Susanna CECCARDI

Policy topics Susanna CECCARDI is active on

What Susanna CECCARDI has said (23)

• 2026-02-25 “P-00783/2026 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The issuance of identity cards is a responsibility of the Member States. Member States are not required to report statistics on the number of identity cards in circulation whose validity is affected by the phasing-out deadline laid down in Article 5(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2025/1208. As a result, the Commission does not have statistics on this point. The Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2025/1208 by unanimity on 12 June 2025. The phasing-out periods for identity cards laid down in Article 5 of that Regulation were also supported by the European Parliament 1 . In view of the clear position of the legislator, the Commission does not envisage proposing an extension of the deadline laid down in Article 5(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2025/1208. However, the Commission is in contact with Italy and Greece, two Member States whose identity cards are (partially) affected by the deadline laid down in Article 5(2)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2025/1208. 1 European Parliament legislative resolution of 2 April 2025 on the proposal for a Council regulation on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and of residence documents issued to Union citizens and their family members exercising their right of free movement (COM(2024)0316 – C10-0112/2024 – 2024/0187(CNS).”
  Electronic identity
• 2026-02-06 “E-000491/2026 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Directive 2009/128/EC 1 provides an overall prohibition of aerial spraying. However, Member States may grant derogations for special situations and under defined conditions. Considering that application of plant protection products (PPP) by drones can reduce the risks on human health (e.g. operators) and the environment, the Commission prepared a proposal to amend Directive 2009/128/EC through the Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package 2 adopted on 15 December 2025. It proposes to allow Member States to grant a general derogation from the prohibition on aerial spraying for certain types of drones identified by the Commission in a delegated act as applying PPP under equivalent or lower level of risks. The Commission will adopt a delegated act listing the types of drones that could be used for aerial spraying. The proposed specific rules would complement the requirements set in Regulations (EU) 2019/945 3 and 2019/947 4 , including on the competence of pilots, the operational limitations, and technical and operational parameters. EU-funded projects have tested the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles solutions, including drones, for pesticide spraying and other uses in agriculture, with combined investment of over EUR 17 million. Through their Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans, Member States may support a wide range of investments. Investments in precision farming can contribute to the competitiveness and profitability of farms by reduced production costs and improved environmental performance by reduced inputs (e.g., water, energy, fertilizer or PPPs), leading to greater environmental benefits. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02009L0128-20190726. 2 https://food.ec.europa.eu/document/download/f08402e6-de66-4082-bf8dec3aff7787bb_en?filename=horiz_omnibus_dir_com-2025-1021-1part1.pdf. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/945/oj/eng. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2019/947/oj/eng.”
  EU policy on pesticides · Digital and precision farming
• 2026-02-06 “E-000490/2026 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission The Commission acknowledges the threat posed by transnational left-wing extremism, which varies across Member States. Its transnational dimension is increasingly shaped by geopolitical tension which serve as catalysts for cross-border radicalisation. Europol supports Member States in information sharing, in jointly carrying out investigative and operational activities, and in preparing threats assessments, strategic and operational analysis. It focuses on identifying trends and cross-border activities, improving law enforcement cooperation, and ensuring an effective EU response to the threats of serious international and organised crime, cybercrime and terrorism in the EU. The EU has a robust legal framework in place, including the Terrorist Content Online Regulation 1 and the Digital Services Act (DSA) 2 . In particular, the Terrorist Content Online Regulation provides a unique legal framework to counter specifically the dissemination of terrorist content, while the DSA harmonises the rules applicable to intermediary services (including online platforms) and aims to ensure a safe, predictable and trusted online environment, addressing the dissemination of illegal content online and the societal risks that the dissemination of other type of content may generate. In addition, the Commission is working with digital platforms in the framework of the EU Internet Forum to take additional voluntary measures to counter the misuse of hosting services for terrorist or violent extremist purposes regardless the underlying ideology. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/784 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 on addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online (Text with EEA relevance), OJ L 172, 17.5.2021. 2 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), OJ L 277, 27.10.2022.”
  Surveillance equipment & spyware · EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters
• 2026-01-29 “E-000382/2026 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The Commission and EU Agencies 1 support and monitor scientific progress on microplastics to aid EU legislation. Microplastic pollution is assessed in reports by the Joint Research Centre and the EEA 2 . The European research cluster to understand the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics (CUSP) 3 is a EU-funded research initiative 4 , to advance the development, and harmonisation of materials and analytical methods. CUSP has produced 200+ publications 5 , including on addressing methodological challenges 6 . The CUSP Research Roadmap 7 summarises findings and highlights major challenges ahead. At the Parliament's request, EFSA will provide a scientific opinion on potential health risks from microplastics, and on analytical methods 8 . The Commission and scientific community recognise the limitations of current methodologies for detecting microplastics, especially for smaller particles, and advise caution in reporting findings. However, humans ingest and inhale microplastics, and small particle accumulation in human tissues remains a concern. The 2023 Regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH) 9 restriction on microplastics is based on an assessment by ECHA, that concluded there is an environmental risk from microplastic emissions. This conclusion is not challenged by studies referring to effects on human health. The Plastic Pellet Losses Regulation 10 states that any harm to human health is considered ‘potential’, with precautionary measures taken based on the opinion 11 of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors. In 2025 the Commission launched a new EUR 40 million 1 European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), European Food and Safety Agency (EFSA), European Environment Agency (EEA). 2 Key messages from EEA-JRC report 13/2024:‘Microplastics are a major emerging pollutant of concern as the chemical compounds within them can pose a threat to human health. While much data is available on the presence of microplastics in the environment, knowledge on the health impacts of microplastics is currently lacking. The Commission initiated regulatory actions, such as a restriction of non-degradable and non-soluble (semi-)synthetic polymer microparticles and of products that contain them. While a number of research projects are ongoing, significant data gaps remain regarding microplastic sources, exposure pathways and levels of concern for humans and the environment’. Full report: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/zeropollution-monitoring-and-outlook-report. 3 https://cusp-research.eu/. 4 CUSP received a funding of EUR 30 million and consists of 5 projects connecting 70+ organisations from 22 countries. 5 https://zenodo.org/communities/cusp-research/records?q=&l=list&p=1&s=10&sort=newest. 6 https://zenodo.org/records/17038462. 7 https://zenodo.org/records/17467125. 8 https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/microplastics-european-parliament-requests-scientific-advice-efsa. 9 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02006R1907-20140410. 10 Regulation (EU) 2025/2365; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2365/oj/eng. 11 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/knowledge-publications-tools-and-data/publications/allpublications/environmental-and-health-risks-microplastic-pollution_en.”
  EU policy towards plastics · Microplastics
• 2026-01-12 “P-000070/2026 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU has reacted swiftly, strongly and in a united fashion to the unprecedented violence used by the Iranian authorities to suppress protests in the country. On 9 January 2026, on behalf of the EU27, High Representative/Vice President (HR/VP) firmly condemned 1 the use of violence, arbitrary detention, and intimidation tactics by security forces, and expressed the solidarity with the Iranian people. The EU stressed that the nationwide communications blackout imposed by the Iranian authorities is unacceptable. The HR/VP condemned the brutal repression against protesters in Iran again on 22 January 2026 2 . The EU follows closely developments and has urged Iranian authorities to restore all communications, including full access to the internet, and to ensure the right of access to information. The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on 29 January 2026 reached the political agreement to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation 3 , sending a strong political message that there can be no impunity for the brutality which with peaceful demonstrations have been suppressed. The EU has imposed new restrictive measures on several individuals and entities directly involved in the repression and the internet censoring, among them the Minister of Interior and several members of the IRGC. More than 290 individuals and entities directly involved in human right violations in Iran are now listed under the dedicated Iran human rights regime. In addition, during the FAC, the Commission raised the point on continuing support to civil society organisations, and the importance of coordinated Member State action. Civil society remains key to supporting Iranians in their bid to live a life of dignity under good governance. The EU has supported the holding of a Human Right Council Special Session, with a strong statement condemning the repression and supporting accountability mechanisms, including the work of the UN Fact Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur for human rights in Iran. 1 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/01/09/iran-statement-by-the-hr-on-behalf-of-theeu-on-the-situation-in-the-country/. 2 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/ep-plenary-opening-statement-eu-hrvp-brutal-repression-against-protestersiran_en. 3 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2026/02/19/eu-terrorist-list-council-designates-theislamic-revolutionary-guard-corps-as-a-terrorist-organisation/.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · EU-Iran relations
• 2025-11-07 “E-004425/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is a performance-based instrument, providing financial support to Member States for implementing a combination of reforms and investments, outlined in the recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) approved by the Council. The Commission will assess the completion of the projects financed by the RRF in line with the requirements embedded in the relevant milestones and targets as outlined in the Annex to the Council Implementing Decision on the approval of Italy’s RRP 1 . Member States’ authorities are responsible for the selection of the projects financed under the RRF and are primarily responsible to ensure the compliance of the projects undertaken in the context of their national RRP with national and EU law. Regarding the planned construction of the new telecom tower in Treggiaia, Investment 3: Fast internet connections (Ultra-Broadband and 5G) – in particular, the target M1C2-21 – of Italy’s RRP includes targets in terms of 5G coverage of market failure areas. As indicated by Italy in the notification of the ‘Italia 5G’ measure and in Commission decision SA.100557, information on existing physical infrastructure has been made available to the concessionaire, in order to allow it to consider the reuse of such infrastructure in light of its network requirements. 1 Council Implementing Decision of 25 November 2025 amending the Implementing Decision of 13 July 2021 on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Italy, ST 15106/25.”
  EU industrial funding · 5G
• 2025-07-01 “E-002655/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The mentioned project, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Tuscany Region for the period 2021-2027, aims to foster understanding of gender roles and challenge stereotypes through various educational activities. These efforts seek to cultivate an inclusive environment from an early age and protect children from potential bullying. This initiative falls under the broader framework of promoting equality and diversity, aligning with European, national and regional strategies. As set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, equality and respect for human dignity and human rights are common values shared by the Member States. The Commission remains steadfast, within the limits of its competences, in its commitment to tackling discrimination, inequalities and challenges faced by women and men, girls and boys, in all their diversity, including in education – as outlined in our Gender Equality Strategy 20202025 1 and the LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer) Equality Strategy 2020-2025 2 . The Roadmap for Women’s Rights, adopted in March 2025, reaffirms the importance of quality and inclusive education as a key driver for a gender-equal society 3 . The Commission requires that EU-funded projects comply with EU law, including the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union 4 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52020DC0152. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0698. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0097. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/char_2012/oj/eng.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion · Role of education (social change vs. tradition)
• 2025-06-25 “P-002560/2025 Answer given by Mr Micallef on behalf of the European Commission It is up to Member States to decide whether organisations, including those acting as cultural centres, may receive indirect public funding through national tax mechanisms. These decisions fall under national jurisdiction, including the classification of organisations, oversight of their activities, and the enforcement of transparency and accountability measures. While the Commission does not intervene in these national frameworks, it encourages Member States to ensure such funding is transparent and compliant with legal and ethical standards. Moreover, Member States have significant autonomy to choose whom, what, when, and at what rate to tax as long as there is no tax harmonisation on the specific issue at EU level. The Commission does not thus generally track what types of specific tax treatment various specific types of institutions or economic operators are subject to across the EU Member States. The Commission encourages the use of public funds, both direct and indirect, to support activities and initiatives that uphold EU values 1 , such as respect for human dignity, democracy, and the rule of law. The Commission does not discriminate on grounds of religion or beliefs nor classifying partner organisations based on religious affiliation. Programmes like Creative Europe 2 allocate funding based solely on artistic, scientific, and cultural merit. Independent experts evaluate applications based on relevance, content quality, project management, and dissemination, without regard to religious or ideological affiliation. 1 Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, OJ C 202/1, 7.6.2016; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12016M%2FTXT. 2 https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe.”
  Regulation of NGOs in Europe · EU policy on Islam
• 2025-05-14 “E-001923/2025 E-001958/2025 Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Honourable Member will find all relevant information on the use of air taxis by the President and Members of the Commission, the destinations, costs, justifications and the purpose of each travel, since 2019 on dedicated webpages which ensure transparency of missions for the public 1 . The information on specific trips includes information when an air taxi was used and what the average cost was per person (Members and staff) on the flight. 2. The Commission draws the Honourable Members’ attention to Commission Decision C/2018/0700 2 under which ‘As a general rule, the air taxi may be authorised only under exceptional circumstances, either when commercial flights are not available to reach a destination or when they cannot fit with the Member of the Commission's diary, or for security reasons. A careful check of all options should be made, including agenda planning, so that the air taxi is only envisaged as a last option’. 3. While considering these exceptional needs for the use of air taxis in the interest of the service and following the European Green Deal 3 , the Commission committed in its Greening Communication 4 to carbon neutrality by 2030 reducing first its overall carbon footprint by 60% from 2005 to 2030 (or 38% from 2019 to 2030 5 ). This includes an objective to reduce emissions from missions. The Commission has made significant progress with a 31% reduction 6 in its carbon footprint since 2019, and is on track to reach the 2030 objective, with a strong focus on sustainable buildings, greener mobility, and digitalisation, as well as exploring new initiatives such as carbon pricing and common purchase platforms for carbon removals. 1 See the transparency section within the Members of the Commission dedicated webpage https://commission.europa.eu/about/organisation/college-commissioners_en. 2 Annex 2 to Commission Decision C(2018) 700 final of 31 January 2018 on a Code of Conduct for the Members of the European Commission. See: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018D0221(02). 3 The European Green Deal Striving to be the first climate-neutral continent: See: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en. 4 C(2022)2030 final of 5 th April 2022 Communication to the Commission – Greening the Commission See https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/24c26f7d-2c51-4f69-8b062d5be859c7fc_en?filename=c_2022_2230_2_en_act_part1_v11.pdf. 5 C(2022)2030 final of 5 th April 2022 Annexes to the Communication to the Commission – Greening the Commission See https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/7e10b3b4-06fd-4319-863bfee762dd6582_en?filename=c_2022_2230_1_en_annexe_acte_autonome_cp_part1_v9.pdf. 6 Data from the Draft EMAS Environmental Statement 2025 (results 2024), currently under external validation.”
  Climate efforts · Budget for EU politicians
• 2025-04-09 “P-001458/2025 Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission The Commission refers to its replies to the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 11/2025 1 . A definition of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) has been recently included in the Financial Regulation (FR), 2 together with the need to indicate in a direct management grant application whether the entity is an NGO. The Commission will explore whether this recent definition of an NGO should and could be further clarified. Such clarification should not increase administrative burden for NGOs, be proportionate and not limit access to EU funds. There is no indication that the NGO status poses a higher risk for the EU budget, compared to other types of entities. The NGO status is generally not a prerequisite for receiving EU funding. The Commission will explore increasing the frequency of updates in the Financial Transparency System 3 . In accordance with Article 38 FR, the Commission will make available on a centralised website information on recipients of EU funds under all management modes as for post 2027 programmes. The Commission’s current data mining and risk-scoring tool ‘Arachne’ serves control and audit, and not to verify respect of EU values. The FR provides for further development of this IT tool only as regards control and audit functions 4 . The Commission is open to exploring the feasibility of introducing further risk indicators to enhance checks on compliance with EU values, provided this is technically possible and in line with the applicable rules. Any such assessment could be carried out only following the further development of Arachne, which is to be delivered by the end of 2027. Interest representatives that apply for EU funding, which would typically include NGOs, must register in the Transparency Register 5 and declare their main sources of funding, the amount of each contribution above EUR 10,000 exceeding 10% of their total budget and the name of the contributor. 1 https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications?ref=SR-2025-11. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202402509. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/budget/financial-transparency-system/index.html; the annual publications are based on Article 38 of the Financial Regulation (OJ L 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, p. 1–239), and in accordance with the third paragraph of the article, information on recipients is not disclosed in specific cases outlined therein. 4 See recitals 29-32 and Article 36 of the FR. See also the Joint statement of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the single data mining and risk-scoring tool provided for in Article 36 of the Financial Regulation on the occasion of the adoption of Regulation 2024/2509, OJ C, C/2024/5767, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5767/oj. 5 https://transparency-register.europa.eu/index_en.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget · Transparency requirements of EU institutions · Regulation of NGOs in Europe
• 2025-02-12 “E-000653/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission 1. ReFuelEU Aviation 1 was overwhelmingly supported by the European Parliament 2 and the Council 3 . The Commission carried out an Impact Assessment before adopting the proposal which shows benefits through 250.000 net job creation and a new push for innovation and research 4 . Fuel costs derived from the 2% minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will increase costs for airlines over the short term as SAF are currently more expensive than kerosene. However, SAF prices are expected to mean an overall cost increase for airlines of around 1% by 2029. SAF prices are expected to go down from the current levels over the medium term easing the upward pressure on costs. The EU SAF market for biofuels is growing faster and higher than the minimum legal requirements in ReFuelEU Aviation. The SAF Allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), and other tools offer financial support for the production and uptake of SAF 5 . This is allowing for the price increases to remain largely subdued over the short term. The increase in scale will lead to economies of scale, production efficiencies and industrial maturity that are expected to reduce the prices of SAF and consequently the relative price of blended SAF throughout the EU market. 2. 20 million EU ETS allowances worth around EUR 1.6 billion are supporting the decarbonisation by compensating for the price differential between SAF and kerosene in flights covered by the EU ETS. Other EU financial instruments are also supporting SAF production scale up such as the Innovation Fund and InvestEU. The Commission will present later in 2025 a Sustainable Transport Investment Plan as part of the Clean Industrial Deal 6 which will outline short and medium-term measures to further support SAF. 1 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/air/environment/refueleu-aviation_en 2 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230911IPR04913/70-of-jet-fuels-at-eu-airports-willhave-to-be-green-by-2050 3 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/10/09/refueleu-aviation-initiative-counciladopts-new-law-to-decarbonise-the-aviation-sector/ 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12303-Sustainable-aviation-fuelsReFuelEU-Aviation_en 5 https://climate.ec.europa.eu/news-your-voice/news/adoption-eu-rules-ets-support-system-accelerate-usesustainable-aviation-fuels-2025-02-06_en 6 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• 2024-12-13 “E-002945/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission Article 5(1) of the Waste Framework Directive 1 entitled ‘By-products’ provides that Member States shall take appropriate measures to ensure that a substance or object resulting from a production process the primary aim of which is not the production of that substance or object is considered not to be waste, but to be a by-product if the following conditions are met: - further use of the substance or object is certain; - the substance or object can be used directly without any further processing other than normal industrial practice; - the substance or object is produced as an integral part of a production process; and - further use is lawful, i.e. the substance or object fulfils all relevant product, environmental and health protection requirements for the specific use and will not lead to overall adverse environmental or human health impacts. Without prejudice to the interpretation of the Court of Justice of the EU, which alone can provide a legally binding interpretation of EU law, the Commission considers that, unlike the activities in the case law cited by the Honourable Members 2 , pruning and other maintenance of vegetation cannot be considered a ‘production process’ as their objective is not the manufacturing of any product. Consequently, the Commission considers that grass clippings and other residues from pruning and other maintenance of vegetation cannot be considered ‘by-products’ within the meaning of Article 5(1) of the Directive. This does not prevent their use for composting or biogas production 3 . 1 Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3–30. 2 In C-238/21, the substance in question was the materials excavated or demolished in the course of a construction project. In C-114/01 the substance considered was the leftover rock resulting from the extraction of ore and/or ore-dressing sand resulting from the dressing of ore in mining operations. In C-235/02 the substance considered was the petroleum coke produced in an oil refinery. 3 According to article 22 of Directive 2008/98/EC, bio-waste shall as of 31 December 2023 be either separated and recycled at source or collected separately and not mixed with other types of waste.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-11-20 “E-002592/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission 1. According to available information, Tuscany’s regional waste management plan has not yet been formally adopted at regional Council level. After its adoption, the plan shall be placed on a publicly available website. Italy shall inform the Commission of the adoption 1 . When this has taken place, the Commission will assess the plan in relation to the legal requirements of the Waste Framework Directive and the Common Provisions Regulation 2 . 2. The Common Provisions Regulation lays down the conditions for Member States to access the European Regional Development Fund 3 , and the Cohesion Fund 4 , the so-called ’enabling conditions’. The enabling condition on updated planning for waste management means that one or more waste management plan(s) as referred to in the Waste Framework Directive shall be in place and include a number of specific elements 5 . As for the Recovery and Resilience Facility 6 , the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) includes several measures related to waste management. However, the adoption of the regional waste management plans is not included in the Italian RRP. Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are required to ensure compliance of measures included in the RRPs with EU and national law, including with the EU environmental acquis. In regard to the RRP, the Commission assesses compliance with the requirements of the Council Implementing Decision 7 upon receipt of the relevant payment requests. As a rule, following the principle of ‘do not significant harm’ (DNSH), landfills, incinerators, mechanical biological treatment plants, and activities where the long-term disposal of waste may cause harm to the environment are not eligible to be financed under RRPs. 1 Article 31-33 of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3–30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109–140. 2 Article 28 of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, Annex IV, Section 2.6 of the Common Provisions Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/erdf_en 4 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funding/cohesion-fund_en; N.B. Italy is not eligible for the Cohesion Fund. 5 Annex IV, Section 2.6 of the Common Provisions Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy, OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159–706. 6 https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility_en 7 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/a0e7539e-8d32-11ee-8aa6-01aa75ed71a1/language-en”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-08-22 “E-001544/2024 Answer given by Ms Ivanova on behalf of the European Commission While the protection of cultural heritage, including industrial heritage, is primarily the responsibility of Member States, the Commission recognises the importance of preserving European cultural heritage. Under Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, action by the EU is limited to encouraging cooperation between Member States and supporting and supplementing their action, with a view to conserving and safeguarding cultural heritage of European significance. The Creative Europe programme has co-funded cooperation projects focussing on the preservation and promotion of industrial design, such as Textile Heritage Inspiring Creatives 1 . A number of other mechanisms are available to protect industrial and cultural heritage. For instance, under the recast Directive on the legal protection of designs 2 , Member States have the possibility to introduce a ground for non-registrability or invalidity of an industrial design if a design contains elements belonging to cultural heritage that are of national interest. Furthermore, as from 1 December 2025, certain craft and industrial products will be eligible for geographical indication protection (provided they comply with the necessary requirements). Geographical indication protection for craft and industrial products at EU level have been established by Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 3 , which aims to improve awareness as regards the authenticity of products and safeguard cultural heritage 4 . 1 https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe/projects/search/details/595936-CREA-1-2018-1-IT-CULT-COOP3 2 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-12714-2023-ADD-1/en/pdf 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2411 4 Geographical indications for craft and industrial products - European Commission (https://single-marketeconomy.ec.europa.eu/industry/strategy/intellectual-property/geographical-indications-craft-and-industrialproducts_en) Geographical Indications - EUIPO (https://www.euipo.europa.eu/en/gi-hub).”
  EU and national cultural identities
• “Madam president, 100 days have passed since the beginning of the new commission. 100 days of announcements, slogans, declarations. It seems that the Europe is governed by press conference. And if we just listen to the commission's announcements, then we would be the strongest, best defended, richest continent on the planet. But we can't even protect our own borders from invasions of illegal migrants. America is lowering income tax and restarting its economy. You're focusing on the Green Deal and more bureaucracy. Well well done. When it comes to Simplification. The only thing Brussels can simplify is how to shoot themselves in the foot. More green madness that penalizes our businesses and our farmers. So after 100 days it's the same old song. Lots of words. More Europe on paper. No solutions for citizens and companies. Enough with your vain promises, president von der Leyen. You either have to change your route or change jobs.”
  Von der Leyen
• “Thank you, Vice President Rivera. You are promoting in the in the commission a nuclear renaissance with the plan of around 240 billion announced in February 2026. Very good. Because Lega party in Italy has long supported the case of clean and safe next generation nuclear energy. But as former Spanish minister, you confirmed that the timetable for the complete shutdown of nuclear power plants in Spain between 2027 and 2035 will remain unchanged. How do you reconcile this contradiction? And in the face of increasing energy prices and geopolitical instability, do not believe that the EU should adopt a more pragmatic approach, such as the recent temporary easing decided by the United States under Donald Trump.”
  Nuclear energy
• “Madam, I'm going to reply in Italian. I want my, fellow Italians to understand what I'm saying here. Italy has been even too open to people coming in from other parts of the world who were escaping war. But most of these criminals don't come from countries at war. They're they're not escaping countries where, human rights are being oppressed. On the contrary, most of these countries of origin have a higher economic growth than ours.”
  Asylum & border control
• “One good afternoon to those of you on the left. And thank you very much indeed for this umpteenth waste of our time, because all we needed was to waste our time on a discrimination directive which has been stuck at standstill for 17 years because we have, uh, umpteen problems in Europe. And it's the citizens of Europe who are discriminated against, our culture. Our traditions are simply muzzled and crushed. We are forced to endure endless, uncontrolled immigration which threatens our security and our work. We defend the traditional family, our roots, our freedom to think our own thoughts. And we are not prepared to put up with this propaganda of yours. We do not need this anti-discrimination directive, which, as I say, has been stuck in the cupboard for 17 years. This is not what the citizens want. They want respect for their own history, for their own culture. Defending your identity is not discrimination. It is patriotism. It is freedom. And we will never stop doing that. We will defend our patriotism, our countries, our nations to the hilt. And we will not waste time in the way that you wish. Thank you.”
  EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• “History has shown us that to kill a fascist is not a crime. That's what is shouted at left wing protests. But fascism died years ago, whereas militant anti-fascism still kills today in Europe, the cradle of rights and tolerance. Paramilitary organisations of the far left roam the streets armed with molotovs and hammers. They're looking for skulls to smash. Those who don't match their way of thinking. Isn't it a crime to kill somebody who's 23 years old? Charlie Kirk was killed and nobody on the left was in was indignant. But what can we expect from a Parliament? Who? Which. Gave immunity to a representative who was accused of going with a left wing organisation to knock people's heads together in Hungary? Nobody here criticised the killing of Charlie Kirk or Quentin. And you are victims of that violence and you are complicit in that violence.”
  Rule of law in Hungary
• “Dear colleague, think, European people don't want more criminals in Europe because we don't know their family. And, if, they come here and they are not alone, maybe, their family doesn't care or their family, is not, is not, welcome here, I think. We have to control who come here, and the the control should be in their origin country.”
  Asylum & border control
• “Thank you. Now, if we are not able to protect our children, we are failing in our most sacred duty. Miners all too often fall victim to heinous crimes. Sexual exploitation, child pornography, and international trafficking. Behind these crimes are organized networks, unscrupulous criminals who trade in human lives. Now, against these monsters, what we need are extremely strict penalties, and we need European collaboration and zero tolerance. There's no right or left on this. There's only the duty to defend the most undefended. No hesitations. But the threat to our children doesn't only come from the criminals themselves, but those who affect them. From the early stage. I'm looking. I'm talking about lbgtq+ rights, who try to force ideas on children without the necessary awareness or the age to understand. Children have to be protected in their innocence, not exposed to ideological experiments which seek to rule out their biological identity. The family, the mother and the father. Our children, our grandchildren are not social guinea pigs. They are our future. They are our hope. It's our duty to defend them both against the criminals, as also against those who want to sexualize them. Um, running, uh, conducting another horrible form of abuse.”
  LGBTIQ+
• “Thank you, madam president. According to Europol, minors represent 70% of the criminal market, but there's an elephant in the room. Most of those children used by mafias are unaccompanied minors. Who are they? Are they really as old as they say they are? These rules for age verification are useless and need to be reviewed. Most of these children are foreigners because organized crime has a efficient welfare state in some ways. They give immediate work as a dealer or as a mule. They give money, and they give a chance for immediate employ employment. So why should we pretend that this is just about encrypted platforms or a lack of cooperation between countries? This is why in Italy, we want a lower age of criminal responsibility because a criminal is a criminal, however old they are. We need more checks on minors, especially unaccompanied minors, and the traffickers who bring them in.”
  EU policy on criminal justice
• “Thank you. Chair. I switched to Italian. Once again, in this report, the spectre of foreign interference is raised. But there is a risk that the more tangible risk to freedom of speech is not coming from outside the EU, but from Brussels, such as the Digital Services Act with preventative censorship or the Facebook files. The hidden X files revealed by Musk, which show manipulation, indeed shows also the manipulation of algorithms, a sinister reminder of the ministry of truth as imagined by Orwell. I do have a question for you. Following the revelations in the Facebook files on the X blacklists, and after the founder of telegram revealing that French intelligence had requested that he censure Pro-right campaigns during the groups during the election campaign in Romania. Can we really talk about transparency without hypocrisy? How can the European Commission stick to its values, while it's still also trying to muscle in on uncomfortable, information altering algorithms which have affected citizens in Romania for ECR?”
  Disinformation & online freedoms