Bruno GONÇALVES

Policy topics Bruno GONÇALVES is active on

What Bruno GONÇALVES has said (47)

• 2026-06-17 “(10:27:58 – 10:28:39): Thank you very much. I'll speak in English. It will be easier. I don't need the the headphone. You have mentioned the pope. You have mentioned the socialist, and you have mentioned migrants. It couldn't be any anywhere else. I want to mention probably 2 things. The 1st, Aristides Sozamin. You could remember this name. A Portuguese that helped thousands of Jews getting into a safe harbor, not less than a century ago. And the 2nd mention is to the pope. You have asked us to agree more with the pope. Pope, on his final day of the Spain visit, said the following, all of us are migrants. Do you agree with the pope? Thank you.”
  Asylum & border control
• 2026-06-17 “Commissioner. 8 days per day, this is how often people how much people use the how you screen. So anxiety, this is what people are suffering. But the even more concerning concerning is when online content leads to deaths, and deaths are real lives. A young person in Portugal, got addicted to, online games. He grew he ran up huge, debts. His girlfriend, Dinesh, today speaks out about this to stop this happening once again. This isn't an isolated case. It's the result of a system which makes gambling a game and often promoted and by constant advertising. When young people are taking their own lives as a result of financial ruin, this is not an individual issue. This is a failure of regulation, a failure of protection, a political failure. That's why I'd like to ask you how many more stories like this are required before we act? How many more, people who die, needed before we act?”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2026-06-16 “(11:04:18 – 11:05:06): Thank you, chair. On the February 28, The US began this operation epic fury, and the goals were clear as you have mentioned, to isolate Iran, to prevent a nuclear weapon proliferation, and to free the people. From blaming on NATO to vice president Vance yesterday admitting granting 300,000,000,000 to Iran if they sign to long term agreements, the same they already had under Obama's GCPOA, epic fury became epic failure. 7000 killed, gas prices peaked, and the people of Iran are still under dictatorship. Can you at least please agree that making America great means making the world terrible? No. I suddenly don't don't doesn't agree with that. The thing is yes.”
  EU-Iran relations
• 2026-06-16 “Thank you very much. Miss Likova, you have mentioned that you is lagging behind. And I have to agree with you. But I also have to remind you that you sit with the sovereigns. The ones that were cheering for Trump in the beginning of this mandate. And therefore, you have not even mentioned one of the topics that has been worked under the Cloud and Artificial Intelligence Development Act that has been proposed by the Commission. So instead of sitting on the way of criticizing the EU every time, I would just ask you for a simple one measure to improve the capacity and competitiveness. And do not come with a paperwork because you can do much better than that. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• 2026-06-16 “Thank you very much, missus Laikova. You have mentioned that you is lagging behind, and I have to agree with you. But I also have to remind you that you sit with the sovereigns, the ones that were cheering for Trump in the beginning of these mandates. And, therefore, you have not even mentioned 1 of the topics that has been worked under the cloud and artificial intelligence development act that has been proposed by the commission. So instead of sitting on the way of criticizing the EU every time, I would just ask you for a simple 1 measure to improve the capacity and competitiveness. And don't come with a paperwork because you can do much better than that. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• 2026-03-16 “Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission 18.5.2026 Written question Economic operators are obliged to offer only safe textile products to consumers, taking into account the factors relevant for assessing safety and laid down in Article 6 of the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) [1] . The GPSR also sets obligations for economic operators in case of distance sales as well for providers of online marketplaces that apply to textiles products. It should also be noted that there are provisions in other pieces of EU legislation that apply to textile products covered by the Textile Labelling Regulation (TLR), namely in the Market Surveillance Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and, once ecodesign requirements are introduced for textile products, provisions in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 as well. [1] In accordance with point b) of the last subparagraph of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) 2023/988 General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988 — EUR-Lex ( GPSR), textile products covered by the Textile Labelling Regulation No 1007 /2011 (TLR), being products subject to specific requirements imposed by Union harmonisation legislation, are not subject to certain GPSR obligations, including Section 1 of Chapter III containing Articles 9-18. Importantly, however, the GPSR provisions not mentioned in point b) of the last subparagraph of Article 2(1) of the GPSR apply to textile products covered by the TLR, notably the general safety requirement in Chapter II of the GPSR.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · EU competences on consumer protection and product standards
• 2026-02-24 “Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission 11.5.2026 Written question 1. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) addresses the risk of carbon leakage by placing a carbon price on imports of covered goods equivalent to that paid by EU producers under the EU Emission Trading System. It is an environmental measure, preventing more carbon-intensive imports from undermining the EU’s climate goals. 2. The EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) preserves the EU’s ability to protect its industrial base while supporting diversified and resilient supply chains. It maintains the possibility to implement trade defence instruments. Additionally, it includes a bilateral safeguard mechanism by which the EU may temporarily raise duties up to Most-Favoured-Nation level for two years if a significant increase in preferential imports causes or threatens serious injury to the EU industry. The Commission also ensures that the EU’s trade policy is aligned with the objectives of the Critical Raw Materials Act [1] — the expansion of the EU network of FTAs strengthens the resilience and diversification of EU critical raw materials’ value chains. 3. The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act [2] supports the EU aluminium industry’s decarbonisation by creating lead markets for aluminium. The proposal introduces low-carbon and EU-origin requirements in public procurement and support schemes for strategic sectors. For aluminium, at least 25% of the total volume covered must be both low-carbon and EU-origin. The Industrial Accelerator Act defines low-carbon aluminium as those meeting the relevant requirements that will be set out in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation Delegated Act on aluminium, which is planned for adoption in 2027. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02024R1252-20240503. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52026PC0100.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) · Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• 2026-02-04 “P-000439/2026 Answer given by Mr Kubilius on behalf of the European Commission The EU GOVSATCOM 1 provides satellite communication services for crisis management, natural and man-made disasters, humanitarian crises and maritime emergencies. Operations started in January 2026. Member States have now access to a wide catalogue of services from existing governmental systems that have already been used by civil protection agencies in events of crisis. The service catalogue will be further extended with additional existing services coming from commercial systems. GOVSATCOM does not include services for direct connections with personal devices and between citizens. The Commission is exploring the ways for providing direct to device services under the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) system 2 , including considerations on radio spectrum requirements. At the same time, the Galileo Early Warning Satellite Service to be available by end-2026, will transmit alerts directly to smartphones, or to any other navigation devices of citizens located in areas threatened by a looming natural or manmade disaster. GOVSATCOM resources are already available for all Member States since January 2026 irrespective of the Digital Networks Act (DNA) 3 . In this regard, the DNA proposal aims at establishing an EU authorisation regime for satellite networks and services, including for civil protection and disaster relief and foresees as a task of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications to adopt a ‘Union Preparedness Plan for Digital Infrastructures’ that should include crisis management practices and for which the role of GOVSATCOM and IRIS 2 could be assessed. 1 https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space/govsatcom-satellite-communications_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/588/oj/eng. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52026PC0016.”
  Surveillance equipment & spyware
• 2025-10-24 “P-004194/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission The High Representative/Vice President (HR/VP) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) are closely following the case since its inception, in cooperation and consultation with the Belgian and Portuguese authorities who have had access to the person mentioned in the subject of the question and have been providing him regularly with consular assistance. The EEAS, together with Belgium and Portugal, has stressed to the authorities of the Central African Republic the importance of upholding the rights of the person mentioned in the subject of the question to due process and ensuring that the detention conditions comply with international standards. The EEAS and the relevant Member States have ensured the presence of diplomatic staff to observe the trial. As regards possible restrictive measures, the HR/VP recalls that the EU always keeps all options under review in response to serious human-rights violations. Any decision in this regard would require a careful assessment by Member States in the Council, taking into account developments on the ground and the effectiveness of ongoing diplomatic engagement. The HR/VP remains committed to pursuing all available diplomatic channels to ensure that the rights of the person mentioned in the subject of the question are respected.”
  EU competences on human rights · EU relations with Central African Republic
• 2025-04-29 “P-001760/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has closely followed the incident and is continuously in touch with national authorities to support where needed. According to EU law 1 , an investigation by an independent panel composed of Transmission System Operators, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and national regulatory authorities has started. Moreover, the Risk Preparedness Regulation 2 requires Spain and Portugal to submit a report within three months describing the event, its economic impact and possible lessons, among others. The Commission will analyse and take into considerations the findings of the investigation. The Commission will put forward a Grids Package by end 2025 with measures to, among others, achieve a more efficient use of existing infrastructure, ensure cross-border integrated planning and delivery of projects, and better protection of critical energy infrastructure. Furthermore, to ensure energy security, the EU needs a well-integrated, interconnected energy network that provides stability. By supporting the construction of the necessary infrastructure, the EU is helping to better integrate Iberian peninsula to the EU power system as stated in the Affordable Energy Action Plan. The Commission is working 3 with Member States, Transmission System Operators and National Regulatory Authorities to accelerate the implementation of interconnection priority projects in the region 4 . The Commission has not received information on structural damages resulting from the incident. 1 Guideline on electricity transmission system operation, Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/1485, OJ L 220, 25.8.2017, p. 1–120. 2 Regulation (EU) 2019/941 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on risk-preparedness in the electricity sector, OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 1–21. 3 In the framework of the High-Level Group on Interconnections for South-West Europe. 4 As an example, interconnectivity between France and Spain will double with the commissioning in 2028 of the Biscay Bay project, which is under construction and progressing well in both countries.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2025-04-07 “E-001409/2025 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has taken note of the content of the executive order on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) global tax deal signed by the President of the United States (US). OECD-led discussions on Pillar 1 have temporarily stalled. The US has communicated its intention to resume these discussions once a solution on Pillar 2 is found. Good progress has been made on Pillar 2. The Commission hopes to be in a position to continue the discussions on Pillar 1 later in 2025. As expressed in the statement issued during the 17 th plenary meeting of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) held in April 2025 1 , members remain committed to the two-Pillar solution. This remains the Commission’s preferred option. In accordance with the statement during the confirmation hearing of the Commissionerdesignate for Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth 2 , a global solution to achieve a fair taxation of the digital economy is preferable. The Commission is committed to the international obligations undertaken over the last years and will liaise with Member States on the best way forward in case a global solution cannot be agreed. Regarding the question on the US tariffs, the Commission is fully engaged in discussions with the US, as a fair and mutually beneficial negotiated solution remains the preferred outcome. However, if the talks with the US do not yield the necessary results, the Commission will carefully evaluate the potential options as the situation evolves. All options are on the table, and the Commission does not exclude any a priori. Lastly, discussions concerning potential new EU own resources within the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework are ongoing. These deliberations will unfold in due course. 1 https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/topics/policy-issues/beps/statement-oecd-g20-inclusive-frameworkon-beps-april-2025.pdf. 2 https://hearings.elections.europa.eu/documents/hoekstra/hoekstra_verbatimreporthearing-original.pdf.”
  Tax Havens · Own EU resources
• 2025-03-27 “E-001304/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission As outlined in the Affordable Energy Action Plan 1 , there is a clear and urgent need to develop energy system interconnections to strengthen our Energy Union in order to lower energy costs, enhance competitiveness and ensure an independent and secure energy system. Investments in grids and interconnectors will be particularly instrumental. Investing EUR 2 billion per year in cross-border networks provides EUR 5 billion in benefits for citizens yearly. The Connecting Europe Facility is the key EU funding instrument for promoting cross-border energy infrastructure, with a financial envelope for the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027 of some EUR 5.8 billion dedicated to energy projects. The Competitiveness Compass 2 , the Clean Industrial Deal 3 and the Affordable Energy Action Plan recall the importance for the EU to continue providing sufficient funding to support the completion of the Energy Union’s interconnectors and energy infrastructure. Concrete proposals on future financing will be considered in the framework of the next multiannual financial programme. As announced in the Clean Industrial Deal, EU funding will provide significant further investments in the infrastructure and connectivity required to complete the Energy Union. The Commission will also put forward a European Grid Package to, among others, ensure cross-border integrated planning and delivery of projects, especially on interconnectors. At the same time, the Commission recalls that existing infrastructure needs to be used efficiently, notably by fully implementing the target of 70% of available capacity for crossborder exchanges at the interconnectors. 1 Action Plan for Affordable Energy Unlocking the true value of our Energy Union to secure affordable, efficient and clean energy for all Europeans, COM/2025/79 final. 2 A Competitiveness Compass for the EU, COM(2025) 30 final. 3 The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation, COM(2025) 85 final.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2025-02-05 “E-000509/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission 1. On 5 February 2025, the Commission adopted its Communication on a comprehensive EU toolbox for safe and sustainable e-commerce 1 which outlines the Commission’s comprehensive approach to addressing the e-commerce related challenges, including a series of specific measures. As regards customs, the Commission calls on the co-legislators to swiftly adopt the EU customs reform, which proposes structural changes to improve the efficiency of the customs authorities. It also includes Value Added Tax (VAT) measures to secure the collection of VAT via the Import One Stop Shop 2 and making suppliers liable for VAT at import. The Commission will also coordinate intensified e-commerce targeted customs and market surveillance controls in a priority control area. 2. In the Communication the Commission also describes how it aims to bring about a level playing field between non-EU e-commerce traders and EU retailers. This includes removing the EUR 150 duty exemption and aligning the customs rules with VAT rules, as in the customs reform proposal. Regarding textiles, the Commission is considering ecodesign requirements under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation 3 , which would also apply to imported products. To protect consumers in the EU a comprehensive legal framework is in place, including the Digital Services Act 4 which sets clear obligations and responsibilities for online marketplaces and seeks to ensure that traders can only sell products that are compliant with the relevant product safety and other requirements in the EU, including the General Product Safety Regulation 5 . 3. The Clean Industrial Deal 6 (CID) outlines concrete actions to turn decarbonisation into a driver of growth for European industries. As circular economy is one of the drivers defined in the CID, this principle also has its bearing on the textile industry. To this end the Commission is working on the first Ecodesign Working Plan 7 setting out horizontal, ecodesign requirements for certain groups of products that among others covers textiles. For the textiles ecosystem it is essential to develop sustainable products from the outset to create a competitive advantage in green business models. In addition, the Commission stands ready at all times to take the appropriate measures to ensure that EU standards are being complied with and to protect European consumers and businesses in the face of global competition and geopolitical uncertainties. 1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/e-commerce-communication-comprehensive-eu-toolbox-safeand-sustainable-e-commerce 2 https://vat-one-stop-shop.ec.europa.eu/index_en 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1781/oj/eng 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R2065 5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/988/oj/eng 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0085 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022XC0504(01)”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• “Madam president, commissioners, ladies and gentlemen, on the 28th of April, we had the blackout. And it was a day that showcased our fragility. The Portuguese government acted too slowly. It didn't make people feel safe and secure. There was no leadership. Mr. Montenegro failed. He didn't manage to help Portugal get back to normality. You felt you were in the midst of an epidemic or a war. And to the right, the populists continued, saying that we couldn't continue focusing on renewable energy, which is actually extremely important if our countries to be autonomous. A lot of fake news was spread. There was disinformation. We are paying for the lack of investment in upgrading our grid and a lack of interconnections. That's why we are an energy island and extremists are exploiting the blackout. And of course, those who are trying to increase profits are harming the people.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Dear colleagues, things are changing. There is ferocious geopolitical competition, and we want to maintain our position. So we want to be an attractive space for research and innovation. So as the S&D, we are looking with great attention at Omnibus, the simplification package. There are ways that we can simplify without lowering ambition. We want companies to be able to invest in more projects, and we want to do this, and this is the way forward. But simplification must not mean deregulation. What we see here from the Commission is a series of measures that are going to make life easier for SMEs. Then we also see things here that are going to make life easier for the member states. So this InvestEU program is one of the most successful we've seen in recent years. It's one of the most successful of the previous MFF. If we look at the definition of SME, I think that the definition of SME is too basic. It removes a lot of the clauses and rules. So actually, I think it will make things tougher for SMEs. So there will be more and more companies applying. There are other details that we're going to work on. We want to work on this package, ensuring simplification without deregulating. So we're going to look at the details so that we can protect our economy, so that we can help SMEs, and so that we can breathe new life into our industry. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Commissioner. Dear colleagues, big tech companies are not paying their fair share of taxes today. And we know that this is no longer a controversial stance, only a fact. All evidence points to workers and small businesses paying higher rates than meta, Amazon and other digital giants. Unfortunately, when we were close to an international deal with more than 130 countries, President Trump stepped in to protect the interests of his corporate friends with the threat of tariffs and other retaliation. This US administration is now trying to prevent us from reaching a European solution, and it is very curious that the far right that claims to be sovereignist didn't even show up to the debate today. But colleagues, this is not only the time. This is not the time to backtrack. The debate today is not only about tax justice, but also about our sovereignty. We must remain and stand united and remind everyone that the EU remains a democracy. The question is therefore simple are you siding with the President Trump and forfeiting the mandate given by your citizens, by our citizens to legislate on their behalf? Or are you or are you ready to stand for our values and to ensure that Big Tech cannot avoid their fair share taxes, their fair share of responsibilities, we chose the second option. The S&D Group chose tax justice and more importantly, we choose democracy. Thank you very much.”
  EU competences on taxation
• “Mr. Hulot, um, just let me say that first. I was very impressed by your diplomatic approach, but sometimes I imagine that's not necessary to to get the attention. Um, and with this, I want to thank you very much for the work that you have been doing in fighting tax crime. And I really think that that it is directly helpful to increase public trust in our democratic institutions. I have two very simple questions that actually can go for both of you. The first one is that Eurofisc has reported reported great results on fraud reduction, and that the estimations are positive. And I am wondering if your projects to the future are taking into account the Vita proposal. So the VAT and digital age, and what is your appreciation of this regulation? The second one is regarding the directive on administrative cooperation that is reviewed regularly. What are your priorities that you would deliver the most results in diminishing tax evasion in order to prevent this crime for the future? Thank you for your present and thank you very much for your work.”
  VAT harmonisation
• “Mr. president commissioner colleagues the loss of European competitiveness is nothing new. There have been decades of investment of lack of investment and too much imports. But now over the last four years we've lost thousands of jobs in industry. These are not just numbers, but they're people's lives. People have lost their stability and they now face uncertainty. That's why we are now bringing hope back with well-paid jobs for those who've been left behind. But that means we need to focus on safe and affordable energy. We need to increase our production of renewables, and we need to make our member states more independent. That's the first step to creating a true single market. Our freedom and our stability depend on our courage and us accepting our responsibility. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “President. Commissioner. Colleagues in investing in renewables is not an ideological issue. It's the right approach for more strategic autonomy in Europe, for lower prices and lower emissions. In the short term, it will be difficult to compete against the US and the Chinese. We do lack resources in Europe and Russian. Cheap gas is no longer an option, but we need to invest. We know the path that we need to take. Mr. Jorgensen, you have all of my support for your affordable energy plan. But let's look to the Draghi plan. We already need to act. We can already act on electricity prices. That is by ending the link between electricity prices and gas prices. That is what we need to fight for. If we're going to save the planet, then we need to also help citizens and SMEs. Not multinationals, not speculators. Their interests are not the interests of Europeans. Thank you very much.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Uh, I'm reading these remarks on behalf of my colleague Johan Nelson, who could not be here with us today. Um, thank you, chair, for your work as rapporteur and for presenting a clear and focused draft opinion. This is one of the three very recent legislative Proposals touching upon the connecting Europe facility. And we are we are really happy that with this opinion, Tehran has the opportunity to safeguard both the importance of transport infrastructure funding and the centrality of the CEF in supporting strategic investments in transport. We support your approach. Main message and spent resources from the CEF should remain dedicated to transport investments even when directed through Investeu. It is important that these funds are not redirected to other sectors, as transport infrastructure is vital for both our economy and strategic interests. The opinion also rightly highlights the need to keep CEF as the main instrument for military mobility. This ensures that we maintain alignment between civilian and defence needs and avoid fragmentation of funding. Protecting Cef's role and priorities is crucial as we look ahead to future EU budget discussions. We believe that this is a clear position from the Tran committee that sends an important signal ahead of future budget talks. We must not deprioritise transport infrastructure. Thank you.”
  EU funding for transportation
• “Mr. president, colleagues, Commissioner of the industry, the competition. For the future of industry and competitiveness in Europe will not be achieved with unfettered deregulation and low wages. We actually need strategic financing. The Choose Europe for science is giving $150 million to new qualified workers, new research institutes. But we also need to look at hiring the best scientists, many of whom have left Europe. They've gone to the US. They see science as being threatened by those same people who are killing children in Gaza and at the same people who are threatening truth. So we if we want Europe to be at the forefront in a new era of decarbonisation, AI and biotech for health, then we need to be very clear the future will not wait for us. So it is urgent for us to ensure that the old continent can once again be the continent of enlightenment.”
  EU research funding
• “I'll speak in Portuguese. Now, it seems that you don't actually understand either parents or children. If you understood them, you'd understood that the parents are concerned about access to the social networks. It reduces the intellectual capacity and cognitive development of their children. You're trying to draw some kind of artificial divide between right and left. But no, you don't want to protect young people. You want to protect your political agenda. Protecting young people through age limits and digital education, that's going to make them put them in a better position. Because in the past, would we have stopped alcohol or cigarette consumption? As parents, we have a common duty to educate our children better.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Mr. deputy Prime minister. Mr. Minister, thank you for joining us today. And I wanted to start by commending you on the efforts that you have done, even though against the backdrop of the geopolitical instability, for a more robust EU budget, and for that reason, but boosting EU wide investment capacity and enhancing coordination is and should be the best policy for immediate threats, but also to ensure peace in our continent for the future. Europe should would be better served by integrating its defence industrial base. So I wanted to mention two points. The first would be to bet on synergies enabled by the single market, Single market. In order to increase our strategic autonomy while reducing external vulnerabilities, and a second for the stabilization effect of dispersing capacities throughout all member states. Instead of allowing the concentration in largest 2 or 3 countries, as it might happen in the Rearm Europe omnibus that we are currently discussing, there is an opportunity to prioritize investments that boost crossborder value chains and ensure a more balanced and united development of defense and secure capacities. This is not just a matter of preventing market distortions, but it is also about fostering the same interdependencies that underpin our mostly peaceful experience in recent history. Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, I wanted to know what are your views on the integration of our industrial capacity when it comes to defence? Instead of unlocking 27 different industrial bases and locking a single industrial basis for the European Union? And can we count on the Danish Council presidency to uphold this principle. That will be for sure crucial. Crucial for the future of Europe. Thank you.”
  EU competences on defence
• “(10:51:30 – 10:52:43): At the moment, European young people are seeking opportunities in The US, Asia, and other countries that aren't in the EU. And this proves that, the single market may be our strength, but it also shows that young people feel forced to leave. They don't want to. That's because there are too many inequalities in the EU. If we can harmonize a single market, this market can be an up a market of fair opportunities, a market where skilled workers can stay in their countries of origin and not have to go to wealthier countries. European businesses will be able to innovate here in Europe, and we will make sure that, everyone is on an equal footing and that there's a level playing field. We need clear rules to restrict foreign investment in critical sectors. A strong Europe isn't a Europe where there is a youth brain drain. We want a Europe where young people can stay if they want to. Missus Han.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “So my first question would be, in the case of the US withdrawal, what rules could be more difficult to apply? Is it reconcilable to soothe their concerns while preserving the effectiveness of pillar two? And perhaps Mr. Jansky could focus on this. And then, regarding the allocation of taxing rights for the digital economic activity that is pillar one. I have two main concerns. First, to understand if the United States has been committed to this negotiation and whether an agreement is still possible. And what is the state of play on this? Probably Miss Corwin from the OECD could enlighten us on this. And secondly, we have had some news over the past weeks. We know that European Union has been committed to put forward a digital levy, and this is as a resource, but also as a matter of fair taxation, rather, and surely not as a matter of retaliation. So I would probably ask Mr. Riedl if, in your view, it would be more advantageous for companies, including the American ones, to have a common framework for digital taxation or to face the application of multiple and different different taxes. Uh, once again, reducing complexity could also benefit the companies if they are willing to do that. Thank you.”
  EU competences on taxation
• “Well, thank you for accepting my question. Well, we know that during recent months, Portuguese and European citizens have suffered as a result of increases in petrol and natural gas prices. But the problem here as well is profit. Gallup announced a 41% increase in profits. Bp announced a 130% increase in profits. Now we believe that these profits are excessive, and we've asked the Portuguese government to tax these windfall profits. Now your can we count on you and your parliamentary group in that demand, in that demand to the Portuguese government?”
  Taxation of windfall profits
• “Thank you very much. You said that the blackout was something that could have been forecast, and I just wanted to make sure that we looked at that more clearly. Yes. Your party in the National Assembly when we talked about the closing of coal plants. You are using the blackout now as a minister, you actually did not tell the truth to the Portuguese people. You must be clear, we need more interconnections. But. Your approach to the electricity policy hasn't been appropriate now. Now we know what everything. Everything done by the socialists was done poorly. What I wanted to state was that, as you stated clearly in domestic policy, we are not defending a Prime Minister who is hidden away from a different political group. I'm not attacking anyone or promoting anyone. I am defending the national sovereignty of our country in an energy, from an energy standpoint, from a cultural standpoint, from an ideological standpoint. And that is all.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Thank you very much. Chair. Maia markovic and Stefan Esau, thank you very much for being with us here today. And thank you for your work. I'd like to ask two questions on two topics. One is data gathering and another one is sustainable fuel. This report highlights the lack of data for monitoring. For example, pollutants such as nitrous oxide, volatile organic compounds, or particulate matters. Why do you think progress has been so limited in these areas? And what are the most urgent actions that the EU should take to address the situation? The report also highlights the need to have more information about emissions from ships about throughout the life cycle of a ship, including construction, maintenance and shipbreaking. What type of infrastructure for data or legislative changes would be required to address this now on sustainable fuels in the short term? Biofuels are often highlighted as being the solution. Nevertheless, given the concerns about sustainability and possible increase in demand and prices of biofuel in the medium term, how are biofuels really a viable option for the decarbonisation of the maritime sector? There are other alternatives such as green hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic fuels. What do you think are the key obstacles, be it technological, legislative or financial, which are stopping the take up and rollout? What can the EU do here to help us to overcome these barriers? Now, finally, a question on The International Maritime Organization, the IMO. How can we ensure that the efforts and measures taken at an EU level and the IMO level are in line with each other, especially in relation to sustainable fuels? A few weeks ago, I was able to put this question to the Secretary General of the IMO and the response was fantastic. They were saying that the EU needed to align with the IMO and not the other way around. But I think we need to have a strategy which in global terms is in line with the IMO so we can, um, move forward together.”
  Decarbonisation of maritime transport
• “Thank you, chair. And sorry, because we have him hearing at the same time. Thank you very much for being with us and my best wishes for the Cyprus presidency in this semester. My questions will be directed to Mr. Nicodemus Damiano as we share an interest in innovation and digital policy in the presidency programme, you mentioned the cloud and AI Development Act, but do not really provide details about the political steering of this negotiation. And I would like to understand your position on a particular issue related to the ownership of this infrastructure. There are two parallel problems or challenges to the EU. The first is that we do not have sufficient data center, AI factories or cloud capacity. And the second is that we may allow fast track procedures for their establishment, but still fail to secure EU ownership of these new infrastructure. Therefore, would you be in favour of streamlining procedures for projects above a certain threshold of ownership by EU public or private actors? And furthermore, what mechanisms would you prioritize in creating demand for this additional capacity? This will be crucial not only for Europe, but also for your presidency. Thank you very much.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Thank you, chair. And thank you to everyone for being here with us. And let me know. Energy is now one of the most crucial topics when it comes to economic competitiveness. And when we compare the price that we pay Here that is paid here by Europeans, and we compare it with the Americans and Chinese counterparts. We can identify, obviously, one of the components that makes a Europe not so competitive as we wanted at this point. So I wanted it. I wanted to focus that affordability on on the green transition needs to come on a fair way, as we have mentioned before. So I'd like to ask, how can we reshape the cost structure of electricity, including taxes, levies and bureaucracy, to ensure that consumers actually feel the benefits of renewables? I'll give you an example. A lot of the colleagues have been speaking about renewables in Portugal. Renewables are actually competitive when we are speaking about the production price and compare it to comparing it with the most traditional conventional fuels being used, for example, in Germany. But then when we are speaking about the price paid by companies or the price paid by consumers, it is more competitive in Germany. And it's also also because of the subsidies that we have in different economies, and that generates a different public perception. That is also important to fight. Um, then I'd also like to, to ask you on.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you very much. Now, Mr. Goncalves, for one minute, Commissioner. External policy is not something that we can be complacent about. We have to be more than just a figure in the wars. Given that Donald Trump is threatening European wars, European lives, we need to be at the main table, not on the menu. We have to protect ourselves from the US. But this doesn't involve sovereignty. It's our. It's time to take charge of our collective defence with our defence market and to go even further than that, we. It makes sense that we should now focus on what doesn't make sense that we should be partnering with those on the other side of the Atlantic instead of people within the EU. This integration is more important. We need to fight against the Law of Fourth force, and we need to share ambitions and a future despite our differences in the past. There are 450 million people in the EU, 27 member states, and we need to go further than we are at the moment.”
  EU-US relations
• “I'll speak in Portuguese. Are you speaking about young Europeans? I'm young as well. Let me tell you about my particular case. You're trying to connect migration with the affordable housing crisis. Let me give you the example of a city. Lisbon. They did exactly what your what you suggested. They reduced taxes. And and at this particular point in time, the housing is more affordable. It's, it's better to rent a house in Lisbon, in other words. But what we've seen at the same time that an increase in rents threefold as compared to salaries. So actually what you've proposed is no solution whatsoever.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you very much. Now you are in the Patriots group. Your friends in Portugal from Yashaker say that the operation in Iran is a humanitarian operation now. Trump has previously said he wouldn't send a single young American to war, but now they're being killed, 47 have already. Excuse me, 47 have been injured and seven have been killed now. Children have been killed in a school in Iran. So if you're such a patriot, could you do a favour to all Europeans and all people across the world and stand by the side of peace.”
  EU-Iran relations
• “Thank you chair. Thank you for the session and sorry for not catching up on everything, but I got some points on Miguel's presentation and you mentioned the topic of feasibility. So I will try to focus and narrow my intervention on the feasibility of anything that we have been doing in terms of tax integration at the EU. And taking from your positive note to ask you all some at least 2 or 3 questions. The first is that you know that the administrative burden that we have from 27 rule sets is not detrimental to the efficiency and the efforts to scale up the European economy. So, in your opinion, do you think that the 28 regime could address the lack of harmonization in terms of corporate taxation? And if so, are you? So we we could do it without pushing for a tax competition that would create a further loophole in the legislation that we currently have. And then if we are also eager to explore how to help with key issues in cross-border economic cooperation, what would be the main issues to address in your view? Last but not least, in the last polls that we have had, last report we have had from the Eurobarometer with the survey of 17,000 companies VAT and tax were selected by SMEs as the main barrier to their activity cross-border. If the slogan that we have created one Europe, one market is more than an empty slogan. Do you know what could be the figures, the numbers that you would put to this administrative burden in terms of the compliance with the 27 different regimes? Do you have any number in mind? Because we know that this is a burden for the companies, but then we don't know exactly the exact number from the corporate side. So if you could enlighten us on on this part. Probably this could also be of help for next debates. Thank you.”
  EU competences on taxation
• “Thank you. Chair. I've seen that you come from the Sovereignists. And it is very curious that you speak about energy, about energy prices and sovereignty. At the same time, you are recommending that the commission still allows Russian gas, Russian oil to come into the European Union. Therefore increasing the prices, therefore reducing our sovereignty. So my question to you, colleagues is very simple. What kind of sovereignty are you speaking? Is the one that is reducing? Ukraine is the one that is reducing the Europeans, or is the one that is attacking the families that you claim to protect? Thank you very much.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Madam president. Commissioner, for too long now, we thought that cheap imports was only something with benefits and no costs. This world doesn't exist anymore. The tariffs are threatening us. But that's not it. But there's a lack of rules distorting global competition. Our markets are flooded daily with products, with labour rules that we can't or do not want to compete with. There are unfair subsidies from other countries towards their industries. How can we trust in China? China as a partner for materials without our factories stopping? There are companies relocating to countries where labour rights are a mirage. Europe can only progress in a market with rules, which means protecting our own industry and having rules. Everything else are fairy tales, fairy tales of a market which was to liberate people but is actually oppressing them. Thank you very much.”
  Trade relations with China
• “Thank you chair. I will speak in Portuguese. Just to start, thank you for the presentation and the work you've conducted in this study. The document really does Let's spell out what we've been saying time and again in this committee. Cohesion policy is the best tool we have currently in the EU to ensure access to essential services, particularly in the furthest flung regions or those in demographic decline. We have a multi-level approach involving regional authorities who really know what's happening on the ground. Looking at the commission proposal for the MFF here, cohesion policy is swept aside as an autonomous policy. A strong cohesion policy with its own identity, multi-level governance and territorial level planning is not encompassed in the proposal are tabled. So this architecture is watered down. This leads to very tangible risks. Unsustainable financial operations. No guarantees for the future. There's likely going to be an increase or a decrease in long term funding and protection. Therefore, and without the right to stay in place, this will just become an empty slogan. So I have two questions. Firstly, bearing in mind the territorial rules will be contingent on the National Regional Partnership plans and there will be no autonomous European level guarantee. What will be the impact on access to essential services here? Secondly, bearing in mind the Commission proposal for the M, will there be a tangible improvement in the provision of essential services or do you expect greater territorial disparities? Bearing in mind the national priorities of each member state.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Mr. President, Commissioner Jorgensen, there are over 2 million people living in energy poverty in Portugal. In Bulgaria, it's 20% of the population. In Germany, it's 1 in 10 families. These are people who are facing a terrible dilemma this winter. They're going to stay warm. Or are they going to save enough money to pay for everything else that they need? So the EU needs to take action here. We need a flexible and affordable electricity grid. We urgently need to modernise the grid. Their economies of scale that you can bring in the private sector to, you can move towards renewables and you can improve the permitting. Schemes in this way will be less dependent on the imports of fossil fuels. And this is an excellent proposal from the commission. It's a good start. You can count on the Parliament's support to do this for the sake of citizens and businesses in Europe.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Thank you. Chair. Commissioner, thank you for being present. And thank you for your optimism. Also on the 28th regime. I hope that it's also applied to harmonising taxation and something that we are still far from. We know that Donald Trump just took office, but a lot has already changed. The US backtracked on an historical global agreement on taxing big multinationals, which took years to negotiate. And now the EPP has also backtracked, backtracking on its original commitment. More Trump is saying that if Europe applies its laws to American companies, then it will impose tariffs on our exports. My question is simple are you firm in your commitment to implement OECD Global Agreement on Taxing Multinationals. And can we count on you to implement a tax on big digital tax, as you mentioned properly during your confirmation hearing? Despite these threats, or will Europe continue to be a haven for American billionaires growing wealth? For us, the situation is very clear. Europe cannot be afraid to ensure that everyone pays fair taxes just because Trump is confusing national interests with the private interests of his wealthy donors. And secondly, and because I still have some time looking at the competitiveness compass, we need more capital market integration. You have just mentioned CMU, and my question there is, in addition to harmonising tax rules to ease cross-border investments, are you willing to work with Commissioner Albuquerque to integrate a minimum tax on capital gains, to invest in what we need as own resources for the direction well presented by the Commission for the Competitiveness Compass? Thank you very much.”
  EU competences on taxation
• “I will speak in Portuguese. Now, here you made a speech on everything that you wanted to express and what the Europeans don't want to hear. My question would be, and I think it's extremely clear the leader of your political group hasn't say anything in terms of condemning. Not a single word of condemnation against the presidents. The US president's statements. You attack Europe, but you're not talking about outside threats. What do you believe about the Russian aggression of Ukraine and that Putin might? And what do you think about Trump's statements about the occupation of Greenland? Thank you.”
  EU-US relations
• “Sorry, I cannot speak Finnish. Next time. The Executive Vice President, thank you for being with us today. So in the digital omnibus, the Commission proposes to expand legitimate interests for data processing in services of AI. In the last question, you have assessed the previous legislation as being not fit for the future. Fit for the past only. So I wanted to ask you where is where this assessment is coming from? Bearing in mind that there was the implementation was just two months ago, and how could you answer the claims that this will weaken the protection to personal data by providing access leeway to AI developers in the European zone? And then on a second, second note, I'm very sensible to the European European countries lag behind in this field. And our experts, researchers, startups need more flexibility. And that, in my view, we also cannot untangle the digital omnibus from the EU's sovereignty on cloud and AI. So this is not only about legislation, this is also about infrastructure. And we have just heard today from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Year in this Parliament. Our other geographies of the globe are developing it. So I wanted to ask you if you could advance details on future legislation, in particular, whether it will have provisions that create demand for EU based digital services and infrastructure, or if this digital omnibus was just made up thinking of the legislation, simplification and not of the future in terms of infrastructure investment. Thank you very much.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Thank you. Chair, your ministers and particularly noting, The emphasis for state aid and how we need that for our industry as well. But I wanted to focus mainly on energy. And while the energy market remains incomplete, we are losing benefits on our economies for scale up. And this is a problem not only for specific countries, but for all the 27 member states. The result is less economic efficiency, less total investment in renewable production, but also less security of energy supply in Europe. When we speak about interconnections, they are missing at European level, and these will have to be a part of the grids package that will be presented by the Commission soon. In your presidency's programme, you declared to be prepared to launch negotiations on energy initiatives related to the MFF. Can we count on your commitment to deliver on the Council conclusions from March this year, in which heads of state supported, and I quote, a union wide long term investment planning into interconnections and grids? Thank you very much.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Thank you very much, dear colleague. As you've pointed out, quite rightly, the most important thing we must do is reduce prices for SMEs and citizens. So we have to look at the mechanism which sets prices. That's why I really welcome the fact that this commission is tackling the matter. We've mentioned head on. So they're looking at immediate issues but also long term issues. But the member states also need to do their bit. In Portugal, it's the Portuguese government which needs to look at the mechanisms which will allow a decoupling of electricity and gas prices. Otherwise, if there's no action, um, prices will stay high. But otherwise I welcome this action plan.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Executive Vice President colleagues, today, I want to speak about the history of a continent, a continent after centuries of conflict. Decided to move forward with shared sovereignty to focus on peace. This continent is Europe and the project of the European Union. And that's why, for its past and for its people, that we cannot accept any backsliding in relation to sovereignty, whatever it may cost. The EU is a space of freedom and democracy, one of the few spaces in the world and democracy. We speak on behalf of the will of the people and not the elites. When Donald Trump blocked a world, a global, uh, program in relation to taxation of big tech, he put the interests of a few in front of the interests of many. And when he decided to move away from multilateralism, then we are leaving all young people and all the people behind. This is a new system for a new world where geopolitics are being put before international cooperation. We need to learn from the mistakes of the past and move beyond. External dependencies from technology all the way to defense. Yes, we need to defend our rules, but we also need to think far beyond this. We need more European industry, we need data centers, we need advanced factories, etc., etc. we need clean and accessible energy. If Europeans want to have impact in the future and hold sway in the future, we need to not look to national nationalism, but to autonomy as a driving force for the entire continent.”
  EU political integration
• “Well, I'm not surprised that you mention the transatlantic partnership and once again miss out the responsibility of the Chinese state. This autonomy for the EU is not only in terms of China, but any other powers that want to instrumentalize Europe in a trade war. But what I'm really bothered about and what you're not bothered about, are European workers who are losing jobs, who are threatened by the People's Republic of China via a number of initiatives, wants to instrumentalize, um, a number of materials and which is threatening our rights as consumers.”
  Trade relations with China
• “Mr. president Commissioner, 80 years ago our continent was divided and destroyed by war. The founders of the European Union. Moved towards something that their predecessors had not been able to achieve. That's peace through cooperation. But it needs more than just cooperation. It needs courage and a vision. That's what, uh, Draghi showed when he saved the euro. And that's what also what happened during the epidemic where cooperation was the key to saving ourselves. But this is a constant struggle. As in any war, we need to have a bastion. And a bastion is the single market. We need to recover our industrial capacity and recover our competitiveness, not just for competitiveness, but to guarantee our survival. Our competitiveness cannot be built on American technology or Chinese or Russian oil or Chinese manufacturing. Rather. We need to ensure that we solve our problems. We should not be putting an end to the unique story of peace in the world.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “I think that we probably agree on the essentials that the EU needs to negotiate with the US, and that our relations should be positive, but that relationship cannot be at any price. So I would like to ask you about your position on the taxation of the technological companies operating in the EU. We know that these businesses pay taxes that are much lower than our SMEs, and these are taxes which are vital to us in order to fund our security spending. So would the liberals be with Trump or with consumers on that one? Thank you.”
  EU competences on taxation