Marina MESURE

Policy topics Marina MESURE is active on

What Marina MESURE has said (36)

• 2026-06-17 “(15:06:09 – 15:07:31): You, president. It really was time that the parliament, talk about electrification because, fossil fuels are killing us. Let's be clear. Every step in the right direction is a step towards sovereignty. We're talking about €60,000,000,000 of imports of fossil fuels that France does every year throughout the EU. So, yes, let's have electrification. We need to have the right policy for it. You want to have massive transition towards electricity, but we are still subject to market laws. How can we defend purchasing power and the environment if our decarbonized electricity continues to depend on speculation on the price of gas internationally? It's clear. The liberalization of the energy sector has been a failure. It has led to an explosion in prices. It slowed down the, creation of capacity for production, and it is slowing down this transition. We have the thousands of kilometers of electrical lines that need to be laid down throughout the world in order to ensure distribution. So the answer is clear. We need to move away from fossil fuels, but we also need to have huge investment in infrastructure, and we have to continue to go back to public investment in energy. So we need to take this in hand and move away from the market pressures. Thank you. Thank you very much. Mister Vannacci.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-01-30 “E-000401/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera on behalf of the European Commission 1. The legal basis for the Commission’s control in State aid 1 , as interpreted by the case law of the EU courts, does not allow to make the compatibility of an aid measure with the internal market dependent on conditions that are not laid down in that legal basis. The Commission’s powers seek to ensure that State aid does not unduly distort competition in, and not outside of, the internal market. However, Member States granting State aid may decide to impose additional conditionalities on the aid recipient. In such a case, it is for the Member State concerned to ensure compliance with the chosen conditionalities. 2. The Commission’s proposal for a measure addressing the negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the EU’s steel market 2 is critical to ensure the long-term viability of the EU’s steel sector amidst the significant challenges posed by increasing global overcapacity and growing protectionist measures in third countries. Like any other third country (with the exception of the European Economic Area) India will be subject to that measure’s scope and will be treated in line with its objectives. Therefore, the conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India does not pose a risk to the effectiveness of that proposed measure. 3. The Commission is not empowered to make its approval of State aid conditional upon compliance with conditions that are not laid down in Article 107(2) or Article 107(3) TFEU. As regards FTAs, reflecting the proposed conditionalities may limit the effectiveness of these agreements as they may result in potential trade barriers, which are normally what FTAs aim at removing. 1 Article 107 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). 2 https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2025)726&lang=en.”
  State Aid
• 2026-01-21 “E-000221/2026 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU, including through its delegation in Panama City, closely monitors political and socioeconomic developments in Panama. The EU engages regularly with the government of Panama to address key issues including human rights, notably through the mechanism of bilateral consultations (second round took place in Brussels on 27 October 2025). In this regard, information received from independent Panamanian civil society organisations is essential; for this reason, the EU regularly engages in exchanges with Civil Society Organisations, in Panama, across the region, and in Brussels. The EU-Central America Association Agreement 1 remains a key avenue for promoting political dialogue, trade and cooperation throughout the region. The EU-Central America Association Agreement includes provisions for cooperation on human rights and commitments to respect them. The Commission, together with EU Member States, carefully evaluates the different instruments at its disposal, when it comes to considerations of possible suspension of the application of parts of the Association Agreement. Suspension is a measure of last resort, foreseen under the Agreement only in cases of particularly grave and persistent breaches of human rights, and where other avenues of engagement have failed. Actions should be appropriate and proportional and not lead to additional unnecessary hardships. The EU will continue to monitor and raise issues on rule of law, human rights, and freedom of association with all its Central America partners including Panama. There will be further opportunities for engagement on the occasion of the next EU-Central America Association Committee in 2026 and Association Council in 2027. 1 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/factsheet-central-america-association-agreement_en.”
  EU relations with left-wing Latin America · Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• 2025-11-24 “E-004677/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The EU attaches great importance to the protection of labour rights in engagement with trading partners, including Panama. The EU-Central America Association Agreement (EUCAAA) 1 includes a chapter on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD), which incorporates commitments to respect international conventions on labour rights. The EU regularly raises the importance of properly implementing commitments to labour rights. These exchanges take place in the framework of the EU-Central America Trade Committee, the TSD Board and the EU-Panama bilateral consultations. The EU has also engaged proactively on labour rights through a regular bilateral dialogue and is carrying out activities to promote and protect labour rights in Panama. Panama has ratified 8 of the 10 fundamental International Labour Organization Conventions. The EU closely follows developments and regrets lack of progress in setting up of the High Labour Council, for which the legislative proposal was presented to the Congress on 31 January 2024. This issue was discussed bilaterally and in the TSD Board in May and June 2025. The EUCAAA contains an essential elements clause requiring respect for human rights, which encompass fundamental labour rights. If a Party violates these provisions, the other Party may adopt appropriate measures proportional to the violation. In cases of continuous, systematic, and grave human rights violations, the Commission may propose to the Council the suspension of the Agreement as a last-resort measure. At this stage, the Commission does not consider that such conditions exist with Panama. Before considering suspension, the EU shall prioritise measures that enable an intensified dialogue, cooperation, and monitoring of labour rights. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:22012A1215(01).”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• 2025-11-21 “P-004668/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission EU law is neutral regarding national systems of property ownership as stated in article 345 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union. However, national legislation needs to be in line with the principles of the internal market, including competition rules. As regards electricity markets in particular, Member States shall ensure a level playing field for electricity undertakings and ensure that no undue barriers exist within the internal market for electricity as regards market entry, operation and exit 1 . The Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943 2 sets out principles and rules for well-functioning and integrated electricity markets which, among others, shall allow all resource providers non-discriminatory market access. Regulation of wholesale prices is prohibited by European legislation and Member States shall ensure that electricity prices are formed based on actual supply and demand 3 . Measures with regard to retail prices must comply with the conditions laid down in article 5 of the Electricity Directive (EU) 2019/944, according to which suppliers shall be free to determine the price at which they supply their customers unless Member State authorities ensure protection of energy poor and vulnerable households customers or for the purpose of a transition period towards effective competition, they can apply price intervention under certain criteria. 1 Electricity Directive (EU) 2019/944, article 3 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/944/oj/eng). 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/943/oj/eng. 3 Electricity Regulation (EU) 2019/943, article 3 and 10, op. cit.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · Energy (green transition)
• 2025-07-23 “E-003041/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission While the decision regarding the ownership structure of the Aluminium Dunkerque plant does not fall within the remit of the Commission’s competences, the Commission is aware of the challenges faced by the European aluminium industry and is working on a set of comprehensive measures to safeguard its competitiveness while supporting its decarbonisation efforts through investment in the EU. As announced in the Clean Industrial Deal 1 , the upcoming Accelerator Act could propose to introduce sustainability, resilience and minimum EU content requirements in public procurement to support the production of EU-made clean products for energy-intensive sectors, such as aluminium. The key objective of this Act will be to improve the business case for investing in decarbonisation in the EU for energy intensive industries. Furthermore, the new Clean Industrial Deal State aid framework 2 can facilitate access to State aid for the decarbonisation of industry. However, it is for the Member State granting the aid to ensure that the aid recipient complies with the conditions attached to the granted aid, provided such conditions are in line with EU law. The use of social conditionalities in public funding ensures that workers benefit from the support provided to industry, including to promote collective bargaining. This approach aligns with the EU’s broader objectives of fostering social fairness alongside economic growth. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/clean-industrial-deal_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3602/oj.”
  EU policy on social criteria in public funding · State Aid · Ownership of strategic assets
• 2025-07-23 “E-003040/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is monitoring the implementation of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation 1 , as well as the development of the markets and technologies for alternative fuels in all transport modes. The Commission is actively working with Member States to ensure a coordinated approach to rolling out the alternative fuels’ infrastructure, including addressing challenges associated with hydrogen projects, ensuring that such projects receive the necessary support and guidance. Since 2021, the Commission has committed to providing support to 41 hydrogen projects through the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, with a total amount of EUR 351 million granted so far. As a general rule, support to business is provided through State aid and can only be approved if, among other conditions, it supports the development of an economic activity. Specific State aid rules, for example the Regional Aid Guidelines, already include strict conditions that aid does not lead to a relocation of jobs outside the European Economic Area, but rather ensures job creation in the assisted area. Similar provisions exist in the Clean Industrial Deal State aid Framework 2 which is explicitly intended to provide tools for Member States that will contribute to the creation of quality jobs and their durability. The Commission is committed to strengthen competitiveness of the European automotive suppliers. As announced in the Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive industry 3 , the Commission is preparing European content requirements for public support measures to the automotive industry in the upcoming proposal for an Industrial Decarbonisation Acceleration Act in order to boost European production of key vehicle components. The Commission is also assessing the introduction of local content requirements in its forthcoming proposal on decarbonisation of corporate fleets, when public financing is used. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02023R1804-20250414. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202501307. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0095.”
  EU Competition policy · EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• 2025-06-23 “E-002520/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission Over the last twenty years, developments in rail freight vary across Member States: those with the strongest growth also have the highest number of freight undertakings operating on their territory (250 in Germany, 105 in Poland, while only 23 in France in 2023) 1 . Therefore, market opening alone does not explain rail freight difficulties in France. On 18 January 2023, the Commission opened a formal investigation into over EUR 5 billion French support to Fret SNCF under EU State aid rules. The case is ongoing. Meanwhile, France transformed Fret SNCF into Hexafret and Technis, which began operations in 2025 without disruption. Several activities moved to other operators, boosting competition and creating new market opportunities, as confirmed by the French Rail Regulatory Body ART 2 . Only one contract, the ‘train des primeurs’, ended for commercial reasons, though public financing had been approved by the Commission in late 2022. The Commission approved over EUR 13.5 billion in investment aid between 2008 and 2023 for railway facilities, single wagon load operations, service facilities and reduced track access charges. In 2024, draft new State aid rules for land and multimodal transport were presented, broadening possibilities to support sustainable modes such as rail and inland waterways 3 . Policy measures include the Trans-European Transport Network, interoperability initiatives and a legislative proposal on infrastructure capacity, now in final stages of interinstitutional negotiations. Once adopted, it will improve access, reliability and competitiveness. 1 Source: https://irg-rail.eu/irg/documents/market-monitoring/536,2025.html. 2 https://www.autorite-transports.fr/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/bilan-ferroviaire-france-2024_plaquette-a-miannee.pdf. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3346.”
  EU support of rail transport · EU Competition policy
• 2025-05-28 “E-002130/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU, including through its Delegation in Panama, is monitoring the situation regarding protests against the reform of the social security system, and infringement of trade unionist rights. The EU remains vigilant as regards any negative developments that would impede the National Union of Workers of Construction and Similar Industries (SUNTRACS) or other civil society actors to operate freely. The EU and its Member States use various instruments to address human rights violations, combining diplomatic and political action. The support and strengthening of civil society actors and organisations remain an EU priority in its relations and cooperation with Panama. The situation of civil society in Panama was discussed during the institutional meetings of the Association Agreement together with all Central American counterparts, notably at the Trade and Sustainable Development Board meeting, which took place in San José (Costa Rica) in the last week of June 2025. The EU-Central America Association Agreement 1 provides in its political and cooperation parts, useful provisions for cooperation on human rights and commitments to respect them. The Commission, together with Member States, carefully evaluates the different instruments at its disposal, when it comes to considerations of suspension of the application of parts of the Association Agreement with respect to Panama. Actions should be appropriate and proportionate. The wider population, and particularly vulnerable groups, should not be penalised . For this reason, the EU considers that it is important to continue with the application of the trade part of the Association Agreement. The situation will be kept under continuous scrutiny. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=legissum:4314902.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs) · EU relations with left-wing Latin America
• 2025-03-05 “E-000929/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Article 5 of the Electricity Directive 1 provides that suppliers are free to determine the price at which they supply electricity to customers. It also provides that Member States may derogate from this provision and implement public interventions on price setting under specific conditions 2 . Such interventions must be notified to the Commission. Member States were required by the Directive to submit reports by 1 January 2025 to the Commission on the implementation of Article 5, the necessity and proportionality of public interventions, and an assessment of the progress towards achieving effective competition and the transition to market-based prices. By now, the Commission has received 14 reports from the Member States 3 . The Commission is required by 31 December 2025 to review and submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of Article 5 together with or followed by a legislative proposal, if appropriate. This report will be based on the reports submitted by each Member State and on a study on the post-crisis retail market which the Commission is currently steering. It is not possible for the time being to prejudge any of the conclusions of the study or the report. 1 Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU, OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 125–199. 2 Defined in Article 5 of the Electricity Directive (EU) 2019/944. 3 Austria, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2024-11-06 “E-002434/2024 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The contribution agreement ‘Nurses at the heart of more resilient health systems and safe healthcare’ 1 aims to support the Member States in attracting and retaining more nurses, building on the expertise of European nurses’ associations and their partner organisations in all the Member States. The agreement also aims to inspire new policies and actions at EU level to ensure a quicker take-up of the necessary measures to alleviate the crisis of the nurse workforce. The implementation of the action relies on the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) expertise and technical capacities in nursing within country and regional offices. The WHO will actively engage national authorities, relevant European nursing associations, their national partners organisations, and other health systems stakeholders including social partners. A contribution agreement 2 refers to a specific type of contract used by the EU to allocate funding to other entities, typically for the implementation of specific actions or projects that align with the Union policies and objectives. Budget earmarking for final beneficiaries is not applied in the context of a contribution agreement. The agreement with the WHO responds to the objectives of the call included in the 2024 EU4Health Work Programme 3 . The project is planned for launch in early 2025. Once launched, detailed information about the project—including its specific objectives, actions, and deliverables—will be made publicly available and shared alongside the commencement of implementation, including dissemination and communication activities. 1 Please note that the agreement is funded with 1.3 million, and not 1.3 billion as the question stated: https://health.ec.europa.eu/latest-updates/commission-supports-action-across-europe-attract-and-retain-nurses2024-09-02_en 2 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R2509 3 2024 EU4Health Work Programme, p. 179-181: https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/2024-eu4health-workprogramme_en”
  Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• 2024-10-18 “E-002173/2024 Answer given by Mr Reynders on behalf of the European Commission The Commission does not comment on statements by politicians in the Member States. The Commission monitors developments related to the rule of law in France in the same way as it does for all Member States, in particular in the framework of its annual Rule of Law Report 1 . The assessments and recommendations in the Report are based on evidence provided by a broad variety of sources, including national authorities, civil society and international institutions. The Commission continues to have constructive exchanges with French authorities and stakeholders on the basis of the findings and recommendations of the latest edition of the Rule of Law Report, which was published on 24 July 2024. The Commission will continue monitoring and assessing rule of law developments in France for the 2025 edition of the rule of law report. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2024-rule-law-report-communication-and-country-chapters_en”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• 2024-09-16 “E-001722/2024 Answer given by Mr Reynders on behalf of the European Commission The composition of government coalition after elections and corresponding appointment processes are primarily within the scope of national constitutional frameworks. It is for France to address any possible challenges according to its well-established constitutional procedures.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law · Rule of law and democracy in the EU (political compass)
• “Thank you Commissioner. Very briefly, with respect to energy, you were talking when you answered one of my colleagues questions, a European and national markets. But rules are still being established on the prices at European level. Why are we continuing to oppose the regulated energy tariffs, which are regulated by the state, corresponding to the true costs of production? Because this fragmentation has actually not protected households or businesses for many years now.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you. President. Commissioner. We all know that the cost of energy is decisive for our competitiveness. But it's three times more expensive than our competitors are paying. And the Affordable Energy Action Plan doesn't really solve anything. You talk about decoupling electricity and gas prices. That is a laudable objective. And Mrs. von der Leyen promised that in 2022. But three years later, gas prices are increasing and nothing is changing. Nothing protects us from the American president, who could increase the price of liquid natural gas that we import massively from the US. We do not have the possibility to pay for our dependence, whether it's Russia or the US. It leads to energy precariousness for 10% of households in the EU. We say this in our committees, as we do in the hemicycle. There needs to be a reform of the electricity markets are properly ambitious reform. We need to move away from the dogma of the market and prioritise general interests rather than the companies. Thank you.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you, president. In the last week, we've seen how the Middle East has been overtaken by bombing. The risk is huge and Cyprus has now been targeted. So the war is at our doorstep. But we need to look at the text we have in front of us today. This pioneering project, the single market, makes 36 references to NATO. This is an organisation that doesn't defend our interests but does dictate our submissiveness. So how can we de-escalate when we are faced with America, which is feeding into a conflict? The EU cannot just stand by. It has to build a. Way of defending itself against imperialism and Washington. When we talk about defence, we also make a clear political choice. We need to think about the market logics and private interests because war is lucrative. And while that is still the case, peace will be an illusion. So we cannot serve private interests. We have to be courageous enough to not align with the US.”
  EU-US relations
• “(17:50:53 – 17:52:11): Thank you. Closing steel mills in Europe is not just a crisis for all our industry, but it's eroding the basis of our industry. We need to do something for this sector. We are need to show solidarity, and what we're seeing is protectionism in other countries. We need to protect our own workers. We shouldn't stop there. We should ensure that we employ other methods such as the industrial accelerator. In this text, it specifically says that we have to, work on decarbonization of steel, which is manufactured in Europe, made in Europe. And anything that comes from outside is subject to the FTAs. Well, this doesn't make sense. I think that we have to look at our industries such as ArcelorMittal in France. We have to look at our strategic assets and that is 1 of them. Manufacturing in Europe today guarantees our independence. It's important that we base it on proper ecological future, proved products. When”
  Ownership of strategic assets
• “Thank you. President. We recognise the importance of electricity grids. They have an importance beyond the technical importance. They are also vital to the energy transition. They are absolutely vital for all of our systems to ensure that we have reliable, affordable and safe electricity. Without high performance, robust grids, we won't be able to achieve decarbonization. A shortage of electricity. Inadequate grids, intermittent production. All of this leads to a dependence on fossil fuel imports from third countries. But we have a climate social sovereignty priority of achieving independence. Grid manager Ian France has. Said that there's €100 billion need to modernize a pretty decrepit ancient network. We need to ensure that we have decent working conditions too. For those who are toiling day in, day out to ensure that we have a robust service. So, colleagues, we need to make progress in this area, which means turning our back on the previous market dependent approach. We need proper long term planning to develop electricity grids and to achieve the energy transition which is so vital to the future of Europe.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Closing steel mills in Europe is not just a crisis for all our industry, but it's eroding the basis of our industry. We need to do something for this sector. We need to show solidarity. And what we are seeing is protectionism in other countries. We need to protect our own workers. We shouldn't stop there. We should ensure that we employ other methods, such as the industrial accelerator. In this text, it specifically says that we have to work on decarbonisation of steel, which is manufactured in Europe, made in Europe, and anything that comes from outside is subject to the FTAs. Well, this doesn't make sense. I think that we have to look at our industry, such as ArcelorMittal in France. We have to look at our strategic assets and that is one of them. Manufacturing in Europe today guarantees our Independence. It's important that we base it on proper ecological, future proofed products.”
  Ownership of strategic assets
• “Thank you. President. Um, steel is, uh, 300,000 direct jobs in Europe. And, of course, it's important for key industries such as automotive sector and defence. Um, whole regions depend on this industry. For example, Dunkirk, where one family out of five is dependent on steel production. And yet the sector is under threat in France. Um, furnaces risk being offshored if we don't act soon. Now, you've spoken about volatile energy prices, unfair competition which is allowed through free trade and massive relocations despite the billions of public money that has been spent, and the commission is now signing free trade agreements with steel producing countries such as India or Brazil, which is exactly where our businesses want to move to. You're saying that free trade means a liberalisation of energy markets, but we need to go much further to protect our industry with more protectionism and, uh, protection for prices, ensuring that steel is produced according to standards which respect to European legislation. Thank you.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Thank you. President. The automobile sector is facing an unprecedented, unprecedented crisis. But the response now from the extreme right is both simplistic and dangerous. Over recent months, I've been to various factories in Italy and France to speak to and listen to the workers. The first thing they talked about before electrification were decisions taken by the car builders not to invest, despite the profits and their record dividends. I know that the extreme right doesn't like speaking against major employers, and they want to up their profits even further and not show economic patriotism by taking things abroad as well. Yes, electric cars are a challenge to the industry, but we shouldn't attack the targets for the sector, which is responsible for 20% of greenhouse gases. We've been talking about solutions for months here. We could apply real trade protection measures. European protection. Social leasing at European level would allow people to buy electric vehicles for everyone because they're too expensive right now for households. And so we also need to have more charging points so that there's fair distribution. So you need to look at the, um, we need to continue moving in along the direction of electrification. Thank you.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you, Madame chair. Executive vice president. You're in charge of industrial strategy. So I'm sure you know that the EU's industry are at a precipice. On European level. More than a million jobs have been left and lost, and it impacts our sovereignty. So we need to act and do so quickly. But your Clean Industry Act has the risk of missing its target. We need four things. First of all, local preference for public procurement. That represents 16% of European GDP. We then also have financing that is in place which respects social and environmental rules. That's a precondition. Then we need protectionist measures so that we can protect our measures. And we need cheap access energy. And the Commission now says that we need simplification, but that that is massive deregulation, which won't actually do much for industry as the omnibus package has already shown. So you want investment for transition, but is that not excluded that from the Stability and Growth Pact and the 3% deficit rule. And secondly, could I come back to metallurgy and steel? The first victim of European policies here is that since I'm going to Dunkirk tomorrow, I'm going to the workers working for ArcelorMittal, the largest steel producer in the country. Apparently they want to decamp to India. We've just signed a free trade agreement with them or are about to do so. And of course, energy is cheaper there. And this in spite of millions of aid going to ArcelorMittal now Mittal. Now you know that the world overcapacity production overcapacity might end up in EU. So there are alarm bells ringing in the sector. And what I would ask you is what are you going to say to the workers once you get started by making changes to Cbam and what you're going to say to these workers in Dunkirk at Arcelor Mittal? Are you going to try and save it? There's other sides too, such as Force and Ghent. Are is there going to be a change of tack, and are you going to have a true protectionist policy in place so that we can protect production in Europe? Thank you.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you very much. Stopping Russian gas imports is absolutely essential in order to stop putting financing his war machine. It is vital also for our sovereignty and our climate commitments. But we really do need to focus on more than that. We need to focus on renewables, because otherwise we will simply be exposed to other predators like the US. It's unacceptable that 700 billion is being spent on buying American hydrocarbons as replacement. If we want to do without Russian gas, we have plenty renewables to draw on. This is quite clear. Much of Russian gas goes through Azerbaijan, and it is a country which has invaded Nagorno-Karabakh and is destabilizing Armenia. Therefore, are we any better buying gas that comes either from Azerbaijan or from Russia than from Russia? We need to stand up and defend the people of Europe who need to be defended, and we need to end Azerbaijan imports as much as we need to, and Russian ones.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you very much. Chair. Commissioner. The mission letter that was delivered to you gives you a clear objective lowering energy costs and fighting energy precarity. This is an objective, obviously, that we shared. There are some 40 million Europeans that struggle to heat their houses, and we know that the energy cost is something that is really meaning that European economy is struggling. So you have a affordable energy plan of action. Now, we don't really know precisely what will be included in that. It's basically recommendations. And I'm nervous about this just being an empty frame when we actually need to be acting extremely swiftly to lower energy costs. A number of colleagues have mentioned this prior to me, and that was the fact that that we have the indexation of electricity costs to the gas price. And we know that the gas, the cost of gas is at the highest price ever since 2020, and structurally will remain high considering the geopolitical situation that is incredibly unstable. But as I said during the hearing, the issue is the commodification of energy of electricity. Now, president von der Leyen promised in 2020 that she would put an end to this pegging of the electricity costs on the gas cost. What? Where do we stand on that? Do you think that we should have a more ambitious reform compared to what we did in the previous legislative period, so that we can make sure that it is a linked to the production cost of this essential commodity. And then as pertains to the directive, you know, article five of the directive on the electricity markets puts forth that we should put an end to the regulated sale price. And so in 2025, this was supposed to be done in this year. Here we are. Are you going to leave countries like France and other member states? Um, keep these regulated sale costs that are extremely burdensome for businesses and households alike. Thank you.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Chairman and Commissioner. Now you've come to introduce simplification measures isn't a miracle solution for these companies, but behind these measures, there are essential regulations for the Green Deal, which, uh, you put in like, uh, requirements for reporting on sustainability without any kind of public consultation nor impact assessments. And you this is very surprising for us. I think that it's not by dismantling and undermining our environmental and social standards, that you will strengthen our companies competitiveness and save jobs. What we've been saying on several occasions for the businesses and industry is the the energy prices, regulation of energy policies and the policies of the European Union, which actually expose us to unfair competition. Now, I remember you went to, uh, Dunkirk. The question about Steel, the steel industry, the wage earners of phosphor metal, and the email said that there had been massive import of coke from Indonesia. So we're seeing an increase in the import of coke and coal, which we've been, uh, trying to use locally to produce steel. French steel. So this is rather shocking aspect because you presented a plan on safeguarding steel. What do you think about the increase of the import of this essential product for steels, steel and how we can maintain products for steel steel production in Europe and in France? Thank you for the first part of your question.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you. And thank you to everyone. Given recent events, there is a heightened need for European sovereignty in the space area, and I think we would all share this idea. But in recent days, if you read the press, it would seem that Airbus, Thales and Leonardo are negotiating to support a joint project, the Brummel project. These three companies, including your own, Mr. Comparini, participated in an interview at the European Commission looking at issues of competition. There is a concern about transparency, about the tenor of the exchanges. The Commission seems to have given its blessing, but we don't have a great deal of information. It seems to be a joint project attempting to rival the Starlink satellite group and also to rival American satellites. But with regards to Starlink, it's more expensive and they have their own launcher, the Falcon. In the context of the Brummel project, Ariana isn't really associated, so we're wondering how we are going to be able to propose a real alternative to Musk. Now, these companies will have to have a restructuring plan, and we're talking about 3,000 jobs coming under threat with any merger. So the Brummel project may well have serious impacts on employment. What would you say to that?”
  EU competences on space policy
• “Thank you. Chair. Colleagues. He is such as Metalworks are losing ground. Their challenges are tied in with energy consumption and electrification. This is why we need to have a metal works or production that are green and competitive, and can compete with non EU. There's mention of an increase of 30% of electrification by 2050. But the problem is that we're producing electricity here in Europe, which might be affordable due to renewables, but we're selling it to our industry at three times the prices our competitors are facing. And we continue to index electricity prices on the basis of gas prices. This is nonsense. We have to look at how we can decouple electricity prices from gas. But we need to do more than just look at it. We have to simply avoid it. We have to decouple electricity from gas. And that means we have to remove it from the laws of the market and speculation. Our industry has to recover. The energy sector. Workers are often overlooked, but they are key in production. And it's indispensable that we take them into account if we want to succeed in transforming our industry. My conclusion is that more than ever, we need to rethink our energy system, which is the cornerstone of our European industry.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you very much Chair, thank you very much for taking time to answer our questions. We've been able to discuss these issues several times. We are critical to European electricity markets. We also need to look at the way we produce electricity and also the way we set prices. So against that backdrop, we learned recently that Germany is going to set the industrial electricity price at that zero five dollars per kilowatt hour until 2028 and that the European Commission was trying to find a legal solution which is solid to make that possible.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “President. Thank you. President Donald Trump's ultimatum was supposed to be coming today. We've now had a slight reprieve, but the terms of the blackmail haven't changed. If we don't give way to his demands on digital tax and trade, he will stifle our economy. He's threatening us because he knows he can do that. Because there's a kind of civility amongst our European leaders. That's been the case for decades with regard to our so-called allies in the US. And it means an extreme dependence on their markets and their products. This is stifling any ability to promote regional and local entities, which is vital to our sovereignty. We are vulnerable, as are many other countries which have seen their economies destabilized by American sanctions and changes in customs policy. Trump does not negotiate, and we are not his partners. We are his vassals. So in this context, it is time for us to make a vital choice. Are we going to have truly protectionist solidarity, reducing our dependence, starting with the true European Act, a by European Act? We don't need to have an American market to create jobs. We should tax benefits from intellectual property. We have the means. We just like the political will to get there. And it is high time that we made the choice to not be submissive to Washington. Thank you. Colleagues.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Chair. Commissioner, in your introduction, you said you wanted to be positive vis a vis the US. I'm not sure I agree. I think we need to get it into our heads that Trump has pinpointed our weaknesses in trade and in defence. And he wants us to genuflect to to bend to his will. Okay, we have to look at overproduction, but we're already at the edge of the abyss. So instead we need to find outlets for the products produced. And we mustn't forget that we boast a an internal market of between 450 and 500 million people. But I would also say we need immediate trade defence measures. So I want to ask you, are you thinking about a rapid activation of the anti coercion mechanism? I asked about the anti coercion mechanism last time. But it's not just industry that's affected. Farming to farming pays a higher price for this trade war. So are you thinking about a compensation fund specifically earmarked for farmers. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you, Madam President. The current situation forces us into certain realizations. Each international crisis becomes an energy bill crisis for Europe. A few days after the start of the war in the Middle East, um, price of petrol at pumps is over €2 per litre. We can no longer accept that daily lives of our citizens are so subject to external shocks. This is not just something that's being played out on our borders. It's at the heart of our energy networks. Our real defence lies in our ability to sustain our own supply. How do we do that? By leaving fossil fuels, mass electrification and deployment of renewables. The 300 gigawatt offshore wind Go for 2050 is not just a green goal, it is a strategic imperative. As long as Europe has offshore wind, we will have high performing industry. We must protect this because true energy sovereignty for Europe will be renewable or we will have no sovereignty at all. Thank you, Mr. Milan.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Yes, thank you. The question that I was asking was about the case of Germany because currently you are working with Germany on setting industrial electricity prices and this is something that can be legally acceptable. Because as you know, if we intervene and we set prices then there's a risk of sanctions on the state aid rules. So my question essentially is what are you doing with Germany? Is that something you can accept for all member states, so giving all member states the possibility to set up something similar?”
  State Aid
• “Thank you very much indeed, chairman. And thank you for your presentation. I think I need to state this clearly, but social, environmental and human rights clauses need to be part of our part of classic free trade agreements, but when they fall short of those, nothing happens. If you look at the Panama agreement, there's no suspension of the agreement in spite of those clauses being breached. And now with CPTPP, there's a new instrument. You're going to have hybrid parallel agreements which go against the classic way of doing things. And this without the agreement of the European Parliament. And I fear that there are no guarantees in relation to European standards, in particular social and environmental standards. And the C-type has been negotiated without a formal mandate from the Council, without any agreement from Parliament, goes against the spirit of the treaties, and the entire approach is piloted only by the Commission and might ride roughshod over the most fundamental rights and values. But it is an important agreement for Europe's Europe, sovereignty, for workers rights and for climate. And in particular, when it comes to workers rights. What is the C-type going to contain on that? To make sure that this is observed in South Africa, because you're looking at sectors which are important for workers health, in particular mining. So just two questions, if I may, in relation to the agreement, can the Commission guarantee that all agreements will have a significant economic impact and will be subject to an impact assessment and agreement from the Parliament, in keeping with article two one 218 Tfeu and this C-type. Will it be concluded without binding illegal guarantees in relation to workers rights and environmental protection, and also making sure that there's no impact on the local population in South Africa?”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Thank you. Yes, these are desperate times. The EU has never signed such an unfair deal. This is an agreement which, uh, plays the EU for fools and really has us bowing down before the US. Now, the commission says that it wants to strengthen our energy capacities, but then it requires the EU to buy €750 billion of US oil. It says it wants to strengthen our defence industry, and yet it signs an agreement requiring us to buy American arms. The commission says that it wants to redirect investments for European industries, and then it gives up again with 600 billion to the US. So I think we've understood this. The deal is not a deal. And the consequence of all of this is, well, it is the consequence of 30 years of free trade which led us to this deadly dependence on trade with the EU. But this is the deal. We're going to see more protectionism, less solidarity. We see also. We need something that favours EU development. We talked about taxing big tech. We talked about targeting and taxing IP rights from the US. There are things that could be done. There are options. We really cannot just depend on the rest of the world for our survival. Although it seems it will come to that. Now, what we're being presented with here by the Commission is that we need to vote on the agreement as a whole. But those of us who are opposed to the legislative proposal on the customs duties are in a tough spot, because there are different political views on this. And of course, we want to protect the EU from the US, and so we will have to reject this legislation. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “We have to make headway on providing support, allowing green steel to have a market that's important, something that was important in in-tray as well. I hope that Inter will take that on board because at the moment it's more expensive to produce that. And also looking at European comments and the way in which we can have a procurement to help. Green steel. Green steel is very useful. As you can see, the decarbonisation of the sector is in ecological, economic and social imperative. And there once again, we have to have a discussion about cbam because, as you know, we're revising Cbam. At the same time, we need to bolster that to make sure that it will include all derived products from steel. And I think that's an important battle to fight if we want to protect steel as a whole. To conclude, Martin will be carrying out negotiations in Inter, but as far as I'm concerned, I'll be watching very closely that the discussion in Inter takes into account the opinion that came from Itri. Thank you.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you. Chair. Thank you for the presentation. I see that we are paying the price of our dependence. A dependence that is the result Of decades of belief in the dogma of free trade, and is the result of constant alignment with the United States. We now know that they are not a reliable partner. They are taking advantage of our dependence today and preventing us from developing our own AI, because they. Ai is an economic and social challenge, a challenge for which Europe is not prepared. And Macron's AI summit didn't solve anything. It was an opportunity to become aware of how far behind we are while the US and China advance. What are we going to do now? Are we going to sit on our hands, or are we finally going to use our anti coercion tools we have here the threat of a commercial war. The sovereignty of Greenland being challenged as they want to develop their hegemony at our expense. We need to plan together rather than opposing private initiative. In 66, European leaders came up with a plan that would help us to be independent in digital terms. We need to seize on this now and develop a democratic digital sector in Europe, which aims to achieve the common good. Are you going to use the anti coercion tools that were created in 2023 to cope with challenges of this type? Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations