- “President. Thank you. Chair. Um, regulation should be, um, accompanied by legislation, But here we listened to the representative from Ustb and these showed this shows that a regulation isn't enough. There is information available online and all you need to do is look up and see what's available. That's all very clear. Do you want your children to drink five coffees per day full of sugar? Do you want them to be dependent on certain products? Um, and then we have obesity, cardiovascular issues and mental health. Yes. We could, um, put the burden on families and member states, but here Uh, we can ask, what is the EU for? Or what is the European Parliament for? What can we do for European citizens? Here we have an example of what we can do. We shouldn't. Make this issue similar to what we saw with tobacco and alcohol. I don't have any children at home. Um, but I know a lot of children. And I know, um, that this is a public authority issue. Thank you.”
EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
- “One minute, chair, you said. Okay. Thank you. On behalf of as and on behalf of on the Subcommittee on Human Rights. Uh, let me go straight to the point. Um, the question would be as follows. The Global Europe investment proposal explicitly promises that human rights and democracy will remain a priority. Thanks to a comprehensive human rights based approach. But not anymore. Through a dedicated thematic programme on human rights and democracy. Like the one in place currently with the IDC. Instead of a stand alone thematic programme for human rights democracy. The Commission proposes to channel support both through geographic pillars. And the global pillar for global initiatives. Given the suppression of the Thematic Programme on Human Rights and Democracy. As well as earmarked funding for this field, how can we be sure that human rights and democracy will not be neglected compared to other priorities? And finally, although the trends for democracies are increasingly negative, still several countries are mobilizing to push back against authorization. Would global Europe allow to respond to such moments of democracy, opportunity and invest in democracy? Disbursement of democracy support and better alignment with political developments on the ground. This would be the two questions. Thank you.”
EU competences on human rights
- “30:47 – 09:32:05): Ah okay sorry sorry for translators interpreters and alleviate the risk of negative social impacts without endangering the capacity of the union and its member states to meet the union's climate target set out in regulation eu twenty twenty one one thousand one hundred and nineteen transparency is essential in particular when social fairness and climate ambition are at stake on the other hand we must ensure better use of carbon pricing revenues notably through an increased social climate fund budget and stronger conditionalities on ets one revenue use to more effectively support vulnerable households in switching away from fossil fuels compared to short term fuel price increases finally although the recent launch of the european investment bank ets two front loading facility will certainly support affordable low carbon solutions to vulnerable households before carbon pricing begins ensuring the scope and speed of the decarbonization investments the facility's financial resources should be significantly increased and its scope aligned with social climate fund eligibility criteria and this is all from my part thank you sorry”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “The fact is, we do, of course, need practical, concrete penalties measures to punish those involved. Those responsible for recruiting child soldiers must be held to account. We've also suggested efforts to tackle the question of funding. It's very important, of course, to ensure that child soldiers be reintegrated into society afterwards. And that requires UN support. I would like to refer to one specific matter. As Miss Vanessa Fraser said in her intervention. Clearly we do need regular scrutiny of which rules are being applied and which aren't. The United Nations has underlined that the European Union's focus must be on effective implementation, and the reports underline that a great deal remains to be done when it comes to financial instruments and continued support for reinsertion and reintegration. So what exactly has the European Union been doing? Do we have a list of priority countries? What are the main risks in terms of violations? What has work has been done with embassies? What practical measures are being taken right now? To ensure that this plague come to an end. The fact is, children are often very resilient, and this is one of the few sources of hope in our fight. But the opinion of ability of children to recover. Doesn't solve the problem. We have to act quickly and the time has come for us to take practical action.”
EU competences on human rights
- “Good afternoon. Colleagues. First of all, thank you so much to the European Court of Auditors for their report and the general remark regarding debt. For me, the proposal is a major challenge to the EU's investment architecture. While the Commission presents the framework as simpler and more strategic, this single fund approach raises serious concerns. If it blurs distinct policy objectives, legal basis and budgetary accountability. It risks weakening climate and environmental standards in practice and pushing public health safeguards aside as having N.V. rapporteur. My main considerations are as follows as follows. First, on overall ambition and legal safeguards. The fund must contain clear operational obligations anchoring, climate neutrality, biodiversity restoration and one else in its core provisions. These objectives should not be left to voluntary interpretation in national plans, but be reflected in approval criteria. Measurable targets and review clauses. Second, on climate delivery and prevention. First, logic alignment with 20, 30 and 2040 targets and climate neutrality by 2050 must be reflected in programming choices. The fund should prioritize rapid emission reductions while strengthening adaptation. A prevention first principle should guide investment, favouring action at source over costly downstream mitigation or compensation. This reduces long term public expenditure and avoids lock in of carbon intensive or environmentally harmful assets. Third on consistent application of the do no harm, do no significant harm principle. The principle must apply uniformly across all instruments grouped under the fund, and must not be weakened through fall back to earlier approaches. Clear exclusions are necessary to prevent fossil fuel lock in and other investments that undermine climate or environmental objectives, including in infrastructure and security related spending. Legal clarity from the outset will strengthen certainty and reduce disputes at this stage. I could continue on what else? On biodiversity, on life, on urban resilience, but clearly I do not have the time. And those are the points that I will try to address on my amendments. Thank you.”
EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding
- “29:15 – 09:30:44): Thank you chair performance standards for buildings remain the most effective tools for reducing fossil fuel dependency and mitigation and mitigating the impact of higher fuel prices at the same time we advocate protecting citizens from price shocks while maintaining climate goals and ensuring that funds are invested in just transition measures therefore this file is imperative since considerations of social fairness impose us additional safeguard measures regarding our citizens particularly the disadvantages we agree with preventing an impact of the ets two mechanism for buildings rail transport and additional factors on citizens' energy bills while the measures adopted aiming at reducing fossil fuel dependency won't produce their effects in this regard it is paramount that from the implementation period onwards the commission published and makes publicly available a detailed impact assessment of other complementary measures that could help lowering the ats to”
Energy performance of buildings
- “If we don't have information, we cannot manage our forests. And we can see that this has been the case in the past. Secondly, looking at the means to combat wildfires, as we've heard, these are just part of the response, but they are a key part. And when fires break out across our countries, we want to ensure that we can coordinate with other countries so that the firefighting voters. Uh, reach the fires now in 2028. You said that, uh, there was going to be assessment of resources. How will these be distributed and what criteria will be considered? What information can you give us on this? My third question, cooperation in this document, you talk about the possible provision of insurance to cover the most common forms of damage from fires. Should we not move forward with the European framework for this? I'd like to hear your opinion on this, commissioners. And then finally, monitoring progress. In the last part of the document, it says that the Commission will assess regularly the progress made together with member states. But how will this monitoring be carried out? Because it is crucial for us to fully understand to what extent we're making progress or indeed going backwards in our work together. Thank you.”
Management of EU forests
- “Thank you. Chair. Colleagues. Countryside fires have always been present in a country with Mediterranean forests like mine. Portugal. But climate change is really becoming more swift with extreme weather conditions happening. And there are more and more occurrences in member states since 2021, we've invested more in intervention after the fact rather than prevention, and more area is being burnt. This year, Portugal suffered forest fires again. More than 770,000 hectares were razed to the ground. That's the worst year since 2017 117 people lost their lives during Ponta da Barca. Municipalities in the north and center were devastated by fires. The aid from the EU was essential in my country and other countries indeed drew on the European mechanism. However efficient a country or the EU is in fighting a country, fires and fires which cross borders. The key thing is to prevent things happening in the first place. We need to know what's happening on the ground, what's happening in the forest, what are the traits of our forests? In a few days, N.v and Agri will be voting on the draft regulation for forest monitoring. This was an environmentally progressive proposal from the commission, but this may be voided of content. National action plans are essential to protect forests and people. Without this happening, our tears will be crocodile tears.”
Management of EU forests
- “Thank you. Chairman, I'd like to thank our guests for joining us today. Today we are marking an international day which shouldn't actually exist. There should be no such thing as child soldiers. Despite that, many international organizations have reported in the way in which children continue to be recruited to. Our chairman told us already that there are estimated to be 250,000 children acting as child soldiers. They are threatened, extorted, kidnapped, DGs not just as soldiers, but as guards, messengers, cooks. They are often, um, subject to sexual violence, deprived of both safety and their childhood and of course, of their future. The convention on the rights of the child has been ratified by many countries, but is most certainly not universally applied. This is why it's so important that work on conventions over and beyond. International humanitarian law must continue, and the European Union must exert pressure on third countries which haven't signed up to the convention. Recently. Cyprus. Entered into a commitment regarding this, but a lot more needs to be done. It's important to underline the fragile nature of institutions and extreme poverty. Factors such as this continue to feed in to the ongoing recruitment of child soldiers. So I would like to move on to my questions now referring specifically to that matter.”
Disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons
- “03:26 – 16:05:57): I'll be speaking Portuguese. I'd like to start by thanking our colleague Hannah Neumann for the fact that we are now dealing with this topic once again in AFET, having approved the report of our colleague Riedel in October last year on transnational oppression of human rights defenders. Now we have a broader report and it seems to align fully with the previous one.
Transnational repression is one of the most serious threats to human rights and we mean assassinations, for instance, but also kidnappings, abusive extraditions, digital surveillance, threats to families of dissidents who live abroad. This isn't just a violation of individual rights; this is foreign interference directly in European space.
When authoritarian regimes persecute journalists or members of the diaspora or human rights defenders in our jurisdiction, they're testing our legal order and our ability to respond collectively. Today, this repression is becoming increasingly digital and we need to respond given this reality.”
Foreign interference in Europe
- “Thank you very much. Afghan women. We cannot but each other. On hearing the accounts of the atrocities that are being perpetrated by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, especially against women and girls, with no accountability and amidst international inaction, this is an unmistakable sign of the regression of human rights that the world is presently undergoing. I do not want to keep you long. To conclude, I just want to say, let's be united on fighting for this cause, for the voices of Afghan people, for the voices of Afghan women. And let us not allow for women to be erased anywhere.”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “30:47 – 09:32:05): Ah okay sorry sorry for translators interpreters and alleviate the risk of negative social impacts without endangering the capacity of the union and its member states to meet the union's climate target set out in regulation eu twenty twenty one one thousand one hundred and nineteen transparency is essential in particular when social fairness and climate ambition are at stake on the other hand we must ensure better use of carbon pricing revenues notably through an increased social climate fund budget and stronger conditionalities on ets one revenue use to more effectively support vulnerable households in switching away from fossil fuels compared to short term fuel price increases finally although the recent launch of the european investment bank ets two front loading facility will certainly support affordable low carbon solutions to vulnerable households before carbon pricing begins ensuring the scope and speed of the decarbonization investments the facility's financial resources should be significantly increased and its scope aligned with social climate fund eligibility criteria and this is all from my part thank you sorry”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “President. Commissioner. Minister. This year in the European Union, the temperatures and. Wildfires are far higher than the average in Portugal, my country. We've had an increase, considerable increase in fires even just at the beginning of summer, and it's becoming more and more frequent, and it's one of the reasons why we really need to be prepared at European Union, because there are no borders here. Strategies in the EU are part of this context, and it's a good, cohesive strategy, consistent and will lead to more staff, more firefighters and better coordination. But this is not reflected in your decisions, because I think the regulation to set up a framework for monitoring European forests, which is under discussion here. This is a position, a common position of the Council, which although the Commission was positive in its his output. Initially this has been distorted if we don't have reliable data that we can compare. On the European forest, we won't be able to have proper protective policies that will be efficient. How can we be so inconsistent?”
Management of EU forests
- “Thank you very much. President. Minister. Commissioner. Our planet needs a cop. 30, in Berlin to be a time to speed up our response to our global response to climate change. Science has told us that we can't waste any more time, and we need to move forward more quickly. We all know the figures. That's why the European Union needs to assume the responsibility of leadership in this climate emergency. We need to have a 90% emission reduction by 2040, in line with the European climate law. We need to adopt a European law for adaptation of extreme phenomena and also the just transition. We need to have new climate fund funding and tripling funding for developing countries. We also need to have the loss and damage fund made operational. That's why the European Union also needs to be a leader. It needs to show its example. Now, that's not what happened when this House voted. And removing the reference to the European Green Deal from certain files, or when a framework for monitoring European forests was rejected. Leadership is shown through examples. We want to be the first climate neutral continent, but we're seeing the right and the far right to rejecting this. And now we need to be more determined, more ambitious, let's say for all Europeans, we will do this because in European barometers, they say they clearly expect this from us.”
Climate efforts
- “And I think what is becoming even clearer listening to this is that this sector, this field, is one where we have not been particularly efficient or effective. We know that the union, European Union has the European Freedom Act. This has recommendations for the for supporting the freedom of the press. It has a series of elements, but we haven't. Really tackled this particular, um, matter. So what I would like to just bring up is that we need to have effective, um, ways of holding people accountable, of tackling these, um, strategies that are used to attack journalists are Unesco are. Guest has spoken about the attacks on journalists, and said that he was willing to work with us to work on a mandate, a Unesco mandate, in this on this topic. How can we do that? How can we work together? How can we make sure that we don't see the statistics simply growing with more and more journalists killed every day, and that we can really hold people accountable. Accountable? How many perpetrators of attacks against journalists do we actually know are known to us? How many names do we have? Because we need this kind of information so that we can effectively tackle this issue, and we need to be effective in our response to this matter. Thank you.”
EU support for traditional (non-digital) media
- “Um, in Portuguese and. I'll speak in Portuguese. Firstly, thank you very much to our guests for these presentations. The conclusions are clear here. There is ever more data showing the health risks linked to the consumption of these drinks among minors, among teenagers. Even if they don't consume regularly. And it's important to continue with awareness raising. The messages that are sent are essential. Some member states have restrictions already, but others don't. The European Parliament and the EU can opt and. But keeping in mind the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality, I have questions for all of the panelists. Do you think that we need an opinion from Efsa, given that their current opinion and doesn't exactly focus on minors, does this? Should this opinion lead then to regulation? Um, for example, um, limiting advertising. Should we win the sale of these drinks to children? Thank you.”
Drinking regulation
- “The president. Thank you, Madam President. Ladies and gentlemen. There was no surprise that the conclusions of the last council meeting have shown that European leaders are unable to make progress and agree on something. Stepping up defence spending, expenditure and support for Ukraine was agreed upon. But we have to have the bravery to stand out and speak against Israel and its policies and also we need to address migratory flows and the war is being waged in Gaza. We've got double standards in place if we compare the positions adopted by the heads of government regarding the invasion of Ukraine and the various packages of sanctions against Russia, but no consensus has been found with regard to the Association Agreement and its suspension with Israel. Silence. Total silence with regard to the consequences of the loss of control at our borders, especially in the north of Africa. Protection of international courts. Peace in Europe. This is what is important for the future.”
Relations with Israel - Palestine
- “President, colleagues, thank you to the Commission for making this presentation. Surveillance and Resilience of European Forests is a very important initiative that will help us with sustainability and conserving biodiversity. We do. We are aware that the surveillance options that we have available to us now are good enough and allow us to follow up on the forests and evaluate their capacity for adaptation and to provide information for strategic decisions. We recognise that Member States may face difficult challenges within the framework of this proposal, such as the need to harmonise data amongst countries, the need for financing to implement this and to carry out their surveillance. And. We understand that the community and NGOs can play an important role. In this. We do need to work on improving the proposal so that we can make sure that its implementation is effective in our Member States. As regards the extension of the scope, which will be called the Experts Standing Expert Group on Forests and Forestry and will have a lead role in the protection and surveillance of European forests, forests. While its legal basis needs to be adapted to the new forestry strategy of the EU so that it can stand up to the environmental challenges that we face today and can fulfil the objectives of the European Green Deal. Our work starts now, and the MV and agri rapporteurs can count on my personal and political commitment as the as a shadow rapporteur. And I am sure that we'll be able to come to a good compromise. Thank you.”
Management of EU forests
- “Thank you very much. Thank you, Minister, for being here today. I'd like to wish you the very best for your work over the next six months. Now, my question relates to something you've already spoken about, which is the modification of the decision relating to market stability. On the request of various different countries that need to be applied. We know that we've got an additional mechanism for a whole series of licenses on the market for carbon pricing, uh, looking at €5 per tonne. And then we've got the duration of the ETS. With the deadline, of course, of 2030. And then we've got an additional, um, reserve in relation to these, um, additional licences that will be granted. So my question is what are the opportunities here? But also what are the risks. As far as you see it, because the Parliament is discussing this at the moment or will do very soon and proposals will come out. So would it be possible for us to improve the mechanism here to protect families as well as companies? I think it's also very important for us to take into account the risks that exist in this area. The risk that we don't manage to reduce emissions, in fact, despite all the tinkering with the emissions licences here. Of course, what we need to ensure is that emissions are actually reduced. And so these are my questions to you. What can we do to improve things even further. Thank you.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “Thank you. President. The situation in the Middle East continues to reflect a disregard for international order and multilateralism, and it is also a symbol of our collective failure. In Lebanon, the terms of the ceasefire agreement are not being respected. And Israel has carried out new airstrikes in Iran. U.s. bombing has delayed the development of nuclear weapons, but has led to the suspension of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and to the countries further isolation and in Gaza, where more than 20 Israeli hostages remain in the hands of Hamas, the epicentre of the humanitarian tragedy continues after 33 months of war. Attacks on schools and hospitals, forced displacement and thousands of civilian deaths. People are dying of hunger every day, their children hospitalized every day for malnutrition in the queues for humanitarian aid. Now in the hands of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, 500 people have died and 4000 have been injured in the struggle for food. That is why today we are once again arguing the voices of European citizens who are questioning the European institutions about the reasons for postponing the review of the Association Agreement. And we ask the foreign ministers of our member States ministers, what position will you take when you discuss the suspension of the Association Agreement.”
Relations with Israel - Palestine
- “Thank you very much. First of all, congratulations on the Council presidency. I have a question which links into a subject which you haven't even mentioned in your presentation, but something which is in the Polish Council programme because it says that the presidency will do its utmost to ensure that European forests are protected and are managed in a sustainable way, and will continue to work on the regulation on sustainability and monitoring of European forest. We're working on this in the European Parliament, and we get the feeling that know how is an important tool in order to achieve the objectives that we're talking about. We therefore think this regulation is exceedingly important. But there are some people who link this to deregulation. I mean, there are possibilities for monitoring. But we've been told there are no advantages. My question to you is as follows. How do you see this situation? How do you see this challenge? How do you see the current situation? What are the advantages and disadvantages in implementing this regulation as currently drafted?”
Management of EU forests
- “03:26 – 16:05:57): I'll be speaking Portuguese. I'd like to start by thanking our colleague Hannah Neumann for the fact that we are now dealing with this topic once again in AFET, having approved the report of our colleague Riedel in October last year on transnational oppression of human rights defenders. Now we have a broader report and it seems to align fully with the previous one.
Transnational repression is one of the most serious threats to human rights and we mean assassinations, for instance, but also kidnappings, abusive extraditions, digital surveillance, threats to families of dissidents who live abroad. This isn't just a violation of individual rights; this is foreign interference directly in European space.
When authoritarian regimes persecute journalists or members of the diaspora or human rights defenders in our jurisdiction, they're testing our legal order and our ability to respond collectively. Today, this repression is becoming increasingly digital and we need to respond given this reality.”
Foreign interference in Europe
- “We focus on preparing for war and strengthening security. But peace as well. Peace means education and health and a stronger social state.”
Defence spending
- “Thank you. I'm, uh. These results are very welcome. Although, of course, we do understand their limitations. This justifies pushing a European strategy on women's health. We know that we are quite delayed as compared to the United Kingdom. According to conclusions from other studies, we should adapt the clinical strategies because frequently women present not very specific symptoms. So my simple question is, in your opinion, technical opinion, what information do we still need to be able to launch a strategy at the European level?”
Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “President. Commissioner, colleagues protecting European citizens from the impacts of the current crisis in the Middle East on energy prices, on the availability of fertilisers, or indeed on the cost of living. And our dependency on fossil fuels is important, but it's not enough. It's impossible to ignore that. One of the roots of this crisis is the impunity of these leaders, of the violations of the of international law and human rights. Several countries are involved in the violation of these rules. But there was one with which we have an association agreement. The Israeli government has conducted a policy of systematic violation of international law and human rights. In Gaza. More than 700 Palestinians have died since the beginning of this so-called peace plan in the West Bank and the camps of Jenin. Tulkarem and alone, 32,000 people have been displaced and 850 houses have been destroyed. There has also been an introduction introduction of the death penalty only for Palestinians. The next European Council needs to table a vote for the immediate suspension of the trade chapter of the Association agreement with Israel. Only in this way will we have a European strategy for peace or rather than just a repeated measures to live with war.”
Relations with Israel - Palestine
- “30:47 – 09:32:05): Ah okay sorry sorry for translators interpreters and alleviate the risk of negative social impacts without endangering the capacity of the union and its member states to meet the union's climate target set out in regulation eu twenty twenty one one thousand one hundred and nineteen transparency is essential in particular when social fairness and climate ambition are at stake on the other hand we must ensure better use of carbon pricing revenues notably through an increased social climate fund budget and stronger conditionalities on ets one revenue use to more effectively support vulnerable households in switching away from fossil fuels compared to short term fuel price increases finally although the recent launch of the european investment bank ets two front loading facility will certainly support affordable low carbon solutions to vulnerable households before carbon pricing begins ensuring the scope and speed of the decarbonization investments the facility's financial resources should be significantly increased and its scope aligned with social climate fund eligibility criteria and this is all from my part thank you sorry”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “Thank you. President. Commissioner. Minister. On the agenda for the next European Council are two issues that some political forces in this chamber appear to consider incompatible priorities defence and housing. It's good to see that the European Council is not abandoning either of them. We know that we're currently experiencing a hybrid situation. None of our member states is at war, but the EU is operating in a new context. The threats we face are not only military, they're digital, health related, energy related, and trade related. We cannot ignore the imperialist desires that surround us. That is why the EU has taken the decision to invest in defence, and we support this path. We do not want to be held hostage, least of all by the American military industrial complex. We don't need that. But we also know that in most of our member states, young people and families face difficulties in finding decent housing. The right to housing is a fundamental social right, and we need a European plan for affordable housing that provides concrete answers with a reform of state aid, regulation of short term lets and above all, investment in public housing. Colleagues. Protecting Europe means defending its borders. But without people being united, borders are useless. This is clear to all.”
Defence spending
- “Thank you. President. The Iranian theocracy has for a long time been the epitome of a brutal dictatorship. Therefore, we stand firmly by the side of the Iranian people in their courageous calls for a democratic transition that they fully deserve. We also stand for an international order based on rules that we should all defend. We reject the idea of might makes right. We reject the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the Iranian retaliations against Israel and the Gulf states, as well as Israeli attacks on Lebanon. It's always civilians who pay the price of violations of international law. The girls from the school in Mina, for example. But there's another price to pay for this war. We're aware that this has war has already started to be felt in Europe. There's been an increase in fuel prices, and there is also the risk of an increase in terrorism and migration flows. And above all, there's an increase in fear. This overshadows the lives of Israelis and Americans. And this is a fear that we don't want to see return to Europe. Thank you.”
EU-Iran relations
- “Thank you very much indeed. Good afternoon. Commissioners. Colleagues. I come from Portugal, a country which is very familiar with the current increased risks of wildfires and the tragic consequences that these bring every year, and the need to adapt to ensure we have an integrated strategy to tackle the risks of fire. This year, Portugal is faced with an even more tricky situation because the storms in January. Have provided fuel for these wildfires, which have not yet been removed and have worsened the risk. Therefore, we think this strategy is very welcome indeed, and these actions, which have been suggested are very welcome. Thank you very much indeed for those. But they also show us that, as Madam Hernandez-garcia said, that we do need to coordinate between the European level and the national level because we have different areas of intervention and these have to be interlinked. So I have a few questions to better understand how we can ensure this interconnection and coordination. The first of these. The best. We believe we're better prepared if we have better data. The Parliament has. Saw how that the Commission withdrew its forest monetary proposal last year. And my question is, should we not come back to this and stress the need for a regulation of this type? Because at the end of the day, we need information.”
Management of EU forests