Ana MIRANDA PAZ

Policy topics Ana MIRANDA PAZ is active on

What Ana MIRANDA PAZ has said (77)

• 2026-06-16 “(11:51:25 – 11:52:33): Imperialism kills and the people pay for it as high representative of the foreign policy of the EU. You've said that Israel has to be held accountable. Yes. It does have to be held accountable for having committed a genocide for occupying Palestine for practicing apartheid. We would like, more than you just saying this in private to say it in public, missus Callas. We have to stop, allowing Israel to get away with this. Israel has already broken this very timid cease fire. Israel who put in place a, lay recently adopted in the Knesset that would lead to the death penalty for many people and, incarcerate them just for exercising their freedoms. It's not a peace process as you have said in the West Bank. In Gaza, the situation for Palestinians is getting worse and worse. The situation in Palestine, if it does not, get resolved, this will be a shame for the EU and for humanity.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2026-03-18 “Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission 11.5.2026 Written question The Commission is aware of the environmental concerns raised by the Honourable Member, both through petitions submitted to the European Parliament and related correspondence. These claims have been thoroughly examined but have not led to the opening of an infringement procedure, in accordance with the principles set out below. The Waste Framework Directive [1] requires Member States to ensure that waste is managed without endangering human health and without harming the environment, and in line with the waste hierarchy which prioritises waste prevention, reuse and recycling. In addition, the directive promotes the recovery of construction and demolition waste, including through selective demolition and high-quality recycling. Where asphalt contains hazardous substances, such as tar, additional requirements under EU waste and chemicals legislation may apply. Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as the guardian of the Treaties, Member States are primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with EU law. In line with its strategic approach on enforcement action, which focuses on cases of systemic non-compliance [2] , the Commission considers that the means of redress available under national legislation would be the most appropriate mechanism to address individual cases of possible non-compliance such as this one. In this respect, the competent national and regional authorities are responsible for authorising, monitoring and enforcing compliance with the applicable rules and are best placed to assess the specific circumstances of the case. [1] Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140 and Directive (EU) 2025/1892 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 September 2025 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, OJ L, 2025/1892, 26.9.2025. [2] Communication from the Commission — EU law: Better results through better application, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10-20, and Communication from the Commission — Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers, 13.10.2022, COM(2022) 518 final.”
  Environmental crimes and justice · Water pollution
• 2026-03-17 “Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission 7.5.2026 Written question The European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Delegation of the EU in Argentina have been following the developments related to law No 27.802 (the ‘labour reform’ or ‘labour modernisation’ law). The EEAS and the Delegation have taken note of the recent decision of the Labour Court No. 3 to declare this law unconstitutional and of the Government’s intention to appeal against the Court’s decision. The EU uses a wide range of instruments (cooperation, investment, training and trade conditionalities) to encourage compliance with international labour standards. In addition, both the EU-Mercosur interim Trade Agreement [1] and the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement [2] link cooperation between the Parties to their mutual respect for democratic principles and human rights, and include labour-related commitments such as decent work, core labour standards, effective labour protection, social dialogue, labour inspection and non-discrimination. The EU also provides funding for vocational training in line with international labour standards and cooperates with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), follows its recommendations and funds projects with the ILO involvement. The framework Agreement for Cooperation of 1990 [3] sets the legal framework for bilateral relations between the EU and Argentina. Within this framework, the Joint Committee meets regularly, with the next one scheduled for the first week of June 2026. This will be the occasion to discuss important topics in different policy areas, including this one. [1] https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/mercosur/eu-mercosur-agreement/text-agreement_en. [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_113. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/1990/530.”
  EU relations with left-wing Latin America
• 2026-03-07 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission 6.5.2026 Written question According to the information available to the Commission, this project was part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan Facility (RRF). The particular project referred to in the question falls under component 10 (Just Transition), investment 1 (Investment in Just Transition) of the Spanish Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) . The relevant target (#140), which required the publication in the Official Journal of the award of at least 100 environmental, digital and social infrastructure projects in Just Transition Areas, was positively assessed under the fourth payment request [1] in June 2024. Compliance with the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle is a prerequisite for a measure to be included in a RRP (Article 5(2) of Regulation 2021/241) [2] . Disbursements under the Facility are tied to the satisfactory fulfilment of these conditions. Member States bear primary responsibility for the management and control of EU financing provided under the RRF funds. They are required to establish robust control systems to ensure that funds are utilised effectively and appropriately. To this end, the Member States must provide details on the measures implemented, adhere to specific control requirements, and submit regular audit reports to the Commission, also for measures already assessed. The Commission, in turn, carries out its own assessments and audits to confirm that Member States are fulfilling their obligations and that funds are being appropriately implemented. The Commission utilises various tools and procedures to review and validate the information provided by Member States. [1] C(2024) 5186 finaldis. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0241.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2026-02-17 “Answer given by Mr Síkela on behalf of the European Commission 4.5.2026 Written question The EU Delegation to Colombia is aware of the situation in the region, as it holds regular exchanges on the situation in Buenaventura with the Government, including the Adviser Commissioner for Peace and its local delegation. EU Delegation staff travel frequently to meet local authorities, the Catholic Church, civil society and business organisations, local representatives of the UN and the Organisation of American States. It is worth reminding that the Trade Agreement between the EU and Colombia, Ecuador and Peru contains a human rights clause, with compliance being closely monitored. Directive 2024/1760 [1] on corporate sustainability due diligence will require large companies to address human rights and environmental impacts in their operations, subsidiaries and chains of activities. The EU adopts a rights-based approach in all partnerships and takes active steps to reinforce human rights safeguards, while engaging with development finance institutions to uphold human rights, environmental, social and governance standards. In addition, the EU funds the Due Diligence Navigator [2] for partner countries and supports the Indigenous Navigator [3] , tracking the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 26 countries, including Colombia. Protecting human rights and environment defenders is among the top human rights priorities of the EU in Colombia , supported by global programmes like P rotect Defenders’ mechanism and actions such as ‘El derecho a defender derechos’. The project ‘Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean’ also builds capacity among indigenous leaders on business, human rights and just transition in several countries, including Colombia. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1760/oj/eng. [2] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/eu-due-diligence-navigator-partner-countries_en. [3] https://indigenousnavigator.org/.”
  EU competences on human rights
• 2026-02-09 “E-000525/2026 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Commission has seen the report 1 prepared by the Spanish Standing Commission for the Investigation of Maritime Accidents and Incidents (CIAIM) which has been published by the Spanish authorities and is also available on the European Marine Casualty Information Platform hosted by the European Maritime Safety Agency. The Commission has not been in contact with the Spanish authorities concerning this accident. 2. In relation to the 12 missing persons, the Commission understands the anguish of their families. It notes that the underwater search and inspection operations undertaken by CIAIM in May and June of 2023 took place 15 months after the sinking and were designed to support the investigation to obtain relevant information about the vessel, its cargo and fishing equipment as well as the seabed and not to recover mortal remains. 3. Apart from the safety recommendations made by CIAIM in Section 6 of the abovementioned report, the Commission is not aware of any such proposals. 1 https://www.transportes.gob.es/recursos_mfom/comodin/recursos/ic_03-2024_villa_de_pitanxo_web-engb_0.pdf.”
  EU policy on aviation safety · Decarbonisation of maritime transport
• 2026-01-24 “E-000271/2026 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The Commission acknowledges the European Parliament's resolution and reaffirms its commitment to adhere to the rules and procedures set out in the EU Treaties. The Commission is dedicated to fostering sincere cooperation among all EU institutions, respecting the role of the European Parliament in the ratification process.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• 2026-01-24 “E-000273/2026 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission regrets the tragic loss of life following the rail accidents near Adamuz. In relations to the three questions put to it, the Commission recalls the following: 1. Under EU railway safety Directive (EU) 2016/798 (the Directive) 1 , the responsibility for investigating railway accidents independently lies with national investigation bodies (NIBs). The EU Agency for Railways (ERA) can offer technical assistance according to Article 22(5) of the Directive and did so immediately. On that basis, ERA will observe and assist on the work of the investigative body CIAF 2 . 2. Any decision concerning possible infringement proceedings in relation to the Adamuz rail accident is conditional on the conclusion of the ongoing investigation and on its findings. The Commission decided in March 2024 to close the infringement proceedings 3 referred to by the Honourable Member because Spain had addressed the systemic weaknesses in the supervision and accident investigation processes following an agreed and supervised action plan with annual reporting to the Commission and ERA. ERA confirmed the significant progress during an audit in 2023. 3. The Commission will continue monitoring closely the situation while awaiting the findings of the CIAF investigation, to determine if accident in Adamuz could have as a causal factor a flaw in the actions taken within the abovementioned action plan. The Commission will react, if necessary, using the appropriate instruments of the Rail Safety Directive (EU) 2016/798 to guarantee the highest levels of safety and ensure that each actor fulfils its responsibility towards it. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2016/798/oj/eng. 2 Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes Ferroviarios. 3 Press release concerning the case: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/memo_19_462.”
  EU support of rail transport · EU policy on aviation safety
• 2025-11-10 “E-004439/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) relied for the evaluation on information and data submitted by the project promoter, including both technical and feasibility studies, which include the project's relevant environmental impacts. The quality and comprehensiveness of these claims was assessed by independent experts. The STEP Seal is awarded to projects that exceed all Innovation Fund evaluation criteria minimum thresholds. The Gama project was deemed to satisfy these criteria, based on the documentation submitted, and received the STEP Seal accordingly. Once awarded, the STEP Seal cannot be withdrawn by the Commission, except in the event that CINEA’s initial positive evaluation is subsequently revised and results in a negative assessment. The STEP Seal ceases to be valid if the project has not started within five years of the award. However, once STEP Seal projects are selected for funding by the Innovation Fund or through other support instruments, there are several project development steps including obtaining the necessary regulatory permits before implementation, to which the collected expert assessment can be of relevance. The Commission welcomes the careful attention to the evaluated projects and is committed to maintaining rigorous evaluation standards in all European funding instruments.”
  EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding · Water pollution · Industrial emissions directive (IED)
• 2025-11-10 “E-004438/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) 1 provides unprecedented safeguards for media and journalists against political interference. With regard to public service media, and as stated in the reply to written question E-002820/2025, the provisions of the EMFA aim to ensure editorial independence of public service media providers and provision by them of a plurality of information and opinions to their audiences, in accordance with their public service remit as defined at national level, in line with Protocol No 29 on the system of public broadcasting in the Member States annexed to the founding Treaties of the EU 2 . Most provisions of the EMFA apply from August 2025. The Commission is in close contact with Member States to make sure that their legal and institutional frameworks are aligned with the EMFA and facilitate its full application. The Commission has furthermore overseen and supported the transition from the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) to the European Board for Media Services - the Media Board, which was officially established in February 2025. Member States have a primary responsibility to monitor the application of the EMFA and to take the necessary steps for enforcement. In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will continue monitoring the situation on the independence of media and may decide to take appropriate action including, where appropriate, infringement proceedings. Furthermore, it will continue assessing relevant developments related to media freedom and pluralism in all Member States, including Spain, under the annual Rule of Law Report 3 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401083. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2012/pro_29/oj. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rulelaw/rule-law/annual-rule-law-cycle_en.”
  EU support for traditional (non-digital) media · Rule of law in Spain
• 2025-10-15 “E-004069/2025 Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the difficulties faced by the fisheries sector and has ensured that the needs are covered in its proposals for the three main Funds under the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Activities that are currently covered under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) can also be covered under the future National and Regional Partnership Plans of the Member States. EUR 2 billion is reserved as a minimum allocation for implementing some areas of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). These activities include support for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, marine conservation and restoration, and the compensation of operators in crisis or exceptional circumstances, including cessation of fishing. This is just a minimum amount and Member States can top it up under their overall financial envelope to support additional needs, such as measures in favour of their fishery and aquaculture sectors and of their coastal communities. Additional investments could cover data collection, control, generational renewal, small scale fisheries, etc. Additional funds could be available from the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (EUR 451 billion) that aims to foster the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the fishery and aquaculture sector, and from the Global Europe Instrument (EUR 200 billion) that aims to strengthen partnerships with non-EU countries to support sustainable fisheries and the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. The support available under the next MFF has the potential to go beyond the current EMFAF budget. It will be largely up to the Member States to make strategic choices to use at their best the funds available.”
  Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
• 2025-09-19 “E-003640/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission As the Commission stated in its reply to written questions E-003312/2025, E-003313/2025 and E-003315/2025 and as mentioned by the Honourable Member, the Commission is handling an infringement procedure against Spain 1 on account of the incomplete designation of sites of Community importance (SCIs) as special areas of conservation (SACs) and the establishment of specific conservation objectives and measures for SACs. The Commission recalls that the horizontal infringement procedure against Spain concerns several Autonomous Communities and Cities. Galicia has completed the designation process for all its 59 SCIs. However, following an analysis of Decree 37/2014 of 27 March 2014, declaring the SCIs of Galicia as SACs and approving the Galician Natura 2000 network master plan, the Commission considers that Galicia has not set adequate site-specific conservation objectives and conservation measures in all its SACs. Spain has provided updates on the designation of SACs (in the regions where the process is not finished) and, in 2024, has adopted new guidelines for the Natura 2000 network in which general conditions are defined to set site-specific conservation objectives and measures in Natura 2000 sites. The Commission is assessing the information provided by Spain prior to deciding the most appropriate way forward. 1 INFR 2015/2003 : https://ec.europa.eu/implementing-eu-law/search-infringementdecisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumn s=decisionDate&refId=INFR(2015)2003.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2025-09-08 “E-003475/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission assesses applications submitted to the call for Strategic Projects under the Critical Raw Materials Act 1 (CRMA) with the help of external experts. These experts are selected from the Commission’s experts database, established following an open call for expressions of interest. The Commission stresses that the Mina Doade application has been assessed by experts without conflicts of interest. None of these experts were director of the SAMCA Group or were involved in companies managing the mine’s operations, as this would have clearly constituted a conflict of interest. Each application is assessed by at least four individual experts whose collective expertise covers technical, financial, and environmental, social and governance-related aspects, as well as the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources. When allocating experts to applications, the Commission pays particular attention to the impartiality of the involved experts and to avoiding any potential conflicts of interest. For instance, before receiving access to the application, experts have to confirm in writing the absence of conflicts of interests with the applications allocated to them. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02024R1252-20240503.”
  Transparency requirements of EU institutions · Rule of law in Spain
• 2025-08-27 “E-003319/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission Following Spain’s request for firefighting assistance, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism 1 swiftly mobilised support against the devastating wildfires. More than 300 first responders from Czechia, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Greece, Romania and Finland worked with the pre-positioned Estonian team. To reinforce operations, four firefighting planes and two helicopters from the rescEU fleet, along with two additional Dutch helicopters, helped to contain the blazes. In Galicia, firefighters from Estonia, Romania and Finland were on the ground with the French rescEU Canadair, supporting Spanish teams. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated five times, delivering 74 mapping products. The common agricultural policy strategic plans for 2023–2027 support targeted measures on sustainable forest management, fire prevention and forest restoration, while also addressing broader rural development priorities 2 . Moreover, the afforestation measure in Galicia explicitly prohibited the planting of eucalyptus. The 2014-2020 3 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme of Galicia supported various fire prevention and extinction actions 4 . In the 2021-2027 ERDF programme 5 , there are also similar measures 6 planned. The Commission is handling an infringement procedure 7 against Spain on account of the incomplete designation of sites of community importance (SCIs) under the Habitats Directive 8 . Galicia has completed the designation process for all its 59 SCIs 9 but has failed to set site-specific conservation objectives and conservation measures including on fire prevention. The replies provided by Spain are under assessment. 1 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en. 2 Galicia programmed EUR 846 million of total public expenditure, including EUR 75 million dedicated to forest damage prevention and EUR 8 million to forest restoration A further EUR 60 million (7%) is programmed for basic services in rural areas. Additionally, EUR 58 million (7%) are allocated to the LEADER program (https://ec.europa.eu/enrd/leader-clld_en.html) for supporting the implementation of local development strategies and thus contributing to combating rural depopulation. The plan also includes support for the setting-up of young farmers (EUR 42 million (5%) programmed), and of new farmers (EUR 9 million). 3 https://www.conselleriadefacenda.gal/areas-tematicas/planificacion-e-fondos/periodo-comunitario-20142020/programas-operativos-2014-2020/po-feder-galicia-2014-2020/programa-operativo-feder-galicia-20142020. 4 Three operations with an EU contribution of more than EUR 44 million. 5 https://www.conselleriadefacenda.gal/es_ES/areas-tematicas/planificacion-e-fondos/periodo-comunitario-20212027/programas-2021-2027/programa-feder-2021-2027. 6 EUR 15.6 million are planned, with EUR 2.3 million already allocated to fire preventive actions. 7 Reference [INFR(2015)2003]: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_20_1212, this is part of a structural action involving several other Member States in similar situation. 8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1992/43/oj/eng. 9 Following the analysis of Decree 37/2014 of 27 March 2014, declaring the SCIs of Galicia as Special Areas of Conservation and approving the Galician Natura 2000 network master plan, https://www.xunta.gal/dog/Publicados/2014/20140331/AnuncioCA02-270314-0001_es.html.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-08-27 “E-003318/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The EU supports forest fire fighting activities of the Member States through different EU funds, such as the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) or the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The Commission and Member States share the management of the EAFRD and the ERDF. The managing authorities of the funding programmes in Member States are responsible for the selection and monitoring of the projects, in line with the programmes approved. For the period 2014-2020, the EAFRD co-financed more than EUR 238 million 1 for prevention of fires and natural disasters within the Rural Development Programme of Galicia 2 . In addition, there are two interventions planned in Galicia with more than EUR 83 million 3 under the 2021-2027 Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 4 . The current implementation rates of these two interventions are of 20.23% and 7.97% respectively. The ERDF programme of Galicia financed in the 2014-2020 5 period three operations related to fires, with an EU contribution of more than EUR 44 million. For the 2021-2027 period 6 , EUR 15.6 million are planned for similar measures, with EUR 2.3 million already allocated to fire preventive actions. Implementation has started for both funds and the Commission is closely monitoring progress. Finally, the RRF 7 funded the acquisition in Galicia of 13 special purpose vehicles for firefighting alongside investments in sustainable forest management to combat forest fires. 1 Total public expenditure. 2 https://pdr-mediorural.xunta.gal/gl/pdr/o-programa. 3 Total public expenditure. 4 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/cap-my-country/cap-strategic-plans/spain_en. 5 https://www.conselleriadefacenda.gal/areas-tematicas/planificacion-e-fondos/periodo-comunitario-20142020/programas-operativos-2014-2020/po-feder-galicia-2014-2020/programa-operativo-feder-galicia-20142020. 6 https://www.conselleriadefacenda.gal/es_ES/areas-tematicas/planificacion-e-fondos/periodo-comunitario2021-2027/programas-2021-2027/programa-feder-2021-2027. 7 Under component 4 of the Spanish Recovery and Resilience Plan.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-07-10 “E-002820/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the developments referred to by the Honourable Member. The provisions of the European Media Freedom Act 1 aiming to ensure editorial independence of public service media providers and provision by them of a plurality of information and opinions to their audiences, in accordance with their public service remit as defined at national level, in line with Protocol No 29 on the system of public broadcasting in the Member States annexed to the founding Treaties of the EU 2 , shall apply from 8 August 2025. Member States are responsible for their cultural and linguistic diversity 3 . It follows that the legal provisions governing the use of languages fall within the exclusive competence of the Member States and must therefore be addressed at national level. More generally, the Commission will continue to monitor developments regarding the situation of the public service broadcasters, in particular in its annual Rule of Law report 4 . For more details on the governance of public service media, the Commission refers the Honourable Member to its answers to parliamentary questions E-001788/2024 and E001789/2024. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401083. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/tfeu_2012/pro_29/oj. 3 Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 4 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-communication-and-country-chapters_en.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · EU support for traditional (non-digital) media
• 2025-06-27 “E-002600/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission As explained in its reply to written question E-001822/2025, the Commission is following the situation in the As Conchas reservoir, fed by the River Limia. The Miño-Sil third River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) reported by the Spanish authorities within the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 1 reports that this reservoir 2 is in ‘worse than good’ general status, having moderate ecological potential and good chemical status. The data reported under the Nitrates Directive 3 shows eutrophication in that reservoir. In its ruling of 11 July 2025, the High Court of Galicia condemned Xunta de Galicia and Miño-Sil basin authority to immediately take all necessary measures to ensure the supply of clean and safe drinking water to allow the full enjoyment of the human right to water. In order to receive confirmation that the drinking water supply in the area concerned does not pose a potential health risk to consumers and that access to safe drinking water is not affected, the Commission will take the necessary steps to obtain additional information to ensure compliance with the provisions of the recast Drinking Water Directive 4 . The Commission services have recently consulted the Spanish authorities on the actions envisaged for the As Conchas reservoir and have asked for actions to tackle the situation. The Nitrates Directive requires Member States to designate areas draining into polluted waters as vulnerable zones and to notify the Commission. The Commission will continue supporting Member States, including Spain, in their efforts to appropriately implement the Nitrates Directive and will take all the necessary actions within its powers to ensure that all the legal obligations under the directive are being complied with in the EU territory. 1 Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1–73, as amended by Commission Directive 2014/101/EU of 30 October 2014, OJ L 311, 31.10.2014, p. 32–35. 2 ES010MSPFES511MAR002400. 3 Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1–8. 4 Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human consumption (recast), OJ L 435, 23.12.2020, p. 1–62.”
  Water pollution · EU policy on water management
• 2025-05-28 “E-002150/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The EU has been consistently clear in its position that settlements are illegal under international law and has repeatedly condemned Israel’s settlement policy and the occupation of the Palestinian territory that began in 1967. EU positions and policies are fully aligned on the United Nations resolutions regarding the status of the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) 1 and are overall consistent with the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 2 as regards the duty of non-recognition, the duty to distinguish in the dealings with Israel between its territory and the OPT, and the duty of non-assistance. The EU differentiation policy implies that goods, including agricultural products, originating from Israeli settlements in occupied territories since June 1967 do not fall within the scope of the EU-Israel Association Agreement 3 and therefore cannot benefit from trade preferences under the Agreement. Moreover, in 2015, the Commission adopted an Interpretative Notice to provide guidance on the labelling of goods, including agricultural products, from Israeli settlements in the OPT and how the existing legislation on labelling should be applied 4 . The approach of the Interpretative Notice was confirmed by a judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU in 2019 5 . Official controls on the labelling of imported goods are primarily the responsibility of Member States, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls on the agrifood chain 6 . 1 https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/266/48/pdf/n2426648.pdf. 2 Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024, https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/186/186-20240719adv-01-00-en.pdf. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:411c0668-144d-44a1-a5e3dd2342f7a5b5.0017.02/DOC_1&format=PDF. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52015XC1112(01). 5 Judgment of 12 November 2019, Organisation juive européenne and Vignoble Psagot Ltd v Ministre de l'Économie et des Finances, C 363/18, EU:C:2019:954, https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=A16C97FD2EEC535918F5478A663AC7D6?tex t=&docid=220534&pageIndex=0&doclang=en&mode=req&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=8005913. 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-05-28 “E-002151/2025 Reply The General Affairs Council discussed on 27 May and on 18 July 2025 the request by Spain to include Catalan, Basque and Galician amongst the official languages of the institutions provided for in Regulation No 1/1958, which governs the EU’s language regime. Ministers held constructive exchanges of views and decided to continue working on the Spanish request. The General Affairs Council remains seized of the matter. As for the rest, it is not for the Council to comment on statements made and positions taken by the Member States in deliberations pertaining to an ongoing decision-making process.”
  Multilingualism in EU institutions
• 2025-05-19 “E-2004/2025 Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Commission is aware of the concerns raised by several EU producers, including aquaculture farmers in Galicia, regarding the exemption of prepared and preserved fishery and aquaculture products from mandatory origin labelling. It is also aware that these local producers see the exemption as a potential challenge for the competitiveness of their products. 2. The Commission is committed to ensuring transparency and fairness in the market for fishery and aquaculture products and these objectives are reflected in the ongoing evaluation of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation 1 . Among others, the aim is to assess whether the existing labelling rules provide consumers with adequate information and whether additional requirements are needed. The Commission will continue to engage with stakeholders, including Member States and industry representatives, to assess the need for changes to the existing labelling requirements and will consider the concerns of EU producers as part of the ongoing evaluation. While it cannot prejudge the outcome of the evaluation of the CMO Regulation, the Commission remains committed to ensuring that the labelling rules are effective and fit for purpose. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj/eng.”
  EU policy on country of origin food labelling · Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
• 2025-04-09 “E-001450/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission On Western Sahara, the EU’s position is to strongly support the efforts made by the United Nations (UN) to continue the political process aiming to reach a just, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise and in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions. The EU is vocal on the importance it gives to the upholding of human rights within its own borders and across the world. Questions regarding human rights are addressed in the framework foreseen under the EU-Kingdom of Morocco Association Agreement 1 and other regular exchanges with the Moroccan authorities. In addition, the EU conducts a regular dialogue with civil society and non-governmental organisations that closely monitor human rights issues. Finally, given Morocco’s membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 period, the EU expects additional opportunities to engage with the country on the respect and protection of human rights. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A22000A0318%2801%29.”
  EU policy on Western Sahara · EU competences on human rights
• 2025-04-02 “E-001350/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The Commission takes the issues of corporate responsibility and accountability seriously and has established frameworks such as Directive 2014/95/EU 1 to improve corporate disclosure of social and environmental information. The Directive 2022/2464 on Corporate Sustainability Reporting 2 broadens the scope, mandates EU Sustainability Reporting Standards and enhances consistency and comparability in non-financial reporting. With the Directive 2024/1760 on corporate sustainability due diligence (CSDDD) 3 , the Commission sets clear expectations for large companies to identify and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts. The Commission regularly engages with a broad range of stakeholders, and takes their concerns into account in its policymaking. The CSDDD requires companies to engage meaningfully with stakeholders, in particular with affected communities, as part of their due diligence. The Commission is committed to simplifying, not weakening, directives related to due diligence, sustainability reporting, and taxonomy. The proposal COM (2025) 81 final 4 aims to ensure that European companies contribute positively to sustainable development and respect for human rights and the environment globally, while remaining competitive by doing so in the most cost-efficient way. The EU is following closely the situation in Buenaventura and regularly engages with authorities and civil society to promote respect of human rights and socio-economic development. The EU is currently implementing Human Rights and Civil Society projects for a total budget of 9,239,032 EUR, including activities specifically targeted to the city of Buenaventura. 1 Directive 2014/95/EU amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups. 2 Directive (EU) 2022/2464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 537/2014, Directive 2004/109/EC, Directive 2006/43/EC and Directive 2013/34/EU, as regards corporate sustainability reporting. 3 Directive 2024/1760 on corporate sustainability due diligence. 4 Proposal for a Directive amending 2006/43/EC, 2013/34/EU, 2022/2464 and 2024/1760 as regards as regards certain corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights) · EU policy on social & environmental impact of foreign investments
• 2025-03-29 “E-001311/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Industrial Action Plan for the European automotive sector recognizes the challenges of an increasingly volatile geopolitical context and their potential impact on the EU automotive sector. Therefore, the Commission has committed on decisive actions to help secure global competitiveness of the EU automotive value chain and maintain a strong European production base. In line with the Automotive Action Plan, the Commission has proposed already an amendment to the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers Regulation 1 , which will extend the support to workers in companies in restructuring processes. In addition, the mid-term review of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2 will be used to incentivise Member States to reprogramme more money for the automotive sector. Trade with the United States represents a source of prosperity and well-paying and quality jobs for the EU automotive value chain. The Commission is assessing the impact of the United States tariffs on EU automotive exports and will also monitor the indirect effects. The Commission will continue to seek a negotiated and constructive solution with the United States, while being ready to protect European interests. 1 COM(2025) 140. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02021R1057-20241224.”
  State Aid · EU-US trade relations
• 2025-03-26 “E-001272/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognises the importance of ensuring public participation, transparency, and compliance with environmental and social safeguards in projects involving critical raw materials, including for the selected Strategic Project mina Doade in Galicia, Spain. The assessment of mina Doade project included the evaluation of environmental and social impacts, and the use of transparent business practices. The assessment concluded that the project would be implemented sustainably according to the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRM Act) 1 . The granting of Strategic Project status requires socially responsible practices, respect for human rights and comprehensive and meaningful consultations with local communities and the granting of the permit is carried out independently by the Member States’ competent authority. Moreover, granting Strategic Project status does not undermine the obligation of the project promoter to comply with EU environmental legislation 2 , which mandates public consultation for plans related to the environment 3 and for projects likely to have significant environmental effects. The implementation of the selected Strategic Projects for the EU will be monitored, and in case a Strategic Project no longer fulfils the criteria laid down in the CRM Act, the Commission may withdraw the recognition of a project as a Strategic Project, taking into account the CRM Board’s opinion. 1 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-rawmaterials/critical-raw-materials-act_en. 2 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of 16 April 2014, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18. 2001/42/EC, 2011/92/EU, 2014/52/EU. 3 Article 7 of the Aarhus Convention.”
  Climate efforts
• 2025-03-26 “E-001273/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Water Framework Directive (WFD) 1 requires Member States to ensure good status of all water bodies. Any project having an impact on the water bodies must undergo a full assessment under Article 4(7) WFD and be subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure in line with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIAD) 2 , ensuring the permits include all the necessary conditions for compliance with EU law. The Spanish authorities are responsible for ensuring conditions to avoid the deterioration of the status of the affected water body and must take action if any deviation from the permits takes place. According to publicly available information, the competent authorities have issued an environmental impact statement for the project in question 3 , resulting from an environmental study carried out in accordance with the applicable EU environmental legislation. That assessment involved a participatory process in which the public concerned had the opportunity to express their opinion in relation to the project. In any case, the environmental impact statement issued does not constitute authorisation for the project, which is subject to obtaining all the permits required by Spanish and European legislations. Moreover, the EIAD provides for specific review procedures that citizens can use if they consider that the applicable provisions of EU law have not been correctly applied. 1 Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1–73. 2 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18., specifies that for cellulose-processing and production installations (projects included in its Annex II point 8.d) Member States have to determine whether they shall be subject to an environmental impact assessment prior to their authorisation. 3 DOG Núm. 51-14 March 2025 – page 17257.”
  EU policy on water management · Water pollution
• 2025-03-15 “E-01114/2025 E-01176/2025 E-01197/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The project in question has been subject to an assessment 1 under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIAD) 2 and the Habitats Directive 3 that covers the effects on the site Serra do Careón 4 and the habitats it hosts. The competent authorities have also assessed the impact of the project on the endangered plant species and natural habitat types of community interest 5 , as well as the compensatory measures proposed by the developer prior to the project’s approval. The EIAD provides for a process of participation where the public concerned was able to express their views on the project. Pursuant to Spanish law, the environmental impact statement issued by the competent authorities does not constitute a development consent for the project, which is subject to the obtention of all the relevant permits required under EU environmental law. There are no indications of a possible infringement of EU law at this point in the procedure. The EIAD also provides for specific review procedures that allow the public concerned to challenge before national courts the substantive or procedural legality of decisions, acts or omissions subject to the EIAD provisions on public participation. The Commission does not have the power to suspend projects carried out in Member States. It focuses its enforcement action on structural and systemic cases rather than on individual cases of alleged non- compliance 6 . Based on the information available, the Altri large-scale project does not seem to receive funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) 7 at this stage. Consequently, the Commission is not in a position to provide an assessment of the concrete project’s alignment with the RRF requirements, including the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle. 1 https://www.xunta.gal/dog/Publicados/2025/20250314/AnuncioG0760-070325-0001_es.html. 2 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of 16 April 2014, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18. 3 Article 6(3) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7-50. 4 Natura 2000 site code: ES1110014. 5 Priority habitats 6220* and 4020*, mentioned in written question E-114/2025. 6 As set out in the Communication of 19 January 2017 (EU law: Better results through better application C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10–20) and in the Communication of 13 October 2022 COM(2022) 518 final - Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers. 7 https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility_en.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2025-03-05 “E-000940/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU regrets the decision to refuse entry to Israel to Members of the European Parliament. The decision is deeply disappointing. It is also surprising, given that the Israeli authorities had been informed well in advance of the composition of the delegation and entry had been authorised by the Israeli authorities. The EU reiterates that respect for all elected Members and the European Parliament is essential for good EU-Israel relations. Members of the European Parliament have a right to exercise their mandate freely. In the framework of the relations with Israel, the EU considers that political engagement and frank and open dialogue are the best ways to convey EU concerns. For example, the EU-Israel Association Council held on 24 February 2025 was an important opportunity for a frank and open dialogue with the Israeli partners. Together with the Member States, the High Representative/Vice-President firmly reiterated the EU’s positions and concerns regarding the situation in Gaza and the West Bank to the Israeli Foreign Minister 1 . The Association Agreement with Israel 2 is the legal basis of the ongoing dialogue with the Israeli authorities and it provides mechanisms to discuss issues and advance the EU’s point of view. In this framework, the EU will continue to reaffirm its commitment to the applicability of international human rights and humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territory. 1 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6511-2025-INIT/en/pdf 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A22000A0621%2801%29”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-03-05 “E-000952/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The housing crisis in several Member States is caused by several factors. The Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 1 on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services (STR) aims to provide Member States authorities with reliable and objective data on short-term rentals to allow them to adopt the most convenient and proportionate measures to counterbalance any possible negative effects of short-term rentals. Member States that wish to receive data on short-term rentals from platforms are obliged to implement the STR Regulation. In this regard, any registration scheme that Member States want to introduce must be compliant with the STR Regulation. However, Member States are not obliged to introduce registration schemes or seek data from platforms, in which case the Regulation does not need to be implemented. Public authorities may take different approaches in this area. It is for Member States and their competent authorities to decide whether to put in place registrations schemes at regional level. In addition, to help tackle the housing crisis, the Commission has appointed the first-ever Commissioner responsible for housing and established a Task Force for Housing. The Commission will put forward a European Affordable Housing Plan and will tackle systemic issues with the short-term accommodation rentals and make proposals to tackle the inefficient use of the current housing stock. During these activities, the Commission will give due consideration to the matters described by the Honourable Member. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1028/oj/eng”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals · EU housing policy
• 2025-03-05 “E-000951/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission takes note of the information provided by the Honourable Member. Given that the applicable legal framework remains unchanged, the Commission refers the Honourable Member to its reply to the parliamentary question E-000669/2024 in which the Commission stated that the obligation to ensure that an investigation is carried out after any serious accident on the Union rail system rests fully with the Member States.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• 2025-02-19 “E-000768/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission As the Commission stated in its reply to written question E-001598/2024, it appears from the information provided by the Honourable Member that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure – pursuant to the EIA Directive 1 – concerning the project at issue is currently underway and that the project has not received development consent at this point. Consequently, it is not possible to verify compliance with the applicable EU law provisions at this stage. The Commission expects the responsible regional authorities to conduct a robust environmental impact assessment, taking account of all relevant environment objectives and, if needed, with adequate mitigation measures to ensure that the project complies with applicable legislation, particularly the Nature Directives 2 and the Water Framework Directive 3 . However, the deadlines and some other aspects of the procedure are regulated by Spanish legislation and the Commission is unable to intervene in that respect. Finally, it should be recalled that Member States are primarily responsible to ensure compliance with EU law. In line with its strategic approach on enforcement action 4 , which focuses on cases of systemic non-compliance, the Commission considers that the means of redress available under national legislation are the most appropriate mechanism to address individual cases of possible non-compliance, such as the issue raised by the Honourable Member. However, in its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will continue monitoring the situation and may decide to take appropriate action when needed. 1 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of 16 April 2014 - OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18. 2 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7-50 and Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (Codified version), OJ L 20, 26.1.2010, p. 7-25. 3 Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy, OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1-73. 4 As set out in the Communication of 19 January 2017 (EU law: Better results through better application C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10–20) and in the Communication of 13 October 2022 COM(2022) 518 final - Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers.”
  Industrial emissions directive (IED) · EU policy on water management
• 2025-02-19 “E-000771/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission shares the concerns of the Honourable Member about the imbalance in housing between cities and rural areas and the high level of vacant houses and those that are rented out on a short-term basis. To help tackle the housing crisis, the Commission will put forward a European Affordable Housing Plan (EAHP) and will support national, regional and local authorities to address structural drivers of the housing crisis and add value at the European level while respecting the subsidiarity and proportionality principles. At the same time, the Commission draws attention to the fact that local and regional authorities already have tools – such as for example taxation, urban planning – available that can contribute to address the issues the Honourable Member mentioned, given their local nature. The Commission is working with the European Investment Bank, as well as international financial institutions, national promotional banks and other stakeholders, to establish a panEuropean investment platform for affordable and sustainable housing 1 . In addition, to allow Member States and regions to double the planned cohesion policy investments in affordable housing, on 1 April 2025, the Commission put forward a legislative proposal to modernise cohesion policy 2 , which, inter alia, provides for increased pre-financing and co-financing rates 3 for investments promoting access to affordable housing that are introduced in the context of the mid-term review of the 2021-2027 programmes. The Commission also considers the need for measures to tackle the inefficient use of the current housing stock. At the same time, the Commission reaffirms that in the context of the EAHP, it will carefully consider the matters described by the Honourable Member. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_671 2 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges in the context of the mid-term review (COM(2025) 123). 3 30% and up to 100%, respectively.”
  Cohesion and rural funding · EU policy on urban development
• 2025-02-12 “E-000652/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The Commission regrets the decision by the United States (US) to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminium exports to the US as of 12 March 2025 and its decision to extend tariffs also to a list of downstream products 1 . The Commission publicly stated that any unjustified tariffs will trigger firm and proportionate EU countermeasures. On 12 March 2025, the Commission launched the process to adequately respond, foreseeing the adoption on 14 April. However, given recent developments, the application of these EU countermeasures will be delayed for 90 days to leave space for bilateral negotiations. The transatlantic trade and investment relationship is the most important in the world. As the EU and US economies and businesses are so closely intertwined, it is in their mutual interest to engage in positive cooperation. When it comes to steel and aluminium, EU exports to the US are not the problem. Rather, the EU and the US have an interest to cooperate on facing the common challenge of overcapacity in the world. The President of the Commission announced that an ‘Import Surveillance Task Force’ will be set up to monitor trade flows and protect against the indirect effects of tariffs, notably those stemming from trade diversion. Finally, on 19 March the Commission presented a Steel and Metal Action Plan 2 to increase competitiveness, strengthen and decarbonise the European steel and metals industries. 1 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-02-18/pdf/2025-02832.pdf and https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-02-18/pdf/2025-02833.pdf 2 https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/7807ca8b-10ce-4ee2-9c11357afe163190_en?filename=Communication%20-%20Steel%20and%20Metals%20Action%20Plan.pdf”
  EU-US trade relations
• 2025-02-10 “E-000605/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU reiterates the importance of upholding and protecting the right to freedom of expression, along with all human rights, while defending their universality. Strengthening media freedom and ensuring the safety of journalists remain longstanding, key priorities for EU external action, as underlined by the EU Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2027 1 and the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline 2 . Moreover, respect for democratic principles and fundamental rights is an essential element of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement 3 , which forms the foundation of EU-Morocco relations. Given the Kingdom of Morocco’s membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 period, the EU expects additional opportunities to engage with the country on the protection and promotion of human rights. Questions regarding human rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of the media, are addressed in regular exchanges with the Moroccan authorities and civil society organisations. 1 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/Action-Plan-EN_2020-2027.pdf 2 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/09_hr_guidelines_expression_en.pdf 3 (Article 2) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A22000A0318%2801%29”
  EU policy on Western Sahara
• 2025-01-29 “E-000392/2025 Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the situation of the Galician shellfish sector and the impact of heavy rainfall on the Atlantic coast of Galicia during 2023-2024. Spain can provide financial support to fishers affected through its European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture (EMFAF) programme. Compensation for temporary cessation of fishing activities is provided under Art. 21(2)(e) of the EMFAF Regulation 1 which covers natural disasters, environmental incidents or health crises, as formally recognised by the competent national authorities. Thus, to mobilise this type of EU support, Spain has to formally recognise the occurrence of the event as natural disaster or environmental incident. Furthermore, Spain can set up mutual insurance funds for the sector with EMFAF support, both for fisheries and aquaculture. Member States may equally grant State aid to undertakings in the fisheries sector in line with the Fisheries State aid guidelines 2 . Small-scale fisheries are a priority target group as set out in Article 8(4) of the EMFAF Regulation, which calls on the Member States to provide specific types of actions in their favour and to simplify their access to the fund. Apart from some fleet measures, Member States can support small-scale coastal fisheries with a public aid rate of 100%. The EMFAF Regulation gives the liberty to Member States to decide the level and design of support to their small-scale fisheries. The Commission constantly encourages Member States to focus more targeted interventions for the improvement of socio-economic conditions of small-scale operators. For more information on the national/regional support measures implemented, the Commission refers the Honourable Member to the competent authorities in Spain. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1004, OJ L 247, 13.7.2021, p. 1–49, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1139/oj 2 Communication from the Commission, Guidelines for State aid in the fishery and aquaculture sector, OJ C 107, 23.3.2023, p. 1. See in particular Section 3.5. Aid for temporary cessation of fishing activities.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries · Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
• 2025-01-17 “E-000205/2025 Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission The Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1614 1 establishes the list of areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) occur or are likely to occur, which corresponds to 87 polygons in the European waters of the North-East Atlantic. Pursuant to the Deep-sea Access Regulation (EU) 2016/2336 2 , the areas listed in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1614 are closed to fishing below 400 metres depth using all bottom gears, which includes bottom trawls, dredges, bottom-set gill nets, bottom-set longlines, pots and traps. Since 2023, the Commission has engaged in a review process with the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), including an analysis of the socio-economic impacts of the VMEs closures. In 2023, preliminary results showed that the closures represent less than 10% of the Gross Value Added for the fleet segments concerned. The Commission has requested STECF to pursue the analysis at individual vessel level to have a better perception at regional and local level. STECF is expected to deliver its final advice by March 2025 which will include a specific feedback from stakeholders via the Advisory Councils. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/1614/oj 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/2336/oj”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2025-01-02 “E-000003/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission shares the Honourable Member’s concerns about the housing situation in the EU. The Commissioner responsible for Housing - supported by the Task Force for Housing coordinates the different work streams and will support Member States and local authorities to address structural drivers of the housing crisis. The Commission will put forward a European Affordable Housing Plan in 2026 and will tackle systemic issues with short-term accommodation rentals and make proposals to tackle the inefficient use of the current housing stock. As the Honourable Member has indicated, the Short-Term Rental Regulation 1 provides, in its Article 11(1), that ‘Each Member State shall appoint a national coordinator. Those national coordinators shall act as contact points for their respective administrations for all matters relating to the single digital entry point’. Furthermore, ‘The national coordinator for each Member State shall be responsible for contacts with the Commission in respect of all matters relating to the single digital entry point’ and according to Article 11(2) ‘The coordination group shall be composed of the national coordinator from each Member State’. Spain has nominated a national coordinator from the ‘Sociedad Mercantil Estatal para la Géstion de la Innovación y las Tecnologías Turisticas’. The Commission is required, under Article 18(1), to evaluate the Regulation and submit a report on its main findings to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. The Commission intends indeed to do so by the 20 May 2031 in line with the Regulation. The Commission stands ready to keep the European Parliament informed of progress on implementation in the meantime. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 on data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals · EU housing policy
• 2024-12-19 “E-003060/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission’s proposal for a Directive on European cross-border associations (2023/0315(COD)) (ECBA Directive 1 ) aims at improving the functioning of the internal market by removing legal and administrative barriers for non-profit associations that operate or wish to operate in more than one Member State, thus promoting the role non-profit associations play in generating economic and societal values in the EU and allowing a level playing field between them. The Commission’s proposal introduces an additional legal form of a European cross-border association (ECBA) in Member States’ national legal systems, which is specifically designed for cross-border purposes and will reduce legal and administrative burden when it comes to the recognition and establishment of non-profit associations engaging in activities in another Member State. Once established in one Member State, an ECBA will be recognised automatically and will be able to operate in all Member States as well as transfer its registered office in another Member State, thereby allowing non-profit associations to drive prosperity and unleash their full societal and economic potential in the EU. In March 2024, the Council started examining the proposal. The Commission urges the Council to adopt its position and stands ready to assist the Council for this purpose and support the co-legislators through the negotiation process. 1 The proposal for a Directive is accompanied by Regulation of technical nature amending the Internal Market Information System (IMI) and the Single Digital Gateway (SDG) Regulations, to allow cooperation and exchange of information among competent authorities through the IMI system and to conduct digital operations through the SDG allowing access to information about ECBAs available online; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0516”
  Regulation of NGOs in Europe · EU engagement with civil society
• 2024-12-19 “E-003057/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission decided to send a reasoned opinion to Spain (INFR(2022)4121 1 ) given that the legislation of this Member State does not provide for the obligation to use an impartial and transparent selection procedure to award concessions to build permanent premises on the coastal public domain and carry out economic activities therein and it does allow for the extension of certain concessions for up to 75 years. In the Commission’s view, this legislation breaches the Services Directive 2 and the principle of the freedom of establishment enshrined in Article 49 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Commission expects this infringement procedure to help opening up the single market in the area of coastal concessions. It should also be noted that Spain has not been singled out. The Commission has opened similar infringement procedures against Italy (INFR(2020)4118 3 ), Portugal (INFR(2022)2020 4 ) and Greece (INFR(2024)2243 5 ). The Commission is bound by a confidentiality obligation while handling infringement procedures, with a view to attain an appropriate solution, and thus cannot disclose the reasoned opinion or information about the ongoing dialogue with the Spanish authorities. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 2)4121&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate 2 Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market, OJ L 376, 27.12.2006, p. 36–68. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 0)4118&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate 4 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 2)2020&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate 5 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 4)2243&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate”
  EU Competition policy · EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2024-12-19 “E-003059/2024 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission thanks the Honourable Member to have drawn its attention to the measures introduced by the City Council of Santiago de Compostela. The EU is indeed facing a severe housing crisis impacting the quality of life of millions including students, young people and families as well as businesses. To help tackle this crisis the Commission has nominated the first-ever Commissioner for Housing and established a Task Force for Housing which has started working on 1 February 2025. This Task Force will coordinate the various strands of work across the Commission and will support Member States and subnational actors to address structural and drivers of the crisis. The Commission intends to put forward a European Affordable Housing Plan early 2026. The development of this plan requires a thorough analysis of the various aspects of the housing crisis. This is why, during 2025 the Commission will carry out an extensive dialogue with EU Institutions, Member States authorities and stakeholders to map the various challenges and identify best practices, such as those in Santiago mentioned by the Honourable Member. At the same time, the Commission is fully conscious of the importance of tourism for the European economy. Hence, the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism will prepare a Strategy for Sustainable Tourism in the next months. The EU Tourism Platform 1 , launched in 2024, may allow the City Council of Santiago de Compostela to submit its best practices and pledges. A new Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 2 on short-term rentals will be effective as from May 2026 and the Commission is committed to working with public authorities and platforms to bring more transparency. 1 https://transition-pathways.europa.eu/tourism/stakeholders-actions/ 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1028/oj/eng”
  EU housing policy · EU regulation of short-term rentals
• 2024-11-13 “E-002511/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Commission takes note of the court rulings in Galicia mentioned by the Honourable Member. In line with Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive 1 , the Commission reminds that any project which is likely to have a significant effect on a Natura 2000 must be subject to an appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site's conservation objectives. The competent national authorities can agree to the project only after having ascertained that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site. According to Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive, if despite a negative assessment and in the absence of alternative solutions, a project must nevertheless be carried out for imperative reasons of overriding public interest, the Member State must take all compensatory measures necessary to ensure that the overall coherence of the Natura 2000 network is protected. Lastly, according to the information available to the Commission, no EU funding from the Cohesion Funds, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) or the Spanish Recovery and Resilience Plan was provided to the suspended wind farms in Galicia. 1 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7–50.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-11-06 “E-002436/2024 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Forty-seven million people in Europe did not have the possibility of adequately heating their homes last winter. It is unacceptable and the Commissioner for Energy and Housing states in his hearing that this needs to be addressed. The existing EU legislative framework addresses the need to alleviate energy poverty. The Commission will strongly support its implementation. The recently adopted Energy Efficiency Directive EU/2023/1791 1 , for example, provides for the first time a definition of energy poverty and links it with measures to be implemented at national level to empower and protect all EU citizens. The Social Climate Fund has been established to ensure a socially fair transition and address the social impacts of the new emissions trading system for buildings and road transport (ETS2) on vulnerable groups, especially those in energy or transport poverty. Together with a mandatory minimum 25% contribution of the Member States, the Fund will mobilise at least EUR 86.7 billion over the 2026-2032 period. People must always remain at the heart of EU ambitions, in her Political Guidelines 20242029 2 and mission letters, the President of the Commission confirms that ensuring a just transition remains a priority. The Commissioner for Energy and Housing has been tasked to develop a Citizens Energy Package to increase citizen participation in the energy transition and strengthen the social dimension of the Energy Union and to propose further measures to address energy poverty 3 . The Commission has put forward an Action Plan for Affordable Energy Prices, as part of the Clean Industrial Deal, to help bring down prices for households and business, helping combating energy poverty. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/1791/oj 2 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf 3 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/35154547-48c1-4671-8d3413e098859a57_en?filename=mission-letter-jorgensen.pdf”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-10-03 “E-001949/2024 Answer given by Ms Ferreira on behalf of the European Commission Following a constructive dialogue with the central and regional authorities in Spain, the Commission approved, in December 2022, the regional European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund + (ESF+) funding programmes for Galicia, for the 2021-2027 period. When it comes to amending cohesion policy programmes, Article 24 of the Common Provision Regulation for the EU shared management funds 1 requires Member States to accompany draft programme amendments with a reasoned request setting out their expected impact on the achievement of the objectives of the related programmes. The European Semester country-specific recommendations for 2024 encourage Spain to accelerate the implementation of cohesion policy programmes and, in the context of their mid-term review 2 , to continue focusing EU support on the agreed priorities, while considering the opportunities provided by the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform. When assessing programme amendments in the context of the mid-term review, Commission services aim to guarantee that these amendments are duly justified, comply with cohesion policy regulations and the related partnership agreements, and take due account of the abovementioned recommendations. In any case, we inform the Honourable Member that the current absorption rates for the ERDF and ESF funding programmes for 2014-2020 in Galicia are above 90% 3 . 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159. https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02021R1060-20240630 2 Article 18 of the Common Provision Regulation. 3 Open Data Portal for the European Structural Investment Funds: https://cohesiondata.ec.europa.eu/”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2024-10-03 “E-001950/2024 Answer given by Ms Ferreira on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Commission understands that the Honourable Member of Parliament refers to the Elduayen tunnel in Vigo. The Commission upholds the advantages of public transport and active mobility over the use of private vehicles, in particular in urban areas. EU funding instruments such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) help Member States and regions to improve sustainable multimodal urban mobility. Notwithstanding this, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle, it is for the competent national authorities, to assess the necessity or redundancy of works that fall under their competence. 2. According to the information received from the Spanish authorities, the ERDF and the RRF have not supported the construction or extension of the concerned tunnel in Vigo. The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive sets new EU air quality standards to be attained by 2030, but it is within the margin of discretion of Member States to decide how these are to be achieved, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. If, over the coming years, air pollution levels are higher than the new 2030 standards Member States need to carefully analyse whether they are on track to comply with the legislation on time and take the appropriate measures to ensure compliance by 2030. The air quality zone of which Vigo is part of is ES1221, which reported compliance with current air quality standards 1 for the last year for which officially reported data is available (2023). 1 Established under Directive 2004/107/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2004 relating to arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air, OJ L 23, 26.1.2005, p. 3–16, and Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, OJ L 152, 11.6.2008, p. 1–44.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2024-09-13 “E-001705/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission In accordance with the revised Regulation establishing the Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) 1 , the European Coordinators shall submit an annual status report to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Member States concerned on the progress achieved in implementing the European Transport Corridors. It shall focus on the progress made on key priorities and investments, describe the nature of problems encountered in their implementation, and suggests potential solutions. This new provision entered into force on 18 July 2024, therefore the first annual status report is expected by mid-2025. As part of its regular activities to facilitate the coordinated implementation of the corridor, the coordinator will organise twice a year a corridor forum with representatives of all the ministries and regions along the corridor, infrastructure managers of all transport modes, maritime and inland port authorities as well as urban nodes. This forum is the platform to inform and consult the corridor stakeholders on the progress made in terms of the completion of the TEN-T corridor, the challenges ahead, the priorities to be set etc. The first forum for the new Atlantic Corridor will take place in November 2024 in Brussels. The coordinator is also always available for bilateral exchanges, e.g. with regional representatives or Members of the European Parliament, on the various challenges and priorities of the corridor. 1 Article 52(5)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1679/oj”
  EU funding for transportation · EU transport infrastructure integration
• 2024-09-13 “E-001704/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has examined the available information on the project referred to by the Honourable Member, including the documents submitted by the groups concerned at the meeting in April 2024, as well as the information published by the competent authorities 1 . The available information indicates that the project is currently subject to an ongoing assessment at national level pursuant to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2 and has not received the development consent yet (similarly for the permit under Industrial Emissions Directive 3 ). At this stage, the Commission has not been provided with evidence pointing to a breach of EU legislation. The Nature Restoration Regulation 4 (NRR), which entered into force on 18 August 2024, sets binding nature restoration targets for Member States but does not impose direct obligations on individual companies. Member States must determine and lay down in their National Restoration Plan 5 how to achieve these targets and where to put in place restoration measures, taking into account national, regional and local situations. Furthermore, the regulation requires Member States to ensure that the preparation of the restoration plan is open, transparent, inclusive and effective and that the public, including all relevant stakeholders, is given early and effective opportunities to participate in its preparation (Article 14(20)). It is the primary responsibility of the competent authorities of the Member States to verify compliance with all relevant EU requirements. 1 https://economia.xunta.gal/transparencia/informacion-publica/proxectos-industriaisestratexicos?content=expediente_0005.html ; https://www.xunta.gal/dog/Publicados/2024/20240304/AnuncioG0692-200224-0017_gl.html; https://www.xunta.gal/dog/Publicados/2023/20231226/AnuncioO143-011223-0002_es.html 2 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of 16 April 2014 - OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18. 3 Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (recast) (Text with EEA relevance). OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17–119. 4 Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/869, OJ L, 2024/1991, 29.7.2024. 5 To be submitted to the Commission by 1 September 2026.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-08-01 “E-001467/2024 Answer given by Vice-President Jourová on behalf of the European Commission The Commission attaches great importance to the independence of public service media. In this regard, the European Media Freedom Act 1 introduces several safeguards to ensure the independent functioning of public service media, which apply from August 2025. Among others, Article 5 provides that appointments of the head of management or the members of the management board of public service media are based on transparent, open, effective and nondiscriminatory procedures and transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate criteria laid down in advance at national level. The political guidelines of President-elect von der Leyen for the upcoming Commission cement democracy and the rule of law at the heart of the EU and highlight that strengthening them further will be the Commission’s daily work and duty 2 . In the framework of the annual Rule of Law Reports, the Commission monitors the state of media freedom and pluralism in all Member States, including Spain. The country chapter on Spain of the 2024 Rule of Law Report makes reference to the 2024 Media Pluralism Monitor report which flagged concerns related to the independence of public service media at regional level 3 . The Commission will continue to closely monitor any developments in this area. It takes notes of the information the Honourable Member provided on the draft legal reform. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202401083 2 https://commission.europa.eu/about-european-commission/president-elect-ursula-von-der-leyen_en 3 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/2bd09a6f-ef56-494a-8303e0de808ee981_en?filename=23_1_58063_coun_chap_spain_en_0.pdf”
  EU support for traditional (non-digital) media · Rule of law in Spain
• 2024-07-19 “E-001389/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the ruling of the Court of Justice of the EU 1 . The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2 covers production of pulp as well as production of cellulose-based fibres. Article 14(1)(a) requires that an installation permit includes emission limit values for polluting substances listed in Annex II, and for other polluting substances, which are likely to be emitted from the installation concerned in significant quantities, having regard to their nature and their potential to transfer pollution from one medium to another. The IED also requires that the public concerned are given opportunities to participate in the permitting procedures and have access to a review procedure to challenge the legality of decisions. The revised IED 3 strengthens the rules for emission limits, the use of resources 4 and improves the rights of the public. Member States must implement the new requirements by 1 July 2026. The project also falls under the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (EIAD) 5 requiring Member States to ensure that, before development consent is given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment are made subject to an assessment of the environmental effects. From the information provided, the Commission cannot identify any breach of the IED or the EIAD at this early stage of the procedure. Without prejudice to the role of the Commission as guardian of the Treaties, the most efficient approach, at least at this stage, would be to raise the issue with the Member State’ authorities 6 which are primarily responsible to ensure compliance with EU law. This would be consistent with the strategic approach adopted by the Commission on its enforcement policy 7 , which focuses on systemic non-compliance. 1 Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 25 June 2024; C. Z. and Others v Ilva SpA in Amministrazione Straordinaria and Others; Case C‑626/22; ECLI:EU:C:2024:542. 2 Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17–119. 3 Directive (EU) 2024/1785 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 amending Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) and Council Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste, OJ L, 2024/1785, 15.7.2024, p. 1-47. 4 Including water. 5 Annex I, point 6, or Annex II, point 8 of Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 26, 28.1.2011, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014. 6 https://www.miteco.gob.es/es/calidad-y-evaluacion-ambiental/temas/sostenibilidad-industrial/prevencion-ycontrol-integrados-de-la-contaminacion-ippc.html 7 As set out in the Communication of 19 January 2017: EU law: Better results through better application C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10–20 and in the Communication of 13 October 2022: COM(2022) 518 final - Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-07-19 “E-001391/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission Under Article 17(6) of the Treaty on the European Union, it is the prerogative of the President of the Commission to decide on the internal organisation of the Commission. Therefore, it is also the prerogative of the President of the Commission to decide on the allocation of policy portfolios. Without prejudice to the respective decisions of the President-elect, it should be noted that the political guidelines 1 put forward by the President-elect and presented to the European Parliament on 18 July 2024 announce the decision to appoint a Fisheries and Oceans Commissioner tasked with ensuring the sector remains sustainable, competitive and resilient and with upholding a level playing field for the European fisheries chain. The Commission will continue to work on improving the resilience and sustainability of EU fisheries, as outlined in its 2023 Fisheries policy package 2 and to observe the need for consistency and coordination in all its policy actions. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en 2 https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/policy/common-fisheries-policy-cfp_en”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Thank you very much, Miss Martins, for this question. I have suffered from this many times, not necessarily very slim myself and I have been attacked for it. I think that Europe and the Commission in its safe heart plan and its fight against obesity should look at fat shaming. It has a huge impact on the mental health of people at schools as well as in the workplace. And as I've said, a healthy body is a healthy body. We should not make the mistake of thinking that it is a socially unacceptable body. So we should have healthy food, fresh food, and not junk food that we see is frequently promoted.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• “Thank you so much. Um, especially because we are discussing in the Parliament about the critical role materials. And we are very worried, not only in Africa. Also in my country, that is waiting for a very bad decision of the Commission without the stability, without transparency about the lithium mining, the mega mining. And we are very concerned also with the countries that they are not included and the respect of human rights. Uh, the question my question is the ability of critical raw materials along this. The supply chain is pivotal not only in ensuring compliance with European Union regulations on responsible sourcing and the transparency of supply chains, but also in meeting wider public demands for corporate sustainability, the Conflict Minerals Regulations, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the corporate sustainability, the uh due diligence and the EU battery regulation. All demand improved knowledge on the origins of source or materials of material. Sorry. How can we improve the traceability of critical raw materials along the supply chain? In a context where the proposed EU omnibus simplification package posed several threats to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, among others. These include weakening due diligence requirements. Limiting stakeholder consultation. Also the lack of consultation of indigenous people. I speak also as rapporteur of this Committee for indigenous people and potentially undermining the effectiveness of both of both directives. How can we address the current shortcomings in responsible sourcing in such contexts? Thank you so much. And I want to only end my speech and congratulate Global Witness for all the investigations. Thank you.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights)
• “I'm speaking on behalf of the Galician Nationalist Bloc and on behalf of my party, I want to point out that I'm representing a fishing nation. But there is some consternation in the fishing community, we are in favour of treaties and directives that ensure protection and biodiversity. But there is an issue that we've talked about many times in this committee. Often when we take international decisions and European decisions, there's the issue of the socio economic impact.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Blackmail and Mr. Trump's delirium cannot be a way of directing a European trade policy. We cannot cede to the authoritarian blackmail from Mr. Trump. We need to assess the impact of tariffs announced by Trump. These are a direct threat on the sovereignty of our people, the threat for our economies and for jobs in my country, Galicia. The interventionist policy of Mr. Trump undermines the metal sector as well as the automotive sector and further sectors. Commissioner, we need investment in strategic sectors. We also need strategic autonomy. Commissioner, we also need to have the productive capacity. We need to protect our industry to stop social dumping and economic dumping. Thank you very much.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you. In Portugal, there is a moratorium on planting eucalyptus trees. There are countries where various moratorium on eucalyptus plants are in place. That is the case in Galicia, in my home region. We are not tackling the root causes of wildfires. Land is owned by companies. Pioneers that want eucalyptus trees to be planted in Galicia because it is not allowed in Portugal. We are seeing the cellulose companies and paper manufacturing companies forcing this through. 160,000 additional hectares are being set aside for eucalyptus production. What we are seeing effectively is destroying biodiversity. We are not nurturing indigenous plants. This is all being done for the paper manufacturing industry. I recommend an Oliver Lish film. On what Burns.”
  Management of EU forests
• “Thank you very much, president. I should like in this debate to raise awareness of micro plant for biogas. It's an issue in my country and it is being produced in La Coruna in my region, Galicia. But there isn't a legal framework for this plant. We lack standards in Europe as well for this. And also, when it comes to health risks for people and for the environment in in the nature. And in fact, there is a lack of information and a lack of public participation. These types of projects should have a. Broader approach in industrial sites, as the neighbors say, there is something that smells bad.”
  Industrial emissions directive (IED)
• “Thank you very much. Chair. Microphone for the speaker, please. 158,000 hectares burned in my country this year. An Atlantic country where rain and the inefficiency of our government did not help at all. We have the Copernicus data, and when it comes to Galicia, it says that 90,000 hectares burned. And we see in Copernicus 158,000. And now we have a newspaper that's saying that 447 fires were being hidden. Data is important for us to understand. The surface burned. How many crops were burned? How many houses burned down? How many farms? Vineyards, trees. It's a disgrace. It's a source of frustration, not having the right information. Because since the last information that we got from the Efd. Yes, we got funds for fire prevention, but they were not adequately used. And so what I would like to ask the European Commission is that you monitor the funds, supervise how they're being used. And as the Court of Auditors said this past summer that there is better monitoring because my country burned.”
  EU policy on infrastructure for preventing climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, extreme weather etc.)
• “Thank you very much, president. How many times has the Petitions Committee in this Parliament been faced with passengers dealing with delays, problems with luggage and compensation? As my colleague has said, now we have an opportunity to speed up improvements in rights. And yet the council is trying to break our progress for hours, for hours of delay before you get any compensation, and then it can take months to actually get it. And what about hand luggage? Ten years ago, the Court of Justice said that it is illegal to charge for hand luggage. These are issues that affect millions of people across Europe and their rights are at stake every day. The airlines act with impunity. They don't only deceive people, they cancel flights. And for example, in Galicia people buy tickets and then they end up having to pay even more when they get to the airport. It's not fair that lobbies and major airlines should dominate our decision making, and that we fail to take into account the voice of so many passengers. We should be listening to the people.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “President. Commissioner. I'm from Galicia and I want to alert you to something. If we're going to have affordable energy, we need to curb the scandalous profits of the electric lobby. We in Galicia produce electricity, but we're penalised just because we produce something that is favourable to our citizens. Prices have gone up by 300% in recent years, but so have the profits of electricity companies. If I look to the PPE. Pei. They are in favor of scandalous profits. But we would like to have a price cap. We need to recognize the fact that many households are affected by fuel or energy poverty, and some of them go cold because of this energy poverty. And actually this energy poverty in Galicia is twice the EU average. We can't allow that. We can't allow people to not be able to afford their electricity prices. And what is the problem? We have to look at wind energy and we need to have renewable energy for all.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Eating. Having the right to eat is a basic human dignity. There are a lot of people who can no longer eat properly due to the increase in food prices. And we see these large multinational companies having record profits. And at the same time, there are a lot of people who simply can't afford to shop at the supermarket to eat properly on a daily basis. We see these abusive prices. Farmers are paid very badly. In Galicia, for example, food prices are sometimes, uh, 35% higher than pre-pandemic if we look at the cost of milk. It is lower than the average price in Europe and Spain, but. Producers are struggling to be able to produce the milk at all. And we see large. Uh, distributors increasing their profits. So we really need to follow up on. These abusive prices. Farmers end up with very little and large companies, uh, far too much profit. Consumers have to tighten their belts and buy less and less quality food.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “I smell blood and death, but above all, I smell hypocrisy. Building a city on the ruins of Vodafone. In Gaza. This is the latest thing that Netanyahu has come up with yet another dimension to this genocide. What more do we need? What more evidence of genocide do we need? Miss Kallas is not here today. But how can the UN humanitarian aid system that Trump and Netanyahu want to turn into a business? There's a Trump and Netanyahu business going on here to transfer humanitarian aid, destroy the UN system and destroy Unwra. This is what Ms.. Albanese is saying. Don't take my word for it. 33 months of genocide, starvation and repression. All we need to do is comply with international law, comply with what the International Criminal Court has said, sanctions and the end of the agreement. The council is here to, I say to council, take measures on the 15th of July, the Council of the European Union and the Commission cannot continue being accomplices to this.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• “Well, thank you very much. First of all, I'd like to make this particular motion as not only the t shirt. Uh, we are we're not to put we're not allowed to wear t shirts that say Galicia or Palestine. We can't wear the keffiyeh either. Uh, so to wear that particular t shirt is a violation, I think. And if you can't wear what I just displayed to you, then you shouldn't be able to wear that type of t shirt. Yes. So, uh, there is a certain amount of flexibility on this particular issue. And undoubtedly it is one of the rules in the regulation that ought to be respected.”
  EU competences on human rights
• “Thank you. President. Often I've been called a cow on social media. Not just me, but other people. Because of our physical appearance. We've been insulted. We've been undermined. It's hate. It's violence. We as women are often discriminated against for our appearance because beauty standards in current terms are supposed to be all the same. We're all supposed to be slim, and that has a huge impact on the mental health of people who are overweight at work. Some 51% of Europeans between 16 and 30 years of age in Galicia suffer from being overweight. We need to look at the risk factors for obesity, but we should also look at a healthy body and we should not consider, uh, insulting people based on their size. We must protect health commissioner, and we have to fight the causes of obesity. But we also need to make sure that we promote healthy food and make sure that it is socially acceptable to be as we are and not promote bullying. Thank you.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “Thank you very much. President. Commissioner. If there's one thing that we can say about the cap, over recent years, we have seen that it benefits the big corporate farms to the detriment of our small farmers. And that's the case with the data from Galicia. Since 2009, 2000 farms have closed. There's been an increase in bureaucracy, lack of flexibility, and it's been tough for generational renewal. So no surprises in Galicia. We have seen that there is a cellulose of factories. And putting an end to the most productive farmlands in my region. So we would like and then there's a Mercosur agreement which is going to be devastating for our farmers. What future can we have if we don't have a cap that that has enough funds where it's reduced for weapons, less weapons, more farming?”
  Agricultural funding
• “Muchas gracias.Thank you very much, chair. First and foremost, of course, I'd like to thank the thorough work that colleagues did. I'd also like to send a message of unity. I don't want to see what happened with the previous report happening again. I want us to work side by side to make sure that development and human aid areas are not reduced, because that could really shake human humanitarian aid and cooperation around the world if we see the budget reduced. Moreover, there are no alternatives that could replace these cooperation and development programmes. Moreover, we have international commitments as has been mentioned by previous speakers and shadow rapporteurs. We need to meet the Millennium Goals and the SDGs as such. Fighting poverty. Social exclusion. Fighting for a fair health care system. For education, for equality. All of this must be a priority in these programmes. We should never reduce the budget, Although we see difficult decisions do have to be made in budget. We want to see less arms and more medicines, less arms more, and we're seeing more investment in military from the commission. We want to see more humanitarian aid, particularly with the backdrop we have. We see this genocide happening in Gaza today. We're seeing people throughout Europe denouncing the complicity of the European Commission in this situation as such. We want to send a clear message here. Humanitarian aid is vital. It's non-negotiable. We must cooperate with Unwra. It's an agency under the auspices of the UN. And I'd like to support what? My colleague here, the other shadow rapporteur, said, because unwra is vital here in this Parliament, now more than ever, if we do nothing in the face of genocide, as many people say, history will always hold us to account and we need to strengthen humanitarian aid systems. We've heard this time and time again we do need to to bolster this area. And I think that these minimum lines cannot see any budgetary reduction.”
  EU Development & Humanitarian Aid
• “Thank you. President. Israel continues to violate the ceasefire in Gaza. It continues the illegal occupation and apartheid, and it allows illegal settlements in the West Bank to be ever more numerous. You need only see the recent Oxfam report. This report which says very clearly the number of settlements. But I'd also ask the Commissioner, can you confirm to me, following the question that was put in May, whether the EU is trading in products that come from the illegal settlements. So agricultural products. I'd like to know whether they are entering the EU so we can get to the bottom of this issue. And I think my colleagues will also want to do that, because if we are doing trade with products from illegal settlement, then we are complicit in genocide and we are complicit in apartheid, and we are also complicit in an occupation. The obligation to stand up to genocide has not gone. Commissioner von der Leyen, what have we done? What has the European Union done? We have the report from Francesca Albanese on genocide in Gaza, a collective crime. And it says that we have to suspend relations with Israel. The EU is the largest trading partner and it should suspend the association agreement.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• “Thanks to delay upon delay. I would like to start by saying this to explain to the rapporteur that I come from an area where there are delays upon delays in the Trans-European transport networks. Thank you, rapporteur, because we do see eye to eye on many things. This will be a great EP report. The link from the portal has built up delays. Seth is an essential fund for areas like Galicia financing the Atlantic Corridor, but also the links with the secondary transport links such as rail lines and roads feeding between urban and rural areas. Therefore, our amendments will serve to hone infrastructure which are disused or abandoned, such as the rail link between Orense and Bago. It's essential we link up our transport networks. We can be. Commuter train networks need to be restored in Galicia. We need ASF, which helps to set up crucial infrastructures for logistical hubs such as Nevis and other areas which need to be included in the ten cross-border networks. Urban areas cities, ports, ocean highways need to be improved. We must ensure that the network includes a secondary highways. We need ASF, which links up our urban and peri urban areas, particularly across borders, so that we make our hopes a reality. Trans and cross-border energy products are important to improve public services and ensure access to places of work, as happens in my country, Galicia, says the speaker.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. What we see is not just happening in my country, but it's happening. Alicia. We see it with the public radio and public television. They are being manipulated. And who is manipulating the party? They are violating European law. The Pope in Galicia is interfering in public broadcasters using these broadcasters for their own political purposes. The TV and the radio broadcasters are at the service of the people. And all of this goes against the European Media Freedom Act. There's a lack of independence Of public broadcasting organs. This is happening internally and externally. There's a lack of plurality, there's a lack of management and oversight. And that means that many people have sent in complaints and there have even been strikes. We want to have TV that is pluralistic.”
  EU support for traditional (non-digital) media
• “Good evening. I'd like to publicly condemn the fact that this agreement was negotiated during five years last year, behind the back of the parliament, behind the closed doors. We have an intergroup on the Western Sahara and that was very clear. It said that all agreements needed to be negotiated with the European Parliament. Moreover, there was a ruling handed down by the Parliament's legal service as well as other EU rulings on fisheries and agriculture. They were clear. The sentence from 2016 says that Western Sahara, as a separate, distinct territory from Morocco and any agreement struck, must be endorsed and backed by the Sahrawi people, and that needs to be done by their legitimate representative, the Polisario Front. You need to read into this. It's being purported that this is a legal technical discussion, but it's a political debate. It's a hugely important And the European Commission needs to take into account the Parliament's position. We're not an afterthought. We need to be consulted. It needs to be consulted on an Inter and Pesch and other committees. But what happened the other day is unacceptable. There was a legal vacuum for a year following the judgment, and it turns out that member states are giving a green light via a fast track written consultation process to this agreement. This happened last month. This was intentional and it's unprecedented. Are there similar cases in such types of trade agreements? I don't think there are any other similar cases. Thank you.”
  EU policy on Western Sahara
• “The car industry is strategic. And in Vigo, my city is a key city for Stellantis, and any plan needs to take into account the social aspect. Commissioner, we've lost 22 companies in Galicia between 2008 and 2024, and it's a total of 24,000 jobs have been lost. Stellantis factories between 2007 and 2023 increased productivity 23%, Whereas the workforce fell from 10,000 workers to 6300 workers. In 2007. Each worker produced 56 vehicles, but it was 84in 2003. Cigar Trade union sees this factory as one of the most productive, but there's a lot of precarious conditions for workers. The working class is the working class is becoming ever more impoverished. Are you taking this into account? Commissioner, there are areas that are highly dependent on the car industry and the social impact.”
  EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• “Thank you very much. President. Commissioner, there's very little mentioned about the lack of European control and audit mechanisms for financing and implementation measures. In Galicia, we're talking about 15% of the funding from 2022 that was not absorbed. And that leaves a lot to be desired. Of course we know That the Galician government is actually pursuing its own interests, to the detriment of the local population in the past. The government, the European Union called on the Galician government to work better. That's not just something that applies for Galicia, it applies for all over Europe as well. The controls are not put in place. There needs to be more local controls to make sure that the rules are being applied properly. We have to have sufficient auditing carried out to make sure that the implementation through the Member States is working. And this is something that the Court of Auditors report mentions. Otherwise, there's a danger that the member States will use that money for other projects.”
  Accounting and auditing of EU budget
• “Our solidarity goes to the victims. The victims in Spain, the victims in Greece. And we need to learn from this. We can't commit the same mistakes as the ones that were committed in these cases, and also in Santiago de Compostela in 2013. We need to look at the deep causes behind these accidents. Again, this was not done in anger, I'm afraid. And furthermore, we need to have independent inquiries. Again, it's not something that happened here. And we need to look at political responsibilities. Again, this wasn't done in Angleo's. Minister Blanco or indeed Mrs. Pastor did not take their political responsibilities. The. The blame was laid only on the mechanic officer. So we had a real problem. We had a real problem. 80 people died in this accident in Angleo's at the time, in 2016. There was a complaint lodged with regard to the actions not taken by the state. The Spanish state in order to investigate this properly. And it was shown that actually the measures that were taken were not taken on an independent basis. And that is why the Commission opened an infringement procedure 2018. And there was a lot of delay, a lot of delay. But at the end of the day, Spain was forced to take a certain number of measures as a consequence of this. I'm looking also to the people of Andalusia and the authorities there. You know, are we going to ensure that there is independence here in this particular case? Agrees. Tempe Adams our solidarity is always with the victims.”
  Rule of law in Spain
• “The socio economic impact is looked at in offices and bureaus, but you don't look at it through the lens of fishing communities, nor through the lens of fishing associations or through the lens of rfmos. So the socio economic impact has to be a issue that's taken into account. And I'm going to send that into Miss Vogel's report. But it needs to be honed in to an even honed in on to an even greater extent. So the socio economic impact needs to be included in this report. And then we are not just a legislating committee, we are not just supporting multilateralism on marine biodiversity. We must also ensure bio diversity of the fishing community. There's no fish. There won't be any fishing community. If there's no fishers, there won't be fishing community. Now, one annex issue, which is connected more or less. I want to talk about the commission proposal. On revisions of legislation which may affect the coastline. We're going to see changes to those who fish. We're particularly concerned about some fishing communities Is, and we're worried that this will affect specific fishing communities. And particularly what you're going to do that will affect longline fishing. Fishing. Fishers. Now, I must also take this opportunity to express our. Concern our condolences with. Uh, what has happened in Portugal with the accident?”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “We're holding a debate on tomorrow's council. But miss von der Leyen has left. Where was she over the last two years? Tomorrow's council may sanction Israel for the Gaza genocide, suspend the Eu-israel Association agreement. And if it fails to do that, we will be maintaining impunity. Do you prefer to maintain impunity. Not enough has been done. Israel is continuing killing. Over 100 have been killed since the ceasefire. The Trump plan maintains the occupation. It does not bring apartheid to an end and it does not show respect to the people of Palestine. There's no peace without justice, and there's no peace without dignity. The Trump plan violates international law, and it undermines the International Criminal Court rulings because it does not bring the occupation to an end. It maintains the structures of oppression in place, and we cannot condone impunity of a genocide.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• “Thank you very much, chair. Commissioner, welcome as always to the development committee. One of the strong pillars is indeed in international humanitarian law. And it is now undermined more than ever before. 2025 has been a terrible year for the history of the law of humanitarian assistance. Not only have people been killed and assassinated, humanitarian workers have been killed, and there have been awful consequences across the world. Just to mention some. Let me focus on Gaza. The women, kids and children in Gaza haven't gone to school for the last two years. Programs financed by the EU have been destroyed. Now President Trump is attacking humanitarian aid in an irresponsible manner. International law and the legal protection we've had in the history of humanity to protect at least a consensus for peace. Well, there are allies such as president von der Leyen here in Brussels who who has also questioned international law. You have a different discourse, a discourse that's different from hers. That is good, Commissioner. However, the problem is that the leader of the commission is questioning international law and including international humanitarian law. And so we are really surprised to see a break in multilateralism and a break of consensuses that have been accepted across the world. We have cyclical crises and increasing political difficulties. There are places that are often forgotten. Currently, Lebanon is being attacked ferociously. Iran is being aggressively attacked. Gaza has been forgotten and the European Union should have stronger, firmer positions. We shouldn't be like showing the blindness that we see in Madame von der Leyen. I also would like to share solidarity with humanitarian workers in 2025, as I said, and even more so this year. We've lost Places where they can work. They've lost. Possibilities to help in places where no one would normally be helping. And we need to remember these too. And that, of course, is in the future strategy. But on the one hand, we have the global gateway and on the other we have the possibilities of a new humanitarian plan. So how can we reconcile this mission, this difference with the U. The president of the commission denying multilateralism and denying international humanitarian law.”
  EU foreign policy approach
• “Commissioner for housing. It was about time the European Commission started dealing with this issue, which faces so many Europeans, especially Galicians. Housing is a major issue for the people I represent in this House. We have to Stop abusive rents and speculation. We have to stop people being thrown out of their homes to the benefit of short term tourist lets. We need to have a more effective system with better insulation, better protection against heat and cold so that people don't have to choose between heating and eating. The plan may have some positive points in it, but it's very tentative so far. We're not trying to stop speculation in the housing market. There's no mention of the flexibility of the stability pact in order to help public housing. There's no mention of the structural reasons for the housing crisis in the election campaign. We called for a housing fund, EU wide, to support public housing to combat speculation. Without a fund. You can't have a plan of this nature. One last point. If you need ideas, come to Santiago de Compostela, where we are combating speculation.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you very much for this question. Mr. Oliveira, your Portuguese, I'm Galician. We know what this means for farmers, especially small scale farmers or fishermen, people who cannot afford to eat multiple times a day industry, large retailers, they're the ones that are setting the prices for food stuffs, leading to higher prices. So public intervention is necessary. It's really the only way to act. And I'm looking at you here, uh, to our fisheries commissioner, this is a sector that has serious problems. And I think that would be the only solution for us to be able to guarantee fair prices for our citizens.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “(16:27:12 – 16:29:42): Thank you, chairwoman. Now we've spoken about this several times, particularly this midterm evaluation. We think that MFAV hasn't always fulfilled its planned functions. I'd like to focus on the current criteria. They make it difficult to access funding for small space small scale fisheries and aquaculture. Beyond the issues of implementation in, fishing regions, there's the access to funding and recognizing who receives these funds and who doesn't. There are different fishing organizations that can't access these funds. So in this evaluation, we can also see the problem of reprogramming. Very often, funds aren't spent by the end of the year, and so different governments start spending them at the last minute on projects that are totally unrelated to the fishing sector. They build a great big facilities that aren't always needed. They talk about having more, innovation. But, actually, we need more support for fishers who for work for months haven't worked, and they need support from MFAP so that they can continue their activities. And we're very concerned by this because the people who need the money most aren't always the ones benefiting from these funds. There are big infrastructure that might be related to fishing, but they represent or work for different interests. And this happens a lot in different regions and, fishing nations like mine. So we're very worried about this. We're worried about the expenditure, but we're also worried about what the European Court of Auditors said. How are these, how's the spending going to be controlled and checked? We're worried about what might happen with this reduction proposed by the European commission. We want the funds to be maintained because already, the funds weren't very much, so it's going to be even worse if they are reduced. Thank you. Thank you, mister.”
  Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
• “Thank you very much. Mr. president, water is life. The quality of water is extremely important. This is something linked to the future. But the past is something that is killing a flora and fauna and spaces of biodiversity. I'd like to highlight to the commissioner that, as I've already told Vice President Ribeiro, there's there's a project from the outre company based in my country, in Galicia. This is a project which is being supported by the PPE government which would use which would use 46,000,000l of agua. 30 would then be put back into the Ohio River and also affect the A-rosa River. One of the areas produces most seafood in Europe. The response says that there is environmental impact assessment coming from the regional authority, and also refers to the Water Framework Directive. However, this is the exact opposite of a water resilience strategy. Please be aware of this project which is against the Water Framework Directive. Thank you very much. **Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ @Co-Chair: Now I would like to give the floor to Mr. Sieper.”
  Water pollution