Sofie ERIKSSON

Policy topics Sofie ERIKSSON is active on

What Sofie ERIKSSON has said (44)

• 2026-07-15 “(15:26:39 - 15:28:46): Thank you, chair, and thank you all of you for your presentations. This was very, very interesting to take part of. I think your presentations and the studies shows some contrasts that in the Western Waters and the Mediterranean corporations is organized around more concrete management objectives, pre agreed rules and measures that can be monitored and adjust. But in The Baltic, the institutional dialogue is established, but we can see that the ecological outcomes remain quite poor to be, to put it politely. So, Emma, I would like to ask a question to you. Your report on The Baltic shows that the structures for cooperations are in place, but we can see, as I said, that the results, ecologically remain limited. What would you suggest that the EU and the Baltic member states should change so that the Baltfish delivers more long term science based recovery measures comparable to the harvest control rules used in the Western borders and the adapted spatial measures developed in the Mediterranean? And also a question, have you seen what have you seen concerning to like an overall attitude to these cooperations among the member states in Baltfish? Is the BSAC the cooperations with BSAC and the discussions in Baltfish, is it a priority for the member states? Have you seen anything on that? If you haven't, that's okay. It's just an overall question. And my 3rd question is that your report also notes that commission signaling has helped trigger regional action, but also that Baltfish often acts below the potential of the existing legal framework. Where member states fail to agree on sufficiently ambitious measure, should the commission or parliament intervene more actively? And if so, how? Thanks.”
  EU ocean policy · Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2026-07-14 “(11:21:37 - 11:23:46): Thank you. Thank you, chair. I would like to begin by thanking, all of the colleagues in Inter for taking the initiative to organize this meeting with the commission. It is important that we keep up the momentum here and assure that this regulation becomes the protection that European industry needs against unfair trade practices. As you may know, Etherue Committee is strongly supportive of this regulation. It was highly demanded from our side prior to all the work that we have been doing. Because of the, of course, the overcapacity of the unfair competition on price dumping, this regulation is bare minimum to see that we can support and save our industry in Europe. Because, of course, it is we are talking about resilience, competitiveness, autonomy, security, defense, everything. This needs our own steel production. I would also like to thank the rapporteur and the colleagues who took part in the negotiations. It was parliament that secured a clear and ambitious review clause. Let us not forget that. Because this is about people's jobs. Had we not secured this review, around 300 jobs in a small town of Garpytan in Sweden could have been lost because of unfair practices by other countries. This is not acceptable. The union has a strong tradition of steel production in towns and regions where skills have been passed down through generations of steel workers. They have played a key role in building Europe's manufacturing base and remain essential to sustaining job security and resilience. But now we also need to deliver on what we have agreed. Garpiktan and many other steel communities across Europe are still waiting for the commission to act. Therefore, on the behalf of the Committee of Industry Research and Energy, I would like to ask the commission 2 things. 1st, when can we expect the commission to present the review requested by parliament? And 2, what is the timeline for the work going forward?”
  Trade relations with China
• 2026-07-14 “Thanks. I will speak Swedish. Thank you. I want to talk about the future network tariffs. Sorry. Can you hear? Okay. So we have heard that there will be closer monitoring of how electricity models function. And there will be incentives for a more energy Effective management of the electricity. But we have to think about what people's everyday lives look like. We have experience of doing this in Sweden. It's, uh, easier to do this in theory than it is to do in practice. People don't necessarily have a different time of day. They can choose to prepare food or to do their washing. You come home from school, you come home from work. And there are also risks that the costs for this end up falling upon those households that have the least means to deal with that. So my question is, can you say something with regards to member states experience here with dealing with these network tariffs? How can we be sure that people won't end up with having more expensive electricity bills? Thank you.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-07-09 “Thank you for giving me the floor. About 1.1 million Swedes fish in their free time. They spend billions on buying tackle rods and take guided tours, etc. but sport fisheries are even more. It's a great feeling for a kid when they get their first perch, biting their hook for the first time. We need to remember that it's also young, small communities that get more tourists. It's a communities that learn to live better in harmony with the water. But sports fisheries are almost always forgotten. They're just neglected. We need to change that sport. Fisheries have to be part of the common fisheries policy. I think that that could lead to a situation where we'd get more jobs, more children enjoying nature and a better economic situation for our leisure fishers.”
  Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
• 2026-06-17 “(16:08:11 – 16:08:50): you very much. We've heard news that the commission wants to introduce tariffs based on power, when people are consuming electricity. I would just caution against this. Now, of course, an industrial facility could adapt its electrical, consumption and can change. But imagine if you go home, and you've got 20 minutes before you have to take your kids out to football training, and that's when you want to put the washing machine on. But if you do that, you might be punished because you're just trying to live a normal life. We've already tried this out in Sweden. People”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-06-17 “(16:08:50 – 16:09:14): shouldn't be forced to change how they live to pay their electric bill. People do they have to get up and prepare dinner at dawn to adapt to the needs of the electrical grid? Of course not. When people go home after work or school, they should be able to live their lives without asking how much it's going to cost them to turn the electric on. We”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• 2026-03-18 “Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission 13.5.2026 Written question To facilitate implementation of the reporting obligations for recreational fisheries, and in line with Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (the Control Regulation), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 [1] , the Commission at the request of 13 Member States developed the digital system RecFishing. While the regulation requires daily reporting for certain species, Member States determine how the daily requirement is implemented and enforced nationally, including whether reporting is immediate or within 24 hours. The RecFishing mobile app accommodates these choices and allows reporting in line with Art. 55 of the Control Regulation, including offline, with data transmitted once connectivity is restored. While the Commission provides an electronic reporting system, it is the responsibility of Member States to define national rules on data collection and ensure the necessary enforcement, taking into account proportionality. During its meeting of 15 April 2026, the Working Group on Recreational Fisheries (WGRF) addressed possible challenges of a digital divide and discussed how to support fishers without mobile phone. The Commission develops, operates and maintains the RecFishing system to support data collection under Art. 55 of the Control Regulation. The current focus is to deploy core functionalities that can improve usability and acceptance, which will result in better data. It is a key objective of the Commission and Member States to develop tools to improve data quality to support future analysis. Finally, the roll-out of RecFishing was not postponed. As this is normal practice for large IT systems, it was launched progressively in the concerned Member States, following a pre-agreed schedule. Developments are discussed and agreed with Member States within the WGRF. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2842/oj/eng.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• 2025-10-30 “E-004265/2025 Answer given by Ms Zaharieva on behalf of the European Commission As spelled out in its Article 1(3), the proposed Regulation establishing Horizon Europe 20282034 1 does not apply to the Specific Programme on defence research. The activities of the latter and rules on association are laid down in the proposed Regulation establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) 2 . Under the future Horizon Europe Programme, only the European Innovation Council could support innovation in critical technologies with focus on defence applications. For such activities, entities established in third countries would be eligible for funding provided that their country is associated with the ECF for defence activities. International cooperation would remain a cornerstone of the EU’s research and innovation policy, reflecting the EU’s commitment to promote cooperation with third countries and international organisations in this field, as mandated by the Treaties 3 . Carefully designed research security provisions would apply where justified. 1 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishing Horizon Europe, the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, for the period 2028-2034 laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulation (EU) 2021/695, COM(2025) 543 final, 16.07.2025. 2 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities, repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/522, (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/783, repealing provisions of Regulations (EU) 2021/696, (EU) 2023/588, and amending Regulation (EU) [EDIP], COM(2025) 555 final, 16.07.2025. 3 See Article 180, point (b) in conjunction with Article 186 of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU.”
  EU competences on defence · EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
• 2025-10-30 “E-004266/2025 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission The steel industry is a strategic industry for the EU’s economy, for its strategic autonomy and for supporting its successful decarbonisation. Therefore, on 7 October 2025 the Commission adopted a proposal to address the negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity on the EU steel market. The proposal seeks to substantially limit the volume of free-of-duty quotas and to increase the out-of-quota duty to 50%, applicable against all origins except the European economic area countries which are uniquely integrated through bilateral agreement. The proposed measure, if adopted, is independent from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) 1 , that is entering into its definitive phase on 1 January 2026. If an item’s commodity code is covered by both sets of rules, both the proposed tariff measure and the CBAM financial liability would apply due to the distinct legal basis pursuing different policy objectives. The CBAM aims at addressing the risk of carbon leakage and the steel measure addresses the negative trade-related effects of global overcapacity, therefore both need to apply to ensure effectiveness of the respective instruments. The overlap between the Combined Nomenclature codes covered by the proposed Steel Safeguard Measures and the CBAM is 299 codes. Furthermore, on 17 December 2025, the Commission presented a comprehensive review of CBAM, as well as proposed a legislative initiative to extend to scope of CBAM to downstream goods and include additional anti-circumvention measures. 1 https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/carbon-border-adjustment-mechanism_en.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) · EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• 2025-09-15 “E-003546/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the relocation effort linked to the ReeMAP project in Kiruna. The Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy has recently visited the site and paid tribute to the whole community’s dedication to the crucial endeavour of providing rare earth for the EU and thereby contributing to its strategic autonomy. This project also has a major economic value for the region in terms of employment and development of an entire ecosystem. While the Commission does not have a direct role in how project operations are performed or in what measures are used or foreseen by project promoters it is in contact with the ReeMap project promoters and will continue to work with the Swedish authorities to ensure that EU cohesion policy instruments and other relevant programmes can support a just and balanced transition.”
  EU policy on urban development · Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-03-06 “E-000978/2025 Answer given by Mr Kubilius on behalf of the European Commission The Commission acknowledges the importance of ensuring that the EU’s critical communication infrastructure remains sovereign and resilient. The Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) 1 as well as the EU Governmental Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM) 2 component of the EU Space Programme, once operational, will significantly enhance the EU's governmental satellite communications capacities and contribute in a pivotal manner to the EU sovereignty and strategic autonomy. The Regulation establishing the EU Space Programme and the EU Agency for the Space Programme 3 as well as the Regulation establishing the Union Secure Connectivity Programme 4 foresee that the Commission applies eligibility and participation conditions if it deems that this is necessary and appropriate to preserve the security, integrity and resilience of the operational EU systems. In particular, these conditions require, on components and services identified by the Commission as critical and security-sensitive, that all economic operators are not subject to control by a third country or by a third-country entity. Regarding the potential use by Member States of communication services provided by thirdcountry entities, the Commission cannot comment on purported agreements between a Member State and a commercial satellite operator, nor can it speculate on the characteristics of a hypothetical procurement. The purchase of this kind of equipment and services by Member States is part of their sovereign secure communication system and falls within their entire competence. 1 https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space/iris2-secure-connectivity_en 2 https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space/govsatcom-satellite-communications_en 3 OJ L 170, 12.5.2021 p.69 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/696/oj 4 OJ L 79, 17.3.2023 p.1 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/588/oj”
  EU competences on space policy · EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
• 2025-01-16 “E-000172/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission agrees that renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) will be crucial to the EU’s ambition of achieving climate neutrality. They will be used for instance in the form of hydrogen in industry and in the form of synthetic fuels in aviation and maritime sectors. To be compatible with a trajectory towards climate neutrality by 2050, it is necessary to switch in the medium term to sustainable sources of carbon such as carbon captured from the air or biogenic carbon. To facilitate this transition, the certification rules for RFNBOs allow the application of a mass balance system when the CO 2 is sourced from a mixture of fossil and sustainable CO 2 rather than insisting on the application of the physical share. Accordingly, it is possible to consider all CO 2 taken from the stream biogenic, provided the amount of biogenic CO 2 taken from the stream does not exceed the amount of biogenic CO 2 that is included in the mixture, which supports the replacement of fossil fuels during the transition period. According to Regulation (EU) 2022/996 1 , the period over which the mass balance must be achieved in case of CO 2 is three months. The Commission will assess whether the mass balance period can be extended to 12 months, as part of the review of the Regulation (EU) 2022/996. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2022/996/oj/eng”
  Energy (green transition)
• 2024-11-27 “E-002672/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Clean Industrial Deal, announced in the Political Guidelines for 2024-2029, will restate the business case for the decarbonisation of industry in Europe. Building on the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the Net Zero Industrial and Critical Raw Materials Acts, it will have a particular focus on energy-intensive industries and the net-zero sector. Some of the measures it will include will aim to lower energy prices, developing lead markets for EU-made decarbonised products, and leveraging circularity for the availability of raw materials. It will also develop Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships to increase the coordination of EU international engagement to support EU industry. It should also be noted that the EU already has several funding tools that can attract innovative and low carbon businesses. These include among others the Recovery and Resilience Facility, InvestEU and the Innovation Fund. The Commission will also put forward a new European Competitiveness Fund. Furthermore, the Commission will engage constructively with the United States (US) Administration as well as with other relevant actors – researchers, the business community, US States and Cities to support the transition to net-zero and present the EU as an attractive and stable place for investments regarding technologies and industries that will underpin the transition.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you. Some people in here are getting closer and closer to the oil lobby, and you might wonder what their end game really is. How much higher can prices get? How much more can we bend over before we realize that they are not looking at Europe's best interest? But you know something? In Ludvig Bakken and Sweden we are showing a different path €147 Billion euros, the biggest export order in Swedish history, to produce energy systems for the North Seas from tiny ludvika. This is the future. We've got skilled workers technology developments at world class levels. This provides jobs in industrial areas and gives us sovereignty. Europe should become more like Ludvika. And don't you think? Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “And thank you, Mr. Commissioner. I am here with a plea from the Baltic Sea, one of the most overfished fished seas in the world. Herring stocks have declined by over 80% since the 1990s. Almost no sprat goes to human consumption, but to pigs, chickens and salmon. Cod stocks have already collapsed. Industrial fishing is emptying our sea. Mixed species trawling is halting recovery and under-reporting is undermining the credibility of our fisheries data. The Ocean Pact is a welcome step. We do need binding legislation. It is crucial for our small scale fisheries, recreational fisheries for our local coastal communities. You can't simply you cannot fish in a Dead Sea. We have to move from words to action now. Ban the industrial trawling in the Baltic Sea. Set recovery quotas based on science, not short term profit. I plead to you, my colleagues, and to the Commission. The Baltic Sea cannot wait any longer. Thank you.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Thank you, chair, for me and the SNP, the negotiations on the National Regional Partnership plans are one of the key opportunities to strengthen Europe's industrial competitiveness. But to succeed, we must ensure that this framework truly reflects the realities on the ground. First, we believe that industrial and energy investments must remain firmly rooted in regions. Europe's industrial transformation does not happen in Brussels or national capitals alone. It happens in local ecosystems, in regions with specific strengths, skills and infrastructure. That is why we call for mandatory regional chapters in the NRP. Without them, we risk disconnecting EU investments from where they are most effective. Second, we must build on what already works. Smart specialisation strategies have proven their value in fostering innovation and competitive competitive industries. These strategies should be at the core of how we guide industrial and technological investments going forward. Third, we cannot leave any region behind. Territories with energy intensive industries or traditional manufacturing face the greatest challenges, but they also hold key assets for Europe's future. They need targeted support to diversify, reskill their workforce and attract new clean industries. This is not only about fairness, but about how we can strengthen Europe's overall competitiveness. Finally, our performance framework must encourage innovation, not limit it. If we focus only on low risk projects, we will miss the breakthroughs Europe needs. We must allow for space, for experimentation, and ensure that risk is not unfairly shifted onto those driving innovation. In short, we need a strong place based approach that is essential. Here we will. It will make our investments more effective, more inclusive, and better aligned with Europe's long term competitiveness. Thank you.”
  EU cohesion/structural-fund architecture: consolidation vs ring-fenced separate funds
• “Thank you very much. Uh, I'm going straight to the question. It's on the dual use issues. Uh, so what requirements regarding security, export controls and use restrictions and background checks does the Commission envisage introducing for projects or companies receiving EIC support that work with defence or dual use technologies, and does the Commission foresee that responsibility for these matters will rest with national authorities? Thank you.”
  Arms export from the EU
• “I'm going to try and answer as best I can. Now, what we're talking about today shows one thing. We have to tell citizens that we've had a right wing policy up to now, or a far right policy. These groups have been saying that it's thanks to them that there's there have been a low diesel and petrol prices. That's what they've been saying. But we've realised that we're not the ones who led to a war in Iran once again were facing exorbitant prices. And because of this, it is very clear that our dependence on these dictatorships, these oil dictatorships, means that we are more dependent and this reduces our competitiveness. This is where we have to act.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you, chair. And thank you to the rapporteur and everyone involved in this work. Um, getting an agreement in place to protect the marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction is indeed urgent. The world's oceans are under severe pressure. We are seeing declining biodiversity and degraded ecosystems as a result of both climate change and expanding human activities such as overfishing, shipping, plastic pollution and deep sea mining. It is crucial that we now call for the swift transposition and effective implementation of the Bbnj agreement. We cannot afford further delay. The repeated attacks on multilateralism underline the The importance of the EU, reiterating its strong commitment to the UN convention on the law of the sea. This convention must remain our foundation. We need to work together also to ensure that the Member States implement the Bbnj agreement quickly and consistently, so that we can protect our oceans from future threats and safeguard biodiversity for generations to come. I am looking forward, of course, to working with the rapporteur and the shadows on this file together. Thank you.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• “Thank you very much. I. Don't know if you saw on TV the 672, uh, ton church that rolled slowly through Kiruna to its new location. The reason for that is ground movements due to mining. And so about half of the local area will have to move in the end. Uh, and this, um, mining area does accounts for about 80% of Europe's iron ore. So that is something which people are proud of. But it's something that is in the joint interest of all of the EU industrial policy. Regional policy. They have to go together. Kirana supplies a large amount of the EU with its iron ore, and it cannot leave the people of Kirana alone. It is time for the EU and the Swedish government to contribute as well. Thank you.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you, chair. And thank you, professor, for your report. Um, I think the most important quote from today will be, I hope I quote you right here, that you said, I don't know if we can save this anymore. Uh, I hope that this is what the colleagues here and the people in this room are taking away from this, uh, day, that this is not a question of. Okay, can we can we maybe get together for some discussions here and some conferences here, and maybe in ten years or 20 years, we can maybe have some different management and different different scientific data in the bottom of our decisions. This is a question of is the time still there to save this sea at all? We have to realize that this is not something that we can put a lot of time on. We have had policies in place that was trying to make a difference here and they didn't work. I think that's because the real political will from the member states and from maybe from the commission also wasn't there. We have also had we've had a lot too big of a pressure on maximising the quotas every year in how we are questioning, putting the questions to the to ISIS and also in every part of the decision making has been a pressure on maximising quotas. I know that, of course, as I have to say, there have been also actors trying to make a difference here and I appreciate everyone who has been working for that.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• “Thank you, chair, and thank you very much to Esther for this great draft resolution. I sincerely look forward to discussing this further with you during the negotiations. Um, I would like to focus my speech here today on one of the topics on raising private capital in in research and innovation in Europe, because I think that if we want to be a continent that competes on competence and quality rather than low wages, then private capital must start investing seriously in the challenges that we see today and tomorrow. But we can see that in reality, we are stuck now in the EU, in the so-called medium technology trap, whilst private capital is underachieving. And when we try to close the innovation gap, as this committee knows very well, there are many hurdles to address. So just look at the wide range of priorities in the Competitiveness Fund, its defence, its space, its digital bioeconomy, decarbonisation, energy, AI and clean tech. All of these are very important things to address. But even though EU will have useful tools once the budget files are agreed, they like the competitiveness fund Fp10 CF, this will not be enough. There is simply no way that we will achieve our political goals without aligning also the private capital and making it invest in the future of this continent. So we therefore need a serious political discussion about how we can make that happen together. And I hope that Parliament's resolution and the upcoming ERA act will be where this debate takes place, because there are many lessons to share about this and how we can create real incentives for private capital to boost investment in research in Europe. So I very much welcome that. The draft resolution opens a discussion on how we can reach the 3% target amongst, of course, other several also truly important topics. Thank you.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• “Thank you chair. Thank you, Mrs. Lacasse. Commissioner. Minister, I will speak about academic freedom in Swedish. We see that the right to freedom of expression is under threat. We see in Hungary, a whole university was forced to close down due to political influence. We see interference in vaccines in the US. In China, students are monitored and surveilled. So we have seen those in power try to Influence universities take control, influence research. It is to push their political agenda. Now, when politicians shrink our ability to have freedom of thought and to work in this way, it's a systematic interference in our democracy. And so our freedom of thought and expression is one of the most important things we have. There should be freedom to research and critical thinking. Shouldn't she be able to ask questions? And that freedom has to be found all across Europe? And if our research and scientists are concentrated in just a few member states, we see brain drain from certain regions and perhaps new techniques aren't developing as quickly as they could. Perhaps talent is missed just because of where you live or the parents. You have a strong. Europe needs universities and researchers across the whole of the EU. We need to really protect that knowledge. That is really a cornerstone of our democracy and we have to protect it. We have dictators who are pushing their own truths for their own ends, for economic interests. So we need to protect that now and in the future. Thank you.”
  Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• “Thank you, chair, and thanks to everyone involved in this for taking responsibility and taking on the fight for our regions. I would like to zoom in on one topic that's close to my heart and also raise awareness of one of the amendments that I have submitted in the northern parts of Sweden and Finland. We have a lot of strategic industries steel mining, fossil free energy, forestry, and advanced manufacturing. Right now, some of Europe's largest investments in the green transition are taking place there. But in the new budget proposal, more responsibility is moved to the national level, as we all know and as we all also are discussing. While the earmarking for the northern, sparsely populated areas is missing and sparsity is no longer included in the allocation model. This risk weakening the regions that are currently carrying a significant share of Europe's industrial transition. Because we need a system that encourages results but also recognizes different starting points. Otherwise, performance requirements and centralization may hit hardest the areas that already face structural challenges. So we need to keep the earmarking for nzpa. It's not only a regional detail, it's actually a strategic investment in Europe's green transition, in our industrial capacity and in territorial cohesion. Thank you very much.”
  EU cohesion/structural-fund architecture: consolidation vs ring-fenced separate funds · Cohesion and rural funding
• “Thank you. Steel, which is cast and rolled in China, is based on rate conditions. And this must not destroy our production plants. No helmet shall be shelved because other countries cheat. Because if Europe's furnaces are closed, we will be weakened. But it's like some people aren't listening. Those who never done protective gear before the start of the shift, those who never understood how the mill can underpin its community. Those who never set foot in steel mills like Degerfors Smedjebacken. They think we live in a world which no longer exists, but we must wake from our slumber and realize that our production is under attack. Therefore, the chamber must vote in favor of this protection. But it's not enough. We also have to invest if we're to get out of this crisis so that when Europe enters the 2030s, the construction of new communities must rest on beams from places like Avesta, Sandviken, Lulea and places like Boden It's time for the return of mill towns.”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market
• “Thank you chair. Thank you, Mrs. Lacasse. Commissioner. Minister, I will speak about academic freedom in Swedish. We see that the right to freedom of expression is under threat. We see in Hungary, a whole university was forced to close down due to political influence. We see interference in vaccines in the US. In China, students are monitored and surveilled. So we have seen those in power try to Influence universities take control, influence research. It is to push their political agenda. Now, when politicians shrink our ability to have freedom of thought and to work in this way, it's a systematic interference in our democracy. And so our freedom of thought and expression is one of the most important things we have. There should be freedom to research and critical thinking. Shouldn't she be able to ask questions? And that freedom has to be found all across Europe? And if our research and scientists are concentrated in just a few member states, we see brain drain from certain regions and perhaps new techniques aren't developing as quickly as they could. Perhaps talent is missed just because of where you live or the parents. You have a strong. Europe needs universities and researchers across the whole of the EU. We need to really protect that knowledge. That is really a cornerstone of our democracy and we have to protect it. We have dictators who are pushing their own truths for their own ends, for economic interests. So we need to protect that now and in the future. Thank you.”
  Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• “Thank you. Chair. I will be speaking in Swedish. First of all, I very much agree with what my Swedish colleagues have said. The ones that have spoken this afternoon. We know that the situation in the Baltic is extremely serious, and we've known that for a long time. There are colleagues here who've been working on this issue for years and have been referring to it, and the development has been going in the wrong direction for a very long time, as just has has been said by a number of colleagues. And we've heard from the Commission about how serious the situation is. So we're really shocked to be sitting here hearing that there's a proposed increase in the quota of 108%. So what are we going to do to to understand this correctly? Well, it seems to me, certainly in Sweden, that people believe believed that a long term sustainable fisheries policy is required for the Baltic Sea. Often people refer to the socio economic socio economic aspects, and that is precisely what we are dealing with. Travelling around Sweden and this is what we hear from the small scale coastal fish, fish, fish, fishers. And it's a social, economic question and we've got to get the sustainability aspect correct. I agree with the way that many people have been talking about this, but ultimately we need to think what is behind all this? What is it in fact, has resulted in this massive increase in the proposal, and I am really worried that there is an economic interest behind this. And they are not going to be many. They're going to be very, very few who will survive. And most of the small scale fish fishers are going to go out of business. So we need to know what's behind this. Thank you.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “But we can see that the the result here is what we have, that we have a dying sea. We also can see that the decision has been made on false information. Every assumption has always been too optimistic and still we are making the decisions on the same models. We have to change this. And to the colleague from the EPP on overfishing, I would say that overfishing in this case is clearly from from an ecological point of view, not a bureaucratic point of view. But of course, that's the question to the professor. Also a question from my side. Is it possible to reach our targets, um, that we have with the holistic view and ecological, uh, perspectives and a living ocean and and so on? Is it possible to reach this, keeping the current fishing methods that are used in the Baltic Sea? And I think to to wrap it up, I think we need to base our decision. Of course, we have to have the best scientific models, we have to improve them. But I think that we have to base our political decisions on the information that we already have, and we have already seen that. Thank you.”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries
• “Thank you. I'm going a bit off topic here, but I've understood that you're going to Kiruna in Sweden tomorrow. You'll be meeting a number of different Swedish ministers and industry. So I wish you in advance. Welcome. It's great that the commission is going to go there and see what's going on in Sweden on the ground, because we are physically actually moving to cities. Kiruna. And to ensure that we have the EU critical material guarantees, we've also got 80% of, uh, iron ore coming from the region. So that's important. But it also applies huge pressure. So there are a number of different ways to see this. And I would call on you when you are there to meet the unions, the mine workers, uh, people that work in, uh, the different types of, uh, industry, uh, catering and hotels, etc. all the people that are doing all this work because it's industry that, uh, has to dovetail with what happens locally. So we need to support those local areas and regions that take on the big risks and the huge costs to make sure that the whole of the EU can have this green switch and be competitiveness competitive in the future, and we can stand on our own feet. What do you think about that? How do we get regional policy and industrial policy to dovetail? Thank you.”
  EU cohesion/structural-fund architecture: consolidation vs ring-fenced separate funds
• “Thank you very much, Madam President. Commissioner. Sarajevo. At the moment in the United States, we have a systematic exception, a situation where democracy is crumbling and science is being undermined in a way that many academics need to find themselves. A new university training is denied to many of them. And bear in mind that the population isn't going to call into question this authority. The far right is denying denying climate change. It is putting obstacles along the way. This is not acceptable. What Europe needs to do is to stop remaining silent. We need to speak out. We need to be the place chosen by others so that science and research can flourish against the backdrop of freedom. That is why this commission initiative is extremely important, but we want specific action to be taken. We will not bow to to far right ideology. We are proud of our freedom.”
  EU-US relations
• “Thank you. Commissioner. I will be speaking Swedish. Diesel prices have changed in Sweden and Sweden has become more vulnerable. And electricity investment is becoming more difficult. But you're not going to dupe the Swedish people. The government is trying to stop this development, but it's not assuming its responsibility. He doesn't realize that they haven't listened to our warnings. We warned them that we were going to depend on oil and petrol dictatorships. So. We warned them many times. And now your voters are asking for Explanations because citizens aren't stupid. They understand what is happening. That energy prices have gone up because of the war in the Middle East. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Chair: From Mr. Juncker.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you. Commissioner. I will be speaking Swedish. Diesel prices have changed in Sweden and Sweden has become more vulnerable. And electricity investment is becoming more difficult. But you're not going to dupe the Swedish people. The government is trying to stop this development, but it's not assuming its responsibility. He doesn't realize that they haven't listened to our warnings. We warned them that we were going to depend on oil and petrol dictatorships. So. We warned them many times. And now your voters are asking for Explanations because citizens aren't stupid. They understand what is happening. That energy prices have gone up because of the war in the Middle East.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you chair. Thank you, Mrs. Lacasse. Commissioner. Minister, I will speak about academic freedom in Swedish. We see that the right to freedom of expression is under threat. We see in Hungary, a whole university was forced to close down due to political influence. We see interference in vaccines in the US. In China, students are monitored and surveilled. So we have seen those in power try to Influence universities take control, influence research. It is to push their political agenda. Now, when politicians shrink our ability to have freedom of thought and to work in this way, it's a systematic interference in our democracy. And so our freedom of thought and expression is one of the most important things we have. There should be freedom to research and critical thinking. Shouldn't she be able to ask questions? And that freedom has to be found all across Europe? And if our research and scientists are concentrated in just a few member states, we see brain drain from certain regions and perhaps new techniques aren't developing as quickly as they could. Perhaps talent is missed just because of where you live or the parents. You have a strong. Europe needs universities and researchers across the whole of the EU. We need to really protect that knowledge. That is really a cornerstone of our democracy and we have to protect it. We have dictators who are pushing their own truths for their own ends, for economic interests. So we need to protect that now and in the future. Thank you.”
  Governance of academic priorities within the EU
• “Thank you very much. And thank you to Commissioner Johnson. I would like to raise two points today. First of all, what are we supposed to do with the bottleneck monies? This is money that Sweden households are being paying every. Month. And this money is just being kept on an account of 65 billion at the moment. And Swedish companies, Swedish families wonder why we're importing the more expensive energy. We should release the bottleneck fees so that Sweden can use that money as it wishes. And then the most important is to get down those prices. And in order to do that, we have to be independent from old mad men and their gas and oil. And what we're hearing from the Patriots is just a scandal. Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thanks, chair. I will be speaking in Swedish. I'd like to thank the rapporteur and the shadows. I think all of this is important. And for me personally, this proposal is one of the key dossiers that we're going to be grappling with during this legislative period. As many people have said, industrial policy needs to go hand in hand with climate policy and the reverse also applies. We don't want to see price dumping or dirty oil or toxins or poor working conditions. We can't compete on that basis. We don't want to be competitive by going down that road, so we need to have our focus elsewhere. There are other areas where we ought to be developing. We don't want to give up on our high standards and our high level of ambition, because that will actually mean that we sacrifice competitiveness. And this also needs to be taken account of in public procurement, though, we have a real opportunity to provide some kind of political guidance, because this is public funding which is being developed, invested in public development. If we want to be at the forefront with the environment transition, then we shouldn't let up. When it comes to climate policy. A lot of Swedish businesses have followed the rules.”
  EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding
• “The Competitiveness fund cannot be about compensation. It must be about building a strong and independent Europe today and in the future. This transition must lead to more jobs and higher wages in our regions, in sectors where Europe can be a global leader. Um, I think it's important that we, if we want to tackle digital blind spots, Europe must lead in innovation. Otherwise we will deepen our dependencies when the fund period ends. The technological landscape may already have changed. If we want to fight the energy poverty. The only sustainable solution is to accelerate the transition to fossil free energy. That is what will bring structurally lower prices for households and companies. The EU budget is not large enough to permanently subsidise energy bills. If we want to reduce our dependency on Russia, on China or the United States, we must urgently need to scale up our own production in key sectors such as clean tech, semiconductors, batteries and so on. So, and ultimately, social acceptance depends on whether this transition delivers real opportunities and quality jobs for our constituencies. To make sure of that, the regions need to be at the table in this fund. So the money goes to the right things. Uh, looking forward to working closely with the rapporteurs and other shadows on this one. Thank you very much.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “(18:00:19 – 18:01:11): Thank you, chair, and thank you, commissioner. We can all agree that we need more European alternatives here. However, we do not want to become a technological colony, where big tech establishes itself on its own terms, where energy prices skyrocket for our citizen and municipalities are left to pick up the bill. It's great that the commission proposals that all data centers should be sustainable. It's great that, they are also proposing that waste heat must come to use. But data centers must also be obligated to contribute to new energy production. They cannot simply consume what others have built. So my question to you, Commissioner Wilkinen, is if the commission is working on any demands for data centers to also contribute to the production of the energy that they are so heavily on consuming. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Yes. Thank you. President. Well, yes. It took five seconds for all of that to happened, but it only took one second for the consequences to be seen around the European Union in particular. Conclusions and lessons to be drawn from this rather than. Looking at how we could help these people on the basis of solidarity and cohesion. All of a sudden, immediately people were trying to point the blame. And all of this, I think, stems well from those who want to sow terror, to sow doubt, and who want us to go back to a world which is dominated by coal and gas. Uh, with, uh, large companies who dictate prices. It's, uh, a bit annoying because nobody really realizes what's at stake here. So we have to have a European Union that's energy independent. So we don't need people to sow doubts. We live in times which are marked by uncertainty, so we have to be careful before we start throwing out unfounded accusations.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you very much, chairman. And thank you, Commissioner. I noted that. There are some people who like to talk about foreign powers, but I don't like the fact that we're dependent on old men in Russia, China and the United States were not doing this to be nice to anybody for our own sake, rather for jobs and for energy. If we are to be a producing continent in the future with good conditions for workers, we can't cling to out-of-date energy. But we still hear a lot of people who would like to stay in the present or even go to the past. This is absurd. A lot of people say that everything can be as it's always been, but it's never been the way it's always been. Don't you understand that? Thank you.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Thank you. President. The history books do not need more empires, more conquerors, more rulers, and still nostalgic dreams of great powers continue to break Ukrainian home. Turn off heating in the middle of the winter. Kidnap children and kill innocent people. This goes against international rule and common sense. Ordinary people pay the price. Parents, children, workers who see their homes on fire and see their lives disappear in the light of the drones. I'm very proud that we have reached agreement here. We must free ourselves of Russian energy. But the sobering eyes of history will judge. They will judge politicians and governments who did not do everything in their power, and who let the situation run so far and become so serious. Before we reached this decision, they have let Putin invoice more for their gas than we have lent in support to the Ukrainian people. Thank you.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “I'm going to try and answer as best I can. Now, what we're talking about today shows one thing. We have to tell citizens that we've had a right wing policy up to now, or a far right policy. These groups have been saying that it's thanks to them that there's there have been a low diesel and petrol prices. That's what they've been saying. But we've realised that we're not the ones who led to a war in Iran once again were facing exorbitant prices. And because of this, it is very clear that our dependence on these dictatorships, these oil dictatorships, means that we are more dependent and this reduces our competitiveness. This is where we have to act.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “They have abided by all the rules and regulations that we have put together in this committee and in other committees in the Parliament. So we laid down the rules. The Swedish businesses have stood up, stood by those rules, and now we need to ask whether we're going to undermine all of those rules. We know that there are other regions in the world which are moving forward. So where is this going to lead? Perhaps we won't become more competitive and the others won't either. So we need to think about long term rules of the game. And this means that we need to ensure that we're being taken seriously. We need to be clear that we need a good climate policy, a green transition. But if we say all that and then we do a U-turn, then we're not going to be taken seriously, including not from the businesses that are already abiding by the rules. What this means is that we don't have businesses developing, we don't have the jobs that we want to see, and that's not something we can allow. So we need to continue to maintain our climate ambition because that's the only way we'll be competitive.”
  Climate efforts
• “Thank you chair. And I would like to first of all, thank the rapporteur for a very well drafted text and that contains many elements that we can support. Um, I would also like to start with that. The ECF of course has other objectives than the cohesion policy. That is why they are, are and should be separated. However, there are several important perspectives that we need to address. The ECF must not be a fund only for the richest cities or biggest companies. The regions need to be involved. This would strengthen territorial resilience and also make the ECF better. All competitiveness is created in real communities where people live in real regions, where people live and where people work. The ECF must not be used to support companies that don't take labour rights and social responsibility seriously. At the same time, I think it's important also that we must ensure that the competitiveness of Europe remains the central objective of this fund. Our role as a committee is to put forward proposals that secure the social acceptance for the transition that we need to be need to make in in the EU going ahead to achieve that, Europe must lead in the strategic fields and priorities set out in the fund. That leadership must translate into good, well paid jobs that generate long term prosperity.”
  EU cohesion/structural-fund architecture: consolidation vs ring-fenced separate funds
• “Thank you. I have to say that where I live, we've been producing significant quantities of electricity for over 100 years. And hearing this talk of how we need to up production, I know lots of people do work extremely hard at the power stations as we look towards the future. I think the work which is being done by those in this sector will be ever more valuable to Europe, because Europe needs electricity. So anyone with the right skills, Europe needs you. We need to be independent of the Russian gas or the oil of dictatorships, and we need to ensure that we have the right, interconnected interconnectivity to ensure that our grid can be secure in Europe. I'm very proud of all those of you who work in the power station in my neighborhood.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration