Isabella TOVAGLIERI

Policy topics Isabella TOVAGLIERI is active on

What Isabella TOVAGLIERI has said (36)

• 2026-06-16 “(15:45:30 – 15:46:31): You so much. Honorable member Tuoliri. Thank you so much, madam. Commissioner, the excess in bureaucracy and internal rules is making our continent very difficult. I think we're drowning in one of the most serious global crises. SMEs are suffocating because of the internal levies of a 110%. To simplify, a short time ago was a choice for growth. But today, it is important for survival. But the commission doesn't seem to be understanding the urgency of the program of commissioner Sergei Ney. We haven't really been able to see it anywhere. So what can we tell citizens? What can we tell companies? Maybe we will be able to survive once the whole game is over. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2026-02-23 “Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission 8.5.2026 Written question The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) [1] sets energy performance standards for buildings, while it remains the responsibility of Member States to ensure housing supply. It is not in the mandate of the Commission to assess and question the impact of national measures or laws. In line with the Better Regulation principles, the EPBD was preceded by an impact assessment [2] which showed that the worst-performing residential buildings are often occupied by vulnerable households and that the EPBD will help reduce their energy bills, even more so considering the current geopolitical situation. EU financing programmes channelled through national authorities, such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF), the Social Climate Fund and the Cohesion policy Funds, are available to support building owners carrying out building renovations. A recently adopted Commission’s report [3] highlights how the RFF has helped to multiply by 6.8 the EU funding allocated to energy efficiency. The Commission is also committed to support the mobilisation of private investment through the Energy Efficiency Financing Coalition [4] . Energy costs represent a major share of households’ overall living costs. The European Affordable Housing Plan [5] puts forward an integrated approach to ensure that Europe’s housing policies deliver lasting social, economic, and environmental benefits. The implementation of the EPBD by Member States starting by its transposition and the submission of their National Building Renovation Plan will contribute to increased availability of affordable housing. [1] Directive EU/2024/1275. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/RO/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52021SC0453. [3] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-boost-access-affordable-and-clean-energy-all-europeans-2026-03-10_en. [4] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/financing/european-energy-efficiency-financing-coalition_en. [5] COM(2025) 1025 final.”
  EU housing policy · Energy performance of buildings
• 2026-02-17 “E-000679/2026 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission The Entry/Exit System (EES) must be fully operational at all border crossing points of the Schengen area by 10 April 2026. The Commission is aware of the concerns raised by the transport industry regarding the potential EES impact on their operations during summer 2026. To that end, the Commission is facilitating dialogue between the industry and Member States to address remaining challenges and ensure a seamless transition to the full EES operation. The Commission encourages Member States to implement technical and operational solutions to address potentially excessive waiting times and minimise disruptions for travellers and industry operators. These measures include automation through the self-service systems and e-gates, as well as the use of ‘Travel to Europe’ mobile preregistration application. The Commission also urges Member States to address structural issues in border management by ensuring adequate number of personnel and sufficient infrastructure, and by supporting flow managers. The Commission additionally facilitates the exchange of good practices among Member States to enhance travel facilitation. As of 10 April 2026, Member States will have the possibility to partially suspend EES operations during a period of 90 days to address possible excessive waiting times. This period may be extended by an additional period of 60 days if less than 80% of individual files registered during the progressive start of operations contain biometric data.”
  Asylum & border control
• 2026-01-22 “E-000250/2026 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Study on smoke-free environments and advertising of tobacco and related products 1 was carried out under the Specific contract 2019 71 01, implementing framework contract N°SANTE/2016/A1/39 – Lot 1. The contracted amount was EUR 179,995. 2. Figures as regards the time and EU money spent on the drafting of the Commission Staff Working Document 2 accompanying the document Proposal for Council Recommendation on Smoke- and Aerosol-Free Environments replacing Council Recommendation 2009/C 296/02 are not available. 3. The competence of the EU to act in the field of excise duty is conferred by Article 113 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which empowers the Council to adopt harmonised rules, necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market and to avoid distortions of competition. Apart from harmonising excise duty for manufactured tobacco, Directive 2011/64/EU 3 ensures a high level of health protection. In the evaluation of Directive 2011/64/EU and in the preparation of the proposal for its revision 4 , the Commission followed the Better Regulation principles. Comprehensive and up-to-date impact assessments and external studies have been used in order to support the policy cycle, and to gather evidence on all relevant impacts. 1 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/68ce81fc-5d55-11ec-9c6c-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52024SC0055. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2011/64/oj/eng. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0580.”
  EU competences on health · Smoking regulation
• 2025-10-08 “E-003941/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission With an allocated amount of EUR 5.5 billion for material support, the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the main instrument to target the most disadvantaged in the EU under the current Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. As material support measures corresponding to the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) have been integrated into the ESF+ in 2021-2027, Member States were granted more flexibility to adapt their national or regional programmes in response to emerging needs. Member States are required to allocate at least 3% of their ESF+ resources under shared management to support the most deprived, ensuring that material assistance and accompanying measures remain a central component of EU social support. In reality, Member States have exceeded the minimum target and programmed on average 4.1% of their ESF+ resources to this core policy area. The Commission supports Member States in ensuring that these resources are used efficiently and remain adequate and adapted to the current economic conditions. However, under shared management, the Member States are responsible for the implementation of ESF+ programmes, including their potential adjustment to the cost of living if necessary. Under the next Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, as part of the National and Regional Partnership Plans, the ESF will continue to contribute to addressing material deprivation, as well as fighting poverty and homelessness, promoting social inclusion and equality. At least 14% of the financial envelope of the National and Regional Partnership Plans must be dedicated to social objectives. Member States are also obliged to programme support to food and/or basic material assistance.”
  EU expenditure on social policy · Support for families
• 2025-07-24 “P-003079/2025 Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission According to the Financial Transparency System (FTS) public website 1 , Check First participates in one completed and one ongoing project. For the completed project, the beneficiary contracted amount is EUR 105 629. For the ongoing project, beneficiary’s contracted amount is not available in the Commission´s financial management system, however the commitment contracted amount relates to: EUR 3 270 000. Please see the Annex for further terminology information and project details as well as FTS website consultation/extraction information. The Commission does not interfere with the independence of fact-checking organisations. When applying for EU funding, these organisations are required to provide evidence regarding their adherence to the highest ethical and professional standards such those prescribed by the European Fact-Checking Standard Network 2 . 1 The Financial Transparency System, https://ec.europa.eu/budget/financial-transparency-system/index.html. 2 Code of Standards – European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), https://efcsn.com/code-ofstandards/.”
  Transparency requirements of EU institutions · Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-06-06 “E-002291/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Under Article 4(2) of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 1 , ‘subject to Article 2(4), for projects listed in Annex II, Member States shall determine whether the project shall be made subject to an assessment in accordance with Articles 5 to 10. Member States shall make that determination through: (a) a case-by-case examination; or (b) thresholds or criteria set by the Member State’. These assessments should ensure that, even with the envisaged construction of a large numbers of solar energy plants, damage to the environment should be limited. The Commission does not assess the impacts of individual solar energy projects on the environment or their social and landscape impact. With Directive (EU) 2023/2413 2 amending the Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001, the EU has adopted measures to speed up the deployment of renewable energy without lowering environmental standards. For example, Article 15 c) requires Member States to designate renewable acceleration areas where a lighter permitting regime applies. These should be areas where the renewable energy plants would not have a significant environmental impact. Mindful of the need to balance energy production with other public interests, the Commission has issued recommendations and guidance for Member States on encouraging innovative technologies and forms of renewable energy deployment 3 , like agrivoltaics, as well as on permitting for renewable projects and related infrastructure 4 . 1 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (codification) Text with EEA relevance OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21; Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment Text with EEA relevance OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2413/oj/eng. 3 C(2025)4024 final and C(2025) 4011 final, respectively. 4 C(2024)2660 final and SWD(2024)333 final, respectively.”
  Energy (green transition) · EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
• 2025-05-16 “E-001972/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The comprehensive impact assessment 1 , which accompanied the proposal 2 to amend among other things Directive 2014/45/EU 3 , shows clear road safety and environmental benefits associated with the proposed measure to require annual testing of vehicles older than 10 years. Within the EU, 16 Member States already test older vehicles annually (often well before 10 years). While Periodic Technical Inspection (PTI) costs are a matter for Member States, an overview of PTI costs provided in the impact assessment shows that the cost of the additional inspection in the remaining Member States is expected to range between EUR 1 and 6 per month for a car owner, depending on the Member State. As shown in the impact assessment, older cars are involved in crashes almost twice as frequently as newer ones. In the 11 Member States concerned, over the period 2026 to 2050, the measure would save approximately 1,850 lives and prevent around 21,000 severe injuries, as well as significantly reducing emissions of air pollutants. In relation to the second-hand car market, ensuring that older cars are safer and less polluting will be of benefit to everyone, and the measure to tackle odometer fraud will protect consumers. Finally, Member States may continue to exclude certain vehicles registered in their territory from the scope of application of the Directive, including vehicles of historical interest. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025SC0096. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2025%3A180%3AFIN. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/45/oj/eng.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2025-05-15 “E-001963/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the phenomenon of telemarketing in Italy mentioned by the Honourable Members. Directive 2002/58/EC 1 (ePrivacy Directive) regulates unsolicited communications, including direct marketing via phone calls. In the case of direct marketing using automatic calling machines (i.e. where the calls are made by a machine, without human intervention), Article 13(1) of the Directive requires that the subscriber or user has given prior consent to receive such calls. In the case of unsolicited phone calls made by people, Article 13(3) of the Directive leaves Member States with a choice on whether to require the prior consent of the subscriber or user or to require the possibility for them to object to such calls. This has to be specified by law at Member States’ level. The Member States were required to transpose the ePrivacy Directive into national legislation. The monitoring and enforcement of that Directive falls within the competence of the national authorities and courts, without prejudice to the competences of the European Commission as Guardian of the Treaties. The Commission does not assess complaints on the application of the Directive in individual cases. Those complaints are rather for the competent national authorities and courts. While the Commission has proposed to withdraw the proposal for an ePrivacy Regulation, the ePrivacy Directive continues to apply. 1 Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and electronic communications) OJ L 201, 31.7.2002, p. 37–47.”
  Privacy & digital economy
• 2025-04-09 “E-001453/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2108 1 put in place, as from 1 September 2024, a temporary restriction on liquid screening at EU airports using standard C3 Explosive Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage (EDSCB). This measure was taken based on technical information received by the Commission and validated by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) States and laboratories, showing that the existing configurations of standard C3 EDSCB equipment needed to be revised to improve their performance in detecting liquid explosives. This measure was also in alignment with those of key international partners. The restriction remained in place for the time necessary to complete the testing and validation of the new detection algorithms. The Commission has since worked with all relevant parties to resolve this issue, through the development of the new testing methodology and detection algorithms. As a result of these efforts, one configuration of standard C3 EDSCB equipment was approved on 25 July 2025. Following such approval, EU airports deploying that specific configuration may allow passengers to carry liquids, aerosols and gels in their cabin baggage in individual containers not exceeding two litres of volume. It is up to the individual airports to inform their departing passengers about this possibility. Other configurations of the same technology are currently being tested and will be approved upon successful completion of their testing. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/2108/oj/eng.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• 2025-03-06 “E-000957/2025 Answer given by Ms Albuquerque on behalf of the European Commission The Commission agrees on the importance of a thorough assessment of competitiveness in impact assessments. This is why a compulsory competitiveness check is implemented with a stronger focus on sectorial impacts, to better reflect the impacts on sectors, particularly those exposed to international competition. New consultation approaches, such as implementation dialogues and reality checks with stakeholders that are impacted by regulatory initiatives are also being implemented to seek their views, including on the best possible ways to shape these initiatives to secure the competitiveness of Europe’s economy. They come on top of the Commission's existing consultation tools, ranked first by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 1 . The original legislative measures that the Omnibus package adopted on 26 February 2025 2 aims to simplify were subject to comprehensive impact assessments 3 and preceded by extensive stakeholder consultation. However, the multiple and complex crises and events happening in the meanwhile have strong impact on the competitiveness of Europe’s economy. A recalibration is now needed to address areas where EU companies may be at a competitive disadvantage. This approach clearly signals that the Commission intends to stay the course on building a greener and fairer society and economy, but to do so in the simplest manner possible and by boosting the competitiveness of our economy at the same time. If these first Omnibus proposals are adopted and implemented, conservatively estimated total savings in annual administrative costs of around EUR 6.3 billion can already be achieved 4 . 1 See the OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2025, https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-regulatory-policyoutlook-2025_56b60e39-en.html. 2 See https://commission.europa.eu/publications/omnibus-i_en. 3 See https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52018SC0264, https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021SC0150 and https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52021SC0643. 4 See Staff Working Document Accompanying the documents COM(2025) 80 - COM(2025) 81, https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/1da93ca2-7911-4e1f-9ce6cecd09a85250_en?filename=SWD-Omnibus-80-81_En.pdf.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) · Overall simplification of regulation in the EU · Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights)
• 2025-03-06 “E-000956/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices 1 (MDR) defines ‘custom-made devices’ in Article 2(3) and provides for legal exceptions for certain mass-produced devices. Accordingly, it would depend on the specific case whether clear aligners – also known as invisible braces – may be actually considered as custom-made devices or rather massproduced devices. The Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) established under Article 103 of the MDR endorsed the guidance document ‘MDCG 2021-3 Questions and Answers on Custom-Made Devices & considerations on Adaptable medical devices and Patient-matched medical devices’ 2 where ‘orthotic braces’ are mentioned as examples of ‘mass-produced adaptable medical devices’, not considering them as custom-made devices. This reflects the situation on the market, where the use of clear aligners is largely extended as adapted devices from massproduced devices, as well as the views of other international regulatory frameworks 3,4 . Both custom-made devices and mass-produced adaptable medical devices need the prescription of authorised healthcare professionals with respect to their specific characteristics and the needs of patients. Therefore, the possibility to purchase clear aligners or invisible braces without consulting a healthcare structure or professional may indeed represent a risk for patients as well as a competitive disadvantage for healthcare manufacturers and professionals. The responsibility for market surveillance and vigilance on the appropriate placing on the market and use of those devices belongs to the national competent authorities of the Member States in the field of medical devices 5 . 1 OJ L 117, 5.5.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/745/oj 2 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/385d7e20-d8b5-49d0-abd78daf269bf1b8_en?filename=mdcg_2021-3_en.pdf 3 For instance, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration considers aligners as ‘patient-matched medical devices’, not custom-made devices. See https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/guidance/understanding-personalisedmedical-devices-rules-including-3d-printed-devices#patientmatched-medical-devices 4 See the guidance on ‘Personalized Medical Devices (PMD)’ by the International Medical Device Regulatory Forum (IMDRF) https://www.imdrf.org/working-groups/personalized-medical-devices 5 https://health.ec.europa.eu/medical-devices-sector/new-regulations/contacts_en#national-competent-authorities”
  Medical devices
• 2025-02-18 “E-000726/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission Under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, non-discrimination is a core principle. However, for the Charter to be applicable, the measure in question must involve the implementation of EU law 1 . In general, traffic rules remain primarily a matter of national competence, and the situation described involves a national rule, specifically Article 122(2) of the current Italian Highway Code 2 . Accompanied driving schemes usually involve drivers below the standard minimum age for a certain driving licence category who are accompanied by an experienced driver. Article 4(6)(d) of Directive 2006/126/EC 3 grants Member States the discretion to lower the minimum age for certain driving privileges, however without requiring an accompanied driving scheme. As there are currently no EU rules on accompanied driving schemes, the national rule in question does not implement EU law and hence the Charter does not apply. It is the responsibility of national authorities and courts to ensure that national measures adhere to fundamental rights, potentially under Italian law or the Italian Constitution. That said, things will change in the future. During the recent negotiations on the upcoming fourth Driving Licence Directive, the co-legislators endorsed the Commission’s proposal to mandate an EU-wide accompanied driving scheme for Category B. However, they chose not to extend this obligation to Category C, leaving the implementation of the scheme optional for both Categories C and C1. The planned introduction of accompanied driving is expected to promote greater harmonisation across Member States in the future. 1 Art. 51 (1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 2 Law Decree 121/2021, as amended by Law 177/2024. 3 OJ L 403, 30.12.2006, p. 18.”
  EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
• 2025-01-23 “E-000296/2025 E-000417/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The EU programme for the environment and climate action (LIFE 1 ) provides, amongst others, financial support for the functioning of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), supporting civil society’s participation in policy making, in line with the LIFE Regulation 2 and the EU Financial Regulation 3 . LIFE operating grants are awarded following a competitive procedure. Applicants submit proposals that include their work programme of activities in policy areas indicated in the LIFE Regulation. This work programme is annexed to their grant agreement. The Commission does not prescribe the specific activities to be carried out by the NGOs in their work programme, nor does it instruct them to support specific positions. According to these grant agreements, any opinions expressed, and activities carried out remain the sole responsibility of the NGOs. The Commission agrees that work programmes involving specifically detailed activities directed at EU institutions and some of their representatives, even if they do not breach the legal framework, may entail a reputational risk for the EU. To mitigate this risk, the Commission issued guidance 4 for both existing grant agreements and future calls, addressed to all Commission services and applicable to all spending programmes. The guidance clarifies which activities should not be mandated as a requirement or condition for Union financing. The Commission does not intend to revise the European Green Deal 5 or to review and/or withdraw the legislation concerned. Green Deal legislation has been subject to public consultation, in line with Better Regulation principles 6 . Environmental organisations and other stakeholders had the opportunity to present their opinion and positions. In addition, the Commission publishes information on meetings held with interest representatives on its transparency websites. 1 https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life_en 2 Regulation (EU) 2021/783 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing a Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE), and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013. 3 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast), ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/guidance-fundingdev-impl-monit-enforce-of-eu-law_en.pdf 5 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en 6 https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-making-process/better-regulation_en”
  Transparency requirements for interest groups · Accounting and auditing of EU budget · EU engagement with civil society
• 2024-11-15 “E-002551/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Erasmus+ programme seeks to promote equal opportunities and access, inclusiveness, diversity and fairness across all its actions. The programme guide 1 and grant agreement 2 highlight that projects need to respect human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, in full compliance with the values and rights enshrined in the EU Treaties and in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights 3 . In addition to the abovementioned criteria, funded initiatives must meet, applicable eligibility, admissibility, exclusion and selection criteria outlined in the Erasmus+ programme guide. The Commission does not specifically track lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+)-related activities in EU-funded projects. Furthermore, the guide sets clear standards for the protection, health and safety of participants, including minors. Learning must take place in a safe environment, which respects and protects the rights of all people. Participating organisations must have in place effective procedures to guarantee the safety, protection and non-discrimination of participants. The Commission contacted the national agency in charge of the selection and monitoring of the project in question to ensure that the abovementioned criteria are respected. The national agency confirmed that the rules set out in the Erasmus+ programme guide and grant agreement are respected, including obtaining written parental consent prior to the participation of minors, and a comprehensive safeguarding policy set up by the beneficiary. 1 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/document/erasmus-programme-guide-2025-version1?pk_source=website&pk_medium=link&pk_campaign=pg&pk_content=pg-landing-download 2 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/erasmus/agr-contr/unitmga_erasmus_en.pdf 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT”
  Role of education (social change vs. tradition) · LGBTIQ+
• 2024-11-12 “E-002503/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The provisions on the excess emissions premiums for cars and vans manufacturers exceeding their CO 2 emission reduction targets are set out in Article 8 of Regulation (EU)2019/631 1 . These provisions are in place and have remained unchanged since 2009 for passenger cars and 2011 for vans. They require the Commission to calculate and impose an excess emissions premium on a manufacturer where its average specific emissions of CO 2 for a calendar year exceed its specific emissions target. The Commission is aware that some vehicle manufacturers have expressed concerns over their ability to meet their emission target for 2025, in a context of enhanced global competition and a shrinking vehicle market. At the same time, several other major European manufacturers have expressed confidence that they will meet their targets and have strongly opposed changes to the 2025 framework. Changing the rules would distort the level playing field and put those manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage. It should be noted that electric cars are not the only way to reach the targets – hybrids and plug-in hybrids, improvements in conventional engines, as well as deploying smaller and more efficient vehicles can also contribute. As provided for in Article 15 of the Regulation, the Commission will review the effectiveness and impact of the Regulation in 2026. This review will build on the progress report due by end 2025, taking into account up-to-date information on the implementation of the Regulation. The President of the Commission will also convene a Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Car Industry in Europe. 1 http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/631/oj”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2024-10-17 “E-002128/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/573 1 on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) includes prohibitions for the placing on the market of certain equipment containing, or whose functioning relies upon, any F-gas or F-gases with a global warming potential above a certain threshold. All the included prohibitions are expected to be feasible from the date they apply and are providing legal certainty to manufacturers of such equipment. In 2023 there was a drop in the sales of heat pumps in the EU. According to the information in the footnotes in the question this drop is impacting on certain business decisions. Moreover, it is noted that the sales declined for various reasons, e.g. falling gas prices. However, the drop in sales is not linked to the new F-gas Regulation that only entered into force in March 2024. Consequently, the Commission does not see any reason to deviate from the legal requirement to review the F-gas Regulation by 2030. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/00573/oj”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-08-05 “E-001476/2024 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The welfare and management of stray dogs are not regulated at EU level. The Commission proposal for a Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability, which is undergoing the ordinary legislative procedure, includes some provisions on certain specific aspects of euthanasia, but does not interfere with the decision on when to euthanise stray or shelter dogs. The Commission provides financial support to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) for the implementation of the Platform on Animal Welfare for Europe 1 and its 4 th Action Plan (2024-2026), which aims to improve animal welfare, through priority topics, including stray dog population control. Türkiye, as a member of WOAH and of the Platform, participates in training and capacity-building activities related to dog population management, all of which are supported by the Commission. The goal of the Platform is to help member countries progressively comply with WOAH standards on animal welfare. The Commission supports also WOAH’s work to adopt and revise the existing standards, such as those related to dog population management. As a WOAH member, Türkiye should implement international animal welfare standards, including those on stray dog population management 2 . 1 https://rr-europe.woah.org/en/Projects/animal-welfare-platform-europe/ 2 I.e. chapter 7.7: Dog population management of WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code.”
  EU-Turkey relations
• “Today, the commission is really coming up with the umpteenth proposal having destroyed it themselves. But even in your clean industrial deal, we can't really see any substantial changes. I mean, you're simply confirming towards the electric vehicle. We don't talk about a theological technological neutrality, and you ignore nuclear energy. And apart from all of this, the collapse of the electric car, instead of getting rid of the Green Deal altogether, you're going to be investing 850 billion for tanks for the building of tanks. Now, when have the tanks been green? And you do this with no parliamentary mandate. And again, you're calling for sacrifices to citizens, which because of your policies cannot end make ends meet. So whereas we're wasting time outside China. Every single day is taking market quotas from us, and every minute lost to save our industries is part a stone on our tombstone. Thank you. We are already a lot. Over time I give the next.”
  Energy transition (state support)
• “Look, thank you for your question. I belong to a party. The League. Eag Hus. Minister for economics. Minister. Georgetti was one of the main people who spearheaded a new project to protect homes at the end of Covid, and to use public funds to renovate homes via the so-called Super Bonus, and this ended up being a black hole in terms of spending for the Italian treasury. And so it's only thanks to Georgetti something that had made a laughing stock of us in the eyes of other Europeans and on the international stage, because this was just a way for people to spruce up their holiday homes. Well, thanks to our Minister, we still have credibility when it comes to the use of funds. Thank you. Miss McGowan has the floor. Thank you. President. Tomorrow we'll be voting in the plenary on the mid-term reform of the cohesion policy. And this was something that was headed up by Vice President Fitto, whom I applaud for his work on housing in this capacity to update cohesion policy. We know that housing is a hot topic in issue. We know that many families are spending 40% of their income on housing, and that millions of families are living in overcrowded housing, and so this can no longer be considered a minor emergency. It is a social priority. Making housing a cohesion priority is about offering possibilities to disadvantaged areas, to young people and to families who all too often are unable to build a future for themselves. But we should also be making use of private investment to build fair housing and to create new jobs. Only in this way will the EU be able to have a positive impact on the lives of people, instead of getting tangled up in ideological proposals such as green housing? Thank you.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “European industry has ground to a halt, and our citizens are victims of crimes perpetrated by illegal immigrants. Whilst we witness the biggest mosque in Europe being built for the left. However, the priority is to get a European directive on anti-discrimination through and this has been languishing for 17 years in the archives of the EU. They don't realize that there's nothing more urgent than tackling the discrimination which all of us are experiencing. We are discriminating against ourselves and our citizens because in the name of political correctness, the very essence and heart of our society is being destroyed. Our Christian roots are being threatened. Our industry, our agriculture, our farmers, our cars, our automobile industry. Look at what is happening. Combustion engines are being banned. Agriculture is being undermined. And it is all due to the myopic approach of those in power. Therefore, could we please recognise that we need to change Europe as fast as we possibly can, if we want to have a future and be able to compete with our competitors, we need to change radically. Immediately.”
  EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• “It took three years of sort of a battle to get confirmation that the commission conceded that it had got it wrong. When it comes to the 100% ban on CO2 emissions by 2035. And now, well, the mountain has given rise to a mouse. Given birth to a mouse, the commission, rather than having the courage to move away from targets that can't be reached. It talks about reducing CO2 emissions from 100 to 90%. It's saying goodbye to hybrid vehicles, goodbye to biofuels, and it's saying goodbye to the automotive industry without all that salvaging the environment. Because saying this is a solution to salvaging the sector is real for all European citizens, but in particular for all the workers who, as a result of this madness, are losing their jobs.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you. Colleagues, I wanted to present on behalf of the Patriots group, my colleague, Mrs. Roshan, a 28 year old young MEP. But despite her young age, she has already scored a major electoral triumphs. She has a legal background and is a regional council member in Aquitaine. So it's a young woman ready to fight in the Iter Committee for the interests of thousands of European citizens. For which reason I would commend her for your support. Thank you. Chair.”
  Recruitment policies in the EU
• “Thank you. Commissioner. I don't want to be pedantic, but I did put a very specific question. I'm conscious that getting rid of the fines is not something that falls within your exclusive competence. Obviously, you have to have a broader range of discussions, but your position is nevertheless extremely important, and there are people being fired from their jobs in car manufacturing. It's no good to talk about strategic dialogues and that sort of thing. These people need responses and answers now. So it would be interesting to hear at least your personal position. That would be useful in itself here.”
  EU policy on forced redundancies
• “Well, once again, made in Italy is in danger as a result of Europe. This free trade agreement with Mercosur risks causing incalculable and irreversible damage to our farmers, but also to our citizens. It will do away with 92% of European customs duties on imports from these countries. But unfortunately, we are going to find ourselves importing products that are lower quality than European products and also with lower sanitary standards. In addition, they're going to be sold at basement bargain prices. They're going to damage our producers and risk the health of our citizens. And once again, it will be farmers and consumers who pay the costs of these crazy Brussels policies.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Read violence now represents an emergency in Italy. In Europe, according to Europol data, in 2024, 21 terrorist attacks were carried out by the extreme left and anarchists. 18 of those attacks were carried out in Italy, the homeland of extreme left. With the complicity of our homegrown left, however, the Europol statistics ignore a whole series of other aggressions which could also be characterized as terrorist attacks. They're equally serious, given the intimidation they involved carried out by these Antifa groups against anybody who doesn't agree with them. They have an emblematic example here when it comes to the police case, who was accused of carrying out a punitive attack on the In the Hammer gang after the killing of Barbara Kenton. We can no longer turn away when progressive, the progressive left here condemns the pacifist ideas of our parties for the right. At the same time, there's no effort to condemn the shameful violence committed by the ultra left.”
  EU policy on criminal justice
• “Thank you. Good morning. I'd like to endorse the previous question. Partially talking as an Italian. We come from a country where the the country's GDP is reliant to the tune of 50% on the car industry and over 120,000 people employed in the industry. We have a level of excellence there in terms of the automobile industry. We're facing a disaster. Volkswagen is closing plants in Germany and is firing tens of thousands of workers. For Stellantis in 2024, this closure has led to a disaster, and we're looking at a collapse in the market of about 40%. The automobile industry has already been in difficulty for a while. And for the nth occasion, it's having to pay up elsewhere because it doesn't meet the CO2 emission standards and is being fined for it. We're talking about €15 billion as a whole. And as with the other car companies that really can't afford to pay that. So this is a paradox. The manufacturers are reducing the overall production of Vehicles, and that's going to worsen the situation because more people have to be will lose their jobs. It's a worrying situation. It's apocalyptic, in fact. So. Are you going to revise the fines for car manufacturing companies? In the course of the previous hearing, you said you wouldn't be able to anticipate the revision of the ban on internal combustion engines. But in the light of this very serious situation, would you once again confirm your original position?”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “There is a European standard which establishes exactly what the biofuels are and what the requirements are. And Europe has set those standards. It's not up to me to define them. Brussels recognizes that there are biofuels that are sustainable. I'm not a massive fan. I'm not saying that biofuels are a panacea, but they are an alternative technology and they are essential if we're to have a balanced mix in our energy supply, and that will allow us to have technological neutrality.”
  Energy transition (state support)
• “A flight being delayed or cancelled has significant impact on people's lives and works. It can ruin a holiday that you've sacrificed for. You might, uh, lose, uh, business. And, uh, today, the EU is trying to limit passenger rights by increasing the hours of delay necessary for you to exercise your rights or be reimbursed. Uh. And increasing the times, um, for you to have protection from other flights. We are against any attempt, um, of undermining consumer rights. And at the same time, we will continue to fight absurd green rules such as those that are, um, ruining our airlines, which mean that they and only they have to use certain, uh, environmentally friendly fuels, um, 50% higher than normally. And other foreign companies aren't subject to these rules. Europe finally has to stand alongside the people who have helped Europe to grow and prosper. Um, we have to protect our citizens and our companies.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “President. Commissioner. The European Commissioner succeeded in destroying our national economy and has managed to enrich China with electrification. The forced green transition. We're now all dependent on a communist country, a non-democratic country. Now we're getting bogged down in a bogged down in a green deal and a green transition. As China produces produce with no regard for any rules? New tech patents. It's extracting, refining and charging whatever price it likes. We're seeing all these prices going up. Who's going to end up footing the bill? It'll be us. And now we say we want EV vehicles and, uh, wind farms and so on. But what about actually producing the basic raw materials that we need in order to engage in production here in Europe? Unfortunately, it seems to be too late now. We've thrown in the towel because we went for a green transition, which is unfortunately just going to leave us empty handed.”
  Trade relations with China
• “We want to build electric cars. Well, we depend on Beijing. Do we want to have modern defence systems? Well, we have to get the okay from Beijing. If we want progress in innovation and the future, we depend on Beijing with the Green Deal and with the accelerated industrial policy. This myopic Europe is selling off its economy to its biggest competitor, China. We've lost 350,000 jobs just in the automobile sector because of China. Then there's the export of rare earths. We have a billions deficit with China, and it's flooding us with cheap products, but we haven't understood that the worst is yet to come. Our strategic autonomy is at risk and so is our freedom. We need to go back on the green agenda. Rather than condemning ourselves to a future of poverty, decline and geopolitical irrelevance. Thank you.”
  EU-China relations
• “While in the US they are supporting their own industry. Europe is doing the opposite. It's madness. But we're actually dismantling our industry. We have already lost over 100,000 jobs and there are another 400,000 which are at risk in future years. So this is industrial suicide, which is being carried out in the name of green ideology. And yet there are responses there. European responses, Italian responses. I'm talking about biofuels. These are fuels that are produced by the agricultural sector. And Italy is the world leader in research and innovation in this sector, we could actually reduce emissions without destroying our industry and without reducing our sovereignty, without becoming dependent on China and without losing jobs. So this ecological transition cannot be a road to dismantling industry in our own continent. You need to have confidence to invest in biofuels so that we can have a genuinely sustainable future without any kind of ideological.”
  Biofuels (RED II)
• “Do you not think that before doing away with tariffs on agricultural products, which will which will flood our markets with low quality products just to sell a few extra cars, wouldn't it be better to review our European policies and boost internal demand rather than demand in foreign countries? Thank you.”
  Import of agri-food products in the EU
• “Thank you. Thank you very much. And now, listening to the experts. And I do, of course, share the need to reduction, the need for reduction of costs for access to affordable housing. But I'd like to take this opportunity to mention the necessity of accessibility. Accessibility to houses which exist right now and which are available to private citizens. This is 80% of private property in Italy is affected by all of this, and it's a private market. So undoubtedly the situation can change over time. The concept of accommodation, small or large, the the concept of the family changes as well. But the concept of house itself, tradition, culture and investment as well, because it is something in which people in Italians invest in order to keep their investments and money. This is something that doesn't change, and the greening of houses homes issue to a certain extent doesn't cover these particular needs. There have been improvements to the original text, but there are a number of different divergent issues, which really well the greenhouse. It simply doesn't go hand in hand with the situation today and the certain constants that haven't changed.”
  EU housing policy
• “Commissioner, the left has a problem with private property, and it has shown this by running a campaign mentioning it. And there were these abusive campaigns and they are using illegal texts and we are on the side of common sense. We are looking at what the left is saying, but we want to say we want to defend private property. We should be having these evictions and protecting people. The left is radical and there are strange behavior there. They've got these green houses, and for example, they're going to penalize people who own houses. Europe hasn't understood that for people. A house is not just any kind of property. It is actually for a family and for culture. It's sacred. So it's not enough to just allocate some fund and to have some conditions where you have to meet absurd green standards. We need to look at what ownership is. And if people don't have property, they don't have freedom. Blue card.”
  EU housing policy
• “President. Even a child knows it's not possible to build the roof of a house if you don't start by laying the foundations. And this is something which we seem to be doing. We are disregarding the rules of physics and common sense. We've called for an electrical transformation without ensuring beforehand that we have an effective, um, network for production and grid for distribution. We're simply sacrificing all of that at the noble aim of sustainability. The fact is, the whole edifice of the new Green Deal would have collapsed under its own weight if it weren't for the backup of coal fired powers. Middle eastern oil. Chinese technology. And above all, the enormous sacrifice of our citizens and companies. We're paying the highest electricity bills in the world. You can see this happening in Italy. Only now are we starting to ask what we should do in practice after having found ourselves years behind, which will cost us billions of euros? We will now have to pay the cost of your misguided choices, always the same people who pay our impoverished citizens and businesses which are being forced to close down.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices