Ralf SEEKATZ

Policy topics Ralf SEEKATZ is active on

What Ralf SEEKATZ has said (14)

• 2026-01-13 “P-000096/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The programme authorities in charge of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) submitted the closure package on 13 February 2026 which the Commission is currently assessing. The expenditure declared and paid out to date for the ERDF amounts to EUR 226 million. In relation to REACT-EU 1 , the programme authorities reported in the closure package that an amount of EUR 5.9 million could not be spent. The programme authorities submitted the closure package related to the European Social Fund (ESF) programme in January 2025. Eligible expenditure declared amounted to EUR 136 million, of which EUR 128.9 million was paid by the Commission. While the ESF allocation was fully absorbed, EUR 7.2 million related to REACT-EU could not be spent and was decommitted at closure. As the closure process of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) programme has not started yet, the final figures are not available. The final quarterly expenditure declaration and the closure package are to be submitted in 2026. As of 21 November 2025, declared and paid expenditure amounted to EUR 401 million. There are no financial corrections regarding the ESF. As the Commission is currently assessing the closure package of the ERDF and as the closure of the EAFRD has not started yet, the Commission is not in a position to provide any information on possible financial corrections at this point. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/react-eu_en.”
  Cohesion and rural funding · Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• 2025-06-25 “E-002564/2025 Answer given by Ms Albuquerque on behalf of the European Commission As set out in point (a) of Article 2(1)(6) of Regulation 2024/1624 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing 1 (AMLR) the activity of providing account information services is excluded from the scope of activities that qualify an entity as a financial institution for the purposes of the AMLR. This means that entities that exclusively provide account information services are not obliged entities under the anti-money laundering (AML) framework. For obliged entities that provide account information services together with other regulated services that are in scope of the AMLR, the provision of account information services does not as such trigger specific AML requirements, such as conducting customer due diligence on the customers, monitoring the customer activity or record-keeping related to the account information services. 1 OJ L, 2024/1624, 19.6.2024.”
  EU regulation on financial data access · Anti-money laundering regulation
• 2025-05-23 “E-002084/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission For the Commission to impose measures, the investigation assesses if there is dumping which is causing material injury to the EU industry and if imposing measures would be against the EU’s interest. As part of the assessment of the EU interest, the Commission considers carefully the interests of all interested parties which includes the users of the product under investigation. The objective is to restore a level playing field, not to exclude legitimate competition from the market or to favour individual companies. Investigations are evidencebased and conducted in line with the relevant legislation, ensuring that the instrument is not used to distort competition or facilitate market monopolisation by any individual company. In the EU interest assessment, the interests of the stakeholders concerned, including users, importers, and consumers are considered. In this context, representations from companies importing and using fused alumina, such as the abrasives industry, are taken into consideration to decide if any anti-dumping measures are warranted. However, the scope of the Commission’s current anti-dumping investigation remains limited to imports of fused alumina originating in China. Imports of downstream products, including abrasives materials, do not fall within that scope. An investigation into downstream products from China would require the submission of a substantiated complaint in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2016/1036 1 . The relocation of companies within the EU does not fall within the scope of the investigation. The EU interest test concerns the overall economic impact of the measures on the EU as a whole, rather than on individual Member States. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/1036/oj/eng.”
  EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports · Trade relations with China
• 2025-01-21 “E-000235/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has been in contact with the German authorities with regard to the Solar Package I amendments to the German Renewable Energy Law, EEG 2023. It is recalled that EEG 2023 had been declared compatible with the internal market in December 2022 in line with the Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy. The State aid guidelines, as well as the Commission’s decision on the EEG 2023, are relevant for the assessment of the Solar package amendments. It falls within the responsibility of Member States to ensure compliance with State aid rules and to notify new aid in line with the applicable legal requirements. Given the confidential nature of discussions between the Commission and the Member States, the Commission cannot comment on the details of any particular notification, nor predict the outcome or timing.”
  Energy transition (state support)
• “Thank you for the contributions of colleagues. A very important debate in many. Sectors. What Are affected by national interests and obviously there's an interest in different, different parties as well. We've tried to set out a clear rationale for banking union for the coming years. We are at a turning point. We need to think about the future, uh, economic choices. In the Draghi report, it says that the EU needs a new direction if we want to be able to compete with the US or China. That's why the banking union is an important step for our competitiveness. It's only with a strong banking union will we attract capital and will we future proof the European economy. Thank you very much.”
  European Banking Union
• “Thank you very much. President, vice president, ladies and gentlemen, we're at a turning point in our history. Our actions over the next year will impact the economic future over the coming decades, as well as our prosperity. And therefore, we need to make the right choices. After having read the letter and Draghi reports, I think there are three points essential for promoting competitiveness. First, reduction of bureaucracy. Second, strengthening the internal market. And thirdly, driving economic growth. We'll only get change if we take a constructive approach, simple Investment and programs won't help. But actually we need laws that recognize practice. We need fewer laws and we need to do away with red tape. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “We have a new authority for money laundering. And there's a great as far as the legal framework, the much more robust now so that the banking system can work more effectively. Competitiveness there. We have worked effectively as well. We ought not forget important the importance of competitiveness of banks. Let's not forget that the profitability of our banks is lower than that of the United States, because of the numerous different hurdles and loops of fire that the different banks have to jump through. And that's why the banking union is extremely important to profitability of European banks has to be improved through private. It funds access to private funds to credits to loans. This is extremely important to be internationally competitive. More capital for the financing of major European targets. The digital transition, a strategic autonomy and improving our defence. We need a lot of money for that as well. Very important as well, which is extremely important for me personally, is the ability of our national banking structures to be able to work effectively with their numerous different savings banks as well. Our national systems have to be made more robust with the system, but not replaced at the same time. Thank you very much.”
  European Banking Union
• “Yes, thank you very much, and thank you to all of the experts we've heard from, for all those valuable contributions, and thank you to the other colleagues for the very interesting questions. It's a very technical file, of course, so it's very important that we exchange views with experts so that we can gather new knowledge. I hope that this constructive dialogue will continue over the coming weeks and months, and I think it's clear to all of us that the proposal on securitization is the first and most important proposal as part of Savings and Investment Union that we'll be dealing with over the medium term. Breathing new life into the securitization market is particularly important given the difficult economic and geopolitical situation. We need more financing to flow into the real economy. What we agree in the Parliament and later with the Council has to work at the end of the day and has to make a genuine difference. The decisive question is whether the changes proposed by the Commission are going to achieve the objectives that we have set ourselves. I think the Commission's proposal is a good starting point in some areas. However, I think that there is room for further improvement and more ambitious amendments to the regulations are required. We have to have all of the different market participants on our radar. The securitization market has an important function that should allow medium-sized companies to get the financing they need. It should not be a kind of entry barrier for smaller participants. We shouldn't be making life unnecessarily difficult for companies that want to do this. We've drawn the necessary lessons from the financial crisis and we've created a secure framework for future crises. We need to ensure that we allow the European securitization market to fulfill its full potential. Now, reasonable proposals have been put forward to reduce the costs for companies and there has also been an effort to try and simplify reporting requirements. However, prudential requirements have to be proportionate to risk. In the capital markets, we can be a bit more ambitious than we can with banks, so we need to ensure that when we make our amendments we reach all of the different segments of the securitization market so we can have a long-term reinvigoration of the market. Now, if capital requirements are to increase, then we'll have done something wrong. We need to ask ourselves whether excessive complexity is actually necessary or not. I hope to get down to work on this ambitious work with my shadow rapporteurs and colleagues so that we can awaken the securitization market from its slumbers.”
  Financial regulation
• “Thank you very much. President. Colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. Commissioner. So we have a very balanced and at the same time ambitious report before us, which recognises the problems of our times and provides for solutions. With the annual report of 22 and 23 focused on the Ukraine and on the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, now we have focused on the core elements of the banking unit and the actual priorities during this particular legislative period. So this is a clear signal that in a con, there's a broad majority which has supported this particular report. So with the shadow rapporteurs as concerns them and the entire team, I'd like to thank them for their very fruitful cooperation. It was hard to work. It was a hard piece of work to deal with, if you like this particular report, extremely intensive as well in the negotiating phase. We were very pragmatic, and of course we overcame some of the challenges which exist in this legislative period. A strong banking sector is of decisive importance for economic growth, for the financing of SMEs as well. So we've learned a lot from the financial crisis. And since the financial crisis, we've achieved a lot as well. We have better mechanisms, surveillance mechanisms. We have high standards as far as all of the various issues that concern banking.”
  European Banking Union
• “For small banks. It would allow them to have a better market share. Traditional securitizations have been tried and tested. Means of financing the real economy. The proposed concept of resilience has. Doesn't take into account the specificities of traditional securitizations. They are more for on balance sheets, synthetic securitizations, the car leasing ABS, for example, would see that an almost 100% capital increase, despite the fact these are secure, high quality securitizations with a very low risk of default. So I propose that the concept of resilience should be deleted for traditional securitizations, and you should rather strengthen the senior tranches of STS. The CRR has to be consistent.”
  Financial regulation
• “Okay okay okay. It's important to me that the new calibration of the capital requirements regulation should be appropriate for covered bonds to avoid market distortion. Sustainable growth of the capital markets is something we'll only achieve if covered bonds and securitizations develop in parallel and have a level competitive playing field. Now let's move on to the Securitisation regulation. I welcome the Commission's proposed changes that would reduce operational costs for issuers and investors, and it would simplify due diligence requirements. When it comes to centralised security, that will make procedures more effective and will encourage participation. The new rules will be more risk sensitive and more economically bearable. A better regulatory framework could free up capital, particularly in member states, which have less developed capital markets, to ensure that credit can get through to the real economy. I'm very much in favour of maintaining the current definition of public securitisations to avoid the unnecessary costs of private for private transactions. The differentiated requirements for securitisations in third countries. When it comes to due diligence, under a paragraph sorry, article five, paragraph one are justified to ensure a similar level of disclosure so that compliance with the rules in the EU is taken into account. The EU security securitisation market should be strengthened by reducing administrative costs without endangering our financial stability. An effective but thorough due diligence requirement is the way we will prevent future financial crisis. If we set the parameters correctly, we could be more ambitious on capital requirements without endangering our financial stability. I'm open to the idea that administrative sanctions could be extended to institutional investors in article 32 to ensure that there is a level playing field, but 10% of annual turnover is not proportionate, so I suggest a lower level of those sanctions. Disclosure and due diligence are key to strengthening the confidence of investors to make the market function better, and to ensure wider participation in the market. This will be a major contribution to the European securitisation market. Thank you very much.”
  Financial regulation
• “Madam president, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, we've seen over the past few years how important it is to have a credible monetary policy here in Europe. Inflation has reached a fairly stable level, which is good news for citizens in Europe. But it's very important that we learn from high inflation phases and we draw lessons from that. Expectations seem to be going ahead of themselves. We need to ensure that the ECB's independence is the pillar for our monetary union, and this independence requires political neutrality and very strict faith in your mandate. Now, secondary aims should only be followed once the primary mandate has been fulfilled. So this is not this is all about following the treaties. We had, you know, crisis instruments. But these measures should not become a permanent fixture because they can distort prices. Climate risks can be taken into account, but only within the actual mandate of the ECB. It's not an authority for climate policy and something that's very important. Finally, simplification is something to be taken seriously. But we need solutions. But less bureaucracy, less red tape and solutions for stability in our markets.”
  ECB monetary policy
• “Thank you very much indeed, chairman. Colleagues, on the 5th of December, my report was published. I hope that this didn't ruin your Christmas holidays. It's a pleasure and a privilege to be able to present this report to you here this morning. First of all, let me start with the capital regulation. In the wake of the financial crisis, the securitisation market shrank considerably. Strict regulatory requirements were introduced in order to promote financial stability. However, now the regulations are too conservative, too restrictive, and they are failing to allow the market to develop its potential freely. Risk adequacy must be improved in the context of this framework in order to strengthen the real economy. The concept of resilient positions is extremely important, although it is very complex, as are the implications, they can constrain the market. The concept of resilience was initially introduced for securitization, but can be developed. I do not consider it to be appropriate for certain types of securitization, however, because we have to work on reducing the complexity, complexity, the multiplicity of categories applying to small businesses and small banks means that securitization is often used as a securitization instrument.”
  Financial regulation
• “Thank you, Mr..President. Dear colleagues. Europe is facing major challenges but also has major opportunities. We need more capital for investment in our economic future. That is clear. The savings and investment union can mobilise the savings potential of Europe's citizens. And if it is to be decided, it can also lead to progress on the integration of capital markets because that progress has been too slow. Now, unfortunately, the commission's proposal is still too complicated and too bureaucratic in many passages. There are different national rules. There's unnecessary red tape, and that puts a brake on the use of capital where it's most needed. We need deep integrated capital markets so that SMEs have access to financing, and at the same time, it gives attractive opportunities to savers. It's time to act now. We need to be serious about this. The EU cannot fall back on it. Isolation. So we need, uh, proposals from the Commission which are practical and can be implemented.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation