Vicent MARZÀ IBÁÑEZ

Policy topics Vicent MARZÀ IBÁÑEZ is active on

What Vicent MARZÀ IBÁÑEZ has said (80)

• 2026-06-17 “(15:34:20 – 15:36:05): As the revolutionary Mario Draghi said, decarbonization and electrification are not a climate issue. They're the only way to ensure our sovereignty, security, and the economic survival of our continent. Although the climate denialists are blind to this, we need to reach these climate goals for survival, to bring down bills for our families and our businesses, and to put an end to dependency on dictatorships, who are selling us fossil fuels. And Europe is being held hostage to foreign people such as Donald Trump. We need to have massive planning and realistic plans for our industry in order to ensure that there is no unfair competition, which is what we are suffering from when we make our factories make efforts when other parts of the world don't do that or when we have objectives for the clean transition that won't be possible without genuine investment to ensure that we have an electrical grid that we need. So we need support. We need real investment in electrification in our grid to ensure that it reaches houses and industry. Without that, we won't be able to electrify industry, so we need significant resources for electrification in the next MFF. We have to act boldly for our autonomy and for our businesses. Card for you. Please, mister Teresh. Thank Please.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2026-06-17 “(15:38:28 – 15:39:19): What we have to do is to adopt this technological change and then ensure that it goes to other generations. We can't keep it all in the hands of a small number of multinationals. They have to be distributed to local energy communities to ensure that energy is consumed close to where it's produced to avoid this huge transportation or massive plants or farms. So we have to ensure that we involve people who live nearby and ensure that we have decentralized the energy system. That's the best way to ensure sovereignty. Thank You. There are other blue cards, but as we've already taken them and some people are in for catch the eye, we'll see where we've got to once we get there. Miss Boylan, please.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2026-06-17 “(15:36:53 – 15:37:33): When is energy cheap? Because when we are investing in renewables, for example, in Spain, the cheapest energy, we have the cheapest energy because we the highest presence of renewables because we didn't want it to be dependent on the outside world, on the fossil fuels, which you people on these seats are defending, which say we should continue to defend depend on fossil fuels because people are getting rich off them every day. But that's why it's cheaper. We see this with countries that are trying out every day such as Spain. Card for you if you want. Yes. Please, mister Oliveira. Okay.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• 2026-02-27 “Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission 29.4.2026 Written question EU trade policy towards Israel and Palestine [1] may help address some of the issues raised in the Honourable Member’s question as far as goods exported to the EU are concerned. Trade preferences granted to Israel under the EU-Israel Association Agreement [2] do not apply to goods originating in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) or the Golan Heights. Conversely, the EU grants trade preferences to goods which are originating in Palestine in accordance with the EU-Palestine Interim Association Agreement [3] . The case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union has confirmed that goods originating in Israeli settlements in the OPT do not qualify for preferential treatment under the EU-Palestine Interim Association Agreement. As regards a temporary suspension of imports, Article 23 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement allows either party to adopt safeguard measures if a product is imported in such increased quantities and under such conditions as to cause serious disturbance to a sector of the economy, or serious difficulties in a region or market of the importing side. From the information provided it is however not possible to ascertain whether imports from Israel are causing such serious sectoral disturbances or regional difficulties. On 17 September 2025, following the military intervention of Israel in the Gaza Strip, the Commission adopted a proposal for a Council Decision regarding the suspension of certain trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement [4] . [1] This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue. [2] https://eeas.europa.eu/archives/delegations/israel/documents/eu_israel/asso_agree_en.pdf. [3] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents/treaties-agreements/agreement/?id=1997014. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0890.”
  Due diligence in supply chains (environmental and human rights) · Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2026-02-27 “Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission 11.5.2026 Written question In line with the Renovation Wave, Directive (EU) 2024/1275 [1] prioritises strategies that enhance buildings’ thermal performance during the summer period, with measures that avoid overheating, such as shading and passive cooling techniques that improve indoor environmental quality. The implementation of the directive is a matter for the Member State authorities. Assessing whether a city may be deviating from the trajectory outlined in the National Building Renovation Plan (NBRP) is outside the Commission’s responsibility. In its draft NBRP [2] , Spain highlights that planning of interventions in the building stock should anticipate future cooling needs, mitigate the urban heat island effect and promote passive comfort solutions, through strategies such as shading or the use of materials with high thermal inertia. The Commission published guidance in 2025 [3] on the implementation of Directive (EU) 2024/1275, including on indoor environmental quality, with indicators for resilience against heat waves. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024L1275&qid=1732227204189. [2] Spain submitted its National Building Renovation Plan (NBRP) on 29 December 2025 — https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/8f5f9424-a7ef-4dbf-b914-1af1d12ff5d2/library/2c613a06-3df2-4bdd-a61a-680b0351a777/details?open=true. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C_202506438.”
  Climate efforts
• 2026-02-24 “Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 4.5.2026 Written question Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is among the more than 6 000 rare and complex diseases and syndromes [1] . While the Commission does not address individual rare conditions separately, it supports the field of rare diseases through European Reference Networks (ERNs) [2] , which are EU-level networks connecting medical expertise across Member States to improve timely diagnosis and high-quality care for patients with rare or complex conditions. Many rare diseases, including post-polio syndrome, require coordinated input from multiple medical specialties. The ERNs facilitate this by enabling structured, multidisciplinary collaboration and alignment of expertise among healthcare providers across different Member States. In this context, patients with PPS may benefit in particular from the activities of the ERN EURO-NMD [3] (Rare Neuromuscular Diseases), as well as, where relevant, the ERN-RND [4] (Rare Neurological Diseases). Regarding funding, the Commission provides support to the ERNs through the EU4Health programme, allocating EUR 77.4 million to fund their activities until 2027. The Commission also supports the work of Orphanet in developing and maintaining a comprehensive rare disease nomenclature and providing high-quality information for rare disease codification. Collaborative research on rare diseases has been a long-standing priority for the Commission. Most recently, this includes the launch of the European Partnership on Rare Diseases under the European Rare Diseases Research Alliance [5] , which further strengthens support for research and innovation in this field. [1] Classified in the Orphanet nomenclature: https://www.orpha.net/. [2] https://health.ec.europa.eu/rare-diseases-and-european-reference-networks/european-reference-networks_en. [3] https://ern-euro-nmd.eu/. [4] https://www.ern-rnd.eu/. [5] https://erdera.org/.”
  EU competences on health · Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• 2026-02-03 “E-000424/2026 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The infringement procedure mentioned by the Honourable Member 1 is still ongoing. The Commission sent an additional letter of formal notice to Spain requesting to complete the designation of Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) as special areas of conservation (SACs) and the establishment of site-specific conservation objectives and measures for SACs 2 , as required by the Habitats Directive 3 . According to the latest information submitted to the Commission in August 2025, pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Habitats Directive, from a total of 1 278 SCIs, Spain has designated 1 209 SCIs as SAC, with 69 SCIs still in the process of becoming SAC (ten in the region of Valencia, including SCI L'Albufera [ES0000023], with approval expected in the fourth quarter of 2026). As regards the failure to set site-specific conservation objectives and conservation measures, the Commission is assessing the multiple replies and progress reports provided by Spain prior to deciding on the most appropriate way forward for this case in the light of the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union in cases C-444/21 4 and C-116/22 5 . 1 INFR(2015)2003. https://ec.europa.eu/implementing-eu-law/search-infringementdecisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2015)2003&page=1&size=10 &order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate. This is part of a structural action involving several other Member States in a similar situation. 2 Therefore, special protection areas (SPAs) for birds are not part of this infringement procedure. 3 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, pp. 7–50. 4 Case C-444/21: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 29 June 2023 — European Commission v Ireland, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62021CJ0444. 5 Case C-116/22: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 21 September 2023 — European Commission v Federal Republic of Germany, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62022CJ0116.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2026-01-12 “Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission 17.3.2026 Written question As referred to in the question, the strategic map and action plan for noise for Valencia Airport has been adopted by the Spanish authorities in 2024. Therefore, the Commission will continue to engage in the necessary dialogue with the Spanish authorities aiming to achieve compliance with EU law [1] for the outstanding entities, for which action plans or maps are missing, as soon as possible. The Environmental Noise Directive (END) [2] does not set binding noise targets/levels but establishes a framework for managing environmental noise with a view to reduce exposure where necessary. It does not impose operational restrictions on airports, nor does it prescribe any specific mitigation action. Consequently, under the END, it is not for the Commission to assess the measures set out in individual action plans. While Member States have discretion in deciding which measures to include in their noise action plans, the Balanced Approach Regulation [3] lays down the procedures that must be followed to introduce noise-related operating restrictions. In this respect, the Commission has received no notification from the Spanish authorities of any intention to introduce operating restrictions at Valencia Airport. The END also requires that the public be informed and be given the opportunity to participate in the preparation, review and revision of noise action plans. Moreover, citizens can challenge the legality of those plans before national courts or administrative bodies in accordance with the provisions of their national legal system. [1] INFR(2016)2118, https://ec.europa.eu/implementing-eu-law/search-infringement-decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2016)2118&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate. [2] Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise — Declaration by the Commission in the Conciliation Committee on the directive relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise, OJ L 189, 18.7.2002, pp. 12-25. [3] Regulation (EU) No 598/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the establishment of rules and procedures with regard to the introduction of noise-related operating restrictions at Union airports within a Balanced Approach and repealing Directive 2002/30/EC, OJ L 173, 12.6.2014, pp. 65-78.”
  Air quality policy · Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• 2026-01-12 “Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 7.4.2026 Written question EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements are non-negotiable and apply to all imports irrespective of trade agreements with third countries. The figures mentioned in the question seem to reflect the controls in the context of the regulation 2019/1020 [1] (which do not apply to the importation of meat) and not to the SPS controls. A harmonised, risk-based system of official controls, established under Regulation (EU) 2017/625 [2] , ensures mandatory inspections in all Member States. The Commission monitors the compliance of imports and will reinforce the enforcement in this area through an increase in the number of audits performed on third countries and Member States, closer monitoring of non-compliant commodities and countries (with frequency of checks increased as required), support to Member States carrying out these additional checks and additional training to Member States’ officials [3] . The Commission regularly audits Member States to verify their import controls. Audit reports on Border Control Posts [4] do not identify significant systemic non-compliances on the performance of Member States’ checks. The Commission also established a Task Force on Import Controls [5] to increase the EU’s response to further strengthening the control on imports, in line with its Vision for Agriculture and Food [6] . Where justified, the Commission may assess targeted adjustments to the legal framework. Although the Commission considers that the current legislative framework provides a robust basis for effective border controls, it is also working on the revision of the Union Customs Code, as part of the EU Customs Reform [7] , currently examined by the co-legislators. Through such reform, the Commission aims to improve the capabilities of EU customs . [1] Report on controls on products entering the EU market with regard to product compliance in 2024 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/ea5db20e-840f-11f0-9af8-01aa75ed71a1/language-en. [2] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj. [3] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2979. [4] Health and Food Audits and Analysis https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/official-controls-and-enforcement/health-and-food-audits-and-analysis_en. [5] Import controls of food and feed Q&As — Food Safety: https://food.ec.europa.eu/horizontal-topics/official-controls-and-enforcement/import-controls-food-and-feed-qas_en. [6] Vision for Agriculture and Food — Agriculture and rural development: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/overview-vision-agriculture-food/vision-agriculture-and-food_en. [7] https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/customs/eu-customs-reform_en.”
  Import of agri-food products in the EU · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2025-11-05 “E-004355/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission The partial suspension of Israeli’s association to Horizon Europe 1 that the Commission has proposed to the Council 2 appears as an appropriate measure in application of Article 79(2) of the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement 3 in view of Israel’s breach of Article 2 of this Agreement. The proposed partial suspension specifically concerns the eligibility of entities established in Israel to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Accelerator of the European Innovation Council (EIC). The latter supports single eligible entities (small and medium-sized enterprises and exceptionally small mid-caps) with a focus on breakthrough and emerging technologies 4 . The proposed partial suspension is subject to a decision of the Council and in the absence thereof the Commission must continue to treat Israeli applicants as eligible to participate in such calls in accordance with the Horizon Europe Association Agreement. According to Article 19(1) of the Horizon Europe Regulation 5 any actions carried out under Horizon Europe must comply with ethical principles and relevant Union, national and international law 6 . The guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 7 , continue to apply to all Horizon Europe projects. The Commission will continue to use the possibilities and instruments at its disposal, both at proposal and project implementation level, to ensure respect of the Horizon Europe legal framework and will take appropriate action in case non-compliance would be established. 1 Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and Israel, of the other part, on the participation of Israel in the Union programme Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:22022A0323(10)&qid=1764159710053. 2 COM(2025) 620 final. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2000:147:FULL. 4 This would imply that legal entities established in Israel would no longer be eligible to participate in calls for grant and investment support under the Horizon Europe EIC Accelerator from the date of effect of the suspension. 5 Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0695. 6 Including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Supplementary Protocols. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2013:205:0009:0011:EN:PDF.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-11-05 “E-004354/2025 Answer given by Mr Micallef on behalf of the European Commission The Fédération des Associations des Capitales et Villes Européennes du Sport AISBL (ACES) is a non-profit association based in Brussels which since 2001 has been assigning every year awards such as the ‘World Capital, European/American/Asian/Africa/Oceanian Capital, Region, City, Island, Community and Town of Sport’. This process is entirely run by ACES and the Commission does not fund nor is involved in the selection at any stage. The Association is one of the partners of the ‘European Week of Sport’ (EWoS), an initiative organised by the Commission and promoting sport and physical activity since 2015. The European Capitals of Sport and other cities or regions have actively participated in promoting the EWoS and its messages through events. Organising events and participating in the EWoS does not involve funding and is done on a voluntary basis. As of 2025, the Commission has been awarding the #BeActive EU Sport Awards to projects promoting physical activity, inclusion, volunteering, sport across generations and peace. The Commission's awards differ significantly from ACES ones in several ways. While the Commission offers prizes, ACES provides labels/recognitions. Since 2014, ACES has been a partner of seven projects under the Erasmus+ Sport Actions, implementing projects promoting – among others - sport, social inclusion and integrity.”
  EU volunteering programs
• 2025-11-05 “E-004356/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) 1 has established for all packaging materials a modulation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees based on recyclability performance grade 2 . However, sales packaging made of lightweight wood is exempted from the recyclability obligations 3 , while it remains subject to EPR fees. The Commission is required to review this exemption by 1 January 2035 4 . Based on a Commission proposal 5 of 21 October 2025, the European Parliament and Council adopted in December 2025 a revised EU Deforestation Regulation 6 (EUDR) with targeted amendments to ease administrative burdens and reduce pressure on the Information System, while maintaining environmental integrity through simplifications and transitional periods. In addition, to support the implementation of the EUDR, the Commission issued 7 updated guidance 8 and Frequently Asked Questions 9 reflecting input from Member States, partner countries and industry. 1 Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC, OJ L, 2025/40, 22.1.2025. 2 The methodology to calculate the recyclability performance grades for all packaging materials will be adopted in a delegated act, due 31 December 2027. This delegated act will also include a harmonised framework to help Member State modulate EPR fees of packaging, including wood packaging. 3 These materials are placed on the market in very small quantities, i.e. each category amounts to less than 1 % of the weight of the packaging placed on the Union market. 4 The assessment of the exemptions should consider at least the evolution of sorting and recycling technologies and practical experience gained by the economic operators and Member States. 5 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 as regards certain obligations of operators and traders, COM/2025/652 final. 6 Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 2023 on the making available on the Union market and the export from the Union of certain commodities and products associated with deforestation and forest degradation and repealing Regulation (EU) No 995/2010, OJ L 150, 9.6.2023, p. 206–247. 7 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1063. 8 https://environment.ec.europa.eu/document/5dc7aa19-e58f-42a3-bbbe-f0eb2e5a1d3a_en. 9 providing companies, EU Member States' authorities and partner countries with additional simplified measures and clarifications - https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/34861680-e799-4d7c-bbadda83c45da458/library/e126f816-844b-41a9-89ef-cb2a33b6aa56/details.”
  Sustainable packaging · Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• 2025-10-29 “E-004243/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The Commission’s Work Programme for 2026 announces a Fair Labour Mobility Package which includes an initiative for the European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) 1 . A digitalised European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is one of the objectives of the ESSPASS initiative. In the context of relevant preparatory work, the Commission is currently examining the outcome of the ESSPASS Pilot projects. One approach considers the use of the European Digital Identity Wallet for citizens to store and share verifiable digital documents 2 . Such digital identity wallets are accessible for use by persons with disabilities, including the visually impaired, in accordance with Directive 2019/882 on accessibility requirements for goods and services 3 . A second piloted approach considers a QR-code based format, targeting citizens who may have difficulties using a digital wallet. When evaluating the different policy options, the Commission will take due account of the need for features to facilitate use of the EHIC by persons with visual impairments. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-commission-work-programme-and-annexes_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1183&qid=1763129898378. 3 See Article 5a(21) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, referring to https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32019L0882&qid=1763124884642.”
  Medical devices
• 2025-10-16 “E-004091/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Commission analyses every payment request against the requirements set out in Regulation (EU) 2021/241 1 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Moreover, this Regulation establishes that Member States shall ensure that the use of funds complies with the applicable EU and national law. The measure in question falls under component 14, milestones 220 and 221 of the Spanish Recovery and Resilience Plan 2 , tentatively to be submitted under the 7 th and 9 th payment requests, which have not yet been assessed. The measure includes specific conditions to ensure the respect of the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle. Disbursements under the Recovery and Resilience Facility are tied to the satisfactory fulfilment of these conditions. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021R0241. 2 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/846973bb-f1d5-4524-b03396976bf2971f_en?filename=COM_2025_556_1_EN_annexe_proposition_cp_part1_v3.pdf.”
  Climate efforts · Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-10-08 “E-003942/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The current proposal on steel stems from the specific conditions in this sector, meaning globally recognised overcapacity and a safeguard expiring in June 2026. This led to a situation where proposing this kind of measure under Article 207 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union became the only option for effectively safeguarding the steel sector. The Commission remains attentive to industry feedback to understand specific concerns in the ceramic sector. Nevertheless, for this sector (more specifically the ceramic tableware and kitchenware) anti-dumping measures concerning imports from the People’s Republic of China were published and confirmed for further five years on 8 October 2025. However, on 19 December 2024 the Commission initiated a partial interim review of the level of dumping covered by the anti-dumping measure, trade defence instruments that could eventually result in a revision of the actual level of the measures to make them more effective. This investigation is still ongoing and therefore, at this stage, it is too early to draw a conclusion. When negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs), the Commission consults with the Member States and the European Parliament and takes their opinions into consideration, including the concerns of different industrial sectors. To mitigate potential issues, the FTAs include bilateral safeguard mechanisms that provide a framework for resolving disputes and addressing problems, should they arise. These mechanisms contain specific clauses that enable the EU to implement targeted measures to address and resolve any challenges that may emerge.”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market
• 2025-09-24 “E-003698/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission Member States have jurisdiction and discretion to regulate the real estate markets, while respecting the EU Treaties, including the free movement of capital, or the freedom of establishment. These freedoms prohibit any restrictions on the acquisition of real estate as well as discrimination on grounds of nationality unless they are justified by legitimate reasons of public interest 1 . However, special rules apply to the acquisition of real estate on the Åland Islands pursuant to Protocol No 2 to Finland’s accession treaty on the right of foreign natural or legal persons to acquire and hold real property on the islands. Where a Member State introduces or maintains restrictions to the free movement of capital or the freedom of establishment, the compatibility of the measures in question with EU law must be examined in the light both of the relevant reasons of public interest and of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter, including the right to property safeguarded by Article 17 of the Charter 2 . 1 See Court of Justice of the European Union, Joined cases C-197/11 und C-203/11, Eric Libert a.o., n 37 et seq. 2 See Court of Justice of the European Union, Case C-235/17, Commission v Hungary, paragraphs 63-66.”
