Stefano CAVEDAGNA

Policy topics Stefano CAVEDAGNA is active on

What Stefano CAVEDAGNA has said (51)

• 2026-03-05 “Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission 8.5.2026 Written question The EU takes robust action to protect its industries from unfairly traded imports and at present has over 230 measures in place, with almost half of those tackling unfair trade from China. Since June 2025, the Commission’s import surveillance task force [1] has been actively monitoring trade flows to identify import pressure and inform decisions and actions to protect the EU internal market. The Commission’s analysis covers all imports, including textiles, and has identified several textile codes as being potentially at risk of harmful import increases. The Commission calls on EU producers and associations to review the results and, where warranted, provide further market intelligence and data on the economic situation facing industry that will help assess whether certain products need protection through targeted, proportionate and timely action, while avoiding any unintended effects on other producers downstream. In that context, recently the Commission shared the results [2] of the Import Surveillance Task Force with the European apparel and textile confederation and is in contact with them regarding relevant market information to discuss the issues. As regards dumped or subsidised imports, the Commission takes action to defend EU industry where it receives complaints with evidence that such imports harm the particular industry in Europe. The Complaints Office of Trade Defence Services can be contacted to discuss the procedure [3] and obtain guidance on how to proceed with tackling unfair competition from imports. There is also comprehensive information regarding trade defence proceedings on the trade defence website [4] including guides on how to proceed, the evidence and information required as well as the time frame for investigations. [1] https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/enforcement-and-protection/trade-defence/monitoring-trade-diversion_en. [2] https://circabc.europa.eu/ui/group/2e3865ad-3886-4131-92bb-a71754fffec6/library/e4b4b9cd-1485-491d-b5e9-aeb5e62002e1/details?open=true. [3] trade-defence-complaints@ec.europa.eu. [4] https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/enforcement-and-protection/trade-defence_en.”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market · Trade relations with China
• 2026-03-04 “E-000883/2026 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Commission currently holds data from 2018 pertaining to specific types of fuel fraud and covering only a few Member States. To gather updated and comprehensive data, the Commission launched in early 2026 an external study aiming to quantify the excise revenues that are lost due to fraud and non-compliance, including but not only on supplies of fuel. This quantification is a preliminary step towards identifying the most affected areas within the EU and tracking the issue over time. The next phase will involve examining the structural factors contributing to this phenomenon. This ongoing study is carried out in cooperation with Member States, focusing on methodological issues and extending to the exchange of experiences regarding new fraud patterns, risk indicators, and control measures. The completion of the study is envisaged in early autumn 2026. Its results will feed into the 2026 edition of the ‘Mind the Gap’ Report 1 . As regards coordination among national authorities, a Fiscalis Project Group was set up in early 2026 to enhance technical cooperation and allow for the exchange of information. The first meeting of the group will be held on 20 April 2026. Regarding a strategy to address the issues at hand, technical discussions with Member States, facilitated by the Fiscalis Project Group, will aim to identify consensus areas for further harmonisation to mitigate fraud risks. 1 https://taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu/taxation/vat/fight-against-vat-fraud/mind-gap-report_en.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation · Tax Havens · VAT harmonisation
• 2026-02-04 “E-000448/2026 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 1. The protection of individuals with coeliac disease in the EU is governed by two main regulations: the Regulation on Food Information to Consumers 1 , which mandates clear labelling for allergens and gluten, and the Gluten Free Regulation 2 , which sets specific rules for gluten-free products. These regulations create a harmonised framework that facilitates informed consumer choices and ensures a high level of protection across the EU. 2. In line with Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Commission complements national policies by providing support in reaching health policy objectives, through the framework initiative ‘Healthier Together’ 3 , which addresses noncommunicable diseases, such as coeliac disease. The Expert Group on Public Health 4 advises the Commission on the preparation of policy initiatives and activities addressing key public health challenges. The Commission also supports the exchange of best practices 5 , such as on effective actions to support coeliac patients. The implementation of measures on healthcare delivery and financial support to improve the access to specific foods for coeliac patients rests with the Member States. 3. In addition to possible excess baggage exemptions by airlines, the allocation of financial resources to measures allowing people with coeliac disease to carry gluten-free products on flights, is the responsibility of national authorities. 1 OJ L 304 22.11.2011, p. 18. 2 OJ L 228, 31.7.2014, p. 5. 3 Healthier together – EU non-communicable diseases initiative, https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicablediseases/healthier-together-eu-non-communicable-diseases-initiative_en. 4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/non-communicable-diseases/expert-group-public-health_en. 5 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dyna/bp-portal/.”
  Nutrition · EU competences on health
• 2026-02-04 “E-000449/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission Tackling non-compliance is a key objective of the Single Market Strategy 1 . In this context, the Commission is revising the Market Surveillance Regulation (MSR) 2 as part of the European Product Act. The MSR revision’s aim is to strengthen enforcement on products imported from third countries, including through clearer obligations, enhanced accountability and traceability of manufacturers non-established in the EU, and to reinforce cooperation between Member States to ensure more effective cross-border enforcement. In addition to the revision of the Market Surveillance Regulation, the EU Customs Reform 3 will structurally reinforce the capabilities of enforcement authorities to control the flow of goods at the EU border, by introducing a new EU Customs Authority which will operate the EU Customs Data Hub and run a central risk analysis. This will enhance coordination and information sharing among customs authorities and with other competent authorities, leading to a smarter approach to controls related to imports posing risks to the EU economy and citizens, hereunder non-compliant vending and coffee machines from third countries. The Commission also coordinates joint enforcement actions, targeting products in multiple sectors which are available for sale in brick and-mortar shops and online. These actions strengthen enforcement across Member States and allow exchange of best practices. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52025DC0500. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R1020-20240523. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023PC0258&qid=1684913361276.”
  EU restrictions on unfair commercial practices · EU competences on consumer protection and product standards
• 2025-11-28 “E-004734/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission 1. This project is part of investment M2C2.I4.2 of the Italian recovery and resilience plan (RRP) 1 , ‘Development of rapid mass transport systems’. The final target of this measure (M2C2-26), concerning the completion of the activities supported by the investment, will be assessed in 2026 in the context of the 10 th payment request. 2. The proper implementation of the measures included in the plan falls under the Member State’s responsibility, including respect of EU acquis. The Commission monitors the implementation of the measures included in the Italian RRP by assessing the satisfactorily fulfilment of milestones and targets in the context of payment requests, in line with Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2021/241 2 . The assessment is based on the requirements outlined in the Annex to the Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the RRP for Italy 3 . 3. Member States’ authorities, including the judiciary, are primarily responsible to ensure the compliance of the specific projects undertaken in the context of their national RRP with national and EU law. EU legislation concerning road infrastructure safety management, namely Directive 2008/96/EC 4 , does not impose the use of any standard; this falls in the remit of the competent authorities of the Member States. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resiliencefacility/country-pages/italys-recovery-and-resilience-plan_en. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/241/oj/eng. 3 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-15114-2024-ADD-1-REV-1/en/pdf. 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/96/oj/eng.”
  Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-11-19 “E-004602/2025 Answer given by Mr Hansen on behalf of the European Commission 1. The Commission recognises the importance of protecting geographical indications (GI), such as the ‘Piadina Romagnola PGI’, within its policy framework for agriculture and trade. Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 1 provides strengthened protection instruments for GIs within the internal market. The term ‘Piadina’, as a single term, is not protected under this Regulation. The competent authority in the Member State where a potentially infringing product is produced or marketed must take the necessary actions to stop unlawful use. The Commission can assist the Piadina Romagnola Consortium and other consortia by providing guidance on applying EU GI Regulations and facilitating cooperation among stakeholders to resolve disputes effectively. It can also explore ways to help consortia raise awareness about the importance of GIs and their role in preserving cultural heritage and promoting economic development. 2. To address the issue of homonymous trade mark registrations in third countries, the Commission engages with international partners to promote the recognition and protection of EU GIs. This includes the full use of existing bilateral trade agreements and multilateral frameworks, such as the Word Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) 2 . This will involve enhanced monitoring, formal consultations, technical exchanges with trading partners in the framework of trade committees, enforcement actions and dispute settlement provisions. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1143/oj/eng. 2 https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/treaties/details/231.”
  EU framework for voluntary quality and sustainability terms in food marketing
• 2025-10-16 “E-004085/2025 Answer given by Mr Dombrovskis on behalf of the European Commission In line with Regulation (EU) 2021/241 1 , the financial contribution allocated to Italy under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is disbursed if the milestones and targets set out in the Annex to the Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Italy (CID Annex) are satisfactorily fulfilled 2 . The consolidation and restoration of the Garisenda Tower may be reported by Italy as part of the final target in the context of Investment 2.4: ‘Seismic safety in places of worship, restoration of “Fondo Edifici di Culto” (Fund for Religious Buildings) heritage, and shelter sites for works of art (Recovery Art)’. The Commission has not yet assessed the fulfilment of the target against the requirements specified in the CID Annex, including compliance with the established timeline as Italy has not yet submitted the corresponding payment request. Member States remain primarily responsible for the implementation of their Recovery and Resilience Plans as approved in the CID Annex, as well as for verifying that the financing provided has been properly used in accordance with all applicable rules. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0241. 2 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9587-2025-INIT/en/pdf.”
  EU strategy for tourism development · Cohesion and rural funding
• 2025-10-14 “E-004026/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera on behalf of the European Commission The Commission remains at all times committed to assuring an efficient functioning of the Single Market through enforcement of competition rules. Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union applies to agreements or concerted practices between operators. The situation referred to by the Honourable Members seems to be explained by individual decisions of market operators and the Commission is not aware of elements indicating coordination leading to price-fixing arrangements. Hence, the situation does not warrant a competition investigation into a possible breach of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Of course, the Commission remains open to receive any other relevant elements on the matter. Regarding the checks to prevent origin fraud, all olive oils marketed in the EU must comply with a strict set of marketing standards 1 , independently of their origin. Member States must carry out a number of conformity checks on olive oil in relation to its production and internal composition, and carry out these controls based on risk analysis that relies on various factors, including its price, storage facilities and country of origin. Besides, EU imports of olive oil from Tunisia and Türkiye under a preferential tariff regime are subject to preferential rules of origin. Member States’ customs authorities are competent as regards doubt as to the authenticity of the declared origin and may request a verification to confirm the origin of the products concerned. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R2104.”
  Import of agri-food products in the EU · EU policy on country of origin food labelling
• 2025-09-01 “E-003356/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The objectives and priorities of EU funding are defined in the EU Regulations establishing funding programmes, adopted by the EU Member States in the Council and by the European Parliament. These include the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) 1 funding programme, aiming at protecting and promoting the rights and values enshrined in the EU Treaties and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights 2 . Under the equality, rights and gender equality strand, the programme aims at combating racism, xenophobia and all forms of intolerance, including homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, interphobia. The CERV funding programme is implemented through multi annual programmes approved by the CERV Programme Committee constituted by representatives of the Member States and through calls for proposals, which are public. Any legal entity established in the EU may submit a proposal. Proposals are evaluated against pre-announced selection and award criteria by independent experts. Only the highest ranked proposals are selected for funding. The funding is provided in full transparency and in line with the Financial Regulation 3 . 1 OJ L 156, 5.5.2021, p. 1–20, Regulation (EU) 2021/692 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1381/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EU) No 390/2014, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5703/oj. 2 OJ C 326, 26.10.2012, pp. 391–407, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/treaty/char_2012/oj 3 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast) available at: https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R2509.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion · LGBTIQ+
• 2025-07-26 “P-003108/2025 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission It is within the competence of the Member States to address discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in municipal school canteens in accordance with their national legislation and international human rights obligations, subject to the supervision of national judicial authorities. If the persons concerned consider that their rights have been violated, national courts are competent to assess their claim, in accordance with the applicable law. In addition, in Italy, the National Office Against Racial Discrimination 1 has been designated to provide assistance to victims of discrimination. The Commission remains committed to promote and protect the EU values and fundamental rights, including non-discrimination and the rights of persons belonging to minorities, which are enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU 2 prohibits any discrimination based on any ground, including religion or belief. This Charter provision applies to Member States when they are implementing EU law 3 . 1 https://www.unar.it/portale/. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/char_2012/oj/eng. 3 Article 51(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.”
  EU policy on Islam · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• 2025-07-04 “E-002747/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Commission’s monitoring of the implementation of the Italian national recovery and resilience plans (RRP) is based on the requirements outlined in the Annex to the Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Italy (CID Annex) 1 . With regard to the investment on the Development of Rapid Mass Transport systems in particular, targets M2C2-25bis, M2C2-25ter and M2C2-26 will be assessed in the context of the tenth payment request expected in 2026, while milestone M2C2-24 and M2C2-25 were assessed in the context of the fifth and seventh payment request. The Commission’s assessment of the satisfactory fulfilment of those milestones and targets is based on the already mentioned requirements embedded in the CID Annex. Overall, Member States’ authorities, including the judiciary, are primarily responsible to ensure the compliance of the specific projects undertaken in the context of their national RRP with national and EU law, including on the matters related to working conditions. 1 ST 9587/25 ADD 1 - https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9587-2025-ADD-1/en/pdf.”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions · EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• 2025-05-12 “E-001881/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission In 2016, the medicinal product Ocaliva was granted a conditional marketing authorisation in the EU to treat adults with primary biliary cholangitis. The authorisation was based on a less complete dataset but was conditional on the submission of the results of a post-authorisation study to confirm that observed biochemical changes translated into positive clinical outcomes. However, the completed study results did not show the expected improvement in clinical outcomes over placebo and highlighted related safety issues. Following a request from the Commission, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) evaluated all available evidence about the efficacy and safety of Ocaliva, including feedback from physicians’ associations and patient groups. The CHMP concluded that the benefits of Ocaliva no longer overweighed its risks 1 . Consequently, on 27 June 2024, the CHMP recommended revoking the conditional marketing authorisation for Ocaliva. Based on the CHMP’s recommendation, the Commission adopted a decision on 30 August 2024, revoking the conditional marketing authorisation for this product 2 . As far as alternative treatment options, there are other medicines currently authorised in the EU for the treatment of the same condition. In addition, in exceptional circumstances, Member States can also allow at national level the supply of an unauthorised medicine to patients already under treatment 3 , or to an individual patient under the direct personal responsibility of the healthcare professional 4 . More generally, patients' treatment decisions should be made by their consulting medical doctor in the patient’s best interest, and thus the Commission cannot provide any advice in this regard. 1 Ocaliva – referral, European Medicines Agency: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/referrals/ocaliva. 2 Union Register of medicinal products, European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/health/documents/community-register/html/h1139.htm. 3 Article 117(3) of Directive 2001/83/EC. 4 Article 5(1) of Directive 2001/83/EC.”
  Pharmaceuticals regulation in EU
• 2025-04-30 “E-001767/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission The EU’s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards fully apply to imported products, which must always comply with the EU’s stringent food safety requirements including maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides. The Commission establishes a principle that the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back through imports products 1 . The Commission will launch this year an assessment to consider the impact on the EU’s competitive position and, if needed, propose amendments to the legal framework. The Commission will also strengthen its controls on pesticide residues for imported products and pursue in international fora a stronger alignment of production standards for imported products, notably on MRLs. The Commission has amended the data requirements for plant protection products that are based on biological alternatives, simplified the evaluation of application dossiers 2 , and adopted or updated several relevant guidance documents 3 which support the development of such products, or innovative application techniques 4 . As announced in the Vision for Agriculture and Food, it will propose further simplification measures in the fourth quarter of 2025. EU-funded initiatives are actively conducting research and innovation in alternative approaches, focusing on integrated pest management, alternative weed and pest control solutions and agroecology. These areas will remain a key in future Horizon Europe programmes 5 . Under the successive Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, a total of 64 projects on plant health, integrated pest management, plant pests and diseases, pesticides reduction technologies and biopesticides have been funded for a total amount of EUR 333 million 6 . 1 As outlined in its Vision for Agriculture and Food: COM/2025/75 final. 2 https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/pesticides/micro-organisms_en. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023XC0609(02); https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023XC0609(01). 4 https://food.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-10/pesticides_ppp_app-proc_guide_imp-data-req_microorganisms-ppp_imp-reg-11072009.pdf. 5 Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/fundingopportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/strategic-plan_en; https://research-andinnovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizoneurope/cluster-6-food-bioeconomy-natural-resources-agriculture-and-environment_en. 6 Agri-Research Factsheet on Plant Health available at: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/document/download/c0e214ed-bf9a-4e24-b992-8fe859cc3b48_en.”
  Pesticides & trade · EU policy on pesticides
• 2025-03-10 “E-001022/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Commission would like to inform the Honourable Member that according to the Emilia Romagna managing authority, this regional initiative is not financed by the European Regional Development Fund nor by the Recovery and Resilience Facility but through regional resources. According to its Article 51(1), the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union 1 is addressed to the Member States only when they are implementing EU law. In cases falling outside the scope of EU law, such as the present one, it is for Member States, including their judicial authorities, to ensure that fundamental rights are effectively respected and protected in accordance with their national legislation and international human rights obligations. 1 Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, OJ C 326, 26.10.2012, p. 391–407.”
  LGBTIQ+ · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• 2025-02-19 “E-000750/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission Specific features of local public transport systems, such as pricing or routes, are regulated at national, regional or local level. To ensure that urban public transport across the EU is aligned with, and supportive of EU objectives for sustainable and smart mobility, the Commission has developed a policy framework for urban mobility 1 , recognising public transport as backbone for sustainable urban mobility, together with active modes (cycling and walking) as well as shared mobility services. One of the tools to ensure that local policies are aligned with EU objectives is the new provision of the revised trans-European transport network Regulation 2 , which requires 431 urban nodes to have a sustainable urban mobility plan by 2027. Bologna is a mission city under the EU Climate-neutral and Smart Cities Mission 3 . It was awarded the Mission Label in 2024 after a positive review of its Climate City Contract. Bologna’s strategy and action portfolio to decarbonise the transport sector tackles all the sources of emissions concerning transport and mobility present in the city, with particular emphasis on the creation of an enabling environment to reduce private car usage, offering alternative modes of transport, including a comprehensive revision of tariffs for tickets and passes for different categories of users. Promoting sustainable multimodal urban mobility as part of the transition to a carbon-neutral economy is also one of the Policy Objectives of the 2021-2027 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) financial allocation to the region. Through a total of EUR 40 million, the programme will promote measures consistent with the EU’s climate targets with a focus on soft mobility, in particular pedestrian and bicycle mobility. 1 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12916-Sustainable-transport-newurban-mobility-framework_en 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0812 3 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en”
  Climate efforts · EU support of rail transport
• 2025-02-09 “E-000585/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission 1. The disbursement of the financial contribution allocated to Italy under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is linked to the satisfactorily fulfilment of the milestones and targets outlined in the Annex to the Council Implementing Decision on the approval of the assessment of the recovery and resilience plan for Italy (CID Annex). 1 With reference to the investment on the Development of Rapid Mass Transport systems, targets M2C2-25bis, M2C2-25ter and M2C2-26 will be assessed in the context of the tenth payment request. The satisfactorily fulfilment of said targets will be assessed based on the requirements outlined in the CID Annex. When the Commission assesses that not all milestones and targets associated with an instalment are satisfactorily met, the Commission can make a partial payment; an amount of the payment of the instalment related to a non-fulfilled milestone or target will then be suspended, in line with Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2021/241. 2. Due to the performance-based nature of the RRF, the implementation of the measures linked to the plan (and the related coverage of costs) falls under the Member State’s responsibility. Therefore, the way in which the central administration might seek compensations from the implementing authorities in the event of a delay is a matter of national procedures, which falls outside the scope of Regulation (EU) 2021/241 2 . 1 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-15114-2024-ADD-1-REV-1/en/pdf 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/241/oj/eng”
  EU policy on urban development
• 2025-02-05 “E-000515/2025 Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission does not comment on initiatives launched at project level. To address the housing crisis and promote more affordable and sustainable housing, the firstever Commissioner responsible for Energy and Housing will put forward a European Affordable Housing Plan 1 . The Plan will focus on developing new EU initiatives, as well as supporting national, regional and local authorities to address structural drivers of the housing crisis and add value at the European level. Given that primary responsibility for housing lies with actors at national, regional and local level, the Plan will respect the subsidiarity and proportionality principles in its focus to develop policies to improve access to affordable, decent and sustainable housing and address the barriers. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/1c203799-0137-482e-bd184f6813535986_en?filename=Mission%20letter%20-%20JORGENSEN.pdf”
  EU housing policy · EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• 2024-12-16 “P-002975/2024 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is currently analysing the European Data Protection Supervisor’s (EDPS) decision. Pursuant to Article 59 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 1 , the Commission will inform the EDPS of its views and describe the measures it has taken in response to the EDPS’ remarks within three months of the date of the decision. The Commission is committed to respecting the applicable data protection rules. The Commission has ensured that all services have been reminded of the rules and how to best implement them through guidance documents and information sessions, including on communication campaigns. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj/eng”
  Transparency requirements of EU institutions · Privacy & digital economy
• 2024-12-09 “E-002823/2024 E-002825/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission The EU has competences in the area of social inclusion and health in accordance with Articles 9, 151, and 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The Commission can provide funding through various programmes, such as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), but the detailed allocation to specific projects and monitoring are managed at the national or regional level in accordance with the shared management mode of budget implementation. While the ESF+ funds in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany support socio-economic inclusion of vulnerable groups, they do not finance projects directly linked to the ‘Dopo di Noi’ legislation, nor in cofinancing with the national ‘Dopo di noi’ fund.”
  EU competences on social policies · EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
• 2024-12-09 “E-002824/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Fitto on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is not aware of any EU funding allocated to Emilia Romagna’s Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers (PEBA) project. The Managing Authority of the Emilia Romagna European Social Fund+ and European Regional Development Fund Regional Programmes has indicated that the project was fully financed with national resources. Hence, the Commission has no knowledge of any possible implementation challenges related to Emilia Romagna’s PEBA project. In terms of funding, the European structural and investment funds (ESIF) are the EU’s main financial instruments to strengthen economic and social cohesion. They help ensure social inclusion of the most vulnerable citizens, including those with disabilities. Furthermore, the EU, under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme, provides financial support through an annual grant to a number of EU-level organisations of persons with disabilities and Non-Governmental Organizations to build their capacity and make their participation in EU-level processes easier. Lastly, it is important to recall that the European Semester provides a framework for the coordination of economic and social policies across the EU and provides information on the situation of persons with disabilities in the Member States. It is too early to prejudge the outcome of the discussions on the next financial programming cycle and ensuing programme discussions and, therefore, at this stage, it is not possible to anticipate the EU funding allocations that might be available for this kind of project in the post-2027 period.”
  EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
• 2024-07-30 “E-001455/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Vestager on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is committed to safeguarding pluralistic and independent media, essential for democracy and the rule of law, and to the functioning of the internal market for media. As part of its annual Rule of Law Report, the Commission assesses the situation on media freedom and pluralism in the Member States 1 . The EU support for the action entitled ‘Defending media freedom and pluralism – Rapid response mechanism’ is up to EUR 3 100 000 for the 24-month period between 16 July 2023 and 15 July 2025 2 . It is financed through the Creative Europe programme 3 and encompasses fact-finding, advocacy, monitoring, awareness raising and providing practical help to journalists under threat in Member States and candidate countries, without specific budget allocation per country. The action is carried out in an independent manner, without the Commission intervening in operational aspects, such as earmarking funds for the preparation of a particular report or selection of contributors to a particular report. 1 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rulelaw/rule-law/annual-rule-law-cycle_en 2 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/how-to-participate/orgdetails/999999999/project/101112154/program/43251814/details 3 https://culture.ec.europa.eu/creative-europe”
  EU engagement with civil society · EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• 2024-07-24 “E-001407/2024 Answer given by Ms Ferreira on behalf of the European Commission On 27 August 2024, the Commission adopted a proposal 1 to the budgetary authority 2 to mobilise the European Union Solidarity Fund for assistance for disaster recovery operations to Emilia-Romagna, following the heavy floods in 2023. An advance payment of EUR 94.7 million was approved in 2023 out of the total amount of support proposed of EUR 378.8 million. In the 2021-2027 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 3 the region introduced a specific action to tackle hydrogeological and flooding risks. The Programme contains specific measures to prevent hydrogeological risks with nature-based solutions under action 2.4.2, in Priority 2. For this EUR 13.2 million of ERDF resources are allocated. With Emilia-Romagna's 2014-2020 ERDF Programme 4 , the region decided not to finance climate adaptation – including hydrogeological risk – due to concurring national and regional financing. The Development and Cohesion Fund is an entirely nationally funded Italian instrument, with management and monitoring responsibilities at the national and regional levels. The Commission does not oversee the implementation of projects funded by this instrument. 1 COM(2024)325 - Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Greece and France relating to six natural disasters occurred in 2023 - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2024:325:FIN 2 European Parliament and Council. 3 Commission Implementing Decision C(2022)5379 of 22 July 2022: Regional Programme Emilia-Romagna ERDF 2021-2027: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/funding/fundingopportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/restore-ourocean-and-waters/regional-programme-emilia-romagna-erdf-2021-2027 4 Commission Implementing Decision C(2015)928 of 12 February 2015 as last amended by Decision C(2020)8383 of 25 November 2020: OpenCoesione - ROP ERDF Emilia-Romagna (Programming documents) https://opencoesione.gov.it/en/dati/programmi/2014IT16RFOP008/documenti/”
  Climate efforts
• 2024-07-23 “E-001405/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Commission would like to underline that setting and enforcing speed limits is a national and/or local competence. However, the Commission acknowledges that speed is a major factor in road deaths and serious injuries, particularly in urban areas, where vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists or the users of e-scooters constitute 70% of fatalities. Safe road use (including speed) is part of the ‘Safe System’ approach which is followed by EU and Member States’ in road safety policies. Recent research 1 on the impact of city-wide 30 km/h speed limits in 40 European cities points to significant benefits. On average, these speed limits led to a 23%, 37%, and 38% reduction in road crashes, fatalities, and injuries respectively. Lower speed limits also yield environmental benefits, with emissions, noise pollution levels and fuel consumption all decreasing. At the same time, the research shows that the impact on travel time is limited and the benefits in terms of improved safety and other factors often outweigh any change in travel times. National, regional and local authorities are best placed to define the appropriate speed limits and the specific speed management policies reflecting local factors. Many have already taken or plan to introduce speed management initiatives. The Commission will continue to monitor and support road safety-focused interventions and promote cross-border cooperation and exchanges of best practices. 1 https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4382”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Mr. president Europe is a stagnating economically. Aggregated growth is under 0.3% of GDP. So this shows that choices that have been made so far as well as external crises are damaging, probably are in an irreparable way that they're damaging our single market. We need genuine simplification. We have to put an end to all of this bureaucracy that is caused by choices that we've made. We need investments in digitalisation, where the European Economic Area is behind America and China still. And we want to see proper, genuine protection for our SMEs who are not sufficiently mentioned in this statement. Every euro that you take from business for bureaucracy means that it's €1 less in the pockets of our citizens. We have to understand that if we want to improve our competitiveness and meet consumer demands. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you. President. We all want to protect our young people, minors, children. But some people want to do that by substituting member states by additional bureaucracy. Some people want to protect them by prying, trying to gag people. We are very clear. We want to work with families. Families have to remain at the heart of our society, and that's why we want to. Encourage member states to develop parental control systems. And as this from digital platforms as well, because they you can't replace the key role that families have to play. And nor can we replace member states who also have a fundamental role to play. They can't give up their sovereignty to people who want to remove it or cancel it. We want more clarity, but fewer laws that will take over sovereignty from our member states.”
  Support for families
• “Thank you. Mr. president. Commissioner. Here in the European Parliament, way too often we talk about tariffs imposing burdens on imports. We talk about the Green Deal so much. We talk about people outside the EU, and we tend to forget who we are and who we should be. We have very clear data. The rest of the world is growing and the EU is falling behind. We are in economic stagnation. There are few countries, such as Italy where there is some glimmer of growth, but the picture is much bleaker. Elsewhere. We want simplification, less red tape. We want companies to be free to do their job and compete with the rest of the planet. And I'm sure we'll be able to do that extremely well. We need internal investment in AI. We need proper European infrastructure that will allow us not to be dependent on the other side of the Atlantic or indeed Asia, which can be a danger.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “President, I will speak in Italian. Grazie. Representative la Commission. Thank you to the Commission representatives for their presentation. To a large extent. I would endorse what my previous week, the previous speaker has said, and also what Mr. Schwab has said about the infrastructure. Currently, the we don't have efficient and effective infrastructure in place so that all of Europe's citizens can move towards electric electric vehicles. And the companies aren't ready either, to compete when it comes to the production of EVs. Given that there's a great deal of competition arriving on our markets from China in particular, but also from other competitors. And there's a further issue. To date, more than 30% Of the nonrenewable sources are fossil sources, fossil fuel sources, and therefore pollute. So if we want to move towards, uh, electric, then we're not actually solving the pollution problem. We're actually just moving it. And the commission representatives earlier said that we need a level playing field. Uh, now, we're not putting our automotive industry in a position where they can compete on a level playing field, and all the indicators would point towards that. So we're heading towards failure. And that will also create harm for consumers, because when we talk about the prices of products and consumer rights, then, you know, we're the committee that not only deals with internal market issues, but also with consumers. And we have to make choices that will protect individual consumers and not just companies, because there's a risk that, uh, energy electric energy prices will go up and electricity prices will go up, and the harm to consumers will be greater than what happened with fossil fuels, petrol and the other sources. So, you know, we can't go towards economic desertification.”
  Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market · EV charging infrastructure
• “Thank you, the President. I will speak in Italian. So thank you very much, Chair. I listened with great interest to this debate, and I'm convinced, my delegation is convinced, that we need to make an effort to make digital platforms more responsible, and we need common rules as well. And I'm very proud to see that Italy has subscribed to the non-paper from Greece, Spain, Denmark, Cyprus, and Slovenia along the lines of proposal already made in Parliament. It has bipartisan support to regulate the access of minors, and one proposal is to limit the access of under 16s. And I think this was picked up on in President Von der Leyen's State of the Union speech. So the responsibility needs to lie more with the platforms, but also Member States need to make an effort when it comes to compliance with legislation to avoid any damage to young people who can be victims of abuse and have mental health problems as well. They may be forced or encouraged to embark on dangerous challenges, and profiling and age verification on the basis of a document should not violate adults' freedom of speech. We do need to make a common effort to protect minors. Thank you. **Anna Cavazzini @Chair (Germany, Greens/EFA): Thank you so much. So this concludes the round of MEPs, and as announced, I give the floor to the Commission. I guess we have two guests or more. Yeah, Prabhat Agaval, Director of Synnext F, and Mirto Kanalopoglu from DG JUST. Correct? Yes. Hi, welcome, and I don't know, you have five minutes. You can distribute amongst yourself.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you. President. Well, I will not listen to any moralizing about democracy and the rule of law. When just yesterday, in this hemicycle decided to trample on the rule of law and grant parliamentary immunity to continue for someone like hilarious Saleh. So I don't accept any kind of moral teaching. But let me say one thing. For too long, the standards approved at European level, uh, are used to shut someone up. Usually people who are against a certain left present in this room. And that's why whilst attacking Donald Trump or the United States, you end up by handing us over a hand and feet to the digital strategies developed in China. And that's certainly not a liberal democratic reality. That's why we have to develop our European digital sovereignty. Trying to understand the difference between who our allies are and who has not proven to be our allies. So yes, we have to work to keep a united West, but at the same time, we have to develop guarantees of technological sovereignty for our continent. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “(11:21:33 – 11:23:06): You, chair. As we often say here, there's only 1 planet, and that is true of pollution. 20 years on from the introduction of ETS, I am paying a tax in order to emit and engage in industrial production. So it's a burden on industry. It's brought industry to its knees, led to factory shutdowns, loss of jobs, people going out of business. Would have been nice to hear something about that from those sitting on the left in this house. And Southeast Asia, so Korea, India, China, they've all benefited. What about economic benefits for Europe? My question to the panelists, have you ever tried to carry out a study to determine what the cost to the environment is if shutting down European industry and it being that industrial activity being transferred to Southeast Asia and the countries I mentioned earlier. Because you might have found that we're not only desertifying having a desertification of Europe's economy, but it also has a negative environmental impact. There are conflicts arising. And as conservatives, we call for immediate suspension of ETS and, at the very least, a rapid reform of the system. Thank”
  Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
• “President von der Leyen. Europe needs to take a radical U-turn. We need to revise the regulation on electric vehicles. We've said this for a while, and we appreciate that there has been some degree of opening towards biofuels. We need that in sustainable choices that businesses had to make, which was ecological in approach and possibly The ideological without trying to find the right answers to the questions. We need to revise the mission trading system, the idea that to produce, our companies need to buy uh, systems, uh, to, uh, pollute. And this leads to economic decline. That cannot be the destiny of of Europe. President Draghi said even the Socialist commissioner of the previous, uh, mandate, Paolo Gentiloni, said this. All our parties are asking for this. Please let us change tack, because if not, we are going towards further decline.”
  Powertrain choice: EV-only pathway vs. equal support for hybrids, e-fuels, H2
• “Thank you. Thank you. Chair. I would like to speak in Italian. Thank you very much, doctor McGuinness, for being here and for your presentation. I have a few questions. As some colleagues have said over the last few years. The European Chemicals policy has banned more and more products and has set limits on research and production. We've spoken about the CLP and FAS. Ec prefers not to get drawn into the political controversy, but since assessments are numerical, I'm wondering whether the reach revision Mhm. Will also have an economic and social risk assessment because I fear that without economic and social impact assessment then will witness economic desertification because in many cases we won't have substitute replacement substances to replace those we're banning.”
  Chemicals regulation
• “Thank you very much. Now we have Mr. Daniel for the ECR. Thank you. President. Here we are discussing the digital euro. Single market of data. These are all concepts which are linked to competitiveness and growth. But also they may impose a major limits on our economic area because they could be instruments of control if we're not careful. So what we have to defend is uh, uh, ordinary money. And not overlook the fact that digital money may be sustainable. We need to some kind of fairness in the use of this instrument, but let's have a look at the aid now. What's happening in certain countries like China, China? We're seeing that these are instruments which are used to assess citizens. And this type of system that they have are scoring buy points, as it were, is something which takes our freedom away from us. And we want to maintain our freedom, our liberty. Thank you.”
  Digital euro
• “Thank you very much, president. We know that interference from foreign powers in information and hybrid threats are a danger to our citizens. And this is precisely why the Democracy Shield can be useful. But we conservatives will be vigilant right up to the last, because this should not become an excuse to censor citizens or silence people whose opinions you don't share. We're in favor of freedom. The Green Gate scandal demonstrated how, unfortunately, some interference do exist. But they are more internal to the European Union than external. And that's why, as the ECR, we held a working group to demand the transparency of NGOs who unfortunately have been a problem over recent years rather than a resource. The so-called chat control. We conservatives are against any system of mass surveillance. The protection of minors from abuse is a responsibility we all share, but it should be exercised with good sense. We also need to respect fundamental rights.”
  Privacy & detection of online child abuse
• “President. Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me start off by saying that I support what Mr. Slutsky has said about the foreign origin in products and the need to have information relating to all of the components. We need to make sure that consumers have information about all of the components that come from outside the EU. But I also have a couple of questions of my own. Who's going to pay for these statements? Individual companies? Is it additional costs for them to make statements? And if the statements are not clear, there might even be penalties as a result. We don't agree to increasing red tape for manufacturers. And often when we produce these types of ideas and proposals, we don't sufficiently consult those who really call for simplification rather than further red tape. Now, for SMEs that deal exclusively with distribution's distribution, will there be certain derogations? If I'm a distributor and I import from outside the EU? Then again, there will be further rules imposed, further obligations, when in fact I have absolutely no responsibility in the manufacturing chain. A further question I have is who will be carrying out the controls when it comes to the veracity of these statements in the digital product passport. And. Have you considered this digital product passport also including all of the other information that individual products need to have agri food information, but also other information? Certain sectors already have rules in place. There's a need for EC marking. For example, you need product sheets to be provided. Uh, you know, uh, in the case of imports, you need to make sure that the health status is indicated. So is there a possibility to include those individual statements in the passport too? Have you considered that because otherwise, again, we're increasing bureaucracy rather than reducing it.”
  Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
• “Thank you. Chair I would like to speak in Italian. Thank you for that presentation. Our thanks to our speakers As a representative of the Committee on the environment, I would like to stress the natural disasters and their importance which have been mentioned. I come from Italy and from Emilia-Romagna, has been affected recently by several floods. But all of Europe has been affected by floods and we often talk about trying to anticipate crises. And this is mentioned in the paper. So I would like to ask the commission, apart from allocating resources for crisis management and dealing with management, the management of damage caused to countries and companies, I take it that a lot of work is being done in order to combat hydro geological issues, because of course, we have to make sure that the money allocated is used to implement all the appropriate objectives.”
  EU policy on infrastructure for preventing climate-related disasters (floods, droughts, extreme weather etc.)
• “Thank you very much. Thank you to the rapporteurs. Now we're talking about the sebum mechanism. And 2026. The sebum will be fully implemented. And to our mind this is trying to reduce damage caused by the ETS. So we're taxing companies and businesses and industries that are producing. And now we've realized that we're actually creating auto dumping or self dumping. So those companies that are importing from outside the EU market actually have an edge over everyone else. So now we want to come up with Cbam so that it can deal with the damage caused by ETS and all the other limitations and constraints imposed by the so-called Green Deal. So what's happening? This system that doesn't include a lot of trade categories and should include more. Is now protecting domestic producers from imports that come from outside the EU. But it doesn't cover and will never cover all the exports that we want to send outside the EU. We have just signed an agreement such as the Mercosur agreement. Can you imagine signing a bilateral agreement between the EU and India? We talk about Philippines and so many other markets, but of course these markets will not be covered by this kind of overhaul. And that is why and I am concluding, chair, we have this backdrop of an international global crisis. We have energy prices shooting through the roof. We have the conflict in the Middle East. And despite that, we're still digging in our heels. We have to urgently suspend the emissions trading scheme, as many other governments have said, including the Italian government.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you, president. Commissioner. For too long now, Europe has Bee has allowed its policy on cars to be led by ideology. We have weakened, if not destroyed, our automotive industry, while at the same time increasing costs for citizens and companies, undermining their competitiveness. Sustainable biofuels are a tool of fundamental importance. It's already available. It's a strategic importance when it comes to reinforcing European energy sovereignty, enabling us to guarantee the technological neutrality, which we talk a lot about but never actually roll out. So, Commissioner, there's a lot of talks coming from the European Commission. On the one hand, they talk about the need to support competitiveness and industrial sovereignty, while at the same time suggesting a ridiculous percentage when it comes to using biofuels in transport fuel. So the use of fuels such as soya beans would undermine our sovereignty when it comes to processing, damaging our industry and causing harm to the farming industry. Trying to protect the environment can't allow us to force industry to commit suicide.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Today. The left wants to introduce this European directive. We think this is ideological, purely ideological take on society. And it might be that we teach in schools that it's normal for a kid to have two moms or two dads. If we want to talk about discrimination, fine. But let's talk about Christians. Christians, even in Europe, can't go to a Christmas market without anyone checking their bags because of the fear of Islamic terrorism. What about the Christmas nativity scene or manger? Let us talk about all those who defend life, even they have been discriminated against here with verbal attacks among those who are in favor of my voice, my choice. What about Ilaria Salis and what she said to the right, saying they were fascists and extremists because they voted against illegal migration. Uh, we defend freedom. Thank you.”
  Role of education (social change vs. tradition)
• “Thank you very much, president. The objectives of the DNA are laudable, fair share that would have increased the cost for users. But there are some points that are critical for SMEs and specifically innovative SMEs. So we should correct these, because the technical standards that are common for programming could have a negative effect on SMEs with innovative protocol could actually mean that there would be no access to network. Therefore, there should be exemptions so that there aren't a discriminatory prices and the gigantic players would damage SMEs that are the backbone of our European reality. The use of the regulation, sanctions, sanctions obligations and the, um, copper switch off, uh, are critical. There are many things for the member states we should modernize, but we think that this is a, um, a regulation of the past, in our opinion.”
  Senders-pay
• “Thank you. President. The Italian president, Giorgio Milano, has already set out what our vision should be for the future. If Europe needs to have a pragmatic vision which will cut bureaucracy and which will support genuine entrepreneurship instead of just making ideological choices. We've seen this on the Green Deal. We've seen it with excess bureaucracy. We need to do less, but do it better. Basically, we need to have a pragmatic view and boost competitiveness. And what this means not just do something about the fact that we're no longer manufacturing anything in Europe, but also go beyond the debate that we're having today. We have to product protect, sorry, our manufacturing protect our workers who should really at the heart of all of our decisions and to protect the energy supply system in Europe. This is the Europe that we want more freedom, more pragmatism, more economic growth, less ideology. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you. President. As you know, last July we voted against swearing Ursula von der Leyen back in as commission president, because we did not support a lot of the proposals that were merely a continuation of her previous term. The idea of moving constantly towards decarbonisation that will sadly destroy our manufacturing system. Um, plans for the automotive sector that we're going to destroy our productivity and we believe are mistaken choices when it comes to illegal migration. But here finally, in the European Parliament, we have a large conservative bloc that can genuinely help to change Europe's future, focusing on our identity and our history, focusing on our founding values, believing in the competitiveness plan and in our companies. And last but not least, choosing to finally defend ourselves without talking about a war of invasion, which is not what we want to do. This is what the future of Europe needs to look like. Thank you.”
  Von der Leyen
• “Madam president, one out of six children has been the victim of cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is the main reason why people phone the relevant centres that we call blue numbers in Italy. These are abstract numbers. They are real lives, real children who aren't getting help online or offline. This is a serious problem and we must tackle it head on in a serious manner. We have to fight against this phenomenon which knows no borders, but we shouldn't fight against it. With new directives and more bureaucracy, let us make sure that we make we implement and enforce legislation that we have. Yes, platforms should shoulder responsibility, but there should also be parental controls and parents should play their role. Italy has already shown the way with law 17, 2024 and decree 99. Stroke 2025. Thanks to all of these, Meloni has set up a comprehensive system. Parents and teachers also have to be put in a position where they can play their role. It shouldn't be about ideology because sometimes this is what happens in this house. Thank you very much, Mrs..”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Mr. president, I will speak in Italian. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to support the objection that's been presented against the Executive Act of the Commission and the list of the so-called risk countries. Low risk countries are high risk countries. We believe that this is a political choice, because we have a list of more than 190 countries, and they're all categorised as being low risk, some of whom are, we are sure are actually not in a position to guarantee the standards that we require. In Europe, we've got four countries excluded from the list, probably for political reasons rather than economic reasons. And turning now to our SMEs on the possibility of importing products. There's too much red tape to higher cost, and in our view, deforestation should be combatted with international agreements and the member states must stipulate and must Demand that the other nations respect these standards. But we can't ask for all this. From the SMEs, from the companies. We know that there are false declarations made and all this would negatively affect European competition. Competition.”
  Trade impact on forests
• “President, today we're talking about something extremely important. The very dangerous cooperation between the conservatives and the far right. Now, we indeed are not from the extreme right. But, uh, those who have proposed this particular debate are guilty of extreme Dream stupidity. Uh, you're losing time with these ideological discussions. The great truths, the great issues that have to be touched upon are not being touched upon. You're just falling down that particular spiral of the Green Deal. These various and all of the damage that you're causing for our farmers, completely forgotten for the businesses as well. All our proposals are ones which bring people together. We those who want to save Europe and avoid decline would definitely agree that our proposal.”
  Climate efforts
• “Thank you. Chair, I would like to speak in Italian. Thank you for the work done by the rapporteur so far. Also, because you've included proposals that we made when it comes to the compromises, in particular the agreement with San Marino and Andorra, which are often dealt with as microstates. But in fact, there are countries that have centuries of history and deserve that Treatment. So Andorra and certain Marino should continue to provide transparent documentation about this agreement, that they inform their citizens about this agreement. And in 22, there were the cross border barriers that should be removed. And given these sizes, these countries need special care and shouldn't be flooded with certain products in line with our community. Last amendment to the treaty, which provides for a financial salvation. And that's fundamental to see that these are all the necessary terms are complied with. So this is an important. These are two important agreements. Thank you.”
  EU-Switzerland relations
• “Thank you. Chair. I think that meetings such as this one. Should be tackled from a purely scientific point of view. Otherwise, all we're doing is putting forward political opinions and creating a controversy. We need to look at things, how they are. The European Union has its own agency, Efsa. Which generates a cost for Europe as well. And it's supposed to be dealing with food safety. The Efsa report, which I think hasn't been referred to yet today, does not criminalise energy drinks as some people are trying to do. Quite the opposite, in fact. It says that energy drinks are like many other types of products. For example coffee. Tea. Which contains stimulants. Then it advises moderate consumption. I drink quite a lot of coffee, but I know that if I drink 100 coffees a day, then I that's a risk to my health. And that goes for other drinks and all other types of products as well. As the conservatives group, we've always tried to fight people who try to criminalize, for example, products that contain too high levels of fat. There could be a good fats or, uh, salty, uh, salted products. And just think back to the battles that were fought over the nutrition labeling. Do we want to inform citizens? Then let's call upon Efsa. I've actually sent a mail to the secretariat to ask for Efsa to be involved in this. This was denied. I don't think the ECR should be put forward as an ECR proposal. I think Efsa should be here and should be called upon to speak. If we want to have a quality debate on this topic, and the debate on this should be on a scientific basis. We're not trying to punish anyone. We're trying to have a clear scientific basis and to make a correct information available to consumers, because abuse of some products can be harmful to them. And whenever we're trying to have a debate of that nature, then the conservatives will are happy to participate.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• “(15:26:48 – 15:28:53): are choices being put forward by institutions. I'm referring in particular to the green deal, which, of course, lead to these problems. Now in 2023, we supported the concept of CBAM. It's an environmental tax, and it seeks to protect those companies and industries which at European level were faced with unfair competition from, those outside of the EU, those that did not keep to the same decarbonization standards, which were costing our companies a lot of money. Now Fratelli d'Italia and the ECR Group will fight for anything which produces negative effects to be blocked. And I'm referring to ETS 1 and future ETS 2. They're coming up against their limits and they're simply not capable of making our economy competitive. Now when it comes to this particular reform of CBAM, we have a number of proposals to make. The first is to extend the scope and these anti circumvention measures. Otherwise, the harm caused would be even worse. In particular, inputting new including new CN codes is too rigid by waving approach and is based on assessments which only look at raw materials exclusively but don't look at finished products. We need to protect companies from unfair competition. Also in relation to finished products, The report has chosen to delete the safeguard clause in Article 27A. We believe that is of fundamental importance and therefore the article should be kept in the text, in particular given that we're going through a geopolitical crisis. Think of fertilizers. When the Hormuz Strait Of Hormuz was blocked, fertilizers went up in price greatly. Now in closing then, Chairman, our group will always be here to defend common sense and the competitiveness of our industry. Thank you.”
  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• “Thank you very much, president. Everybody in this hemicycle wants to fight against foreign interference, especially when it interferes with the work that we do. All of our individual nations do that within their countries in full respect of the principle of national sovereignty. And we shouldn't be creating a new bureaucratic structure. We have already seen a whole raft of them in this place, with the risk of attacking individual governments or single political parties. We are worried that the European Democracy Shield could lead to this. Creating, um, a network of fact checkers can lead to some governments being shut up, or may lead to them being deemed, um, not appropriate. Even recently, they there's been attempts to organize a mission to Italy to say that, um, somebody is violating the rule of law. No freedom, no sovereignty anymore, no subsidiarity, um, less control from the Brussels bureaucrats. That's what we want. Thank you.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• “Thank you very much, president. Unfortunately, we are witnessing constant increases in the price of the food which comes from the field to the fork. And this is, of course, damaging to the farmers as well. And this is happening because the wrong choices have been made in the name of the Green Deal, which has been implemented by the Commission since the last mandate they have. This has done nothing other than constantly increase the cost of food. The left talks constantly about tariffs and fails to realise that those who work on the land can barely manage to make ends meet. They're producing for the consumers, but they are absolutely struggling to do so. Agro pharmaceuticals can actually be useful. They can't just be banned completely. The Italian government is setting a good example. It seeks to make the cap fairer and less bureaucratic and to help the farmers. And this is the way forward. This is the way we will actually have fairer and better prices for consumers too. Thank you.”
  Agriculture (green)
• “Thank you, chair. I would like to speak in Italian. Thank you very much, chair. Today, we're tackling a topic that's not just about environmental sustainability. It's about the very future of our European industry. The automotive sector is 1 of the key sectors that reaches some 13,000,000 workers in the manufacturing sector and all across the value chain, the supply chain. So today, we need to understand that the omnibus here needs to change tack completely. Otherwise, Europe would crumble. It would crumble because more and more businesses are closing. And for the first time, we're seeing many companies, just in Italy, but also in Germany, that are talking about closing up shop, and the entire manufacturing capacity is being handed over to the South to Southeast Asia. So we heard about exemptions for EVANS, new categories and subcategories for small EVs. We've talked about Euro 7, but nobody is realizing that the patient is already dead. Why am I saying that? Because we have the responsibility to ensure that this omnibus is bold to ensure that our productivity is not harmed. The same is the case for technological innovation. Alongside EVs, we need to have hybrid vehicles, and we need to have e fuels, biofuels, and also traditional fuels. And it falls to the market to pick, and the market hasn't picked yet. Thank you. Thank you, chair.”
  Powertrain choice: EV-only pathway vs. equal support for hybrids, e-fuels, H2