Günther SIDL

Policy topics Günther SIDL is active on

What Günther SIDL has said (33)

• 2026-06-17 “(16:10:50 – 16:11:58): you very much, president commissioner. It is high time for Europe to make real progress with electrification. Electricity, where our production is not reliant on others. We have relied on fossil fuel imports for too long, and very often, we have seen what can happen when you are that independent of that dependent. We need to learn from our lessons and focus on expanding renewable energy and on, electrification. We need a strong electrical grid and a grid which is decentralized as far as possible so that it can also deal with peaks in demand. We need to ensure when we're looking at electrification of the transport system that, we can do this as well as with heating for buildings. This is a job for Europe, but also for the member states. And if we do it correctly, we have an opportunity to achieve our own climate goals here and ensure that we are independent. Thank you. Mister Luana, please. Now”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• 2026-01-22 “– Frau Präsidentin! Das Regime im Iran hat sein Ablaufdatum längst überschritten. Die Proteste der letzten Wochen zeigen ganz deutlich, dass die Menschen genug haben von Unterdrückung und Entrechtung. Das einzige Mittel, das dem Regime geblieben ist, um die Macht zu erhalten, ist brutale Gewalt. Und genau da kann und darf die Europäische Union nicht einfach zuschauen. Die Europäische Union ist nicht nur ein Friedensprojekt, sie ist auch ein Leuchtturm für die Menschenrechte und die demokratischen Grundrechte. Das kann aber nicht nur innerhalb unserer Grenzen gelten, das muss weit über die Grenzen der EU hinausstrahlen. Deshalb habe ich heute gegen die Gewalt im Iran und damit für härtere Sanktionen gegen das Regime gestimmt. Geben wir den Demonstrierenden in Teheran und dem ganzen Iran eine laut hörbare Stimme und leisten wir unseren Beitrag für einen Regimewechsel.”
• 2026-01-22 “– Frau Präsidentin! Es gäbe derzeit wirklich Wichtigeres in der Europäischen Union zu erledigen, als bei fast jeder Plenarsitzung über einen Misstrauensantrag gegen die Kommission von der Leyen abzustimmen. Aber trotzdem gibt es diese Spielchen, und das hat zwei Gründe. Der erste ist, dass die rechten Fraktionen zwar die Stärke hätten, politisch zu gestalten, sich aber wie immer lieber auf die Suche nach Sündenböcken machen, als selbst mitzuarbeiten. Der zweite Grund ist, dass Kommissionspräsidentin von der Leyen bis heute nicht verstanden hat, dass politische Zusammenarbeit nur mit Vertrauen und Transparenz funktionieren kann. Ich hoffe, dass sie die Misstrauensanträge endlich als das versteht, was sie wirklich sind: Sie sind eine Mahnung für eine Politik, bei der sich niemand mitgenommen fühlt. Ich habe von der Leyen nicht gewählt, auch weil sie sich nie bemüht hat, diese Bedenken auszuräumen. Aber ich habe heute nicht für den Misstrauensantrag gestimmt, weil die EU gerade jetzt Stärke zeigen muss und sich nicht in internen und inneren Querelen aufreiben darf.”
• 2025-11-27 “– Frau Präsidentin! Wir leben heute in einem Europa, in dem die Grenzen kaum noch spürbar sind. Leider gelten diese Privilegien nicht für alle Menschen im gleichen Ausmaß, denn für Menschen mit Behinderungen sind diese Freiheiten viel zu oft mit Hürden verbunden. In den vergangenen Jahren sind auch in diesem Bereich zahlreiche Verbesserungen gelungen. Aber am Ziel sind wir noch lange nicht. Das zeigen die nach wie vor bestehenden Probleme in den Bereichen der Barrierefreiheit, der Übertragbarkeit von Sozialleistungen oder die bestehende Beschäftigungslücke sehr deutlich. Daher dürfen wir in unseren Bemühungen nicht nachlassen – im Gegenteil: Wir müssen mit weiteren Maßnahmen für Menschen mit Behinderungen dafür sorgen, dass Gleichstellung, Autonomie und gesellschaftliche Teilhabe endlich zur Selbstverständlichkeit für alle werden. Heute haben wir als Parlament mit der EU-Strategie für die Rechte von Menschen mit Behinderungen ein wichtiges Statement gesetzt.”
• 2025-11-27 “– Frau Präsidentin! Seit dem Überfall Russlands auf die Ukraine sind mehr als drei Jahre vergangen, in denen uns praktisch täglich Meldungen über unermessliches menschliches Leid erreicht haben. Damit muss endlich Schluss sein! Unser aller Ziel muss es sein, dass es wieder einen dauerhaften Frieden gibt, aber den kann es nicht geben, wenn der Ukraine ein solcher Friedensschluss unter unfairen Bedingungen oktroyiert wird. Einen solchen Frieden kann es nur unter gerechten Bedingungen geben. Genau dazu muss die EU jetzt ihren Beitrag leisten und auch innerhalb der transatlantischen Beziehungen ihrer besonderen Rolle gerecht werden. Die Europäische Union hat es in der Hand, hier für mehr Gleichgewicht zu sorgen und damit den Boden für eine dauerhafte Lösung zu bereiten. Diese Chance dürfen wir nicht verstreichen lassen, denn es ist höchste Zeit für Frieden in der Ukraine und damit in Europa. Der heutige Initiativbericht unseres Parlaments ist daher als Botschaft in die Ukraine extrem wichtig.”
• 2025-11-18 “E-004592/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission On 25 November 2025, co-legislators reached a provisional agreement 1 on the Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability 2 . The Regulation will establish a comprehensive EU traceability system for dogs and cats and enhance existing cross-border cooperation mechanisms in this area 3,4 . The upcoming Regulation does not cover cross-border cooperation for management of stray dogs and cats. However, it sets standards for the management of former stray dogs and cats in shelters, and Member States will cooperate on the implementation of these standards through various tools, such as the Commission expert group on animal welfare and the iRASFF pet module that allows exchanges between authorities in the context of official controls. The management and welfare of stray dog and cat populations, including the funding of animal shelters, falls under the responsibility of the Member States, which may use national public funds for this purpose. The allocation and use of these funds are not subject to EU supervision, remaining exclusively a national competence. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/fr/ip_25_2808. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52023PC0769. 3 https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/acn_en#the-acn-in-practice. 4 https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/aac/pan_en.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• 2025-11-13 “– Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin! Wir leben hier auf dem blauen Planeten und trotzdem haben wir es in der Vergangenheit geschafft, über die Probleme in unseren Ozeanen hinwegzusehen. Aber wenn wir es wirklich ernst mit dem Erhalt unserer biologischen Vielfalt meinen und uns wirklich darum kümmern wollen, darf es keine blinden Flecken mehr geben. Auch dann nicht, wenn es um Gebiete geht, die außerhalb nationaler Einflusssphären liegen. Gerade deshalb ist die Richtlinie ein wichtiger Schritt in die richtige Richtung. Sorgen wir gemeinsam dafür, dass sich unsere Ozeane wieder erholen können und die biologische Vielfalt in den geplanten Schutzzonen die Chance hat, wieder aufzublühen. Ich freue mich daher, dass wir hier im Europäischen Parlament ein so wichtiges Thema aufgegriffen haben.”
• 2025-11-13 “– Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin! Es ist richtig und wichtig, dass wir heute die geplante Klimaneutralität bis 2050 nochmals verankert haben und uns gleichzeitig auf ein Zwischenziel für 2040 einigen konnten. Aber insgesamt stehen wir hier vor einem Kompromiss, der deutlich macht, dass nach wie vor nicht alle verstanden haben, wie wichtig der Klimaschutz ist. Dabei geht es hier um weit mehr als die Eingrenzung der Erderwärmung und das Anhalten von Naturkatastrophen. Wenn wir in Europa den Klimaschutz als Chance begreifen und konsequent auf Forschung und Entwicklung ökologischer Technologien setzen, können wir uns die Technologieführerschaft in diesen Bereichen zurückholen und damit Arbeitsplätze, Wertschöpfung und Wohlstand hier in der Europäischen Union absichern.”
• 2025-10-27 “E-004224/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU has a longstanding position that the use of AI in the military domain must be in accordance with international law, notably the UN Charter, International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, also when it comes to nuclear weapons. Likewise, the EU has for long advocated that human judgement and control over the use of force must always be retained. Humans must remain responsible and accountable, also when it comes to AI in the military domain to ensure that this technology is applied in a responsible manner. The EU calls on states possessing nuclear weapons to maintain continued human control over decisions to employ nuclear weapons. The application of AI to military systems entails opportunities as well as challenges. Development of AI is so fast that not all advantages or risks can be predicted at this point of time. Therefore, the EU believes that international processes are highly important for further developing global thinking, governance and practical solutions to the responsible military use of AI and stresses the importance of international cooperation aimed at studying the impact of AI in the military domain and possible governance frameworks. In this respect, the EU welcomes the continuation of the ’Responsible AI in the Military Domain’ (REAIM) process. The 2023 ‘call to action on the responsible development, deployment and use of AI in the military domain’ 1 , as well as the 2024 ‘Blueprint for Action’ 2 , have been endorsed by Member States. The REAIM concept of multi-stakeholder, inclusive processes on the issue of responsible military use of AI is a promising approach and a valuable contribution to the broader international debate on consequences of AI for international peace and security. The EU will attend the 3rd REAIM Summit hosted by Spain on 4-5 February 2026. 1 https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/es/european-ai-alliance/events/first-summit-responsible-ai-military-domainreaim-2023. 2 https://anzsilperspective.com/reaim-summit-2024-slowly-but-surely-towards-better-governance-of-militaryartificial-intelligence-from-the-hague-to-seoul/.”
  Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons · Artificial Intelligence for military purposes
• 2025-10-23 “– Frau Präsidentin! Wer die Augen vor dem nach wie vor blühenden illegalen Artenhandel verschließt, nimmt den Rückgang unserer Biodiversität genauso in Kauf wie vermeidbares Tierleid. Vor diesem Hintergrund kann es für die EU nur eine Position geben, nämlich die als klare Verfechterin eines starken und wirkungsmächtigen Artenschutzes, der dem illegalen Handel sowohl hier bei uns als auch in den Ausgangsländern der bedrohten Tierarten einen Riegel vorschiebt. Die kommende Konferenz, die COP 20 in Usbekistan, kann und muss auf dem Weg zum effektiven Schutz aller Arten einen weiteren Meilenstein darstellen, wenn wir es schaffen, die internationale Zusammenarbeit zu stärken und die Rückverfolgbarkeit zu erhöhen. Genau dafür habe ich der heutigen Entschließung zugestimmt.”
• 2025-10-23 “– Frau Präsidentin! Der Klimaschutz kann nur dann funktionieren, wenn wir wirklich alle Menschen mitnehmen und dafür sorgen, dass wir den Klimaschutz fest in ihrem Alltag verankern. Genau dazu brauchen wir endlich ein Gegenmodell zu den täglichen Verkehrslawinen in die Ballungsräume und zu den Warenlieferungen, die die halbe Welt umrunden. Die EU hat es mit der Regionalförderung in der Hand, ein solches Gegenmodell zu schaffen und durch gezielte Investitionen auch aus unseren ländlichen Regionen wieder einen guten Ort zum Leben und zum Arbeiten zu machen. Denn unser Ziel müssen kurze Wege sein, kurze Wege für uns Menschen zum Arbeitsplatz, zur Kinderbetreuung, zur medizinischen Versorgung, aber genauso auch kurze Wege für alle Produkte, die wir zum Leben brauchen. Das wären gute Beispiele und Vorzeigeprojekte für die kommende COP 30 in Brasilien.”
• 2025-10-15 “E-004055/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The provisional measures on imports of candles, tapers and the like were based on preliminary findings indicating the pressing need to address injury caused to the EU industry by Chinese imports, to safeguard its viability and to support fair competition within the internal market. The investigation is currently ongoing, with the Commission services continuing to gather and verify relevant data. All interested parties have been invited to submit comments and request hearings. As part of its assessment of the EU interest, the Commission examines closely the situation of all interested parties, including importers, and is considering all relevant information to ensure a balanced and proportionate final determination. Regarding the possibility for importers to react to the introduction of measures, the Commission points out that a pre-disclosure of proposed provisional duties was issued four weeks before imposition, giving parties time to assess potential impacts. Furthermore, at the provisional stage, the legal possibility exists in a number of Member States for duties to only be secured by a guarantee which will only be collected if confirmed at the definitive stage.”
  EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports · Trade relations with China
• 2025-09-10 “– Herr Präsident! Die Wohnungsnot in Europa hat sich längst zu einer sozialen Krise ausgewachsen. Sprunghaft angestiegene Mieten und Baukosten für das eigene Heim sind nur einer von vielen Auswüchsen, die durch die hohe Inflation der letzten Jahre befeuert wurden. Die Menschen in Europa sehen sich in nahezu allen Lebensbereichen mit gestiegenen Kosten konfrontiert, und darauf muss die Europäische Union endlich reagieren. Deshalb habe ich heute für diese Entschließung gestimmt, aber ich sage gleichzeitig: Das reicht noch lange nicht. Kommissionspräsidentin von der Leyen hat heute in ihrer Rede zur Lage der EU anerkannt, dass Europa mitten in einer sozialen Krise steht. Wir müssen entschlossen mit den Mitteln der Kohäsionspolitik handeln, um diese Probleme in den Griff zu bekommen und den Menschen wieder ein leistbares Leben und ein positives Zukunftsbild zu ermöglichen.”
• 2025-08-29 “E-003334/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission does not provide any direct funding from the EU budget for Member States’ investments in nuclear energy production capacities 1 . The EUR 240 billion figure quoted by the Honourable Member is presented in the eighth Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC) published on 13 June 2025 2 by the Commission as an aggregated amount to deliver on Member States’ national plans regarding nuclear energy deployment. The Commission’s cost assessment is based on a fixed unit cost per installed capacity and is not disaggregated into separate safety‑related sub‑categories. The detailed assumptions are set out in the Staff Working Document SWD(2025) 160 final 3 . In a recent Commission report 4 , the overall EU cost estimate for the management of all radioactive waste - including waste from past activities, waste expected from ongoing and future activities, and decommissioning of operational activities - is around EUR 300 billion 5 . This figure encompasses the costs that Member States anticipate for facilities needed for the responsible management of radioactive waste and spent fuel, also arising from future nuclear installations as far as they are already covered by the national programmes. The financial responsibility for facilities for the management of radioactive waste and spent fuel rests with the Member States and is to be covered through national radioactive‑waste management and nuclear‑decommissioning funds established under Directive 2011/70/Euratom and related provisions. 1 The Euratom Research and Training Programme supports research, innovation and training in nuclear safety, radiation protection and waste‑management, but it does not finance the building of new nuclear power plants or the continued operation of existing ones. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0315&qid=1756994388566. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025SC0160&qid=175%206994701833. 4 COM(2024) 197 final, Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on progress of implementation of Council Directive 2011/70/EURATOM and an inventory of radioactive waste and spent fuel present in the Community’s territory and the future prospects - Third report. 5 This figure represents the sum of Member States’ individual estimates. However, Member States’ estimates vary widely in terms of methodology, assumptions, completeness of data, scope and time frames.”
  Nuclear energy
• 2025-08-08 “E-003213/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Union action respects the responsibilities of the Member States for the definition of their health policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical care (Article 168(7) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU 1 ). The acquisition and availability of public access automated external defibrillators (AEDs), as well as their mapping and related information and training activities, are within the remit of the Member States. The Commission supports the efforts of Member States to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, through a strategic framework, the ‘Healthier together’ initiative 2 , which supports the exchange of best practices between the Member States, activities to improve health literacy, and increase awareness among the population. The EU provides financial support under the EU4Health programme 3 for the implementation of best practices and projects 4,5 that contribute to reducing preventable deaths caused by cardiovascular diseases. Member States may decide to organise specific awareness campaigns at national level aiming to increase the knowledge on the use of defibrillators for resuscitation in the case of cardiac arrest. Defibrillators, including AEDs, are within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices 6 and must comply with its safety and performance requirements, supported by specific harmonised standards, to be lawfully placed on the EU market. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:12008E168. 2 https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/healthier-together-eu-non-communicable-diseasesinitiative_en. 3 https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en. 4 https://jacardi.eu/. 5 EUR 8.4 million under the EU4Health Programme - World Heart Day: EU4Health projects supporting heart health: https://hadea.ec.europa.eu/news/world-heart-day-eu4health-projects-supporting-heart-health-2024-0929_en. 6 Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC (OJ L 117, 5.5.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/745/oj).”
  Medical devices · EU competences on health
• 2025-08-06 “E-003183/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is aware of the opinion issued by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), regarding health risks associated with isoflavones in soy-based foods, published in March 2025 1 . The scope of this recent ANSES assessment differs from that of the EFSA assessment completed in 2015, which was limited to the safety assessment of the use of isoflavones in food supplements, exclusively in peri- and post-menopausal women, and to the potential harmful effects these substances may exert on the breast, the uterus and the thyroid. Therefore, the conclusions from the 2015 EFSA opinion are not applicable to the general population but only to this subgroup of consumers of food supplements. Given that the EFSA and ANSES assessments differ significantly with respect to the population and the types of dietary sources of isoflavones considered, EFSA has not issued any new conclusions following the recommendations made by ANSES. According to Article 29 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 2 , the EFSA may issue a scientific opinion on its own initiative or if requested by the Commission or Member States. 1 https://www.anses.fr/sites/default/files/NUT2022SA0221.pdf. 2 Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1) http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2002/178/202407-01.”
  Nutrition · EU policy on novel foods
• 2025-07-30 “E-003153/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The data from the monitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food carried out as part of Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431 1 have been submitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for the samples collected in 2022, 2023 and 2024. An updated exposure assessment that considers the data on the presence of PFAS in food that have become available since the publication of the EFSA opinion 2 in 2020 has not yet been conducted. Therefore, no conclusions regarding consumer protection can be drawn from the data collected to date. The recommendation states that data submitted to EFSA should specify whether the samples originate from areas with high environmental pollution (commonly referred to as ‘hotspots’). However, it is not anticipated that the occurrence data in food will enable to reliably distinguish the regions in the EU with higher levels of contamination from those with lower levels of contamination. The aim of this request is mainly to ensure that any potential future review of the maximum levels considers only occurrence data reflecting overall background contamination and not specific hotspots. The entire dataset, including samples collected during 2025, is expected to be completed by October 2026. 1 Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431 of 24 August 2022 on the monitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances in food. OJ L221/105, 26.8.2022, P.105 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2022/1431/oj. 2 EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM); Scientific opinion on the risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food, EFSA Journal 2020;18(9):6223. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6223.”
  Maximum residue levels · Water pollution
• 2025-07-24 “P-003074/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 does not regulate content and does not define what constitutes illegal content nor creates a legal basis for issuing orders to providers of online intermediary services to provide information or to act against illegal content. Articles 9 and 10 of the DSA only specify the format that such orders should take and oblige providers of intermediary services to inform the authorities issuing the order about the effect given to the order without undue delay. The orders themselves must be issued on the basis of relevant applicable EU or national law. As from August 2026, the E-evidence Regulation 2 will become fully applicable. It will facilitate the cross-border transmission of user data in criminal investigations. It will allow a competent authority in one Member State to order the direct disclosure of user data held by a service provider established in another Member State, if the data pertains to a service offered in the EU and regardless of the location of physical storage. The Commission is currently investigating X 3 , for suspected breaches including of Articles 34(1), (2) and 35(1) of the DSA in relation to the obligation to assess and put in place effective mitigation measures against systemic risks, including the dissemination of illegal content. The ongoing investigation also assesses whether X has breached Article 16 DSA, which regulates the processing of notices of allegedly illegal content hosted on X. The Commission cooperates closely with the Irish Digital Services Coordinator, including on its ongoing investigation into X. 1 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) (Text with EEA relevance). 2 https://commission.europa.eu/law/cross-border-cases/judicial-cooperation/types-judicial-cooperation/eevidence-cross-border-access-electronic-evidence_en. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6709.”
  Privacy & law enforcement · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2025-07-24 “E-003070/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is currently preparing new legislation to improve multimodal ticketing, including rail ticketing. The initiatives under consideration are expected to include two new proposals for Regulations: one addressing multimodal and multi-operator platforms, a Multimodal Digital Mobility Services Regulation (MDMS) and one addressing the availability of rail tickets, a Single Digital Booking and Ticketing Regulation (SDBT). A targeted revision of the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation 1 is also envisaged to complement this initiative. The exact timing of these proposals depends on internal steps that are being taken, but the intention is to present them at the beginning of 2026. These proposals would not aim to create one single tool, but rather the conditions necessary to help operators and ticketing platforms increase the offer of multimodal tickets on existing or new booking and ticketing platforms. In this context, the Commission is in discussion with the initiators of Open Sales and Distribution Model (OSDM), standardisation bodies and the EU Agency for Railways (ERA) regarding the compatibility of OSDM with any future legislative proposals. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0782.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration · EU support of rail transport
• 2025-07-16 “E-002907/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognises the challenges of e-commerce, including risks of exposing EU consumers to dangerous, counterfeit or non-compliant products, unfair competition caused by the direct access to EU consumers of third country producers selling via online marketplaces, and environmental costs. On 17 May 2023, the Commission proposed an ambitious Customs Reform package 1 , currently under negotiation by the co-legislators, to strengthen EU customs’ ability to enforce compliance with EU rules and to supervise and control the flow of goods entering and leaving the Customs Union, starting with products sold online and shipped directly to consumers. The reform is the main long-term structural response to tackle the e-commerce phenomenon. The Commission invites the co-legislators to adopt the proposal swiftly. On 5 February 2025, the Commission adopted the communication ‘A comprehensive EU toolbox for safe and sustainable e-commerce’ 2 . It introduces a comprehensive EU toolbox of measures and actions that can be implemented without delay. One key measure is a Priority Control Area (PCA), coordinating customs, market surveillance, and other authorities, to target customs controls on certain products bought from online marketplaces and shipped directly to EU consumers. These include laboratory and mechanical tests, e.g. to ensure that the products destined for children do not contain small pieces or hazardous substances. The PCA and Consumer Safety Network’s actions will support the enforcement of the Digital Services Act. The PCA will also contribute to improve the current risk management framework by better targeting customs controls. It will also provide evidence for revising the Market Surveillance Regulation, strengthening compliance and safety checks for products sold on the EU market, including those entering through e-commerce channels. 1 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Union Customs Code and the European Union Customs Authority, and repealing Regulation (EU) No 952/2013, COM(2023) 258 final. 2 COM(2025) 37 final of 5.2.2025.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights) · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2025-07-10 “– Herr Präsident! Ich habe heute für den Entschließungsantrag „Maßnahmen gegen Chinas Ausfuhrbeschränkungen für kritische Rohstoffe“ gestimmt. Nicht nur, weil wir auf die Seltenerdmetalle aus China angewiesen sind, um die grüne Transformation unserer Industrie voranzutreiben, sondern auch, weil wir im Welthandel wieder eine neue Richtung einschlagen müssen. In den letzten Jahren ist es wieder in Mode gekommen, etwa die Ausfuhr von Rohstoffen zu begrenzen oder plötzlich Zölle zu erheben. Das alles hat dazu geführt, dass das globale politische Klima inzwischen von einem Misstrauen geprägt ist. Wir dürfen nicht zulassen, dass unsere Vereinbarungen und damit auch unsere guten Beziehungen zu unseren Handelspartnern Stück für Stück demontiert werden. Die EU steht jetzt vor zwei schwierigen Herausforderungen: Einerseits so schnell wie möglich unsere Lieferketten zu verbreitern, um unsere Abhängigkeiten weiter zu reduzieren, andererseits auf der politischen Weltbühne für eine Rückkehr zum gegenseitigen Vertrauen zu werben.”
• 2025-04-23 “E-001626/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 1 sets maximum levels (MLs) at EU level for 4 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and for the sum of them in foods of animal origin 2 , including eggs. The enforcement of EU food safety rules is under the responsibility of the Member States. In this context, the Commission has adopted Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/931 3 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/932 4 , setting out rules on the combinations of contaminants and commodity groups (including PFAS in eggs) to be sampled by the Member States and the sampling strategy, to ensure that they are efficiently targeted in all Member States. Furthermore, Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431 5 advises that Member States monitor between 2022 and 2025 a wide range of PFAS in a wide range of foods, including eggs. Once these data are available, discussions will follow on the need for possible new or lowered MLs for PFAS in food. Free range chickens ingest soil and earthworms, which can contain PFAS. Commercially produced eggs from free range chickens, which are placed on the market, need to comply with the relevant MLs. Eggs that are produced by home grown chickens for home consumption do not fall under these obligations as they are not placed on the market and are therefore not controlled for their PFAS concentration. Private laying hen keepers do not usually know whether their garden is polluted with PFAS, and they tend to consume a large amount of these eggs. Therefore, Member States’ recommendations to consume less or no home-grown eggs can be justified, depending on the information on possible soil pollution available to the Member States. 1 Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 of 25 April 2023 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006. OJ L 119, 5.5.2023, p. 103, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/915/oj. 2 PFOS: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; PFOA: perfluorooctanoic acid; PFNA: perfluorononanoic acid; PFHxS: perfluorohexane sulfonic acid. 3 Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/931 of 23 March 2022 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down rules for the performance of official controls as regards contaminants in food. OJ L 162, 17.6.2022, p. 7–12 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2022/931/oj. 4 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/932 of 9 June 2022 on uniform practical arrangements for the performance of official controls as regards contaminants in food, on specific additional content of multiannual national control plans and specific additional arrangements for their preparation. OJ L 162, 17.6.2022, p. 13–22. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/932/oj. 5 Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431 of 24 August 2022 on the monitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances in food. OJ L221/105, 26.8.2022, P.105 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reco/2022/1431/oj.”
  PFAs
• 2024-11-29 “E-002702/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission There were several meetings between the Commission and the administration of the Republic of Poland involved in the nuclear power plant investment concerning the procurement aspects of the construction of this nuclear plant. The Commission was first approached in May 2022 and the last meeting on the procurement dimension of the investment in relation to the selection of the particular technology took place in December 2022. There was no approval by the Commission of any legal act of the Government of Poland or its entity. The Commission received information concerning the technical conditions that limit choice of nuclear reactors due to the cumulated power generation ranges they could provide. There was no Commission decision in this regard.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-11-13 “E-002509/2024 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission keeps all legislation under review. While the Inter-TSO (transmission system operators) compensation (ITC) is from 2010, important elements from the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators’ (ACER) 2013 report have been taken forward under different mechanisms since then. For example, a structured process with Member States on Projects of Common Interest (PCI) is in place and the Commission has allocated over EUR 10.5 billion so far to energy infrastructure projects 1 through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). In addition, the Regulation on guidelines for transEuropean energy networks 2 introduced cross-border cost allocation (CBCA) as a regulatory tool to facilitate the implementation of PCIs. CBCA decisions establish the sharing of the efficient investment costs of a PCI between the countries which are significantly impacted by the projects. Workstreams have been launched to split the costs of after-market actions (redispatching and countertrading) borne by TSOs fairly. A cost-sharing methodology, based on the polluter-pays principle, is currently under discussion between TSOs and Regulators. Following a Court judgement annulling a decision of the Bord of Appeal of ACER, discussions are now ongoing to implement this judgement. 3 Moreover, in 2023, ACER recommended 4 an update to the ITC methodology to ensure a more accurate representation of transit costs. TSOs are currently discussing how best to incorporate ACER’s recommendations into the methodology. 1 In the period 2014-2020, the Connecting Europe Facility allocated EUR 4.7 billion to studies and works supporting the implementation of 107 PCIs. The largest share of funding (89%) went to construction works, with most of this spending in the electricity sector. The new CEF programme for 2021-2027 allocates a total budget of EUR 5.8 billion to the energy sector. 2 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/infrastructure/trans-european-networks-energy_en 3 https://docs.publicnow.com/viewDoc?filename=23817%5CEXT%5C2BECDB7CC01E265D3A90E95EE17507 8E39530AB7_6A61ADD2291CDF6BC317D1C0F14BF37A28CA4C5A.PDF 4 https://www.acer.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Recommendations/ACER_Recommendation_01_2023 _on_the_Treatment_of_Losses_for_the_Purpose_of_the_ITC_Mechanism.pdf”
  Energy (green transition)
• “The Parliament is a place for dialogue. That's our strength here. This is a place where compromises are found between the political groups. That's the rationale behind a parliament. It's not always easy, but we accept the majority. And I think that that is the crucial point. Here in the Parliament. We can mediate where perhaps the member states of the EU have more trouble with something like that.”
  EU political integration
• “Mr. President, Commissioner, for detectable improvements which can be understood throughout the world, we need to think about climate change in all areas, from the next cap to the promotion of our industry. Sustainable agriculture gives a better chances to small farms. We need to have better production in Europe. That means less Transport safe for jobs and better added value and. Welfare. If we take on the technology lead, particularly for climate change, then we're ensuring that we keep jobs. Climate change can lead to a loss of jobs if we don't change things. If we stick to our old methods, then we're going to lose the lead. It should be the message for Brazil now.”
  Climate efforts
• “Well, let me throw a question back at you. Does this happen outside the EU or is this only inside the European Union? The European Parliament is unique anywhere in the world. And the key point is that we can create understanding in the member states for the work that is done here. The three institutions have to find a compromise. I think there's plenty of work on our plate there, but there is also for the members of the national parliaments.”
  EU political integration
• “Chair 2.7 new cases of cancer every year, and that might increase 19% in the coming years. That's impressive because it means a huge amount of suffering and lots of pressure on our health systems. If we look at the US. We need to realize that environmental influences like air pollution and pesticides are responsible for this increase in, uh, in cases. It's high time that we look at prevention and look beyond. But the opposite is happening at the moment. And instead of a holistic approach in fighting cancer at the moment in the European Parliament, the health committee is dealing with environmental issues and food safety. It's time we take issues like pesticides seriously, and what we need urgently is a change of course. Here. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on pesticides
• “Madam president. Uh, Madam Commissioner, it's, uh, incredible that we're here again in the European Parliament talking about bees yet again. They are among the most useful and important animals that there are, and they need special protection. Unfortunately, they don't get that. It's quite the opposite. The problems which bees are facing are increasing. We, uh, are actually promoting the growth of bees, and we need to ensure that we don't suffer the losses that we have seen so far. Up to 30% of beans. Those who are surviving winter don't necessarily find the places that they need to live in the proper habitats because of the way in which we are conducting ourselves, so we cannot continue like this. So I'm very pleased to see this new deal to protect our bees. I'm very glad the Commissioner and the commission is taking this on board, but we need to do something further. We need to be a protector of bees as we have not been before, because if we had been, we wouldn't see the situation as it is now. We should have actually sorted out the whole issue by having necessary authorisations in certain contexts. I think that nobody has achieved anything. If we use products which are harming bees. We need to solve the problem. And it's not solutions that we've been working through at the moment. We have seen a problem which we have been aggravating. What we are seeing is our bodies are also absorbing toxic substances through the pesticides which are used. So we need to solve this problem with the pesticides. It's going to help the bees and it's going to help us as well. We need to look at alternative pesticides, green pesticides to make sure that we're in the situation, to have new instruments available to us that we can work with properly. So let's ensure that we give our environment thereby a good chance of recovery.”
  EU policy on pesticides
• “Mr. President. Madam Commissioner, we're talking today about better treatment of endometriosis. And at the same time, we are talking about a deep problem in our healthcare system. Our healthcare system is a bit biased. It tends not to take into account the female perspective enough in medicine. All too often medicines have been designed, you know, in prototype to deal with men men's problems. And it hasn't taken account of the fact that there are differences in the effects on men and women. So really, this gender gap has not been properly addressed. We also need much more awareness amongst men about this. Any initiative that can contribute to this would be very welcome. What is also crucial is that we, as a Parliament, together with the Commission, should continue to start initiatives for more research into this disease, including at a time of budget tightening. All too often there are too many open questions. There's not enough knowledge. We have to do more. We have great responsibility for this.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “President. Members. I'm a member of the Euronest Assembly, and I think it's a terrible shame that Azerbaijan has announced its withdrawal. The aim of Euronest is to add a parliamentary dimension to the neighbourhood policy in this region. It's necessary. And we saw that in the recent armenia-azerbaijan conflict. In that situation, I call on all of the players to use any opportunity for dialogue to arrive at a lasting, peaceful solution. Azerbaijan's announcement to suspend cooperation with the European Parliament is therefore a shame because of the fundamental values that we have in Europe. If a country wants to work together with the EU but then stops working with our democratic institution, that's a pause for thought. It shows that the EU is not seen as a single whole. We need to shape things. Democracy is a fundamental part of Europe, and we have to make that clear to everybody. We say that the He is a shining a light on human rights. We can't. We just be paying lip service to it. We have to show and demonstrate our fundamental values and take them seriously ourselves. That means that we have to make sure that our basic values are respected across the board. A little bit of Europe is too little. If we want economic benefit, anyone who wants to economically benefit from cooperation with us has to respect our values. And that's the only basis on which our joint Europe can show its values, and we can transmit our values successfully. In the current world. We need one thing more democracy, more dialogue, and a readiness to compromise. That's what we stand for here in the Parliament. And the EU is going to have to project the same message.”
  EU-Azerbaijan relations
• “President. Commissioner. The right to clean water ought to go without saying in Europe, but it doesn't. We all know the environmental protection reports that have reported about the dangers of PFAS, the forever chemicals in lakes, groundwater, rivers and therefore also in drinking water. Banning PFAS would be an important step forward, but it seems that there is a lack of courage. We also have two higher use of pesticides in Europe. We need a research strategy to look at organic pesticides. Agriculture needs new tools that it can work sustainably and increase yields, particularly in the face of climate change. The quality of water is not something we can compromise on, and the Commission has to act with determination against those member States who reject that.”
  PFAs
• “President. Commissioner, um, we talked about GMOs with the commission and taken decisions. But this also has an aspect of democratic authority, because we've voted time and time again on a position which the Commission has ignored. Our Europe believes that people should contribute with their opinions, and they their voice is heard here in the European Parliament. So it's high time that their reservations are taken into account. And those are the reservations being expressed here. So please stress the importance of sustainability in agriculture by not allowing more GMO GMOs. And also invest in the sustainability of our institutions, which is what Europe really needs. Thank you.”
  GMOs