooperation so far in ensuring a swift process.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Madam president, Council and commission, dear colleagues. Donald Trump has been elected as the new president of the United States, not the world. With tariffs and barriers. He promises to make America great and force others to dance to his tune. But what President Trump doesn't say is that the price will be paid by the American consumers. It's absurd that the new president is pushing us into a trade war. Instead, we should be joining forces to face the threats from our common enemies, Russia and China, and stand up for rules based trade. The emperor is naked. Trade wars makes us all poorer. To our friends around the world, I want to say we are open for business to the US. I want to state we are ready to respond when the US seeks to divide us. The strength of the EU is lies in our European unity. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations