Nikolina BRNJAC

Policy topics Nikolina BRNJAC is active on

What Nikolina BRNJAC has said (46)

• 2026-06-17 “(10:42:58 – 10:44:13): Colleagues, the European Council is going to be very important about the new European budget, which will actually be decisive on what kind of Europe we want in the next decade. We are facing war, global competition, well as the technological race, and we have to work on our resilience competitiveness. So we cannot really finance our priorities by 2030 with the budget from the last century. We have to include transport, energy security, defense, and other issues. We cannot speak about the strengthening European competitiveness without allowing, for all member states to tap into funds. The experience with Horizon clearly goes to show that 90% of the budget is used by only 6 member states. It is an illusion to expect that this will make the European Union competitive at the global level, and we need to achieve economic balance because only if the competitiveness fund is available to everybody, we can speak about the competitive Europe. Thank you very much.”
  EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)
• 2026-06-16 “52:20 – 15:53:33): Thank you very much. European companies, MS, are looking for new strategies and will not measure our success on the number of new regulations, but according to simplification. Therefore, the House Committee proposed building permits to be issued in 60 days in a digitalized procedure, but also a package for housing. So my concrete question, since today we missed 10,000,000 apartments for our young people, for our medical staff that our young people cannot leave family homes. So my question, whether the package for housing for 2027 will include the proposal for building permits in 60 days? And what are the concrete measures that will be proposed to speed up the processes for housing building? Because without reduction of administration in this area, there will be no affordable housing for our young people.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you, chair for giving me the floor. And I would like to thank our rapporteur, my colleague Antonella from ECR and her work on this legislative opinion and the new European Connecting Europe facility with the proposed budget of 81.4 billion is not just another funding instrument, it is a strategic investment tool for Europe's competitiveness, security and for territorial cohesion. From my perspective, CEF must remain a strong instrument dedicated to projects with clear European added value, particularly cross-border infrastructure that member states cannot effectively deliver alone. And I believe that for Regi committee we can talk about CEF. One of the messages essential CF in the cohesion policies are not competitors, they are complementary. Cohesion policy strengthens regions from inside and CF connects them across borders. So without strong cross-border links like rail, ports, energy. Many regions risks remaining structurally disconnected from other, more developed parts of the European Union. So I therefore support prioritizing missing links and bottlenecks, especially in less developed rural border regions and islands. No region should be bypassed by more European corridors in transport. Full alignment with TNT Network Deadlines core network by 2030 and extended core by 2040 is crucial, and in energy, cross-border interconnections and renewable cooperation projects are key to security of supply and price stability. So finally, military mobility is a strategic priority, not a supplementary measure, but dual use infrastructure strengthens both our security and our regional connectivity. Seif must deliver tangible results, better connections, stronger, stronger and more resilient Europe. So we look forward to constructive cooperation with the rapporteur and with other political groups. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you chair. The single market is one of the greatest achievements of the EU, but today we have to be honest, Europe is not using its full potential. Our global competitors are investing in technologies, innovation, but European companies are still facing fragmented rules and slow procedures. If we want a Europe that's competitive, we have to give our companies what they need most security, predictability and a stable investment framework. A strong and functional single market is not just an economic project, it's the key to our strategic autonomy and long term prosperity of our citizens. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you very much. Madam president, Commissioner, the report Draghi clearly stated that Europe is behind the global competitors and we had 100 different solutions. Only 11% were implemented. One year later, as a reporter in Tehran for one of the key instruments of the new Multiannual Financial Framework of Europe, on behalf of the EPP, I believe that this project is very important. It needs to help small and medium enterprises in all the regions of Europe. Our goal needs to be a very clear, strong single market. Fewer administrative burdens and more opportunities for all entrepreneurs in Europe.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you. Thank you, Madam Berger for your presentation. And I am pleased to see that from the review that the control system in Croatia functions effectively with a significant amount of work being done on the prevention and the timely detection of irregularities of national control bodies and however across the European Union, as you said, we see that the level of errors in cohesion spending remains consistently above the acceptable. Two percentage of threshold. And when we look at the this percentage is even higher. When we look at the projects which are from the previous programme now being realized. So you answered me the first question before my the second question is and concern is also about the challenges which are facing small and medium entrepreneurs, particularly regarding public procurement for EU funded projects, because many times EU funds they receive represent less than half of the total project value. So should there be more effective and tailored support to help the small businesses effectively measure these procedures? This is my question. Thank you.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• “Thank you, chair, and thank you. Vice Executive Vice President and I will now switch to Croatian language. So I would like to thank you for presenting the mid-term review of the outcomes of the cohesion policy, where we see how important flexibility is in order for us to be able to face new challenges, such as affordable housing, which is a great problem for all member states. And in order to have a concrete solutions, we have to work at the local, national and European level. This is why the Croatian government passed the National Action Plan, where we changed some laws and bylaws in order to be able to collaborate with the local and regional authorities, which already have projects in place so that we can now start building affordable housing for young people throughout Croatia. And we also have a new act, the Affordable Housing Act, which is very important for every citizen because all the local and regional self-government units will analyze and see how many housing units they need. And based on this analysis, we will make other decisions. We will be able to see how much money we need to set aside in the next multiannual financial framework. Of course, we will not have enough public funding, not enough money to solve the housing crisis. So how the Commission intends to attract as much private capital as possible to deal with the housing crisis crisis in Europe. I know that the pan-European platform was mentioned. So how to increase the investment in affordable housing through private sector? Thank you.”
  EU policy on urban development
• “Thank you chair. And thank all the experts for your valuable contributions. So from the EPP group's perspective, uh, accelerating construction and reducing bureaucracy in the internal market must be one of the key priorities to any meaningful solution to European housing crisis. The stakes are clear. We need more housing, but faster, while still ensuring high environmental and safety standards. But what we hear time again from investors, from the local authorities, from SMEs in that red tape is the major bottleneck. And that is why EPP strongly supports swift implementation of the construction production regulation to ensure legal certainty and the revision of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive to make it more flexible, especially for urban areas where urgent housing demands requires fast track procedures. So we also call on the Commission to prepare a study on the impact of import tariffs and supply chain disruption, which are still driving up construction costs and timeliness across all member states. And the question for Miss Firlik is the first one. Will Digibro propose specific tools or fast track mechanism to help member states to accelerate permitting for critical housing projects. And the second question is how does the Commission plan to support actually SMEs in the construction sector? And the EPP stands ready to cooperate in the streaming line EU construction policy to support affordable, timely and sustainable housing. Thank you very much.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Commissioner, artificial intelligence brings many opportunities. But there are risks, especially when it comes to deep fakes. There is a possibility to blackmail people. The problem is because the implementation is not uniform. Platforms should take away all the illegal content. This should be done in a proper way and minors should be protected. But this comes also with the real protection of victims and application of law. Thank you.”
  Transparency and oversight of AI-generated content
• “President. Commissioner. Colleagues, if you want a competitive Europe and a successful green transition, we have to be honest to ourselves. Too many projects in Europe stop not because of lack of idea, but because of excess of bureaucracy. Permitting often takes years. Investors give up and our citizens are waiting for solutions today and not in years. Therefore, we need to shorten Certain procedures to be competitive and to let our SMEs breathe. Therefore, in the House Committee, we adopted a proposal to digitalise the procedures for permitting within 60 days because without fast permitting we will not build faster, and without this we will not solve the housing crisis or the green crisis transition. Thank you.”
  Digitalization of public governance & administration
• “Thank you very much. So the cooperation common understanding, which is a guideline to deepen our cooperation, cooperation in the area in key areas such as youth mobility, energy and sanitary and phytosanitary rules, is a really positive positive signal, especially in the area of fisheries that Nina Carberry, who is rapporteur for that side, spoke on. Um, but we need from the opposite side much more clarity in the coordination on foreign and security policies in the Middle East and Western Balkans and the exchange of information and positions together with European Union. How this is going to be, and in which sense we can expect the information to be provided from our British partners on the positions they are taking in certain issues, such as, for example, in Western Balkan on power sharing agreement and respect, full respect of the Paris Agreement, like such like a Good Friday Agreement. So on the further steps we would, I would like to have much more clarity. What has been agreed on this? I mean, if we are doing conflict prevention, how are we going to coordinate our positions? Um, and I would like to welcome this security and defence partnership. I think this is a very, very positive signal for Europe and for our transatlantic partners. So well done. And thank you very much, Commissioner.”
  EU-UK relations
• “Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The children today grow up in digital environment, which hasn't been built for them and which goes against their best interests. 97% young people use internet every day. Teenagers spend up to nine hours online on screens. Uh, children are exposed to illegal and pornographic and other harmful um contents. Uh, there are also many adults who are trying to groom children online, and, uh, age verification is really easy to circumvent. This is why we need to have stricter mechanisms to protect children against the manipulative and harmful content. I support this age verification framework um, and 16 as the limit unless the parents, um, allow children to be online and a complete ban for children who are younger than 13. This is what we must do to protect our children online, as we would in the real world. Uh, security is not an option. This is an obligation. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Commissioner. Colleagues. Cyber bullying has. Become one of the worst threats to mental health for children and young people in Europe. The internet should be the space for education has become a place of isolation and fear, according to 16% of European adolescents declared they were victims of cyber bullying. But the real number is probably much higher because many young people are not aware that they are victims of such bullying. These children very often lose hope and sometimes, unfortunately, they are pushed to suicide in Europe. Public services should be used to prevent such a situation. The action plan is an important step in that direction, but we have to be aware that that is not enough. Platforms have to take bigger responsibilities, and parents and teachers should know how to recognise such a problem. It is especially important that we work on digital literacy, and our message today should be very clear. We should not have cyber bullying as part and parcel.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “President, Commissioner. Ladies and gentlemen, Croatia and indeed the whole of Europe requires affordable housing for young families, for policemen, fire people, doctors and so on. Without European assistance, that's not possible because we have the worst housing crisis ever at the moment. It affects everybody, particularly young people and the middle classes. We have a big demographic and social problem there. Predictions that by 2040, every year 2 million. People of working age, age will be lost. 20% reduction in building permits every year. The plan for affordable housing is important for all Member states. There must be more on the market. Too little is being built, but over and above that, it's also essential. As commissioner said, it is essential that existing buildings be used using public and private means, but also using the means of the new policy. We have measures for short term rentals that's useful for tourism. But the increase by 53% recently is a problem for affordable housing. So that's why we've included this. We want transparency and we want to promote affordable housing. We've got to distinguish between small local owners and people who do this professionally. We can't do this in a month, but this plan is a big step forward. We want to help young families and young people to have their own homes quickly.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals · EU housing policy
• “Thank you. European Citizen Initiative is something that really incites Europe as diverse with different initiatives. But we have to invest in this diversity in the union because we have to have concrete problems. Programs for development of education and so on and so forth. And I call here upon the commission to do, uh, and support this initiative in order to support European cultural diversity. Thank you.”
  EU and national cultural identities
• “Opportunity to having, uh, to exchange views on the short term rentals. I already had the opportunity to talk with and discuss with the tourism task force and, uh, Apostolos Costas This office. Did you move regarding the short term rentals? And I will say later on why. So the regulating short term rentals, we all know it's an important issue in the context of housing crisis and especially for digital platforms. And in some European destinations, we see that short term rentals is more than 20% of total housing stock, which means that we have higher rental prices and reduced affordable housing for local residents. And in addition to the housing problems, also we have problems in tourist destinations and especially for the local population. They face pressures on infrastructure, traffic, water supply, waste disposal. So utility infrastructure and the quality of life of the local population at the end. So, but I believe that the most important principle in designing policies, uh, which is also clearly recognized in EU legislation, is data monitoring and designing policies based on evidence and exact data. So I would like to give you one example from my country, Croatia, where the negative effects of short term rentals are addressed within the policy goals of sustainable tourism development. And as the Croatian minister former, we adopted the Croatian Tourism Act, which includes some very important instruments and principles, I think, which could be useful on the EU level.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals
• “And it defines tools for data monitoring and analysis and clearly prescribes the roles, uh, in the data collection. The law also prescribes measures and tools for destination management and the role of the local and regional administration in evidence based decision making of limiting short term rentals, for example, in case of carrying capacity analysis. We identified a number of short term rentals as a problematic for sustainable tourism development. Then the local council can adopt a decision on limiting the number of short term rentals capacities, for example, prohibiting registration of new short term rentals 1 in 1 out, or prohibiting new short term rentals in part of destination. It can include not all of the city, but in part of destinations, for example, historical city centres. Then, in this year's state of the Union speech, president von der Leyen confirmed that in the coming period, the Commission will start preparing a legislative proposal for regulating short term rentals in context of affordable housing, because we have to have the limit. So I expect that the European Commission delivers a directive as soon as possible. And I believe that the Croatian Tourism Act could be a good example of how we can resolve this issue on the local, national and European level. Thank you.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals
• “Yes. Thank you. Chair. I will be very fast. So thank you, Commissioner, for presenting the High Speed Rail Action Plan. And we all understand the essential of the rails regarding geopolitical position, demographical development and competitiveness. And for someone who has been in the railway sector as a railway engineer for more than 20 years, I will tell you that we have been discussing the same challenges and same issues regarding signalization, interoperability, infrastructure alignment, financing and this is why I wanted to congratulate you for tackling this important issue through this ambitious plan. But without strong, I would say, an effective coordination across all of the member States. These problems cannot be solved. And I heard you mention in the beginning that, um, that you will also leave it to the infrastructure managers. But if you leave it to only to the infrastructure managers, I will tell you that in the beginning, nothing will will be happening as fast as you would like. And us here in the Parliament and you and from the Commission, because the national priorities and the budgets are often limited as speed and speed of the scope of the modernisation is completely then going in different directions. So I would my first question and the last will be if you are serious about the removing national technical and operational barriers, my suggestion that ERA must be empowered and that the ERA is the only agency that could solve this issue, but the ERA is currently having the smallest, smallest budget, uh, through agencies. So this is the question. Do you intend to strengthen its mandate, uh, For resources. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. The automotive industry is not only a pillar of our economy, it is also something that helps innovation. There are technical changes and the necessary Green Deal, but there are, um, uh, money that needs to be proposed in order to help the strategic autonomy, autonomy of our batteries. But we should not neglect alternative fuels like hydrogen. A European automotive industry can have innovation, but only if we prevent unloyal competition from other countries and have good rules. If we want the next generation of cars to be produced in a row in Europe, we now have to have vision and be very.”
  Sustainability of batteries regulation
• “Thank you Commissioner. I welcome the automotive package, which comes at a decisive moment for the European automotive industry. This is the basis of our power. But our industry is now facing global competition, accelerated technological change and the green transition. I also welcome the proposed changes to if we want to remain competitive and to preserve our automotive industry industry, we must provide greater, greater flexibility to producers. Without an appropriate infrastructure and without fiscal incentives, there can be no fair transition. Please slow down. If we want the next generation of vehicles to be made in Europe, we need technological neutrality and we need our highly qualified workers. Thank you.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Madam president, dear colleagues. Today people are worried in Europe. They are worried that they are not able to afford their own home. Young people work. They get education and careers. However, with these prices they cannot buy a property. Without a property, there is no family life, there is no demographic stability and there is no future. So this report sends a very clear message. Europe has an issue. We do not have enough housing units. We are not constructing enough. This is why we invite the Commission to present their package on the housing crisis. In order to construct the new residential units, use the land decreased prices. We need to simplify the laws that pertain to urban planning and permitting. Permits need to become digital, and they need to be issued within 60 days. We also need to have favorable tax framework for construction material, or perhaps not paying a tax when you buy your first property. This is the case in Croatia. We also need to tackle the issue of short term rental. However, we need to bear in mind the precarious balance in tourism destination. Today I have something symbolic with me. This is a key. This is a key for the millions of the Europeans. It is security and stability. Our goal is for every young person in Europe to have this key in their hands, the key to their own home. Thank you very much and I invite you to support this report.”
  EU housing policy
• “So thank you, chair. And I want to thank the commission for this important presentation. And first of all, I welcome the establishment, as we have already been talking, uh, about, um, first ever affordable housing task force. And, um, we think that smart, balanced approach to housing is something really needed and that, uh, we need to stimulate, uh, public private partnership, uh, to reduce the red tape that delays construction. We have discussed it a lot of times, and we think that the EU regulatory barriers that hinder housing development from public procurement to environmental, environmental permitting. So I urge the Commission to map the regulatory and financial barriers at all levels. And I would like to share briefly an example from my home country. So Croatia has recently adopted its first ever comprehensive strategic document on housing. It's called the National Housing Policy Plan until 2030. And also we have adopted the action plan. And this is the milestone since the first time since the independence of Croatia has defined a clear direction for the national housing policy. And the plan is the result of carefully mapping of the current challenges, along with an impact assessment underlying causes and barriers. And it is supported by coordinated measures from other sectors which we think is very important. So including taxes, tourism, management of multi-residential buildings and so on. And it also aims at strengthening the legal and governance framework. So and in the first year alone we will have adoption of 15 legal acts regarding the sustainable housing and affordable housing. So I would like to ask the Commission, will there be a comprehensive impact assessment on how existing EU rules affect housing costs and timelines? And we stand ready to cooperate constructively and make this initiative a success for all European Europeans. Thank you very much.”
  EU housing policy
• “Commissioner. The conclusions of the European Council show that the European Union is in a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and important decisions, which will decide on our competitiveness. In this context, the discussions on the new budget is strategic because it must be able to respond quickly and it must enable quick economic development. We live in a new world and therefore we need to act. We need to invest in what heightens our competition industry innovation, energetic security and regional development. A Europe which wants to be politically relevant needs to be economically strong.”
  Size of EU budget
• “Thank you very much. I think we need to help out here because we need to have a regime in place. It's going to help. We need to have a regime in place that will allow employment to take place in the European Union and help economic activities. There are 27 different regimes. Instead of having 27 different regimes, this regime will facilitate the cross-border activities. It will open the door for the small, innovative companies and for small countries such as the Croatia, such as Croatia. It will help retain the talent. Therefore, I expect the Commission already in the first, uh quarter to, uh, go forward with the implementation of this 28 regime.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “President. Commissioner. The European steel industry is under enormous pressure and a loyal competition. This is why I support stricter measures of the European Union. But we need to connect this discussion with everyday life of our citizens. In the last years, we have seen the rise of steel prices and construction material, and this has an effect on housing in Europe and new housing because the price is on the rise. This is why the steel industry is also connected to affordable housing and to housing security of our citizens. These two topics are connected.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you very much, Mr. Commissioner. Mr. Vice president, our goal needs to be clear. Every euro invested in CF has to have a dual use strengthening the civilian connectedness and also ensuring a fast transportation of forces and equipment throughout the European Union. So we need to implement the TNT network. We need to invest in investments in order to secure connectedness of the European Union. It is not a coincidence that there will be a summit of Three Seas Initiative, where this will be the main topic of discussion because of the role for security of Europe from the Adriatic Sea to the Baltics, and by investing in railways, ports and logistical networks, we are strengthening our defence. It is quite clear that the security of Europe is indivisible from the conductance.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you, chair. And thank you, Commissioner, for being here today with us. I fully and strongly support the plans for Pillar Approach. First of all, for boosting supply, then mobilising investments, then enabling reforms and supporting the ones most affected. However, I would like to stress two points. First, investments and loans will not be sufficient. As you said, if you mobilise unprecedented public and private resources under the current and next MFF. We must also tackle the structural drivers of the crisis. I therefore welcome the proposed Affordable Housing Plan Act, and I hope that it is going to help local authorities to identify drivers of the crisis and to find the most appropriate answer to them. And I also welcome the Commission's intention to present a legislative initiative on short term rentals as a part of Affordable Housing Act, and I believe that this will be really important. So because of the legal certainty and EU framework for data collection, the coherent Single Market framework are essential to support local authorities protecting housing affordability and to ensure fair competition and to ensure full implementation. And having in mind importance, as you said, of the functioning of the single market, it is also important to have an action affordable housing. So can you tell us more about the type and the content of the Future Act? If you have some kind of envisioned? And second, the implementation will be critical, but it lies primarily with the member States. My question, therefore, is for how the Commission intends to support, incentivize and guide Member States to ensure that the plans translate into concrete housing projects on the ground projects and models capable to answer on this crisis project. Uh, that make difference. And lastly, I want to point out that uh announced housing simplification package in 2027 is crucial in order to see faster building of housing across the European Union. So can you tell us a bit more about upcoming housing simplification package? Thank you very much.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you, chair. And thank you, Vice President Chakiris, for being again here with us. And since our last exchange in, I think in June, a commission has, as you said, adopted a European presented a European affordable housing plan. And this plan, the AIB Group is giving a central role and especially under the pillar two on mobilising investments. So a key element is the creation of Pan European investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing to be developed together with the EIB, with the national banks, promotional banks and other financial institutions by the end of, I think, 2026. And the aim is to bring projects together. And my first question is, how will this platform work in practice? Could you explain a little bit to us? Will it mainly function through invest EU, which you mentioned and blended finance, or will it be a separate structure with its own instruments? And for example, I'll give you the that we have 85% of the buildings which were built in Europe before 2000 year 2000. And from this amount, 70% of these houses are low energy efficiency. So how can EIB help also with renewable energy buildings funding? Thank you.”
  EU policy on urban development
• “Madam president, dear colleagues. Today people are worried in Europe. They are worried that they are not able to afford their own home. Young people work. They get education and careers. However, with these prices they cannot buy a property. Without a property, there is no family life, there is no demographic stability and there is no future. So this report sends a very clear message. Europe has an issue. We do not have enough housing units. We are not constructing enough. This is why we invite the Commission to present their package on the housing crisis. In order to construct the new residential units, use the land decreased prices. We need to simplify the laws that pertain to urban planning and permitting. Permits need to become digital, and they need to be issued within 60 days. We also need to have favorable tax framework for construction material, or perhaps not paying a tax when you buy your first property. This is the case in Croatia. We also need to tackle the issue of short term rental. However, we need to bear in mind the precarious balance in tourism destination. Today I have something symbolic with me. This is a key. This is a key for the millions of the Europeans. It is security and stability. Our goal is for every young person in Europe to have this key in their hands, the key to their own home. Thank you very much and I invite you to support this report.”
  EU policy on urban development
• “The European democracy is under threat like nowhere before foreign interference, foreign attacks and destabilization attempts are common, and their goal is to weaken the trust of the citizens in the European institutions. Almost 80% of European citizens fear that they will bring their decisions on elections on the basis of fake information. Democracy in Europe is exposed to systemic attacks and we have to act decisively and be fast. This is why the Democracy Shield is a welcome step forward. I also support the establishment of the Network of Fact Checker and the center for Democratic Resilience. This will enable a faster exchange of information and early detection of foreign manipulations and similar operations. Thank you.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• “We are living in difficult times, and right now it is very important to strengthen our defense by 2030. We also have to increase our investments in research, innovation and industry if we want to strengthen our defense. We will strengthen our competitiveness and economy. I am also glad to see that the European Council has recognised housing as one of the crucial topic for European citizens. Now we are waiting for the Commission's plan, an ambitious plan for housing, which should help all our citizens in solving this key problem. This. The same applies for the directive on short term rentals. We have to help our young people, mothers. We need to secure a cost efficient housing which will help our citizens and our region.”
  Defence spending
• “Thank you, chair, for giving me the floor and first of all, I apologize. I. Couldn't be here from the beginning, but I have a question for the coordinator. So given the area's central role in authorizing EMTs trackside projects and ensuring compliance and ensuring safety, do you believe that the agency currently has the resources, mandate and political support needed to help deliver a more coordinated roll out across member states? Or do you expect more action on this by DG move? And the second question is that in today's geopolitical and economic context, should EMTs increasingly been seen not only as transport modernization project, but also as a part of Europe's broader strategic resilience, including the security and cyber resilience of rail infrastructure. And, in your view, our industry actors and infrastructure managers already thinking in these terms and doing enough to make our systems more secure. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Air traffic is of key importance for the mobility in Europe, especially for countries like Croatia who are dependent, who depend on tourism. However, that mobility must be connected with passenger rights. I definitely welcome new developments in the council, but we can ignore the fact that they are trying to diminish current compensation. The management of passenger rates is a definitive step backwards. We must not change that. Passengers deserve legal certainty, simple and transparent rules and not new barriers. I also welcome new rules regarding the assistance given to the passengers. At the same time, we have to be aware of the challenges faced by the airline industry, starting from the geopolitical instability, energy crisis and sustainability pressure. Airlines must have realistic obligations that will not endanger them. That means that the legal framework must be stable, but also flexible and balanced. This framework must protect passengers, but also the airline sector. Thank you.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you. Today we are faced with a slowdown of the economy and growth, and I think that we all are aware how the Trans European networks are important in order to be resilient, in order to have national security and to manage successfully crisis situation. The recent events in Ukraine showed how important it was to have developed Trans-European corridors, well integrated train, train structures and other um means of transport. That's very important for our citizens and that is why I would like to stress how it is important. The 20 10th corridor Adriatic to the Ionian. It would link very important ports from Italy to Greece. It is important not only because of maritime transport, but also because it links different countries and integrates candidate countries like Montenegro and Albania and Albania. It should also be there to have to function for civilian and for military purposes. In this context, both things are equally important, and that is why I call upon the Commission and all of you to support further steps in this very important infrastructure project. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “President. Commissioner. Colleagues, if you want a competitive Europe and a successful green transition, we have to be honest to ourselves. Too many projects in Europe stop not because of lack of idea, but because of excess of bureaucracy. Permitting often takes years. Investors give up and our citizens are waiting for solutions today and not in years. Therefore, we need to shorten Certain procedures to be competitive and to let our SMEs breathe. Therefore, in the House Committee, we adopted a proposal to digitalise the procedures for permitting within 60 days because without fast permitting we will not build faster, and without this we will not solve the housing crisis or the green crisis transition. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you. Chair. I will speak in Croatian.But I would like to thank you for this interesting presentation. We are aware of the fact that affordable housing depends on employment, social conditions and financial aspects. This also has an influence on the attractiveness for labor force. Like for example, um, medical doctors. We have to work on various policies, but there we need data in order to analyze them. This is where the EU and OECD could cooperate to share data and indicators. The European Plan for Affordable Housing has the uh as one of its aims, the collection of housing statistics. In order to work on these issues based on data and statistics. Oecd statistics are a great tool, but we have to make a step further because it is not only about markets we have to have analysis of causes of the crisis in order to respond in the most efficient manner. I would like to share an example from Croatia regarding tourism. We are trying to reduce the number of short term rentals in tourism when data shows this is necessary. In this way we are trying to influence prices and housing supply. This is the way in which we can do something more and solve this challenge that influences not only Croatia but the entire EU. Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I would like to thank the Commissioner for the presentation of the newest development on the European tourism data space, and also, Mr. Theocharis, for being here today with us, and allow me to give to take this opportunity, maybe to say a few words about the way we envisage the usage of data in the Croatian tourism reform, which I initiated during my term as a minister. So from my understanding, I am the one. We are one of the first countries that globally has tried to implement evidence based policy making of the tourism development in practice. So what does it mean and how with the adoption of the Tourism Act? Because to have the data, it's not obligatory. So, you know, when you had the conduct of your research, the idea behind the Croatian Reform of Tourism Development Management Act is, to put it simply, making it mandatory for all tourism destinations to manage the tourist development in a sustainable way. Based on a data and sustainability indicators. We envisage the data collection and analysis through tourism sustainability satellite accounts and where we set the data for sustainability indicators in the collected at the destination level. Also, the Tourism Act prescribes what is most important at all destinations, must create management development plans and management destination plans are based on the indicators carrying capacities analysis. Furthermore, we envisage to have by tool to help gather data relevant for tourism. So my question is for the Commission. Also, will the European Commission ensure that member states that already have the hubs like our country, give the suggestions to the functionality of the data space which you are now doing and with the with exchange of data? Is it just between the member states or um, or they will see not only the data of EU level, but also the data taken from the member states. How is it envisaged? And also the final question is about uh, will the data space have data display in the form of the dashboard? So thank you.”
  EU strategy for tourism development
• “(11:53:03 – 11:53:49): Thank you, chair. The single market is 1 of the greatest achievements of the EU. But today, have to be honest. Europe is not using its full potential. Our global competitors are investing in technologies, innovation, but European companies are still facing fragmented rules and slow procedures. If we want a Europe that's competitive, we have to give our companies what they need most, security, predictability, and a stable investment framework. A strong and functional single market is not not just an economic project. It's the key to our strategic autonomy and long term prosperity of our citizens. Thank you. Thank thank you very much. The next is Romano Yarkovich. Thank”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “(18:38:31 – 18:39:29): President, commissioner, the European steel industry is under enormous pressure and, ill oil competition. This is why I support stricter measures of the European Union, but we need to connect this discussion with everyday life of our citizens. In the last years, we have seen the rise of steel prices and construction material. And this has an effect on housing in Europe and new housing because the price is on the rise. This is why the steel industry is also connected to affordable housing and to housing security of our citizens. These 2 topics are connected. Much to your colleague, mister Tinkinen, C 2 1 0.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you. Chair. So, uh, thank you all for your analysis and for your best practices. Uh, and we see that your proposals, uh, confirm that we in the European Parliament have been emphasizing from the start and that is that there is no housing crisis without national and local realities, and therefore, there cannot be a solution with your direct involvement. And across the contributions we received, I see three, uh, recurring messages. First, the urgent need to increase the supply of affordable social housing through faster permitting and better mobilization of public land. Then second, the need to activate vacant housing and the need and addresses the impact of short term rentals in distressed areas. The third, to ensure that EU actions respect the national specificities while providing the financial and regulatory framework that allows Member States to act more quickly and effectively. So thank you very much for all of your contributions, and we look forward to continued cooperation with each one of you. Thank you.”
  EU housing policy · EU regulation of short-term rentals
• “Thank you, Commissioner. For the future direction of the EU while they provide strong support to Ukraine, we need to make strategic decisions for resilience and autonomy of the EU in the upcoming years. The new financial framework needs to be directed towards priorities strengthening us. Europe cannot be competitive without serious investment into industry research innovation, but also energy independence and security. It doesn't mean closing ourselves to partners, but strong transatlantic relationship will still be the foundation of our prosperity. But we need to act independently when this is necessary. Thank you.”
  EU competences on foreign affairs
• “Affordable, high quality, sustainable, integrated public transport. That is the basis for both mobility of citizens and our climate goals. And this goes especially for states like Croatia, which also have islands. I want to emphasize the importance of integrated public transport because merely connected various modalities is not enough. We have to offer to our citizens a real alternative to car transport. Unfortunately, our capital, Zagreb currently has no vision and has taken no steps towards establishing such a system. We don't have an integrated model, we don't have a single ticket, we don't have intermodal hubs, we have not integrated. Our various railways and railways are the key. Zagreb does need does not need superficial measures. Zagreb needs an integrated network of public transport. That is why I definitely support the European framework that will offer its member states stable financing, among other sources, through funds connected to the cohesion policy. Public transport has to be affordable for everybody, but we also have to enable flexible modal of services, including public private partnerships. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you chair. And thank also to the commission for this presentation. And I think that the Connecting Europe Facility for transport remains one of the European Union's most important instruments for cohesion and for strengthening and resilience and connectivity for our transport network and in the current period are, as you said, the budget is 25.8%. And we can say that this is clearly not enough because we have an example that, for example, the call from China for infrastructure projects, I think it was about 9.5 billion applications and only 2.5 billion was available. And this demonstrates that member states are fully ready. As you said in your speech, they are prepared with the projects. And so I think that we must already now work for larger budget in the next multiannual Financial framework. And I know that because from the 90s, we all say that it's important to have shifts from road to rail. And it's important you mentioned multimodality and multimodal connectivity. And we are now facing the still the same numbers 5% of the passengers and 11% of the freight on the railways. And I think also, I would like to come to commend the establishment and the importance of establishment of new Adriatic-ionian corridor linking the ports and hubs from Trieste to the southern Greece, which would be helpful to reduce also the missions boosting by boosting the rail and maritime transport, but also to greatly enhance the connectivity with Central and Southeastern Europe. And finally, the TNT network, I think, must fulfill the dual purpose and its civilian and military. And also mentioned this, and I think I call for the commission to be here today to recognize the strategic importance of the infrastructure and the support for the steps towards its realization. And I would like to welcome and reflect on how the staff can further simplify administrative procedures, because the faster and more transparent processes would allow applicants, particularly smaller stakeholders, to engage more easily and deliver high quality project. Thank you very much.”
  EU funding for transportation
• “Madam president, Commissioner, dear colleagues, today young people remain living with their parents because they cannot afford a rent and families in cities are spent lots to too much of their earnings to pay their rents. This is the reality of the majority of European citizens. The cohesion policy needs to respond to these needs. This is why we propose concrete measures. First, For investments into housing. Housing is recognized as a sustainable goals. Second of all, I think that we need to better integrate cohesion policy with the Just Transition Fund. So that targeted help to young people when it comes to affordable rent would be more efficient. And thirdly, we should finance some additional payments through ESF for affordable housing. In this report, we are calling for the extension of the fund to include not only renewable energy, but also to include innovative approaches that lead to affordable housing. This report is a good basis to make the European Affordable Housing Plan, which is now announced for the next year. If we want to be competitiveness socially, just we need to see this as a strategic topic because home is not a luxury. This is a basic need for of every citizen.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you chair, and thank you for all the experts and their presentations. Uh, and we can see the different models from country to country and different solutions and different problems. And this was very helpful and useful to all of us. Uh, for example, we in Croatia now adopted a national plan until 2030 and a total value of all the measures and all of the activities, uh, in the national plan is about €2 billion, more than €2 billion. And to create a public house stock, Croatia is using public investment through a government agency that builds and sells housing for young people. And profits from these sales is also going to be reinvested directly into new developments and sustainable cycle of funding. However, for this model to succeed, from what I have heard now from the experts, also on the larger scale, there is a regional and local authorities which must prepare clear housing strategies, and how many units are needed from whom, under what and transparent criteria. Locations. We are talking about greenfield or brownfield investments and we must be precise based on the real local needs. And so far we allocated about, I think, €15 million about through urban development fund, also for affordable housing in the cities and 40 through rural areas. But my question to the panelists and to all of the experts could be, uh, how can EU instruments, uh, support also member states in scaling up such a sustainable reinvestment based uh models for public funding for housing? Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you very much. President. Commissioner, in the work programme for 2026, we see a lot of initiatives, but I would like to talk about affordable housing, short term lease impacts, the price of housing and long term lease in Europe and in many cities in the EU. There is the problem of the lack of affordable housing for local population. This is why I welcome the new initiative on short term lease rent. But I would like to say that this is the legislative proposal, the proposal that's going to enable member states, regions and cities to, based on concrete data, It identify concrete measures for affordable housing based on priorities and potentials, because we cannot have the same measures for every city and every region, we need a legislative solution so that the problems that burden local communities are solved immediately. We have a very good example in Croatia. We have the act on tourism and in according to that act, our cities can ensure that balance. Next year, the Commission is going to publish the strategy for sustainable tourism, and that has to be the model for the tourism of the future that takes into account all the possible societal aspects we need to ensure the quality of life for local citizens, affordable counties, affordable housing. That's why I asked the commission to present the solution for short term rent, so that the problems faced by citizens in cities be solved immediately.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals