Andrea WECHSLER

What Andrea WECHSLER has said (33)

• 2026-06-17 “(15:14:16 – 15:14:51): Ms. Wiesner, thank you very much for that question, which I think you already touched upon in your comments. In Germany, we do have a single electricity zone, and we are working on building our electricity infrastructure and working on these zones soon to prove that the different zones are better connected. But if you read the ASA report closely, you see that the price effect really is very different. It's so small actually that it's not really worth to do all of these things, and that's why we will stick with the plan that we've Thank you. You very much, mister Fuslang.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-06-17 “(15:11:55 – 15:13:30): Sergei Hatter Commissioner, president. The electrification of Europe does not start with an action plan. It started with innovation, with entrepreneurship, experiments with electricity were 1st started back in the 19 1900s where we had electrification of industry, of roads, and even this building would be very dark without electricity. Electrification is a story of European progress. It's what made Europe what it is today, and that's what we need to measure our current policy against. In 2024, the commission announced its sustainable energy action plan saying that there would be affordable energy for all citizens. But we have to ask ourselves honestly, has happened to all of that? Families don't look at action plans. Rather, they look at their electricity bill, their fuel bill, and industries don't think about action plans. What they're looking at is whether there's investment in Europe that they can count on. And here, the realities continue to be harsh. Electricity continues to be 1 of the main issues that Europe is facing, and now we've got another action plan, the electrification action plan. So my question, can you ensure us that this action plan will not just mean more goals, more binding obligations, but will it actually solve the problems that Europe, needs to address? Electrification needs to become another European success story, but it will only be that if it can ensure competitiveness and it can really keep the promises it makes to our citizens. Thank you. There is a a blue card. Do you want it? Please, mister Wissner.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-03-06 “Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission 12.6.2026 Written question The Commission agrees that unnecessary administrative burden for customers and small grid operators should be avoided. This is also reflected in the current rules that provide, for instance, for special regimes for Citizens Energy Communities, Renewable Energy Communities, Closed Distribution Systems, Small and Isolated Systems, energy sharing and active customers. However, as regulatory oversight over network operators can be a crucial tool to protect consumers’ interests, it is important to strike the right balance between administrative simplification and consumer protection. The Commission is working closely with national governments and regulators to assess whether there are additional cases where rules for smaller and local grids may be simplified.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2025-05-22 “E-002074/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The ITER Agreement does not provide for the possibility of terminating the participation or suspension of the rights of any ITER Member, including the participation in the ITER Council - the governing body of ITER. It only provides for the eventuality of a member withdrawing on its own accord. Russia has not assumed the chairmanship of the ITER Council for the past two years when it was due in accordance with the chair rotation principle. Russia has fulfilled all its in-kind contributions under the ITER Agreement. Consequently, the dependency on Russia is now reduced in this regard. In addition, bilateral contacts and engagement with Russia are minimised. This also includes the procurement restrictions of components from Russia for European supplies to ITER 1 managed by Fusion for Energy - the European joint undertaking for ITER and the development of fusion energy 2 . The operation of ITER will not depend on Russian intellectual property rights (IP). The IP rules in the ITER Agreement guarantee that the project has all the intellectual resources it needs for successful development and operation. The Commission plans to adopt an EU Fusion Strategy at the end of 2025, leveraging the EU’s leading role in the ITER Project. The Strategy will aim to formulate a clear pathway towards an EU pilot Fusion Power Plant, build a competitive industrial ecosystem for fusion technologies in Europe, and expand funding opportunities, including through a funding mechanism for start-ups to enhance private sector’s engagement. The European Radioisotope Valley Initiative is not related to the ITER project. 1 Under the responsibility of the European joint undertaking for ITER. 2 https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/institutions-and-bodies/search-all-eu-institutions-andbodies/fusion-energy-f4e_en.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources) · Nuclear energy
• “Yeah, first of all, thank you very much for all your expertise, and Mr. Wiedemann, Mr. Comparini, thank you very much for your very strong argument for services and for competition and broader business models and for smaller players. It's much appreciated, as you're absolutely right, that in Europe's share in the global space economy is shrinking. Now my question, you've launched, and this goes especially to Mr. Wiedemann, you've launched a very strong plea for infrastructure support for space projects in Europe, asking for new launch sites and new test sites and more European spaceports. In the light of this request and in the light of the plea for concrete policy to distance by Mr. Ehler, I would like to know how do you assess the current infrastructural support through, for instance, the German Aerospace Center, the ESA, for companies like yours? Where would you see those new launch sites located, and how can we in the European Parliament support the diversification in the area of launch sites and new test sites you were asking for? Thank you.”
  EU competences on space policy
• “Thank you for your question. I have very clearly said what I would do to tackle structural inequalities. I would fight for more, um, childcare places, more entrepreneurship amongst, uh, women. Uh, when it comes to this pay transparency directive, transparency does help, uh, to create transparency. But what doesn't help is more bureaucracy. And if you look at that directive carefully. We're talking about companies from 100 employees. It could be quite small bakeries, for example, that simply can't deal with this type of bureaucracy. It's an annual report cycle and it really will create a lot of bureaucracy.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Dear chairman, Mr. Budka Dimis, Mrs. Tovar, colleagues, first of all, let me thank the Commission for the close cooperation with this House on the critical topic of hydrogen. The fact that we are here today debating the delegated act on low carbon hydrogen underlines its importance. This single piece of legislation may well decide the success or failure of the hydrogen economy of Europe. The delegated act is therefore not just a technical text. It's a signal to the industry, to investors and to our international partners about whether Europe is serious about hydrogen. And thus, dear colleagues, concerns remain, but not only those addressed in the report by Mr. Vare, but also those raised by Member States and industry. While the Da defines what qualifies as low carbon hydrogen, there are serious concerns about its demand side potential to ensure that sufficient volumes will actually be produced and imported. Let me therefore put two questions to the commission. Do you want again, the Commission intend to revise the delegated act to address the most critical concerns. And how does the Commission plan to ensure that, while maintaining strict climate integrity, the act does not, in practice, block the very low carbon hydrogen investments that Europe urgently needs as a transition towards renewable hydrogen. Colleagues, the expectations towards Europe are immense. If we fail, we risk losing both industrial investment and citizens. Trust and trust is fragile. Every regulation, including this delegated act, will be judged by whether it helps Europe's vision and its competitiveness move forward, or whether it holds us back. Let us make sure that Europe does not fall short. Thank you.”
  Low-carbon hydrogen
• “When we go, we we want to make sure that renewables and also classical security and classical markets have a sensible framework. So it's time to have an energy policy in Germany, which recognized the costs of the grid and get the whole thing in balance with the investments that we need. Yes. Let's make sure at all levels, but not to go in that direction that we've been going in for the last few years. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Chair: Sophie Erickson.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the presentation. Europe needs lead markets. If it won't, if we want our industry to stay competitive in a decarbonizing world. The commission is moving in the right direction. Thank you all very much for all your information. Today, the Industrial Accelerator Act, the new Public Procurement Act and the updated Ecodesign framework can help create transparent, performance based demand for clean materials while improving, permitting and reducing fragmentation. But lead markets only work when they respect the core principles of our social market economy. They must be technology neutral.”
  EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding
• “Mr.. President, Commissioner. Dear colleagues, we just had To National Women's Day, and I think it teaches us that women's independence is still very much tied up with economic independence as well. We had better. Ben's uncle, who is an important part of our history, who showed us that when women have opportunities they take that they can create innovation. So I think it's important we close that gap between men and women. We have around a 6% gap in Germany. I think any kind of pay discrimination is absolutely. Unacceptable. But it's part of a explained by structural reasons. Reasons are the different types of careers and career breaks, and that is not fully tackled by the Pay Transparency Directive. We have, under the guise of more democracy, simply more bureaucracy. And we're not tackling the structural causes here. We need to give a proper, uh, answer here. We need to take out the bureaucracy from that pay transparency, uh, directive. We need more women in innovation, in technology and entrepreneurship. That's how we achieve quality. Uh, not through just filling out forms. Thank you.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Mr. president, Commissioner, for many people in Europe, energy policy starts with the energy bill at the end of the month. And the question, can I heat my home? Can my company afford the costs and can I afford next winter? About 42 million Europeans can't heat themselves properly in winter. For these people, energy policy isn't an abstract debate. It's a question of dignity, security, social justice. So the energy, citizens, citizens energy package is important. Rules, transparency. Citizens can control their energy costs. People should be able to produce their energy themselves, change their supplier. They should understand what they're actually paying for. And that's correct. Energy policy must be citizens policy. But at the same time, we must be honest, more transparency itself doesn't make energy affordable. And if we want to bring down energy policy costs in the long term term, we need to deal with the structural problems. We need more affordable energy investment in grids and infrastructure and energy market. That really works. Thank you. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Chair: There's a blue card from Mr. Bloss. **Michael BLOSSMrs. Wexler, you just said that you welcome the commission's package. I welcome it too. But the commission says that electricity tax needs to go down for heaters. And we. The commission says we need cheaper grids and we need to get a proper distribution of energy sources. Now, the German government doesn't seem to be doing this at all. Could you speak to the German government? Government? Would you be prepared to tell them that they need to do their homework, just as the Commission is setting out?”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “(15:42:45 – 15:44:24): Dear chair, dear commissioner, thank you for being with us today. You talked about the current energy crisis in the European Union. And to respond to energy crisis, integration for more homegrown energy is the core answer for Europe. We need a truly integrated energy union. And my first question is, therefore, how will you design energy policy so as to become 1 of the main drivers of European integration in the coming years comparable to what coal and steel has done in the early years of the European Union. Second, on electrification, and you mentioned the electrification action plan that we are waiting for. Europe clearly needs more electrification. But in the current crisis, decarbonization cannot be reduced to electrons alone. Are you ready to move beyond a purely electrification centered approach and give renewable and low carbon molecules, hydrogen, biomethane, biogas, sustainable fuels, a stronger technology open role in the forthcoming initiatives? And third, on the grids package and permitting, strategic energy infrastructure is climate policy and security policy and industrial policy at the same time. Will you support a clear priority and an overriding public interest approach for energy infrastructure so that permitting procedures become proportionate, predictable and time bound? And finally, on the methane regulation, how will you ensure that its implementation reduces emissions without undermining Europe's energy security at the same time, especially regarding imports, legal certainty, and workable compliance rules? Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “President. Commissioner. Mr.. Sterckx, dear Anna, ladies and gentlemen. Well, our electricity networks are the backbone of our energy future, and forecasts show that globally, demand is going to almost double by 2040. And without stable networks, any electrification strategy is simply an empty promise. We're seeing that the demand for good regional infrastructure is not being satisfied. We need to work hard on this. We need efficient, independent energy systems that can withstand crises. But let's make one thing clear. We're seeing problems in many areas now a lack of generation capacities, problems for consumers. And I think anything we do really needs to be based on the realities of supply and demand. And let's also make it clear that electrification shouldn't mean that other energy suppliers are pushed to the side. We need to be technologically open in terms of our energy future. And let me say one more thing. When it comes to renewing networks, we need to ensure that cyber security is taken account of. It is an issue of strategic sovereignty. Ladies and gentlemen, our electricity networks are the backbone of our strategic energy future. Let's build our networks and ensure that they're smart, technologically open, and respond to needs. Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Madam president, Commissioner, dear colleagues, a few winters ago, millions of Europeans were freezing in their houses and were paying extortionate electricity bills. Energy bills. My students were in freezing lecture halls. Businesses were switching off the lights not for climate protection reasons, but out of fear. And evening after evening we kept asking ourselves, Will will there be enough gas? This crisis was due to dependence on Russian energy, and while we were trembling, Ukrainian cities were burning and they are still burning today. And every time that gas goes through our pipelines, money flows into Putin's war chest. We must not allow this to continue. The exit from Russian gas is not a technical measure. It's a decision in favour of European sovereignty, security and solidarity with Ukraine. Yes, of course, we have to protect our businesses and industries and citizens, and therefore we have to close loopholes. But without choking Europe, strangling Europe with bureaucracy. We have to provide legal certainty and monitoring. And our message is clear Europe will no longer be blackmailed, Europe will not finance a war of aggression, and Europe is learning the lessons of its history and is making history in this House. And that is absolutely what we should be doing.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “And the truth is very straightforward there is no alternative that delivers the same level of protection at scale. So if we remove ethanol through a hazardous only classification without differentiating between industrial exposure and real world use without considering actual risk profiles, Europe will face supply shortages, decreased hygiene standards, high infection risk, severe competition losses, and a regulatory domino effect. Therefore, I would like to ask the commission, how are you going to make sure that the scientific assessment reflects real world exposure rather than theoretical extremes or oral consumption? Second, will the Commission conduct a full impact assessment on hospitals, care facilities, pharmaceutical and food production and critical industries following the Biocidal Products Committee recommendation? And let me be very clear, the situation we currently have in Europe is regulatory certainty at its best. This situation is the death for investments in Europe because companies do not know what's coming, what's being ahead and where to invest and where to keep their investments. So I asked the commission, are you prepared to re-examine automated regulatory mechanisms in the legislation that trigger such broad bands without sector specific evaluation, and keep industry for months and years in a state of insecurity? And secondly, will the Commission review the coherence between reach the Biocidal Products Regulation and the classification, labelling and packaging framework so as to avoid contradictory outcomes for critical substances? Colleagues, ethanol is not just a molecule, it's a structural component of Europe's health, safety and industrial resilience. Thank you.”
  Chemicals regulation
• “Colleagues. This is not a fantasy world as you have just said, Mr. Zimmer. We are writing history here. We created peace through the coal and steel community, and now we are creating peace through wind, sun, reason, cool heads, energy security and freedom. Ending Russian energy imports is part of energy policy, yes, but it is part of geopolitics and it is allowing Europe to breathe for a moment longer. With every import that we crank down, we need energy security, we need energy independence. But energy must be affordable, and it can't be something that is just reduced to funding. We're not going to be blackmailed by our partner countries. We do need to import some energy, but we are going to ensure that we import it from people who subscribe to the same values as we do and share our moral compass. Our energy policy decisions have got to fit with our values. We need to be able to keep the heating on, yes, but we need to keep our industry strong, and we need to be able to be sure that we are turning off the money taps of the Kremlin as quickly as possible. This legislation gives us a genuine opportunity to write some new pages in the history book. Let's do that for Europe and for energy security. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “I think this is not just on my behalf, but for the EPP. We absolutely are, uh, in favor of gender equality and solving the gender pay gap, but not through extra bureaucracy. I think now we're back on the foot of a more civilized discussion. What would your perspective be? Uh, on the EPP, uh, program, uh, to help achieve this target? And how does your program help achieve that target? The EPP is a party that isn't just about European politics, but also national politics. So childcare, for example, and those structural problems, that is a big issue in, uh, the member states. And so we're looking at, uh, municipal, local areas providing childcare and help for men and women and the EPP are supporting, uh, pay transparency, but we need to be honest about where it's going to bring more bureaucracy rather than help for women.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Thank you very much, chairman. Um, the rapporteur, thank you very much for all the work you're doing on this. It's greatly appreciated. And many thanks also to our experts today who are in the room and, um, Instructing us about their views on artificial intelligence at the workplace. Now, we've already heard it from Mr. Bullough. Europe is lagging behind in the global AI race. We are absolutely determined to unfold the potential of AI at the workplace and this entails, of course, also critically asking about the necessity for further legislation in this context. At the same time, and we've just heard it in Professor Glasner's talk, we are absolutely determined to provide for algorithmic transparency in relation to the use of AI at the workplace. And as I would like to ask you the following questions, especially directed at Professor Glowna. You mentioned the opacity of some algorithmic management systems. And in practical terms, how can employers and regulators gain insight into how these systems make decisions? Second, could you explain what safeguards can be put in place to ensure that algorithmic systems do not automate or reinforce existing biases in recruitment and performance evaluation. Third, how realistic is it for small and medium sized enterprises to conduct algorithmic impact assessment? What support mechanisms would they need? Fourth, would you support and you've already said something on this a standalone directive on algorithmic management. Or is it better to integrate workplace AI governance into existing labor and data protection laws? And lastly, you mentioned very shortly the role of work councils as AI adoption increases, how do you foresee the role of work councils and trade unions evolving in algorithmic oversight? Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “Thank you for your question. I have very clearly said what I would do to tackle structural inequalities. I would fight for more, um, childcare places, more entrepreneurship amongst, uh, women. Uh, when it comes to this pay transparency directive, transparency does help, uh, to create transparency. But what doesn't help is more bureaucracy. And if you look at that directive carefully. We're talking about companies from 100 employees. It could be quite small bakeries, for example, that simply can't deal with this type of bureaucracy. It's an annual report cycle and it really will create a lot of bureaucracy.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Proportionate and anchored in the single market, not in new layers of intervention. Instruments like carbon footprint labels or product standards can support innovation. But quotas, rigid local content rules and prescriptive value chain requirements need to be carefully balanced, not to distort competition and undermining SMEs. Our role is to ensure that Europe shapes markets without steering them. And if we strike this balance right, the upcoming legislation will strengthen competitiveness and work for the benefit of Europe and its people.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you very much. Chair. Dear Minister Palmas, dear Minister Damianos and the Mr. Damiano, thank you very much for presenting the priorities of the Cyprus presidency. And also, thank you very much for having the wider perspective on the European project in mind. And good luck with the presidency. Now, if we want to be serious about energy security, affordability and sustainability, then electricity grids are the backbone. And thank you for all the remarks that have already been done on the grids package. Now, one of the main bottlenecks today next to financing and ambition, is simplification and permitting. And for the EPP, the message is clear without faster permitting, there will be no energy union and no competitiveness. So my question therefore focuses very specifically on these aspects. First, how will the Cyprus presidency ensure that the grids package delivers real binding acceleration of permitting procedures both for transmission and distribution networks, including clear time limits, one stop shops and digitalized procedures? And second, will you push for more pragmatic application of environmental and administrative rules so that grid expansion is treated as a strategic infrastructure priority? And let me close by asking a wider question Will the Cyprus presidency push for treaty reform in line with article 48 of the treaty, so as to make Europe strong and to support its efforts to act swiftly and decisively? Thank you.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
• “Thank you for your question. I have very clearly said what I would do to tackle structural inequalities. I would fight for more, um, childcare places, more entrepreneurship amongst, uh, women. Uh, when it comes to this pay transparency directive, transparency does help, uh, to create transparency. But what doesn't help is more bureaucracy. And if you look at that directive carefully. We're talking about companies from 100 employees. It could be quite small bakeries, for example, that simply can't deal with this type of bureaucracy. It's an annual report cycle and it really will create a lot of bureaucracy.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “I think this is not just on my behalf, but for the EPP. We absolutely are, uh, in favor of gender equality and solving the gender pay gap, but not through extra bureaucracy. I think now we're back on the foot of a more civilized discussion. What would your perspective be? Uh, on the EPP, uh, program, uh, to help achieve this target? And how does your program help achieve that target? The EPP is a party that isn't just about European politics, but also national politics. So childcare, for example, and those structural problems, that is a big issue in, uh, the member states. And so we're looking at, uh, municipal, local areas providing childcare and help for men and women and the EPP are supporting, uh, pay transparency, but we need to be honest about where it's going to bring more bureaucracy rather than help for women.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Mr.. President, Commissioner. Dear colleagues, we just had To National Women's Day, and I think it teaches us that women's independence is still very much tied up with economic independence as well. We had better. Ben's uncle, who is an important part of our history, who showed us that when women have opportunities they take that they can create innovation. So I think it's important we close that gap between men and women. We have around a 6% gap in Germany. I think any kind of pay discrimination is absolutely. Unacceptable. But it's part of a explained by structural reasons. Reasons are the different types of careers and career breaks, and that is not fully tackled by the Pay Transparency Directive. We have, under the guise of more democracy, simply more bureaucracy. And we're not tackling the structural causes here. We need to give a proper, uh, answer here. We need to take out the bureaucracy from that pay transparency, uh, directive. We need more women in innovation, in technology and entrepreneurship. That's how we achieve quality. Uh, not through just filling out forms. Thank you.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “When we go, we we want to make sure that renewables and also classical security and classical markets have a sensible framework. So it's time to have an energy policy in Germany, which recognized the costs of the grid and get the whole thing in balance with the investments that we need. Yes. Let's make sure at all levels, but not to go in that direction that we've been going in for the last few years.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you, Madam Vice President Buchanan, thank you very much for the presentation. And also fielding our questions on the digital omnibus. Just as a rider, the EPP like to be in touch with what people see. And the cookie banner costs 1.5 hours for every citizen in time wasted. So I think everybody would be very pleased to see cookie banner change so we can be freed up on that. Now, a few points. Data protection laws. It's very clear that we need simplification, but we need to go further when it comes to companies rather than clubs and people who are in voluntary positions, we need to look at what's practicable as well. So we in Parliament will try and address that. The second point that is viewed in critical terms is the logic of the Data Act, which you're trying to rethink. It seems when it comes to industrial secrecy, I'd like to express the opposite experience that I've had from SMEs. I've seen very clear evidence that the strategic interests of our companies go in the line of protecting secrecy as well. Finally, a request. If you're in favour of simplification, we push for that. Then, on the other hand, we need to make sure that in other portfolios in the commission, we won't see other individual digital laws brought into being. Thank you.”
  GDPR
• “Thank you very much, chair. And thanks to the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs for the resolution and the work that has been put into this document. And it does. And and previous speakers have said this before, reflect the necessity to focus on energy intensive industries that are crucial for the survival of European competitiveness. Building now, upon the comments of my esteemed colleagues, Mr. and Mrs. Niebler, I would, however, like to strongly speak out against the renewal of the market correction mechanism to ensure the continuity of protection against gas price surges and potential speculations mentioned in section six as EP, we strongly prioritize market driven solutions over state interventions for the following reason. Now, intervening in the gas market through mechanisms like the market correction mechanism undermines the principle of competitive free market and risk distorting price signals. Artificially lowering gas prices through public intervention create inefficiencies, discourages private sector investments, and increases the dependency on state driven solutions. Instead of imposing regulatory prices and caps or joint purchasing schemes, the EU should focus on fostering competition, securing diversified energy supply sources and especially the ramp up of renewables and low carbon energy sources, and removing unnecessary regulatory burdens that inflate costs. I would just like to issue a warning. Market distortions would ultimately weaken Europeans energy resilience and global competitiveness. And particularly for the energy intensive industries that need long term certainty rather than short term political fixes. Thank you.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Mr.. President, Commissioner. Dear colleagues, we just had To National Women's Day, and I think it teaches us that women's independence is still very much tied up with economic independence as well. We had better. Ben's uncle, who is an important part of our history, who showed us that when women have opportunities they take that they can create innovation. So I think it's important we close that gap between men and women. We have around a 6% gap in Germany. I think any kind of pay discrimination is absolutely. Unacceptable. But it's part of a explained by structural reasons. Reasons are the different types of careers and career breaks, and that is not fully tackled by the Pay Transparency Directive. We have, under the guise of more democracy, simply more bureaucracy. And we're not tackling the structural causes here. We need to give a proper, uh, answer here. We need to take out the bureaucracy from that pay transparency, uh, directive. We need more women in innovation, in technology and entrepreneurship. That's how we achieve quality. Uh, not through just filling out forms. Thank you.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Yes. Thank you very much. I think this this exchange is extremely, extremely helpful and useful. I'm still wondering. I'm just not quite clear. We are talking a lot about the need for a new II directive. But listening to what we have talked today, I don't quite understand the loophole that's still supposed to be in the legislation when we take the GDP article 22, it talks about automotive processing. Then we have the PVD, which is fine. We're also automated. Decisions are additionally included. Now this is a very you know the application only goes to platform workers. It's all fine. But if we really want to talk about automated processing in terms of also algorithmic management, I think the right legislation to go to is the GDPR, GDPR, which already has it in there. In addition, article 35 requires and this is about the question of what what follows from the application of algorithmic management has already an obligation on data protection, impact assessment. And in combination with article nine where the risk management system is. I do think that companies are already under pressure and under the obligation to provide for transparency. And that's where I just simply. And if you think about article seven and nine of the GDPR, which puts down conditions for consent, which workers have to fulfill. Also at the workplace. And also article 12 transparency and modalities of the right for transparency. I just have not identified the loophole yet. A concrete case where this additional directive would cover a right which is not already covered by existing legislation. I'm just having difficulties to grasp this specific cases that we are already talking about. We haven't been specific enough to justify an additional directive. That's just my question. Where are those loopholes?”
  Platform workers
• “Thank you very much for your question. I didn't say we need we don't need any legislation. No. I think I said that we should implement the legislation we already have and based on subsidiarity, we don't need to regulate everything at European level. That was my message. It's clear we have a. Directive from 2014 which regulates subcontracting in the public sector. And I think that we have enough rules at European level and at national level.”
  EU competences on taxation
• “I think this is not just on my behalf, but for the EPP. We absolutely are, uh, in favor of gender equality and solving the gender pay gap, but not through extra bureaucracy. I think now we're back on the foot of a more civilized discussion. What would your perspective be? Uh, on the EPP, uh, program, uh, to help achieve this target? And how does your program help achieve that target? The EPP is a party that isn't just about European politics, but also national politics. So childcare, for example, and those structural problems, that is a big issue in, uh, the member states. And so we're looking at, uh, municipal, local areas providing childcare and help for men and women and the EPP are supporting, uh, pay transparency, but we need to be honest about where it's going to bring more bureaucracy rather than help for women.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “President, Commissioner, Europe is discussing billions of investments in networks and renewables. But really the bottleneck is quite a simple thing. It can be Maybe an endangered species, but it could also be bureaucracy and it slows Europe down. You can have an energy project taking ten years to come to light and many years just for permits. Some renewables projects can wait up to nine years, and that's not necessary bureaucracy. It's a competitive disadvantage and that's why we need this measure urgently, especially now, the situation in Iran and in the Middle East show just how vulnerable energy markets are. And when we do see shocks, it really hits citizens. So we're not talking only about climate goals. We're talking about security of supply, competitiveness and social stability. But let's be honest, let's not turn the European Union into a patchwork of regulations and the Energy Directive, the IEA, the permitting directive, if we want to be quicker, then we need three things clear rules stability, less duplication and true implementation. Because without quick permit granting, we cannot have networks and no independence for Europe. Thank you.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
• “Madam Commissioner. Every. No one knows how subcontracting works in everyday life. So there will be There will be a general contractor, and then there'll be electricians and roofers and things working beneath that. And that's how things can be done efficiently. But and it's about subcontracting that we are voting on this week. One thing is very clear. We need to tackle exploitation, misuse of subcontract subcontracting and criminal activities. We cannot be tolerant of that whatsoever. However, a new directive on subcontracting chains is not the right approach in my view. In the EU, around 17% of SMEs are subcontractors and we know how much this could impact freedom to enter into contracts. And it could it could jeopardize employment. That is the situation we're in in the current geopolitical situation. Subcontracting is not a minor issue. We don't need a new directive. No, we need strict enforcement of existing laws. Macron talked about Europe's need to wake up. And he said, if we don't do anything, then Europe will be in danger in five years. And I think if we do the wrong thing now, then we'll have the same. We have the same problem.”
  EU policy on labour exploitation in global supply chains