  EU policy on urban development
• 2025-09-10 “E-003510/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission considers that rural areas are a fertile ground for the development of energy communities. The EU framework calls for enabling frameworks for energy communities 1 , including tools to facilitate access to finance and information. How to tailor the implementation is however at the discretion of the Member States, in accordance with national specificities and policy preferences. The Commission has promoted the development of rural energy communities through the Rural Energy Communities Advisory Hub 2 providing direct technical assistance to 28 rural energy communities. With the newly established Citizen Energy Advisory Hub, the Commission will continue to support rural communities 3 . In parallel, the Energy Communities Facility 4 provides grant support for energy communities to develop business plans. As announced in the Affordable Energy Action Plan 5 , the Commission will furthermore adopt a Citizens Energy Package to further enhance the participation of citizens in the energy transition. Qualitative evidence suggests that energy communities can indeed help to curb depopulation in rural areas 6 and to ensure that benefits stay local 7 . In line with the objectives of the Longterm Vision for the EU’s rural areas 8 , the Commission is supporting the set up of energy communities in rural areas through the Citizen Energy Advisory Hub, the Energy Communities Facility, the LEADER and Smart villages approaches and wider CommunityLed Local Development (CLLD), if selected in local development strategies 9 , as well as LIFE Clean Energy Transition (CET) programme. For example, JALON 10 LIFE project, aims to empower inhabitants of rural areas by creating a regional energy community model and addressing the needs of the rural population. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/2001/oj/eng; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/944/oj/eng. 2 https://wayback.archive-it.org/12090/20240320084824/https:/rural-energy-communityhub.ec.europa.eu/index_en. 3 https://citizens-energy.ec.europa.eu/index_en. 4 https://energycommunitiesfacility.eu/. 5 https://energy.ec.europa.eu/strategy/affordable-energy_en. 6 See for example: https://www.ews-schoenau.de/. 7 See for example: https://energie-partagee.org/etude-retombees-eco/. 8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:6c924246-da52-11eb-895a01aa75ed71a1.0003.02/DOC_1&format=PDF. 9 https://eu-capnetwork.ec.europa.eu/networking/leader_en#:~:text=Welcome%20to%20the%20section%20of%20the%20EU% 20CAP,for%20you%20to%20find%20relevant%20information%20about%20LEADER%2FCLLD. 10 See for example: https://jalon-ce.eu/about/.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-07-01 “E-002667/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The Commission’s 2022 Drone Strategy 2.0 1 sets out a vision for the further development of the European drone market to unlock the potential of new, innovative aerial services, and to support drone research and production in Europe. It recognises that drones will contribute to leverage European research, innovation, and entrepreneurship to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal and Digital Europe. Article 9 of the Sustainable Use of pesticides Directive (SUD) 2 allows Member States to issue derogations under specific conditions to allow aerial spraying of plant protection products (PPPs), including by drones. Many Member States already issue such derogations to allow aerial spraying by drones. The Commission is considering a legislative proposal to amend Article 9 of the SUD with a view to eliminating the requirement that farmers must submit individual applications for aerial spraying of PPPs once relevant conditions are met. This could include aerial spraying by drones. The February 2025 Commission Communication on a Vision for Agriculture and Food 3 states that precision farming and data-based solutions can increase profitability through the optimisation of inputs. Various Horizon Europe projects have been addressing this topic. Notably, ICAERUS 4 , SPADE 5 , and the recently concluded CHAMELEON 6 project have tested the use of unmanned aerial vehicles solutions, including drones, for spraying and other uses in agriculture with combined investment of over EUR 17 million. The Commission believes that further reflections with all stakeholders are needed on the topic and this work is ongoing. 1 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-modes/air/aviation-safety/unmanned-aircraft-drones_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2009/128/oj/eng. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0075. 4 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060643. 5 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060778. 6 https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101060529.”
  Digital and precision farming · EU policy on pesticides
• 2025-06-17 “E-002441/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is reviewing Regulation (EU) 2015/1185 1 setting ecodesign requirements for solid fuel local space heaters. The review process involves extensive dialogue with stakeholders. One of the objectives of the review process is to assess how pollutant emissions from solid fuel local space heaters could be limited. The revision is exploring various options to reduce pollutant emissions. Cost considerations will be carefully assessed in accordance with the Better Regulation guidelines and toolbox. In the review process, the Commission will also carry out rural proofing pursuant to the Better Regulation guidelines and toolbox, including in the Impact Assessment 2 . The Commission has not reached the stage of a formal proposal for revision of the regulation. Finally, it is important to note that any revised regulation would only be applicable to new products placed on the market. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2015/1185/oj/eng. 2 https://rural-vision.europa.eu/action-plan/cross-cutting/rural-proofing_en.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-06-05 “E-002288/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 1. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 1 ensures that information on the origin of food is sufficiently precise and meaningful. It prevents misleading food origin information by requiring the indication of the country of origin or place of provenance where its omission could mislead the consumer, e.g., through the featuring of pictures. The provisions of this Regulation are directly applicable, and Member States’ authorities are responsible for their implementation and enforcement. 2. In its Communication ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food’ 2 , the Commission expressed its intention to consider to ‘propose an extension of the country of origin labelling in line with sectoral specificities and Single Market rules’. 3. Verification of food labelling is within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls 3 . Member States must have official control systems in place that are risk-oriented, to ensure that the rules on information provided to consumers are complied with. In accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 and Regulation (EU) 2017/625, Member States must also impose penalties which, in cases of fraud, reflect at least either the economic advantage for the operator or a percentage of the operator's turnover. The Commission’s role is to verify that national control systems comply with the abovementioned Regulation on official controls by conducting audits. In that context, the Commission conducted audits in 2017 in four Member States 4 to evaluate the official control systems in place related to the provision of food information to consumers, including indication of country of origin, and recommended appropriate follow-up actions to address any weaknesses found. 1 Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, amending Regulations (EC) No 1924/2006 and (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Commission Directive 87/250/EEC, Council Directive 90/496/EEC, Commission Directive 1999/10/EC, Directive 2000/13/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Commission Directives 2002/67/EC and 2008/5/EC and Commission Regulation (EC) No 608/2004 OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 1. 2 COM/2025/75 final. 3 Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017 on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC) No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC, 89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official Controls Regulation). 4 France, Greece, Portugal and Lithuania. Full audit reports are available at https://ec.europa.eu/food/auditsanalysis/audit-report.”
  Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
• 2025-05-02 “E-001785/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has been unable to identify any Natura 2000 site that could be affected by the project referred to by the Honourable Member. However, Articles 12 to 16 of the Habitats Directive 1 require Member States to set up and implement a strict protection regime for species listed in Annex IV, both inside and outside protected areas. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2 requires that, before consent is given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue, inter alia, of their nature, size or location be subject to an assessment of their environmental effects. For the categories listed in Annex II to the Directive, such as urban development projects 3 , the authorities must determine whether an assessment is necessary through a case-by-case study or through previously set thresholds or criteria. In doing that, the authorities must take into account the relevant selection criteria set forth in Annex III to the EIA Directive. The competent authorities in the Member States are primarily responsible for the correct implementation of the above provisions. Moreover, the EIA Directive provides for specific review procedures that allow the public concerned to challenge the substantive or procedural legality of decisions, acts or omissions subject to the Directive’s provisions on public participation. In any case, the Commission notes that the project has been challenged before a national court. The Commission considers that the use of the means of redress available at national level is indeed the most effective way to address individual cases of possible non-compliance and is complementary to the Commission’s strategic approach on enforcement action, focused on cases of systemic non-compliance 4 . 1 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora - Official Journal L 206, 22/07/1992, P. 0007 – 0050. 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 Referred to in Annex II, 10 b) of the EIA Directive. 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.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU · EU policy on urban development
• 2025-04-11 “P-001508/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The Commission regrets the decision by the United States (U.S.) to impose universal tariffs on European exports to the U.S., with the country specific rate for the EU of 20%. These tariffs come next to those imposed on EU exports of steel and aluminium and derivatives (25%) and cars and car parts (25%). The Commission stands ready to act, as necessary, to protect EU interests in response to these unjustified tariffs. To this end, the Commission adopted the first set of countermeasures in response to the tariffs on steel and aluminium on 14 April 2025 1 . However, in view of the U.S. decision to partially suspend the application of universal tariffs, which meant that the country specific universal tariff of 20% was put on hold for 90 days, while the 10% tariff still continues to apply, the Commission delayed the application of its countermeasures for the same period to give a chance for negotiations and to find a mutually beneficial solution 2 . At the same time, if these talks are unsatisfactory, it is possible for EU countermeasures to kick in again automatically on 15 July 2025. The Commission also continues its preparatory work on possible further countermeasures relating to the other tariffs imposed by the U.S. on EU imports, keeping all options on the table. 1 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 of 14 April 2025 on commercial rebalancing measures concerning certain products originating in the United States of America and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/886, OJ L, 2025/778, 14.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/778/oj. 2 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/786 of 14 April 2025 suspending commercial rebalancing measures concerning certain products originating in the United States imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2882, OJ L, 2025/786, 14.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/786/oj.”
  EU-US trade relations
• 2025-03-10 “E-001027/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission Renewable power generation is key to lower energy prices, reinforce EU’s competitiveness and energy autonomy and achieve EU’s decarbonisation objectives. Mindful of the importance of balancing energy generation with other public interests, EU legislation has established a comprehensive legal framework to fully explore synergies for land and encourage the multiple use of space. Moreover, the EU legislative framework is also supportive of renewables small-scale projects, energy communities and self-consumption, particularly through Article 16d and 21 of the Renewables Energy Directive 1 and Article 15 and 15a of the Electricity Market Directive 2 . The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 3 also includes a phased obligation to install solar energy on certain categories of buildings. Full implementation of these provisions by Member States is urgent and should be encouraged. Member States may also develop their own initiatives to boost self-consumption, as Spain is doing through various reforms and investments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan 4 , including its REPowerEU chapter. Highlighting this complementarity, the EU Solar Energy Strategy recognises that to meet our EU targets we need both rooftop and utility-scale solar. It underlines how innovative forms of deployment, such as infrastructure-integrated solar, plug-in mini-solar or agrisolar systems can help mitigate land constraints. Some of them also help to promote renewables selfconsumption. To complement the Strategy, the Commission is also developing recommendations and guidance for Member States in this area. 1 Consolidated text: Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (recast). 2 Consolidated text: Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal market for electricity and amending Directive 2012/27/EU (recast). 3 Directive (EU) 2024/1275 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 April 2024 on the energy performance of buildings (recast) (Text with EEA relevance). 4 Component 7 includes Reform 2 (C7.R2) on National self-consumption strategy, Reform 3 (C7.R3) on Development of energy communities and investment 1 (C7.I1) for the development of innovative renewable energies, integrated into buildings and production processes. Component 8 includes investment 3 (C8.I3) to develop new business models in the energy transition. Component 31 (REPowerEU) includes r Investment 1 (C31.I1) to promote self-consumption (based on renewable energy and behind-the-meter storage) and energy communities.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects · Energy (green transition)
• 2025-03-05 “E-000946/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The EU strongly condemns the further escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, following increased settler violence, the expansion of illegal settlements, Israeli military operations and increased terrorist attacks against Israel. The EU strongly opposes all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution. During her visit to Israel on 24 March 2025, the High Representative/Vice-President raised with Israeli authorities the EU’s concerns regarding the situation in the West Bank 1 . The EU will continue to closely monitor developments on the ground and their broader implications and will consider further action in order to protect the viability of the two-state solution, which is constantly eroded by new facts on the ground, including through settlement expansion 2 . The EU has also adopted sanctions against extremist settlers 3 . The EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 lines, unless agreed by the parties. The EU recalls that annexation is illegal under international law. 1 https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/israel-remarks-high-representativevice-president-kaja-kallas-joint-pressconference-minister-foreign_en 2 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6511-2025-INIT/en/pdf 3 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/07/15/extremist-israeli-settlers-in-the-occupiedwest-bank-and-east-jerusalem-as-well-as-violent-activists-blocking-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-five-individualsand-three-entities-sanctioned-under-the-eu-global-human-rights-sanctions-regime/”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2025-02-17 “E-000705/2025 Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission 1. The EU applies an Entry Price System (EPS) to 15 types of fruit and vegetables, including citrus fruits. These are listed in Annex VII to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/891 1 . The Commission calculates and publishes the Standard Import Value (SIV) daily, for the respective period of application. If the SIV or import price is lower than the Entry Price, a specific import levy is applied. For the import of citrus fruits from Egypt, the EU is bound by conditions laid down in the EU-Egypt Association Agreement on agricultural, processed agricultural and fisheries products 2 . 2. Entry price levels, which vary by product and period, are fixed in the EU’s World Trade Organisation (WTO) Schedule of concessions as part of the WTO Agreement and reflected in the EU’s common customs tariff. Adjusting the minimum entry price for citrus would require reopening the EU’s WTO schedule in multilateral negotiations, which is not feasible due to its complexity and potential compensation demands. 3. The Commission closely monitors the market situation, for citrus and other products, and publishes monthly data on production, prices and trade 3 . While data show that orange imports from Egypt have increased over the years, applying the safeguard clause in the bilateral EUEgypt Association Agreement would require an investigation to determine whether imports have caused or are threatening to cause serious injury to a domestic industry. Should the Commission receive a duly substantiated request to this effect, it would assess the request on its merits and, if appropriate, initiate an investigation. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2017/891/oj/eng 2 http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2010/240/oj 3 https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/data-and-analysis/markets/overviews/market-observatories/fruit-andvegetables/citrus-fruit-statistics_en”
  Import of agri-food products in the EU
• 2025-01-31 “E-000438/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2389 1 on frequency rates, prescribes 100% identity and physical checks at import for host plants of Scirtothrips aurantii, except for those referred to in Annex I of that Regulation. The number of non-compliances at import is a criterion for deciding the frequency rates. Within the last 20 years there have been in total 12 non-compliances on eggplants, gourds, litchees, strawberries and cut flowers of gypsophila and lisianthus. Mandatory cold treatment has been added to the EU import requirements as a measure to guarantee freedom from Thaumatotibia leucotreta in oranges. The EU follows a risk-based approach when setting EU requirements. The existing scientific and technical evidence does not support an extension of that measure to other host plants and for other Union quarantine pests such as Scirtothrips aurantii. The list of priority pests has been established by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/17022 2 . A scientific evaluation of all Union quarantine pests is ongoing. Certification of imported consignments is required in line with the international phytosanitary standards. Detailed EU phytosanitary import requirements are in place, with compliance verified through Commission audits in third countries. The EU-Southern African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement includes a chapter on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures 3 , reaffirming the principles contained in the World Trade Organisation SPS Agreement, plus some reinforced transparency obligations. As a result, phytosanitary certificates serve to guarantee amongst others that the fruits were inspected and found free from quarantine pests. 1 Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2389 of 7 December 2022 establishing rules for the uniform application of frequency rates for identity checks and physical checks on consignments of plants, plant products and other objects entering the Union. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/2389/2024-05-01 2 Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1702 of 1 August 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing the list of priority pests. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/1702/oj 3 Articles 59-67: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2016:250:FULL”
  Pesticides & trade · Import of agri-food products in the EU
• 2025-01-14 “E-000126/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The fall of the Assad regime marks a new era of hope for the Syrian people after more than a decade of suffering. Since then, the EU has advocated a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transitional process to ensure an orderly and peaceful transition, inclusive of all different components of Syrian society and guided by the respect for international law, human rights, fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech and belief, pluralism, and tolerance. The statements and commitments of the temporary authorities have so far been encouraging and we will judge them on their actions. While the EU itself is not a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), it coordinates positions with EU Member States that are members of the UNSC to present the above EU positions. The EU urges all actors to avoid any further violence, to ensure the protection of civilians and to uphold international law. External actors should also respect Syria’s unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty. The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to be very dire, including in the northeast. Despite the highly challenging security environment, EU humanitarian partners, together with local organisations, are providing emergency assistance on a needs basis to all affected communities throughout the country. EU sanctions were adopted against the Assad regime, responsible for the violent repression of the civilian population. In view of supporting an inclusive transition as well as a swift economic recovery, reconstruction and stabilisation, the Council agreed in January 2025 on the suspension of some economic sanctions, to be rolled out in a staged approach and in a reversible manner, with the EU assessing if the conditions in Syria allow for further suspensions.”
  EU relations with Kurdish people · EU-Syria relations
• 2025-01-13 “E-000106/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The President of the Commission has repeatedly expressed, since the first day of the disaster, her full solidarity with the citizens of the Valencia Region, and reaffirmed the Commission’s permanent availability to support the Spanish authorities at all levels to provide relief and assistance for reconstruction, in the form deemed most appropriate. Upon request from Spain, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism 1 was activated on 8 November 2024. Several Member States offered support, and two liaison officers from the Commission’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre were deployed to help coordinate the assistance on the ground. The joint work is focused on ensuring EU support is most effective and beneficial for the affected communities and conveyed as soon as possible. This includes support from the RESTORE 2 initiative and from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) 3 . In a recent meeting, the Mayor of Valencia invited the Commission’s Executive VicePresident for Cohesion and Reforms to visit Valencia. Therefore, the Executive VicePresident, member of the Commission responsible for cohesion policy and the EUSF, during his first mission to Spain planned for March 2025, will also visit the Valencian districts affected by the catastrophe. The Executive Vice-President would like to engage with the affected communities, demonstrate European solidarity and make sure EU support meets their needs and helps to prepare a more resilient future. 1 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en 2 Regulation (EU) 2024/3236 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1057 and (EU) 2021/1058 as regards Regional Emergency Support to Reconstruction (RESTORE). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/3236/oj/eng 3 Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3) as amended by Regulation (EU) No 661/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 May 2014 (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 143) and by Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and the Council of 30 March 2020 (OJ L 99, 31.3.2020, p. 9). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:32002R2012”
  EU Development & Humanitarian Aid · Cohesion and rural funding
• 2024-12-18 “E-003037/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Commission is not aware of the details regarding the licensing procedure of this project and cannot assess if the alleged granting of the license refers to a work license or to the urban licensing procedure to continue in the city council. Pursuant to Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive 1 , any plan or project likely to have a significant effect on a site must be subject to an appropriate assessment. The project shall only be authorised after having ascertained that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site concerned, and, if appropriate, after having obtained the opinion of the general public. Depending on their capacity, storage facilities for petroleum, petrochemical and chemical products fall under the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2 . Projects listed in Annex I are automatically subject to EIA, while for those in Annex II Member States shall determine if an assessment is needed. Failure to conduct an EIA, where required, is considered a breach of EU law. 2. The Commission has a structured dialogue with the Spanish national authorities in charge of nature conservation policies and reminds them regularly of their obligations under EU nature legislation. 3. Spanish authorities have the primary responsibility for the correct implementation of the above provisions of EU law. According to the Commission’s strategic approach on enforcement action 3 on cases of systemic non-compliance, the means of redress available under national legislation are the most appropriate mechanism to address individual cases of possible non-compliance, such as this. Therefore, the eventual suspension of the licence is a matter for the Spanish authorities and the national courts. 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. 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. 3 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)
• 2024-12-05 “E-002797/2024 Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission The Commission proposal for the 2025 fishing opportunities under the legislative framework of the Western Mediterranean management plan 1 (MAP) is based on the best available scientific advice provided by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries 2 (STECF). The advice showed that several of the stocks concerned by the MAP are outside of safe biological limits and important catch reductions are needed for the stocks to recover. The MAP’s aim is to secure a sustainable and profitable future for the sector relying on healthy fish stocks. While the fishing opportunities adopted by the Council have gradually reduced the trawling effort since 2020, numerous flexibilities alleviated the total reduction, such as the recovered fishing days granted by the compensation mechanism. European financial assistance is available to those fishers who opt in. For 2025, the Council adopted the fishing effort reductions proposed by Commission, together with an expanded compensation mechanism based on conservation measures. The Commission will continue working with the Member States and the fishing sector for the implementation of the MAP. The socio-economic specificities of the Western Mediterranean fisheries were considered during the negotiations of the MAP, and the co-legislators agreed to postpone the binding rule for Maximum Sustainable Yield to 2025 3 . The Commission has worked based on STECF socio-economic analyses that conclude how ambitious management measures will rapidly pay off with more healthy stocks and increased sector profitability. The Commission worked with all stakeholders to implement gradually the MAP and has continuously recommended a broad range of measures 4 to help with its implementation. 1 Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea and amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014. OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1–17. 2 STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-10 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/tors_ewg_24-10) and STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-12 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/ewg_2412_tor_westmed_fisheries-management). 3 A 5-year derogation compared to other sea basins, for which the legal requirement to achieve sustainable fisheries had to be achieved by 2020 at the latest. 4 Measures supported by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).”
  Funding for fisheries and aquaculture · Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2024-11-19 “E-002587/2024 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is not aware of the referred prospection projects for the extraction of rare earths. The EU legal framework applicable to the extraction and processing of raw materials 1 aims to ensure that the activities within its scope, including mining, comply with high environmental standards. The Critical Raw Materials Act 2 (CRMA) provides a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials streamlining permitting procedures in mining and in the critical raw materials supply chain while keeping environmental checks. In the case of Strategic Projects for which the obligation to carry out assessments of the effects on the environment arises simultaneously from the Environmental Impact Assessment 3 , Habitats 4 , Birds 5 , Water 6 and Waste Framework 7 , Industrial Emissions 8 , or the Seveso III 9 Directives, Member States shall apply a coordinated procedure fulfilling all the requirements of these acts 10 . The Regulation applies without prejudice to the obligations under the Aarhus and Espoo Conventions 11 and the requirements on public participation included in the abovementioned legislation. 1 Directive 2006/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the management of waste from extractive industries and amending Directive 2004/35/EC, OJ L 102, 11.4.2006, p. 15–34. 2 Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) No 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020, OJ L, 2024/1252, 3.5.2024. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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. 7 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. 8 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. Transposition date of this Directive is 1 July 2026. 9 Directive 2012/18/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 on the control of majoraccident hazards involving dangerous substances, amending and subsequently repealing Council Directive 96/82/EC, OJ L 197, 24.7.2012, p. 1–37. 10 According to Article 12 of the CRMA. 11 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, signed at Aarhus on 25 June 1998, and UNECE Convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context, signed at Espoo on 25 February 1991 and its Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment, signed in Kyiv on 21 May 2003.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-10-30 “E-002356/2024 Answer given by Mr Micallef on behalf of the European Commission The EU supports, complements, or supplements the actions of the Member States in youth policy (Article 6 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) 1 ). This excludes the harmonisation of national laws and regulations (Articles 165 and 166 TFEU). The decision to disband the Madrid youth council is a national competence. The Commission promotes youth participation through, inter alia, the EU Youth Strategy 2 and its instruments. Support for youth participation and for civil society is available through Erasmus+ 3 and the European Solidarity Corps 4 . The Commission fully supports the principles laid out in the Council Resolution on encouraging political participation of young people in democratic life in Europe 5 , including the need to establish, implement or further develop national, regional and/or local strategies, programmes, structures or other relevant mechanisms for enhancing the political participation of all young people. The youth check only applies to policy initiatives of the Commission 6 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A12016ME%2FTXT 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C:2018:456:FULL 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32021R0817 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32021R0888 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A42015Y1215%2802%29 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A52024DC0001”
  Rule of law in Spain
• 2024-09-13 “E-001713/2024 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell i Fontelles on behalf of the European Commission The EU has taken good note of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in respect of the ‘Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem’ 1 . The EU has a long-standing position of non-recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 and considers Israel’s settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as illegal. EU positions are fully aligned with recent United Nations Security Council resolutions in particular 2334 and 2735 2 regarding the status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and EU policies are therefore overall consistent with the conclusions of the advisory opinion of the ICJ. Already since 2013, EU support in the form of grants, prizes or financial instruments must comply with the ‘Guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967’ 3 . The EU differentiation policy implies that goods originating from Israeli settlements in territories occupied since June 1967 do not fall within the scope of the EU-Israel Association Agreement 4 and therefore cannot benefit from trade preferences under the agreement. Member States will discuss the implications of the advisory opinion on EU positions and policies further in the relevant Council preparatory bodies. The EU has already listed nine individuals and five entities 5 under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, for serious and systematic human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Any decision to list additional individuals and entities is for the Council to adopt by unanimity. 1 https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204176 2 https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n16/463/89/pdf/n1646389.pdf and https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/document/s-res-2735.php 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52013XC0719(03) 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:411c0668-144d-44a1-a5e3dd2342f7a5b5.0017.02/DOC_1&format=PDF 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401175 and https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401967”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• 2024-09-13 “E-001712/2024 Answer given by Ms Dalli on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is very concerned about the numerous reports of drug-facilitated sexual violence, both where the perpetrator administers substances with the intention to commit sexual violence, as where the perpetrator abuses the state of the victim following substance abuse. In its proposal for a Directive on violence against women and domestic violence, the Commission had proposed a definition of rape based on consent 1 . This definition also underlined that there is no consent in any case when the woman is unable to form a free will due to her physical or mental condition, thereby exploiting her incapacity to form a free will, such as in a state of unconsciousness or intoxication. The co-legislators were not able to agree on this definition, which is therefore not included in the Directive which was adopted in May 2024 2 . The Commission will carry out an evaluation of the impact of the Directive based on information provided by the Member States by June 2032 and submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council. That report shall be accompanied by a legislative proposal, if necessary. The Commission will also continue to work closely with the Member States and its partners to continue the fight against all forms of violence against women and domestic violence, drugfacilitated or otherwise. It will continue to share best practices in the area of violence against women through its Mutual Learning Programme 3 as well as the new European Network on the prevention of gender-based violence. 1 Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating violence against women and domestic violence (COM/2022/0105). 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401385&qid=1716884102079 3 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality/whowe-work-gender-equality/mutual-learning-programme-gender-equality_en”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• 2024-09-06 “E-001650/2024 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission 1. Respect for fundamental rights is a core EU value, established in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. However, Article 51(1) of the Charter limits its application to instances when Member States are implementing EU law. Otherwise, Member States and their judicial authorities must uphold fundamental rights under national laws and international human rights obligations, such as the United Nation (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue. 2. Search and Rescue (SAR) is a national responsibility governed primarily by international law. The Commission consistently points out that Member States must ensure their national laws fully respect the duty to render assistance at sea, as required by international maritime law, notably the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Convention on Maritime SAR, including situations where private vessels conduct SAR operations. 3. Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2017/352 1 sets the framework for port infrastructure charges in ports within the trans-European transport network, listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, now replaced by Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 2 . While Article 13(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/352 requires Member States to ensure such charges are applied, Valencian ports like Borriana, Benicarló, Vinaròs and Dénia are not listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 and are thus not covered by Regulation (EU) 2017/352. At the same time, general Treaty principles, including market access, still apply. Decisions on charges rest with the port authorities, but retroactive charges may raise legal certainty concerns, best reviewed by the national courts. 1 Regulation (EU) 2017/352 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2017 establishing a framework for the provision of port services and common rules on the financial transparency of ports, OJ L 57, 3.3.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/352/oj 2 Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1153 and (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013, OJ L 2024/1679, 28.6.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1679/oj”
  Asylum & border control · Rule of law in Spain
• 2024-09-06 “E-001648/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The overall vision behind the revised the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) Regulation 1 which was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in July 2024 is to create a fully interoperable rail freight network and a high-performance rail passengers’ network. The full section between Zaragoza-Teruel-Sagunto belongs to the Mediterranean corridor and is part of the core network in Spain. Therefore, Spain shall develop a high-quality infrastructure according to the TEN-T requirements including electrification, 22.5 tonnes axle load, infrastructure able to accommodate 740 meters long trains, minimum loading gauge, the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) deployment as well as minimum speed of 160 km/h for passenger trains on the passenger lines and 100 km/h for freight trains. The deadline set by the TEN-T Regulation for the completion of the railway section according to the TEN-T standards is 2030. The double speed characteristic of the line results from the fact that the section between Zaragoza and Teruel will operate at speed at least 200 km/h, whereas the section between Teruel and Sagunto is planned to be operated at minimum 160 km/h due to frequency, scarce population and difficult topography. The Commission is not aware about possible plans of the Spanish railway authorities to abandon double-track characteristics of this line. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1679”
  EU transport infrastructure integration · EU funding for transportation · EU support of rail transport
• 2024-07-25 “E-001428/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission 1. The proper enforcement of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 1 on air passenger rights within the Union has been a recurring issue over many years which the Commission considers urgent to tackle. To address this shortcoming, the Commission put forward a proposal in 2013 2 and complemented it in November 2023 with an additional proposal 3 with the specific objective of strengthening the enforcement of the legislation. However, both proposals are still pending an agreement between the co-legislators. 2. The responsibility for enforcement of air passenger rights lies in the first instance with the national enforcement bodies (NEBs), which oversee air carriers’ compliance with the Regulation, and are required to take the measures necessary to ensure that passenger rights are respected. Member States are also required to lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions for breaches of the Regulation. 3. The Commission takes multiple actions to encourage the proper application of air passenger rights. It regularly monitors whether the NEBs correctly enforce passenger rights; and if appropriate, it may open infringement proceedings against Member States 4 . It also promotes coordination between the Member States, 5,6 adopts interpretative guidelines designed to ensure a uniform interpretation and efficient enforcement 7 , promotes passengers’ awareness by means of a dedicated smartphone app 8 , and provides clear information to passengers on Your Europe website 9 and by online campaigns. 1 Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights, and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 295/91; OJ L 46, 17.2.2004, p. 1–8 https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261 2 COM(2013)130 final of 13 March 2013 - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 https://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2013:0130:FIN:EN:PDF 3 COM(2023)753 final of 29 November 2023 - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EC) No 261/2004, (EC) No 1107/2006, (EU) No 1177/2010, (EU) No 181/2011 and (EU) 2021/782 as regards enforcement of passenger rights in the Union https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023PC0753&qid=1726741083513 4 See press release on the Commission’s infringement package of July 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_20_1212. 5 See terms of reference of the sub-group ‘National Enforcement Bodies for Air Passenger Rights' https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/expert-groups-register/screen/expertgroups/consult?lang=en&groupID=100833 6 See https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumerprotection/coordinated-actions/air-travel_en 7 See revised Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Commission publishes new guidelines for more clarity on air passenger rights https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/commission-publishesnew-guidelines-more-clarity-air-passenger-rights-2024-07-22_en 8 See https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/passenger-rights-campaign/downloadapp_en 9 See https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/index_en.htm”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you. Chair. One year on from the ruling handed down by the court, the commission is bringing us an agreement that was only negotiated with Morocco. It was already in force. And you've not brought it here for debate or vote? I want people out there to understand this. And aside from that, if that weren't just enough, this is with the consent of the Moroccan government. The agreement talks about trade between the EU and Morocco. And it's been said that it was partially illegal because the Sahrawi people were not able to benefit from it, benefit from resources coming from their own land. So a ruling and one year on, you're bringing us an agreement that goes totally against what was handed down in the court's judgment. You're using this term implicit consent and no one can understand this. The judgment says, roughly, that there should be a control mechanism to identify a specific, tangible, substantial and verifiable benefit for the Sahrawi people of the exploitation of their resources. Where is the mechanism? Where is it in the text and how it will? How will it be checked? Where are the checks and balances to make sure that these this funding doesn't only go to Moroccan colonies, and that it will actually benefit the Sahrawi people.”
  Trade relations with Morocco
• “Thank you. Let me be frank. The mid-term review and European funds earmarked for housing will be used to ensure affordable housing. That is my question. Can you guarantee that access to affordable housing. We need to attach conditions to these funds, otherwise we will feed speculation and financial trickery all the more. We have heard clamors from different groups. Some will vote against this report unless we have clear conditions. We want to ensure that we have clear solutions rather than further exacerbating problems and without strict conditions that will be the case. European funds are public funds. The housing should be protected, but within 2 to 3 years they could end up being part of speculation. We need to ensure that the funds are accessible to those on low and medium income, rather than those on high income. Otherwise it will fuel speculation. So how will these funds be used? Ensure that there are conditions attached. Ensure conditions are permanent. Ensure that we have affordable housing that is linked to families income levels. That is what we are calling for here. Be braver. Be bolder. Tackle the root cause of the crisis. Offer a European hope, a positive perspective. Don't merely say we've paid lip service to it. We have earmarked funds. That's it. We need strict conditions attached. Ensure that you harness the majority of citizens representing here and ensure that you tackle their needs. Thank you.”
  EU policy on urban development
• “These are really important. We need the environment and labour to be in the negotiations. We need them to be in the agreement and to be binding. Now, the other question I have is we continue to be concerned with some products and some agricultural sectors. Rice. There are many others. Not enough time to talk too much about that. But also there are industrial concerns. Over the past years, the increase of imports from ceramic of ceramics from India have gone up by 146%. And at the same time. There's conditionality in terms of safeguards on steel and excess capacity. So there seems to be this, uh, desire to liberalize trade, even though when we have this excess of capacity in terms of these materials. So now what's going to happen in terms of India's relationship with Russia if we have this agreement and we're going to trade with India, what will happen to the, uh, relationship with Russia in terms of our sanctions on Russia?”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Thank you very much. Chairman, I'd like you to clarify a couple of inconsistencies here. There are those which are in favor of Mercosur. What we have heard from them is that it is going to be good for agriculture. But there seems to be a joint campaign of misinformation. At the same time, what we have heard is that we need compensation or safeguard warranties running to billions of euros if we need these warranties. It can't be a good agreement for the agricultural sector. We need to be clear with our farmers and clarify what these compensation mechanisms would actually what purpose they would serve. Farmers want to make a living from their work. They don't want to be compensated. So that inconsistency It needs to be clarified. And then we're talking about access to public procurement in Mercosur countries for European countries. What happens in the the other way round. That means that countries from Mercosur and their companies will have access to our public procurement contracts as well. And this will mean that billions of structural funds, billions of euros, uh, will not help to improve competitiveness for EU companies, but will undermine competition here, because the Services directive says that it has to be based on the cost. And that will mean that Mercosur companies will end up winning these, these these contracts and will earn money based on European Union funds.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “President, Commissioner. European agriculture is facing a number of problems. First of all, often it's farmers who pay because when their production costs come down. Thirdly, secondly is unfair competition from other countries that don't meet our standards. And thirdly, unfair distribution of European funds. Today you are making a step forward in the right direction, which is protecting small scale farmers, making their lives easier and ensuring that they won't have to sell at a loss. This is good, but it won't mean anything if you can't make progress in the other two big problem areas. And in fact, you're actually causing these problems. First of all, unfair competition. Mercosur has to stop. We can't move forward. If you have the Mercosur agreement, which is going to lead to more unfair competition. And then secondly, you can't say that you're defending farmers if you are if we're seeing a 22% cut in agricultural policies like we're seeing suggested in the MFF. So we have to continue to support farmers and move in the direction that you've suggested. Thank you.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur · Agricultural funding
• “And each type of road sign is different. And so they're not homogeneous throughout the different member states. You cannot have a uniform system in one area and then move on to another. So what we need to do is focus on what can we do in a clear and direct way to standardize and homogenize the entire system. How can we actually make progress with a clear European vision so that we can have a real solution, where we can make progress hand in hand and not have a fragmented system and continue to developing this fragmentation. So what can we do? Because each line needs to be homogeneous with equipment that is tailored to that particular line. So how do we handle this? And secondly, how do we ensure that member states who are on the red and yellow lines, as you said, how do we get them to comply with the 2050 objectives, which we all established for 2030? So what can be done? What should we do? And then finally financing. We are using European funds to finance 13 to 15% of the entire fund. And we really need to multiply our rate by five. So how can we make sure that we can attain this objective? Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration · EU funding for transportation
• “Thank you very much, chair. My thanks to the Commission's representative. There is something that has been raised today that I want to focus on. What basis is the Commission using to ensure that sufficient financing is provided? What are you doing to ensure that there is real implementation on the part of states that are not complying with the development of certain networks, such as the Mediterranean Corridor, because we need to move forward strategically on that corridor. Looking at the public procurement, the grants under way in Spain, we are moving forward. But looking at the south of France, much work remains to be done. So what's the Commission's view on that? How do you intend to take action to ensure that this corridor will get up and running once and for all? Because it's strategic, not just for a couple of states, but for the whole of Europe. We felt it was very important to name that clearly here. What's the commission going to be doing? How can we ensure that the Mediterranean corridor is implemented once and for all? Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Google bills more than 60 billion in Europe per year. And according to studies, it doesn't pay even 8% in tax. However, a waiter who works, for example, in Spain and €1,300 per month and pays a 19% in taxes. Google is a breaking European social model, avoiding tax and attacking our democracy. And so what everyone should really see it For it has concentrated a lot of power and they're being allowed to pay less taxes. So we need to put an end to these the dominance of these larger foreign companies and support European platforms. So those open ones in particular do this in a real way, supporting European technologies and properly imposing fines on those who avoid taxes and those who have been promoting Trump propaganda. Europe should be with its citizens and not with Trump and his oligarchs.”
  Tax Havens
• “Thank you, president, ladies and gentlemen. It was ten years ago that the Court of Justice said very carefully, very clearly that having to pay for your suitcase is illegal. It's an integral part of the. Journey. And travellers can't go without it. And what have airlines done for the last ten years? Well, they've ignored this. Um, ignored courts and made money because in 2024, because of the illegal charging for hand luggage, companies have charged €10 billion in Europe alone. At the same time, every week, we receive hundreds of complaints from citizens travellers because their rights are not being respected. And what happens when a minister decides to fine the airlines for these abuses? Well, very quickly, after ten years, the council suddenly reaches an agreement, but not to protect or strengthen passenger rights, but to restrict passenger rights and to rule on something that's already been decided is illegal. On hand luggage. And furthermore, there's an urgency procedure which is going to limit the capacity of this Parliament. Ladies and gentlemen, we can't accept this. We're not going to accept this. And so I call upon us, members of this Parliament to vote against this, this text, when it comes to Parliament and support the rights of passengers. And we have to act. Um, you know how we have to remember why we're here. We're we're here. We've been elected to represent parliaments and citizens, not airlines.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you, Madam Chair and Commissioner, I'm going to be asking very specific questions because I think we've come to that. Firstly. What are you going to be doing with this pact for affordable housing? That's the measures that we think you should be putting forward there. Secondly, this plan for affordable housing, are you going to define what is meant by affordable housing? Because if you don't do it, then we're going to have millions of public funds that are going to support speculation and not actually help those who need access to housing. And it's quite simple. There is a UN definition that says that you shouldn't be able to, or need to spend more than 30% of your salary on housing. Are you going to use this as a definition? Yes or no? Next question. Affordability of housing. We think that that should be forever so that they can't be speculated with. We have millions of houses in Spain that were publicly subsidized and that are now part of the speculation market were they were liberalized. But to serve speculation are you make it so that subsidized housing, housing that is built or renovated with public money is going to remain public? Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “I will speak in Spanish, so gracias. First of all, thank you to all three speakers for your hard work that you are carrying out in your respective corridors and in the development of the teams. And I don't want to sort of mention the elephant in the room, which is the homogenization and homogenization and standardization of the system. More even than Professor Matias explained, which he did explain very well and defined very well in his plan. In fact, you clearly delineated the conditions for the development of the plan, specifically, that rolling stock goes hand in hand with its development. He talked about standardization and financing. I'm going to focus on standardization first. We see that we have 134 different types of ESF tests for 16 countries. Each country within its country in turn has different systems. So every bit of material that we're manufacturing needs to be compatible with the ertms and needs to be developed on the basis of each specific company. That makes it. And this means that there is a risk, as the coordinator said. It calls into question the entire set of the system and its coordination. And not to mention, uh, operators who are driving trains, for example, and who have to. Deal, uh, drive trucks and buses on the roads, but who are not able to read the different road signs that are there.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. President. Commissioner. Commissioner. Now, we're not just looking back at those who have said no from the start, but those who are trying to get out of the agreement. And we need to think about whether the only people that are happy here about this agreement and are defending it are up to the hilt. Are those pro trumpists here? That's something we've just seen. The only people that are happy here are Trump's acolytes in Europe. So we need to think hard, not just because it's humiliating and there's a lack of equality, but because there is no stability as a result. The only people defending this are saying it will give stability. Two weeks down the road we've got these tariffs on aluminium. One month later we'll hear we'll have more tariffs because American companies that don't, uh, go along with the legislation that we've given them have been, uh, penalized. So what stability are we seeing here if just a month down the line, we're saying that it will not be adhered to. Uh, how are we moving ahead with WTO rules? And because this is our moment, it's Europe's moment. If we carry on stuck to our values, anchored in our values, and standing together, we need to stop dealing with people who blackmail us and don't stick to the agreements.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Thank you. I will speak in Spanish. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Thank you. Mr. Ricci. I'd like to thank all the shadow rapporteurs, including ours. This has a huge impact on the daily lives of citizens. Millions of passengers are affected. I see that all the groups have tabled a lot of amendments. And we have a landing zone here for the amendments. And that is why we're working together. And I'm very pleased about this. I'd like to focus on three areas that are important for us Greens. Um, and I think we need to really push through with this. First of all, we need to open the door to automatic compensation. We keep talking about reducing red tape simplification, and only 5% of passengers affected by travel disruption in air travel actually managed to get the end of the road to their compensation procedure because many of them don't know their rights, or even if they do, it's difficult to get the very end. There is a structural problem here, and we have to get to the bottom of this and correct it. We think there should be automatic payments for all cases, and I hope we can compromise now on hand luggage. It cannot be that each and every airline company deals with it differently, and that means that we cannot have proper price comparisons.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “This summer, most workers in Europe had it worse than in the past. There were 90 tropical nights in Valencia, and lots of workers can't afford air conditioning in my city. More people died this summer because of the heat than during some of the worst times of the Covid pandemic. And here, what are people doing? We're seeing people protect the those responsible for this, uh. Heat for the most polluting companies, for, uh, rich people who travel in private airplanes because, uh, climate change attacks the weakest. Uh, if you want to fight climate change, then you are fighting the people in most difficult situations. And European citizens and the far right denies climate change. And in doing that, they only protect those at the top. If we're fighting climate change, that's fighting for the majority in Europe.”
• “Now this would be a way to do away with those bottleneck situations that end up at borders. So the closer you get to the border the less efficient we become. So we're really eager to repeat to receive this Commission proposal to create certain obligations for European investments and infrastructure and structure to do away with these bottlenecks and better coordination at border zone so that they truly do have connectivity, because all we would be doing is having a strict state related high speed trains. Now, as for the management model and supporting industry, it is really important for this high speed plan to meet needs of the industries. And the this we should give aid so that we can generate a whole lot, lot of other jobs. So we have to harmonize the requirements. But technical questions of manufacturing and licenses and certificates while considering labor law and workers rights. We have to work on this, and I'll conclude by saying we are really enthusiastic about this proposal. We think this is necessary to improve Europeans competitiveness, social cohesion and reduce emission. And also, we're ready to work with you on this. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “We're talking about a safeguard mechanism for the free trade agreement with Mercosur, and from some of the parties present have are saying that these are strong, they're sufficient, that we don't need to improve upon them, and therefore we're not going to be putting forward any amendments to change them. But the proposal is very, very simple. The farmers have already given you the answer. They're very they demonstrated outside the commission in November saying this is not sufficient and they've got to be improved upon. And that's why we're here for we are members of Parliament, and we're here to improve the agreements that are not sufficient, which do not protect our farmers and the productive sectors. And that's why we need to to work. The quantities are not the thresholds are not not sufficient. We we've seen a with the GSP. We've seen also that there's going to enable us to see something like 45% more rice coming in. We don't actually understand the effect this is going to have. Is someone actually studying this. What's going to be the effect of the safeguard agreements regulations here. I think we've got to be able to react quickly if we don't want entire sectors, one of the most important sectors that we have in Europe to disappear. The measures that are stopping the. Dangerous products entering, entering our markets. That's not in the safeguards either. It's not sufficient. We need to improve this through amendments. That's what we're being paid for. That's why we're here. And that's why we tabled pertinent amendments. And that's why we would demand that the report should not be accepted as it is, but that we actually work with the groups and that we reach an agreement so that this these safeguard mechanisms can be worthy of their name and not simply advertising to enable us to agree, agree to a mechanism which is bad for farmers.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you, madam president. We can understand Europe in various different ways, but here we've seen how Europe rescued more than a 100 people from 42 countries and deporting the Canaris. On 1 side, we have people screaming. On the other, we see systems working. There's no miracle in this. This works when the WHO, the European Prevention Center, and member states work together rather than simply talking. That's what multi listrooms all about. And this is the way we can save lives. This worked because we had a government which intervened. The minister, Monty Garcia, was constantly out in the field, not on not in TV studios, screaming. She was working on finding solutions. Thank you to the public health sector, which as we've just heard, is effective. So some people are defending fantasies while our health systems continue to work. So the European Union has to focus on things which work, improve coordination, improve funding for joint response, support public health systems in all member states. The next emergency is just over the horizon, and we won't stop it either with, fantasies or with a partisan approach. Thank you.”
  Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• “It is stricter, provides more guarantees. And so that's the text from 2018 is stricter than this current text. So we'd like to know why the commission has not included this clause. Because if it's not included, there may be certain doubts as to what is possible in cases of fraud, etc. because there may this may open the door to transfer of data to third countries where the level of protection is not sufficient. This doesn't only is not only a worry to us in our political group, but also to the European Data Protection supervisor, because obviously one has to provide a guarantee of data protection for any kind of data flow. And then, of course, there's a general ban to the source code, which is an article 11, and it states, or this puts at risk the ability of the capacity of certain, uh, legislation, for example, the Digital Services Act, but other legislative acts in this area as well. So I think we have to make a movement here, but we will do this on the basis of amendments. We will table to the text. Thank you.”
  International data transfers
• “(16:09:52 – 16:11:01): you. My colleagues, have said this very well, particularly, Youthepaulos. We need to have ambitious, decarbonization goals. We have to be strategic, and we can't fall into the trap of, looking at energy sources that are only going to make us even more dependent on the outside world. So we need to focus on electrification and make progress in decarbonization. So having said this, you spoke a lot about, strategic autonomy of our porces and a real policy of autonomy for our ports, but nobody here who has spoken has asked any questions about the workers and their representatives. So I'd like to know your opinion about the fact that there's no relevant or sufficient consultation about the principles adopted by port workers. Port workers don't, see the commission's attitude towards them as being respectful. If you're going to speak to them, you have to be, it has to be efficient, effective dialogue. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you very much, chair. So now we're talking about data. And according to Eurostat in the 23 from 23 to 24. Licences for short term rentals have increased by 19%, and that's just in one year. Another data that I wanted to share when it comes to accessible housing stock, this could be much higher. So 54,000 properties which are being advertised on platforms are done illegally. And so I think these facts and figures are quite relevant. And we do have figures about the impact of short term rentals compared to long term rental. So we have 25% in my area. So it's 25% of the flats which are rented out are for tourists. And so this then exerts huge pressure on the people that are looking for residential properties. And so we also have data which have been verified in my area. And long term rentals are actually down by 40%. However, short term rentals have increased for tourists. And we can see in Nielsen, for example, in one of the neighborhoods, 50% of the properties on the market are just for short term rentals. And of course, as everyone has been sharing and some of the experts have been sharing with us today that, of course it's important to declare that there are stressed housing markets, stressed zones where we can't offer tourist accommodation because we need to ensure that there is access to affordable housing, and we need to make sure that there is a supply for residential accommodation.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals
• “Thanks, sir. Thank you. Likewise to both representatives of the Commission. Thank you, Mr. Keenan, for really being so pithy and honest, because we were taken aback after a meeting when we were told we were far from reaching the starting conditions for striking an agreement due to conditionality. We read in the press that we are able to round off on this agreement, but we won't be able to sign this if we aren't. If we don't show clout on certain stances which are either given up on, as you've just said. Either that happens or there will be no agreement as far as we're concerned. These are important conditions, such as environmental conditions, which are absolutely pivotal to our mind. We will be shooting ourselves in the foot as Europeans. If we were to backtrack on these environmental conditions in the initial negotiations, given the current geostrategic situation. We believe and we firmly believe this. The Commission should perceive this negotiation from a different tack. We are seeing shifts, given that the geostrategic situation, by dint of which we need other kinds of trade agreements to send a clear message saying, look, we are key players and we will not backpedal on our core values to surmount this geostrategic situation in order to go about this, we need to be swifter, more apt to monitoring and punchier. Striking agreements on certain areas for certain products and materials without forsaking what sets us apart and gives us more geostrategic punch, both domestically and around the world.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• “Gracias, senor president. Senora. Thank you. Commissioner. You've got your work cut out. If you want to ensure that this new European media freedom map be implemented. I say this in my own area of Valencia. Article 6.1, which says that there are guarantees regarding editorial independence of the media, in particular news outlets. Apparently you haven't read that properly. During the crisis we had in our country, the head of news in Valencia was fired because he was saying the wrong thing. This is a political act. 6.3. This talks about the creation of internal bodies so as to guarantee pluralism and independence of the media and of journalists. Not only are we far from compliance, But in the existing law we already had such a clause. The fact was, there was already legislation regarding a body to ensure that journalists were independent. It was also designed to bring an end to the previous political censorship of public broadcasters. Moreover, it also represents a frontal attack on the rights and conditions of workers the president interrupts.”
  Rule of law in Spain
• “Ladies and gentlemen, what you're putting forward in the report isn't going to solve the housing problem. It's going to make it worse because that's what has been happening over the last few years. Those living in Valencia don't need anything explained. If you have deregulation And, uh, unbridled construction. Then we're building houses that cost 1 million. 2 million. Destroying the coast. While those who live in villages like me couldn't have access to any housings. And then illegal tourist rentals. And that means that, uh, local citizens can no longer live in their neighborhood. Uh, and the fact that you can tap into public funds without any strings attached just fuels the fire and makes the problem worse. We have to tackle the root causes of the problem and be bold. Let's put an end to the financial speculation surrounding property. We need to act against in areas becoming increasingly touristy. Thank you very much.”
  EU strategy for tourism development
• “Yes, thank you, Madam Chairman. Firstly, I'd like to thank the commission for this proposal. The explanation that we received in this committee. I'd like to say that as Greens, we totally agree with the objectives of this high speed rail plan, and we'd like to put forth three remarks to contribute to this debate and support the following actions. Firstly, according to the Commission what they said was very important and I think we have to have a holistic view. It goes should go further than just what each individual member state is doing. We need to focus not on cutting back time of getting to A to B between the cities, but the cutting back on time from door to door for the citizen in their movements. Because I think we have to also include improvements, regional trains and nearby trains, which bring the person to the connection for of this high rail, high speed rail, so that we can be efficient and we can actually multiply the number of passengers. So this would be a holistic view to facilitate the connectivity not only of small cities, but with airports bus stops and other types of means of transport, which are the backbone of the movement of European citizens.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Ladies and gentlemen, what you're putting forward in the report isn't going to solve the housing problem. It's going to make it worse because that's what has been happening over the last few years. Those living in Valencia don't need anything explained. If you have deregulation And, uh, unbridled construction. Then we're building houses that cost 1 million. 2 million. Destroying the coast. While those who live in villages like me couldn't have access to any housings. And then illegal tourist rentals. And that means that, uh, local citizens can no longer live in their neighborhood. Uh, and the fact that you can tap into public funds without any strings attached just fuels the fire and makes the problem worse. We have to tackle the root causes of the problem and be bold. Let's put an end to the financial speculation surrounding property. We need to act against in areas becoming increasingly touristy. Thank you very much.”
  EU housing policy
• “How can you bring to us an agreement that was already that's already entered into force before any debate, and that doesn't take into account what the court said? The. How can you do all of this and and think that it's the correct way to proceed? Second issue labeling. You talked about this region of origin. Let's be clear. Will it say Western Sahara. Will it say Western Sahara? Yes or no? Will EU consumers know where the product comes from? Yes or no? Imagine this. It's almost like we were saying meat from Santa Isabel. Is it from Ecuador? Argentina? Guinea? Where is it from? The consumers need to know. That's why it needs to say Western Sahara on the label. And finally, this provisional application procedure is absolutely unacceptable. And we hope that the commission doesn't make a habit of this because it's unprecedented. Are we going to continue in this vein, listening to other colleagues? I think we need to make sure that we do not give consent to this thinking.”
  EU policy on country of origin food labelling
• “Six months ago, there was the first threat from Trump, and we were humiliated with the signing of this agreement. And we lost out on tariffs. So we got to Europe down, saying that there would be European investments to build fossil fuels and to buy fossil fuels and arms in the U.S., and this was all done on the premise of the basis of stability, this agreement. What's this agreement brought us? More threats, more blackmail, more instability, price increases, more legal uncertainty, and a feeling of complete impunity that Trump can do exactly what he wants. We have, you know, kneeling down in front of abuser, in front of a bully is not the way to go. We need to stand up. We need to set out a clear limits. Limits. We need to use the anti coercion instrument. We need to invest in re-industrialisation in Europe. We need to stop our dependence on fossil fuels. We need to have a mass investment in the green transition. So for coherence and dignity we cannot agree with this agreement. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Yes, thank you, Madam Chairman. Firstly, I'd like to thank the commission for this proposal. The explanation that we received in this committee. I'd like to say that as Greens, we totally agree with the objectives of this high speed rail plan, and we'd like to put forth three remarks to contribute to this debate and support the following actions. Firstly, according to the Commission what they said was very important and I think we have to have a holistic view. It goes should go further than just what each individual member state is doing. We need to focus not on cutting back time of getting to A to B between the cities, but the cutting back on time from door to door for the citizen in their movements. Because I think we have to also include improvements, regional trains and nearby trains, which bring the person to the connection for of this high rail, high speed rail, so that we can be efficient and we can actually multiply the number of passengers. So this would be a holistic view to facilitate the connectivity not only of small cities, but with airports bus stops and other types of means of transport, which are the backbone of the movement of European citizens.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Yes. As you can imagine, we are fully committed to your projects. You represent, among other things, an opportunity for the development of Eastern Europe and for reducing emissions. In this sense, we would like to know how we can support you and how the guidelines for military mobility could also help accelerate the development of your projects. That would allow the corridors to be completed earlier, in less time, making use of available resources and avoiding delays linked to infrastructure use. The second key issue is the uneven development of the different corridors, depending on the Member State’s capacity or political will to invest. We have seen the difficulties mentioned by the coordinator from the EPP. What can we do? I would particularly like to ask about the Mediterranean Corridor. What can we do to ensure that it actually develops as planned? The coordinator referred mainly to southern France. There is difficulty in shifting from road transport to rail, even though we have significant capacity to do so. Speaking with the sector, it is clearly identified as a bottleneck. Infrastructure in Spain is progressing, even ahead of the deadlines. For example, the Algeciras connection is expected by 2026 and we are on track. However, we are told that the shift from road to rail cannot happen because the connection to southern France is neither planned nor scheduled in time. So my question is: what can be done to put pressure on this? How can we help ensure that timelines are respected and connectivity is achieved? There is both willingness and need to connect, but no possibility, because the bottleneck lies on the French side. Could something similar be done here as what was done between Spain, France, and Portugal for the Lisbon connection, which had an executive agreement approved by the Commission? Could we have a similar approach for the Mediterranean Corridor?”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Commissioner. Don't try to pull the wool over our eyes. Don't say this is good for the agri sector, but then we have to give more compensation to the agri sector. If it's good, why do we need to compensate the agri sector? Second question. In this Mercosur agreement, there are two things that are hard to believe. So you say that you've got the green light from all farmers in Europe and all green. You've got the green light from all farmers in the Mercosur bloc. And what about the trade unions? So who is this going to benefit? Who is this going to benefit? The farmers? The workers? It's not going to benefit Europeans. We will be more dependent on big multinationals. The multinationals are the only ones who are going to emerge victorious. That's why we are firmly against this. We need more focus on employees. We need more investment to make Europe stronger. We need more investment in European farming. We mustn't be more vulnerable and dependent on third parties, especially multinationals.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you very much. First of all, this group, of course, welcomes the agreement with Switzerland because it's of the greatest importance to us that we conclude it. We therefore need to ratify it. It's important from the trade point of view, but it also focuses on health and transport, and various aspects such as food security, all of which are important to people. So it's an exemplary agreement, really a template for potential future agreements, which could be a very good basis for protecting both consumers and producers. So we're very happy to see this modern template agreement, which we hope will be replicated down the line in other agreements. I'd like to thank the rapporteur for all the work that's been done there. A very close economic, political and inter personal relationships established through this, which will really help society. So we can build on multilateralism, which will and scientific cooperation. All this will be beneficial to the global community as a whole. Then secondly, it aligns us better in climate policy. This is something we welcome And thirdly, the social policy dimension is important. Just to expand on this for a moment, we have put forward amendments on freedom of movement, saying that we need to have social protection in this policy area. There needs to be equal pay for equal work. Thank you.”
  EU-Switzerland relations
• “Thank you, Madam President. In 2026, it will be ten years since the Brexit referendum, a referendum whereby the UK, with a very close result, voted in favour of leaving the EU. However, Northern Ireland and Scotland and even the people of London voted overwhelmingly in favour of staying. So we'll also see in 2026 the revision of the current trade and cooperation agreement between the UK and the EU. And this is why the report we are debating today is so important. And in our group we want to send out two clear messages. First, Europe still has the door open for the UK's return if it wishes to. And until that happens, our relations have to become closer and we need to make lives easier for our businesses and our citizens who have labour and social and cultural relations with each other. So this is why we've always argued that in our report we should include the UK's participation in Erasmus+ to have this student exchange vibrant student exchange, student exchange that we need. We also need to facilitate life for workers with mutual recognition of professional qualifications. And thirdly, we need to facilitate trade flows to make things go more smoothly in terms of improving customs controls and aligning our sanitary checks. And we need to encourage the direct involvement of Scotland and Northern Ireland as sister and brother nations. So the door is open for direct and close cooperation.”
  EU-UK relations
• “Thank you. Chair. I'll try and just have very specific questions. And thank you for being here. Now, given the DRC, um, tests in in Sweden, what are the next steps? That's I believe has been successful. And how can we activate it and then scale it up to a European level? Secondly. We have heard concerns expressed about compatibility of technical specifications. Ah, with with the. Uh, are there questions, are there concerns, are there technical difficulties or not with with the compatibility if they exist. Do you think there is a direct solution and can we guarantee the sustainability of the investments? There's major investments that are being going in across Europe right now. If there's a one week point of railways, you know, I think we all love trains. But if there is one weak point of railways, it could be that the noise when it comes from the brakes and also the noise pollution, um, that we have above all in large urban areas. Is there any research going on in this area? Thank you very much.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “So we need to take measures and we need to do this in a way which is standard across the board in Europe. And of course, we don't want to fight against those that are trying to promote access to affordable housing. And I do understand what people are saying when we're talking about this need to strike a balance, but to strike a balance, we need to guarantee that people can get access to one home, not a third or a fourth home. And so this is a challenge ahead of this committee and also for the European Commission. And so I have some questions for the speakers. I think it's very interesting. I heard what Mr. Bercow was saying, and I'd like you to explain a little bit more about this high rent ability for the and the high prices rather of flats which are then leading to the eviction of the local residents, and how then we're focusing on that rather than on other economic areas such as the industrial sector. And I would also like to find out what we can do, because we've got these data. They're clear, they're important, and they affect our citizens. And we need to make sure that we take action. Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “Passengers aren't aware of what the final price is going to be, and aren't sure what the hand luggage rules are. So we need to standardize this, and we need to open the door to a standard approach. It would be much better. And then of course, there's the issue of the implementing authorities. They need to be able to punish. They need to have more resources. And the penalties and fines have to be clear. So more clarity, less bureaucracy and proper enforceable rights. Now we need to know what the council's intentions are. I agree with the colleagues who spoke before. We are co-legislators who are on an equal footing with the Council. I don't think we need to remind them of this, and we need to be able to fulfil our obligations as well, and we won't be able to do this with the council's approach. And that is why we would like to reiterate the right that we have as co lawmakers, MEPs represent European citizens and it needs to be crystal clear. We will not stand for this change in procedure. Thank you.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you. Chairwoman. It needs to be said there's an elephant in the room. We're talking about tourism. And only one rapporteur mentioned the protest against overtourism and said that that was only the tip of the iceberg. And I think that, yes, in this context, that is true. But we need to address these protests, because the reality is that many people are dependent on this tourism and they can't have access to housing or as occurs in my country, they don't have water in their communes because water is being directed to Two bigger cities where there are more tourists. And so we need to be honest with the analysis that we are carrying out on tourism. We need to ensure that tourism is sustainable. And that's why I'm asking and demanding and telling you that we need to work with a lot more honesty. We need to face up to the realities. We need to adapt. We can't continue like businesses as usual. That's not true. The tourism sector cannot continue like business as usual. We need to look at how it actually functions. That's why this tourism task force of this committee and this European Parliamentary Committee needs to focus a lot more on that. And so that's why I'm asking each and every one of you, what are your proposals? How are you going to address this reality? This is the elephant in the room. We talk a lot about tourism, but our citizens are having to face this issue every day. There are some Regions that are really under duress because of overtourism. And so we need to look at those realities. Thank you.”
  EU strategy for tourism development
• “Yes, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. As far as our group is concerned, we realize that there is a considerable geopolitical importance to this trade. This agreement, together with Singapore, where we share deep rooted values as the European Union, we should be seen as a world of reference, especially when it comes to digital agreements based on certain values together with the citizens, where there's a reference to the legislative autonomy of the two parties, we think that's good. And that should apply, we feel, to all trade policy in the European Union, uh, obviously, and other trade agreements. So we don't see this in the Mercosur agreement, but we need to include this in our negotiations and talks with the United States. And there's a first proposal for an agreement is the first digital trade agreement. And because it is the first of its kind, we have 1 or 2 concerns, and we will be tabling these concerns in the form of amendments to the text. But the most essential point relates to data flow. So this is articles five and six. We don't really understand why the Commission has not directly introduced the horizontal clause on data protection, which is a clause that the Commission itself adopted in 2018.”
  EU-US data transfers
• “Now this would be a way to do away with those bottleneck situations that end up at borders. So the closer you get to the border the less efficient we become. So we're really eager to repeat to receive this Commission proposal to create certain obligations for European investments and infrastructure and structure to do away with these bottlenecks and better coordination at border zone so that they truly do have connectivity, because all we would be doing is having a strict state related high speed trains. Now, as for the management model and supporting industry, it is really important for this high speed plan to meet needs of the industries. And the this we should give aid so that we can generate a whole lot, lot of other jobs. So we have to harmonize the requirements. But technical questions of manufacturing and licenses and certificates while considering labor law and workers rights. We have to work on this, and I'll conclude by saying we are really enthusiastic about this proposal. We think this is necessary to improve Europeans competitiveness, social cohesion and reduce emission. And also, we're ready to work with you on this. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “We think that should be the tack taken by the Commission in the run up to this agreement. We need to be able to check up on this agreement, because we're talking about very technically difficult agreements, which are hard to roll out, and it's hard to monitor this roll out. And failure would have a fallout for a great many sectors. We've seen this in the past, and this has led to disaffection in various sectors throughout Europe. We need to respond to this and change our way of going about things. We would not want to be even more contingent on third countries. We think there's a blatant need for us to send a clear message, but to do so, we need to change our approach, our strategy. Of course we need to. The commission needs to fulfil its mandate swiftly. But in order to do this, we cannot backpedal on pivotal issues such as the ones I mentioned. So I'll finish off by spelling out the approach we'd like to see, and how we think we could go about conveying a clear message and at the same time not undermining the stance taken by the EU and Europe.”
  EU competences on foreign affairs
• “Thank you, president. I think we have got to bring an end to unfair competition, which is having such an adverse impact on our industry. Thus, the measures tackling global overcapacity in the steel industry are essential. Steel is a strategic Sector. And what we are seeing is protectionism, which is meaning that European prices are suffering. It's important to realize that Europe is paying and the world is changing. We have to protect our European industries and ensure that we move thereby towards the green transition. We are seeing green steel, and this means that we can actually enter the European market more easily. We have to look at the European emission trading system. This is the road we have to be taking. We have to extend this and make sure that we also open this approach up to other strategic European industries. If we don't do so, we shall not be tackling the problems facing steel.”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market
• “Madam president, I wonder if you have called for a motion against yourself because you've actually been criticizing much of what you've done. You're talking about a strong Europe, and then you humiliate us and you bow to Trump. You've talked about climate change, and then you agree on all policies to do with climate change, with the denialists on the far right. You've talked about housing and you've put money into weapons, not housing. The weirdest thing is that you haven't spoken about out against the genocide. You've not said anything. You've said that it's not in your competence. And suddenly today, you had competence to announce partial actions. After so many millions of people in Europe have come out on the streets. Being the president of Europe is leading it, not following like the flotilla that you won't protect. Leading Europe is being consistent and defending its values. For example, behaving the same in Ukraine as we do in Palestine? Acting to defend universal rights throughout Europe and making sure that Europe is free throughout the world.”
  Von der Leyen
• “Thank you very much. You are the Commissioner for tourism. The first. And you talked about a sustainable tourism plan. Now, you said you were taking the protest very seriously when it came to mass tourism. The pressures that put on housing, on the environment, in certain key destinations. We want to believe what you're saying, but we need you to translate words into actions. What are you going to do specifically to deal with these future challenges of tourism, this mass tourism? What specific measures and actions are Planned to counter these negative effects of mass tourism on the residents in these areas that have been affected by this type of tourism. So how are you going to work specifically to reduce inequality in areas dependent on tourism, where working conditions are worsening? And finally, how are you going to work specifically to achieve decarbonisation in these areas of tourism? Thank you.”
  EU strategy for tourism development
• “Thank you. Chair. The Connecting Europe Facility for energy is a flagship flagship program. The electrification of our economy requires to strengthen our power system and invest massively to modernize our grids, make them smarter and flexible, and build the reinforcements needed. So we welcome the Commission's proposal to increase the budget for energy in the next step. So, Commissioner, how do you see to the synergies between the CEF and the European Competitiveness Competitiveness Competitiveness Fund and with the national and regional partnership plans? This is particularly relevant for financing electricity grids below the transmission level, including at regional level. And we welcome that the category of cross-border renewable energy projects is capped. We also welcome the integration with the renewable energy financing mechanism. So what role do you see for these two instruments in delivering the 2030 and 2040 renewable energy targets, including the aspirational target of 45% in 2030? And how will you make sure that sufficient funding is made available to finance cross-border renewable projects? Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration