Paulo CUNHA

Policy topics Paulo CUNHA is active on

What Paulo CUNHA has said (32)

• 2026-07-08 “(11:26:00 - 11:26:34): I'm proud to be part of the EPP group, and we have always been, consistent on that issue and on other areas. We want our deforestation legislation to be in line with other legislation. So I have said that sustainability should not just look at environmental sustainability. Sustainability should also look at economic sustainability. And we have to look at, the legislation and the”
  Management of EU forests
• 2026-07-08 “(11:22:21 - 11:23:30): President, Commissioner, colleagues. There is an obvious link between climate change, heat waves, and forest fires. These events are happening more and more often. They're becoming structural. So what do we do? There are 2 levers that we can push on. 1, mitigation. We must continue to focus on the root causes and tackle climate change. But then there's also adaptation. We have to get ready and prepare for what's coming. We need to help the most exposed and vulnerable communities. We need to improve resilience. We need to help those authorities who ensure protection, and we need to fight back against forest fires. But we also need to act at European level. That includes focusing on the civil protection mechanism, sharing resources, and sharing equipment. Only if we are equipped at European level can we deal with the scourge of forest fires.”
  EU policy on infrastructure for preventing climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, extreme weather etc.)
• 2026-07-08 “(09:38:21 - 09:39:22): President, commissioner colleagues, the single market is a flagship initiative, and the 28th regime is a major part of the single market. It is a pragmatic way forward to end legal, fragmentation affecting European businesses, particularly SMEs and startups. By establishing this new optional legal framework, which applies across the EU, there will be less administrative burden and complexity. There will be less cost and less legal uncertainty, all of which, hinders expansion beyond borders. We also need to focus on the green and digital transitions, and we're also facing international competition. So we mustn't squander any opportunity which would help to boost our economic performance and our strategic autonomy. We must focus on the 28th regime and roll it out very quickly. We mustn't just talk about it. Otherwise, things will stay as they are. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2026-07-08 “(11:24:32 - 11:25:08): Let me reiterate that mitigation is crucial, but we have to be prepared for what's becoming increasingly inevitable. Sadly, climate change is a reality, and forest fires are also a reality. That's why adapting and preparing local communities is indispensable. What the European Commission has done is focus on preparedness, which means that those affected are more resilient so they can deal with these circumstances.”
  EU policy on infrastructure for preventing climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, extreme weather etc.)
• 2026-06-17 “(16:03:03 – 16:04:17): commissioner, colleagues, the electrification of our economy is not just a technical question. It's a strategic question for sovereignty, competitiveness, and energy sovereignty in Europe. Electrification should respond to the true barriers that are in the way of this change. The grid that's not prepared for it, slow permitting processes, and often a favorable situation for fossil fuels. But we really need to think about the essentials. Electrification only makes sense if we electrify better with more renewable energies, more efficiency, better storage, better infrastructure. The aim shouldn't be just to change for change's sake. We need to change our energy system that's cleaner, more resilient, and more accessible. We cannot falter. We need to be leaders in this, looking to the future, and we can only make it better if we are consistent with our goals, our policies, and our actions. Thank you. Thank you, mister Pelaran Carlin.”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2026-02-01 “P-000402/2026 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission From the onset, the Commission, through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) 1 , was in contact with the Portuguese civil protection authorities. Portugal proactively activated the Copernicus Emergency Management Service Rapid Mapping, which provided satellite mapping, to support response efforts. The Commission used the European Flood Awareness System 2 and the scientific multi-hazard early warning and monitoring services 3 . Any country can request assistance through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, if a disaster exceeds its national capacities 4 . Portugal did not request assistance for storm Kristin. The EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) 5 can be activated by Portugal, within a deadline of twelve weeks as from when the first damage occurred, demonstrating the direct damage exceeds the thresholds specified in Article 2 of the Council Regulation (EC) 2012/2002 6 . The EUSF may cover part of the costs for emergency and recovery operations incurred by public authorities. Private damage is not eligible. The European Regional Development Fund could support the construction and upgrade of infrastructure to improve the resilience of the territory. In Portugal, EUR 574 million is already dedicated to measures related to climate change adaptation, prevention and management of climate related risks. The authorities can request an amendment of their cohesion policy programmes to increase the funds earmarked for reconstruction efforts. Following a request from Portugal on agriculture, the Commission will examine the possibility to adopt exceptional measures under Regulation (EU) 1308/2013 7 . As part of the Preparedness Union Strategy, the Commission will adopt in 2026 a European Integrated Framework for Climate Resilience. 1 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/emergency-response-coordinationcentre-ercc_en. 2 It provides forecast and disseminates notifications for potential flooding. 3 Through the ARISTOTLE Scientific Partnership, a consortium of meteorological and geophysical institutes across Europe. 4 https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/what/civil-protection/eu-civil-protection-mechanism_en. 5 Council Regulation (EC) 2012/2002 of 11 November 2002 on establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (OJ L 311, 14.11.2002, p. 3) as amended by Regulation (EU) 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). 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32002R2012. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj/eng.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-05-07 “E-001841/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission In compliance with EU law, 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 been set up 1 . The panel will publish a final report with recommendations by September 2026 at the very latest. The Spanish and Portuguese authorities also submitted at the end of July 2025, an ex-post evaluation report including among others a description of the events and an assessment of the economic impacts 2 . The Commission will analyse all findings, including the reports submitted by Spain and Portugal, and may take action if deemed necessary. The High-Level Group on Interconnections for South-West Europe has been instrumental in advancing cross-border interconnections projects. By the end of 2025 a new interconnection between Portugal and Spain will be commissioned. The works on the Biscay Bay electricity interconnection between France and Spain are progressing well with expected commissioning date by 2028. The project will double the interconnection capacity France-Spain to 5000 megawatts. The importance of the Trans-Pyrenean projects is recognised through their status as Projects of Common Interest and the Commission is working actively on their implementation including through the High-level Group. In January 2025, the Trans-Pyrenean project between Navarra and Landes was awarded a Connecting Europe Facility grant for studies. The Commission aims to put forward a Grids Package by the end of 2025 with measures to support a modern and resilient energy system to enable the further integration of renewable energy sources and boost interconnection. 1 https://www.entsoe.eu/news/2025/05/09/entso-e-expert-panel-initiates-the-investigation-into-the-causes-ofiberian-blackout/. 2 Pursuant to article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2019/941 on risk preparedness in the electricity sector, OJ L 158, 14.6.2019, p. 1–21.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• 2025-03-11 “E-001037/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The steel industry is the sector most protected by trade defence instruments with over 70 trade defence measures including a safeguard. Before imposing measures, the Commission conducts an EU interest test where it examines if the overall EU interest justifies the imposition of measures. It examines the interests of importers, users and consumers in that context. Users are encouraged to cooperate in investigations so their concerns can be taken into account when deciding to impose measures. Once measures are imposed, if there is evidence that they are being evaded, the Commission imposes anti-circumvention measures to stamp out such practices – now almost a quarter of all measures address circumvention. Furthermore, in the European Steel and Metals Action Plan 1 the Commission announced it would assess the introduction of the rule of ‘melted and poured’ which would allow action against the country where the metal was originally melted, regardless of the place of subsequent transformation. In addition, by the third quarter of 2025 at the latest, the Commission will propose a long-term measure providing a highly effective level of protection to the EU’s steel sector. It will take into account changes in EU demand as well as security and resilience considerations, while preserving a certain level of openness in the EU market. Industry harmed by unfair competition from imports should contact the Complaints Office 2 of the Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security for information on the options available. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0125 2 trade-defence-complaints@ec.europa.eu”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• “Thank you chair. I will speak in Portuguese if you allow me. Imposition of tariffs from the US and products from China. This is a huge demand from for the EU only in 2024. 4.6 billion of low cost products flooded the EU majority from China. That has had a huge negative impact on Europe businesses, including the textile industry. These products have been able to fill the de minimis EU approach gap and with a low value €150, without the payment of taxes, that could have a huge impact on the tax base in the EU to the tune of billions. Now, according to the counsel for the de minimis exception, there's a. In 2023, there's a discussion. How will the Commission accelerate controls and more rigid rules to guarantee fair competition, considering the. Gps that is supposed is supposed to, uh, apply to developing countries with specific preferential trade, uh, approaches, how can we make sure that e trade does not, uh, have a workaround of these rules and have unfair practices? Thank you.”
  EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• “Thank you sir. I will speak in Portuguese if you allow me. Thank you. Artificial intelligence in a way that we communicate and the way that we are receive our information in a public life is going to go through some unprecedented changes. And today I think we're seeing misinformation or disinformation campaigns, which are personalized automatized and very often amplify impressions without, uh, the average citizen being aware of that. The European Union has tried to respond to this with different pieces of legislation, but there is still a key idea here that the technology should serve democracy rather than the other way around. And I think we have clear political responsibilities. We need more transparency, and we need to make sure that democratic principles are. Meet the demands of the world in which technology is progressing very quickly. I have a very specific question for Mrs. Narciso. If the next generation of AI, which threatens our democracy is algorithmic and transnational, and we can't find out who's behind it, how will the European Union deal with that? Uh, i.e. shifting to a preventive operational model in order to anticipate and neutralize threats in real time? Because I think the question here is quite simple. If we don't protect our elections, then we will undermine the very heart of European democracy.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• “President. Vice-president of the Commission. We have challenges ahead of us with the presentation of this Commission work programme, where they are trying to look for concrete solutions to the challenges facing European citizens and families. We need a more competitive Europe focused on innovation and we can't. We don't want to see the decline of our industrial base. But competitiveness is not an abstract concept. It would be the result of a Europe that leads and helps in order to be a leader. Then the completion of the single market has to be an absolute priority. Smes need to have fewer administrative barriers and need to have more predictability. It's only with a competitive European economy that we can ensure social cohesion and respond to external challenges. As uh Draghi said In internal barriers are the equivalent of 45% of customs charges on businesses. That's what we're imposing on our people. We need to do more about the price of energy to ensure stable pricing and improve networks, and to focus on renewables and industrial mobilization. That's the only way we can bring down prices. Face up to external pressure and to have high skilled jobs. The EU has to be more practical than dogmatic. We have to help people in their day to day lives. Housing is one of their problems here. The EU has an opportunity to show how it can help European citizens so that they have affordable housing.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Mr. president, dear colleagues. As European energy security is a priority for Europe, the conflict in Ukraine and the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula show this very clearly. If you don't have electricity, you don't have security and you don't have sovereignty. But companies aren't competitive either. And families income severely hit. This report, which we're looking at, looks at an energy market that could help us save €40 billion per year. And if we had 50% more interconnectivity between countries, we could see a 0.1% increase in EU wide GDP and we could achieve significant savings per year. If you link the Iberian Peninsula to France better with the integration of renewable energy, you'd reduce cost and promote decarbonisation. For this, we could achieve the 50% 15% interconnectivity aim. There's a recent agreement between Spain and France for the Bay of Biscay, but we need to go further than that. We'd like the French authorities to implement this interconnection as soon as possible, plus two others with the Iberian Peninsula in that way will be more sovereign. We'll have more energy security and will be promoting a more competitive energy market and a more decarbonized one to boot. Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Chair. Mr. Commissioner, building on the Commission's proposals under the Clean Industrial Deal and Affordable Energy Action Plan, particularly regarding the Energy Union, how will the Commission ensure that projects related to cross border energy infrastructure and hydrogen production hubs directly and efficiently address the European Union's energy security challenge and its decarbonisation? Building an integrated, flexible and resilient European energy market with secure and predictable supply. Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Madam president, Commissioner, when we're talking about deepfakes, we're not just talking about technology or digital rules, we're talking about violence. What we're talking about is women and children whose images are being stolen without their consent, that are being put through tools that allow humiliation and abuse. This is not a virtual phenomenon. It is violence. Sexualised deepfakes should be treated as a crime. The fact that these images are generated by artificial intelligence does not reduce the seriousness of the act, or the suffering caused. Quite the contrary. This is a persistent problem which is difficult to eliminate. Digital platforms should not amplify these illegal contents, and they should not hide behind some false sense of neutrality. The industry has to take responsibility. The European Union today has clear rules for combating these abuses. What's at stake is not a lack of a legal framework, but its actual enforcement. What we hope to see from the council and commission is a clear answer that's effective.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• “World is constantly changing and we face threats in Europe now. We have to manage migration. It's on the agenda for the forthcoming council. It's the issue that defines our ability to protect our borders, assert our sovereignty and ensure that the people of Europe trust in the institutions. That issue of trust is vital. We need a common policy that allows for legal paths to migration, combats criminal networks that exploit people, and ensures that we have secure borders. We need to ensure that rules are respected, and that there are consequences for those who do not follow the rules, and that people can then enter legally and live in dignity. We need to reconcile these joint responsibilities. Portugal is participating in EU patrol missions and border protection forces, but no member state can face this reality alone. The EU requires better coordination and a shared strategic vision for migration, defence and security. Taking those issues together in a coordinated way, Europe protects, welcomes and secures its borders.”
  Asylum & border control
• “Mr. president. Commissioner. Colleagues, the Commission Work Programme 2025 gives us the tools to strengthen the European Union. The message needs to be clear. It's time to invest and simplify, invest in the decarbonisation of industry, such as part of the industrial deal, so that we can look at our strategic sectors. And for this we need to have energy links across borders. This would guarantee greater integration and energy security in Europe. Investing in renewable energies. Green hydrogen. To have sustainable and clean future, we need to lower the amount of red tape and give incentives for innovation. We can't allow our our SMEs behind. And we also need to support, uh, small and medium level access to capital so that these companies can grow sustainably. We need clean technologies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, which will guarantee the EU's strategic autonomy in the global value chains. We also need to simplify the access to funds and incentives guaranteeing that no sector, region, company or person is left behind. But for all of this to be possible, we need to invest in people in their Education and retraining through an alliance of competencies. Our people. Our will ensure a just and fair transition, and now is the time to invest in simplifying the road.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “(11:39:09 – 11:40:23): Vice president of commission colleagues, the single market is 1 of the greatest and most important promises presented by the EU project. It guarantees the free movement of people, goods, and capital and, should make life easier for EU business and citizens by increasing competitiveness and the cohesion of our European project. But this promise has to become a reality, but it's an ongoing project. There are high costs which have limited the potential of this market and meant that we've been unable to see this project, see, become a reality. This draft is a legal framework which will coexist with national systems. The objective is clear, making it easier to carry out cross border business for startups, SMEs, and, innovative sectors. Once the 28 regime is implemented, it become could become a real catalyzer for the single market and reduce fragmentation as well as creating a more predictive predictable and competitive environment. The 20 eighth regime is an opportunity that we cannot, miss out on because if we were to fail here, then Europe will fail. Here is Andre Krutilek.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Mr. president, the military escalation in the Middle East is a particularly dangerous moment in the international context. And given that our priority should be clear, boosting mechanisms to prevent war can not simply be a reaction to crises. It needs to be used as a tool to avoid crises. Europe needs to play a greater role in multilateral organisations And work harder to prevent conflict. We now need to prevent a further escalation of violence and create spaces where diplomatic conversations can be held. We also need to look at the consequences of this conflict. Firstly, the humanitarian dimension. We need to boost initiatives to provide protection and assistance to innocent civilians who are affected. And secondly, we need to look at potential migration flows. We need to avoid the situations that we've seen in the past in which migrants were used to produce political pressure. And thirdly, we need to look at the energy impact this crisis is showing us. Europe's vulnerability and shows us that we absolutely need to build our energy sovereignty by ensuring a diversity of supply and more renewable energy. At this time of international uncertainty. Europe needs to show what distinguishes it, which is a fight for peace and international stability.”
  EU foreign policy approach
• “Thank you president. Well, cyber bullying is something we're seeing increase right across the European Union. It's one of the most visible parts of a terrible digital crisis that's affecting our youngest citizens. We're seeing that particularly in the digital sphere. And that means that victims have nowhere to hide. They're bullied at home or at work, and then they're also bullied at home by their mobile phone. We need to provide a clear response here. The law in Ireland shows that it is possible to. Allocate criminal responsibility for bullying online and also to help victims. Now the path from here is that we need to recognise that the internet is not somewhere where everything is allowed. What you do online must have consequences. But we can't only act on those who commit these crimes. Platforms have their share of responsibility as well. They can't continue to benefit from models that amplify abusive content. They need to act when they fail. They need to be held responsible when they fail to protect victims. We also need to prevent and what's happening and protect people. We want to see the Commission moving forward. Thank you.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• “Well, first of all, I would like to. Uh. Welcome back. I'm happy to see you back asking your blue card questions. What the commission has announced is good news for SMEs. Specific dates have been set for implementation of the single market. The 28th regime, um, eliminating barriers, creating an energy market, access to clean energy. These are all excellent news for SMEs.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Senior vice president of the Commission. President of the Council. Dear colleagues, Europe is living in a context of generalized threats, disrespect for sovereignty and self-determination of peoples, um, unusual trade relations and intellectual dishonesty. This is the context in which we need to take on the real challenge of promoting internal cohesion. We have to show that we are able to be even more united and stronger through our union than we are alone. And this is why we should deepen the single market that includes 450 million people in Europe. But we should also go in search of other markets, other trade opportunities. And the agreement with Mercosur is a good example of that. As our president of the European Commission said, reaching other markets and building other relations should also be a priority in trade. But we should not give up on our European values, respect for democracy, for individual and collective rights, for the rule of law, and above all, for the fundamental rights of people. It is in this context that we should focus all our energy to ensure that we as a European continent, stand ready to face the challenges and to ensure that the European way of life is the winning way globally.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you very much. I have to say, the EPP has no dogmatic or preconceptions. We defend what we think is a broad basis of energy with a good mix. Renewables have a space there, but we believe that we have to find a solution. That means that we are independent, um, towards the external world crises, recent ones that we have seen have, for example, the illegitimate aggression of Russia against Ukraine has meant that we have new energy issues, that we have to fight with various solutions. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you, Mr. President. The EU needs to be firmer and act rapidly with China in terms of the car industry and many other areas. We need to look at their social, labour and environmental laws and ensure that they're not exploiting the situation. They're actually ignoring many international rules. So de minimis clauses, we need to look at the access to Chinese markets It's for ourselves as unfair competition, particularly for smaller family run companies. They're propping up their own industries and our social model is in danger. We need to look at the issue of competitiveness and the extent to which there is unfair competition. We have we see distortion there, but the time has come to act. If we can generate jobs and we can defend our industries, then we'll be in a stronger position to defend our own values.”
  Trade relations with China
• “Thank you very much. We are facing a geopolitical situation that is increasingly complex and we're being presented with simplistic solutions. Europeans are demanding a clear message. Objective, clear actions in Ukraine. Peace. Whatever it takes in the Middle East. We see that the humanitarian situation is a constant worry. A two state solution is sought. The trade deal with the US is limited, but it's better than no deal. And in spite all of this. We need a solution with no tariffs. And we do see that we are facing a demographic climate and digital challenge and a challenge in terms of competition internationally. We can't bend the knee. We have to defend our European model, guarantee the competitiveness of the European Union. We must continue to be responsible, contribute to a more competitive Europe that is fairer and with greater solidarity.”
  EU foreign policy approach
• “Thank you, sir. Minister Haggard. Um. The Danish presidency is right to place energy security and industrial competitiveness at the heart of the European agenda. However, for peripheral member states such as Portugal, reality is still shaped by structural challenges. I see electricity prices, insufficient cross-border interconnections and delayed investment in energy energy grid infrastructure. I would therefore like to ask, how does your presidency ensure that energy security and industrial competitiveness advance hand in hand across all regions of the EU, including Southern Europe? And more specifically, what role do you assign to the Grid Action Plan, the Clean Industrial Deal and the new Affordable Energy Action plan in unlocking access to green, stable and competitively priced electricity. A critical condition for SMEs and industries in countries like mine to grow and compete on a level playing field. Thank you so much.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Mr. President. Thank you president. Well, the crisis in the Middle East is showing the need to boost the EU's diplomacy and humanitarian aid. I mean, this is showing our economic and diplomatic weakness. These increases in the energy prices and fertiliser prices shows how dependent we are externally and how vulnerable our economies are to geopolitical shocks. This is not your average crisis. This reflects a structural vulnerability that still hasn't been resolved. We need a brave and coordinated European strategy that includes the pooling of fuel reserves and the protection of consumers and businesses. But we need an overarching strategy to decarbonise our economy as well. In Portugal, for example, we've shown that investing consistently in renewable energies enables us to reduce dependencies, stabilise costs, and improve things for our citizens. 75% of Portuguese electricity comes from renewables, and that's also why we need to electrify the European Union. We need common energy infrastructure for Europe in the context of a single energy market, and we need that now. The Portuguese example shows that the energy transition is already something that can contribute to competitiveness, resilience and a European strategy. We need to be able to work together as allies. Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Madam president, Commissioner, I'd like to underscore the resilience of the Portuguese people during the blackout. They were notable in their action. It was coordinated and effective response from our government and our Prime Minister with a number of different administrative authorities, re-established normality. Now, what we saw happened in Spain was very different from what happened in Portugal. We were able to contain damage and we were much swifter in our action. It is now fundamental for an independent study to be carried out that that be, um, hasty and independent, to see what the causes are and what measures should be taken to prevent any similar thing from happening in the future. Dear colleagues, now 3% of the interconnection capacity is a makes it an energy island. The Iberian Peninsula. Therefore, I'd like to make an appeal to the European Commission to intensify all efforts to use the high level group for the interconnections of the South-West of the group, so they make swifter progress. 15% of interconnection by 2030 must be a priority, a clear one at that, to guarantee energy independency. We need to have a European resilient energy grid that is interconnected. It's the only way that we can uphold a situation in which we won't have a future power outage.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Thank you very much. Madam president. Commissioner, we need the European Commission here. We're very grateful for what you've done. We're very pleased to note the nature of what will be done now. This decision which we've now achieved, means that we'll be able to keep our houses and businesses warm, but we'll also be able to put a stop to Russian gas imports that we were previously so dependent upon. This means we will increase our energy sovereignty, but it also means that we will be bringing to an end a period in which we were funding the Russian aggression in Ukraine, and we are more credible in our protection of Ukraine. Portugal supports this. Our Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, said that we will remain firm and we will provide irreversible support for this decision. This is the future. This is the way we need to proceed. We need to have ever more strategic autonomy for Europe. Energy is a part of that. And that means we also need to go for renewables. We need more renewable sources, and we need to ensure that we're working EU wide on energy interconnectors between member states, too. We have a particularly vital link between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe, so that renewables can truly spread across the continent.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Well, thank you very much. The both the Portuguese government and the PSD group in the European Parliament have brought up this need to tax these windfall profits. We have an opportunity here for more tax justice. We need to reduce taxes on those who have the lowest incomes and increase them on those who have the highest incomes. Of course.”
  Taxation of windfall profits
• “President vice president of the Commission. Colleagues. The single market is one of the greatest and most important promises presented by the EU project. It guarantees the free movement of people, goods and capital and should make life easier for EU businesses and citizens by increasing competitiveness and cohesion of our European projects. But this promise has to become a reality. But it's an ongoing project. There are high costs which have limited the potential of this market, and meant that we've been unable to see this project become a reality. This draft is a legal framework which will coexist with national systems. The objective is clear, making it easier to carry out cross-border business for start ups, SMEs and innovative sectors. Once the 28 regime is implemented, it could become a real catalyzer for the single market and reduce fragmentation, as well as creating a more predictive, predictable and competitive environment. The 28th regime is an opportunity that we cannot miss out on because if we were to fail here, then Europe will fail.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “President. Vice president, I congratulate the European Commission for the proposals presented here today. These are proposals that bring first and foremost simplification. We need simplification because we're talking about better access, lower costs and much easier access for small and medium sized companies. It brings predictability. Economic agents know what they can count on, which can help us to encourage entrepreneurship instead of the risks this brings the EU autonomy. It means that we will have better conditions for carrying out economic activity. It promotes the application of AI in very relevant sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and many other sectors. Finally, it brings balance, progress and respect for values and fundamental rights. Madam Vice President, president, colleagues, this is how we can build a more competitive Europe that is more innovative, more autonomous and more respectful of people. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you, Madam President. It is praiseworthy what is being done in relation to housing. Firstly, we have the creation of a Commissioner for housing, and then we have a committee in the European Parliament looking at housing in the most recent European Council conclusions. It was addressed as well. What we're seeing are very relevant signs about this issue. This is a major issue for European citizens. It's not a problem for the poorest countries in Europe. It's a problem in all countries. In the European Union. We're we're recognising this issue. It's important. It links it links to competitiveness and many other issues. Now, more than signs or signals, we need actions. We need specific actions and specific outcomes. We need more public investment into housing. We need less bureaucracy. We need more and better technology. We need to create the conditions so that construction can be better supported. The the lifecycle of construction needs to be shortened. The material used needs to be more, need to be more sustainable. We need European citizens to have better access to housing as well. This is an absolutely. Essential topic for society today. This is something for all of us to address. And now the European Union is addressing it.”
  EU housing policy