Ştefan MUŞOIU

Policy topics Ştefan MUŞOIU is active on

What Ştefan MUŞOIU has said (15)

• 2026-07-15 “(11:02:45 - 11:05:58): Thank you, madam chair. I will speak in my language, so please put your headphones. I'd start by giving you an example of best practices from other countries who are our strategic partner, and I mean Japan. I recently came back from Japan 1 month ago, and I can tell you that the fuel costs for the pump are not much higher for the population or for the companies. They are the same as before the crisis. Moreover, when I picked a plane or a route on my way to Japan, the difference between an Asian company and a European company was 2.5 times. That's as much about the competitiveness of European air carriers. From Brussels to Japan, I paid 700 and something euro, while a European company asked for $1,718,100 euros. This says a lot about best practices in other countries. If Japan could learn from the experience of the past years, the Yom Kippur war 73, 74, and the revolution in Iran in '79. And if they realize that these oil crises are systematic, Europe should have learned herself because, during the last 5 years, we're going through a fuel crisis, and we should have invested more in stocks. Japan afforded to have low costs low fuel costs for fossil fuels, kerosene included, because it has huge stocks. Europe and Romania have stocks for 3 to 4 months, but we should launch them, in order to prevent these shocks, which affect competitiveness. They have a negative impact on the competitiveness of the European Union. And we see that these costs actually have an impact on passengers who often pick different routes. So leaving behind this recommendation, I've heard that during the presentation of other speakers for a while we should suspend this tax, this carbon tax of 200 and something euros for kerosene for air carriers because this is an additional pressure for European companies as compared to companies from other continents. And, obviously, I go on supporting the investments in these alternative, sustainable fuels, but we have to do, as not to affect our competitiveness to be able to go through these hard times and not to risk many companies going bankrupt. Thank you. Thank you. That was all.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• 2026-07-15 “(11:02:45 - 11:05:58): Thank you, madam chair. I will speak in my language, so please put your headphones. I'd start by giving you an example of best practices from other countries who are our strategic partner, and I mean Japan. I recently came back from Japan 1 month ago, and I can tell you that the fuel costs for the pump are not much higher for the population or for the companies. They are the same as before the crisis. Moreover, when I picked a plane or a route on my way to Japan, the difference between an Asian company and a European company was 2.5 times. That's as much about the competitiveness of European air carriers. From Brussels to Japan, I paid 700 and something euro, while a European company asked for $1,718,100 euros. This says a lot about best practices in other countries. If Japan could learn from the experience of the past years, the Yom Kippur war 73, 74, and the revolution in Iran in '79. And if they realize that these oil crises are systematic, Europe should have learned herself because, during the last 5 years, we're going through a fuel crisis, and we should have invested more in stocks. Japan afforded to have low costs low fuel costs for fossil fuels, kerosene included, because it has huge stocks. Europe and Romania have stocks for 3 to 4 months, but we should launch them, in order to prevent these shocks, which affect competitiveness. They have a negative impact on the competitiveness of the European Union. And we see that these costs actually have an impact on passengers who often pick different routes. So leaving behind this recommendation, I've heard that during the presentation of other speakers for a while we should suspend this tax, this carbon tax of 200 and something euros for kerosene for air carriers because this is an additional pressure for European companies as compared to companies from other continents. And, obviously, I go on supporting the investments in these alternative, sustainable fuels, but we have to do, as not to affect our competitiveness to be able to go through these hard times and not to risk many companies going bankrupt. Thank you. Thank you. That was all.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• 2026-07-14 “(14:39:32 - 14:42:15): Thank you, mister chair. Dear colleagues, good afternoon. The swift adoption of this regulation through the simplified procedure, provides yet another opportunity for the European Union to demonstrate the solidarity by delivering timely and appropriate support to partners facing difficult, circumstances. The implementation of the proposal on temporary trade liberalization measures for Armenian products reaffirms that the European Union is a reliable partner for countries that choose the path of reform, democracy, and the rule of law as Armenia has done. Unfortunately, Armenia continues to face challenging, economic condition exacerbated by the trade restriction imposed by Russia. By granting granting Armenia improved access to the European market, we are helping to diversify its exports, strengthen its economic resilience, and create new opportunities for its economy. At the same time, European solidarity also entails responsibility, respect for the rules, the protection of the interest of European citizens and producers. As shadow rapporteur, I would like to reassure European consumers, that this trade opening does not imply, any lowering of the European Union's standards. Armenian products entering the single market will be required to comply with the same European standards on food safety, sanitary, and phytosanitary measures, quality, and consumer, protection as any other products marketed within, the union. In other words, we are liberalizing market access, not lowering our standards. Furthermore, the regulation includes safeguard the mechanism to protect, European, producers in the event of market disturbances. Given the limited scope of the trade covered by these measures, it is also highly unlikely that they will cause significant disruption to the single market or adversely affect the competitiveness of, European producers. Although, I'm confident that Armenia will honor its commitments to democracy, the rule of law, and the fundamental rights, the regulation contains important safeguards and may be suspended if those commitments are not respected. I say this because both the European Union and Armenia have a strong shared interest in strengthening the the eastern partnership. A stronger Armenia, more closely integrated with the European economy means greater stability in the European Union's neighborhood. Thank you.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs)
• 2026-03-23 “Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission 4.5.2026 Written question The Commission is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and is supporting partner countries, including through cooperation with international organisations. There are currently no indications of increased cross-border movements towards the EU. Preparedness is ensured through the implementation of a comprehensive migration crisis response framework. Member States are responsible for contingency planning concerning border and migration management, which is complemented at EU level by coordination and support measures, including the EU Migration Preparedness and Crisis Blueprint Network [1] , the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the operational and technical support of EU agencies, and flexible EU funding. The Commission recognises that Member States at EU external borders may be particularly exposed. The Commission is therefore providing targeted support, including reinforced operational deployments of EU agencies, to help ensure an effective migration management system and it is ready to step up assistance if needed. The Pact on Migration and Asylum [2] offers a comprehensive approach and firm but fair rules to manage migration in a spirit of responsibility and solidarity. This includes strengthening preparedness, ensuring a coordinated crisis response and embedding migration in international partnerships, including the possibility to adapt to exceptional migration-related circumstances, as set out in the Crisis and Force Majeure Regulation [3] . [1] Commission Recommendation (EU) 2020/1366 of 23 September 2020 on an EU mechanism for preparedness and management of crises related to migration, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reco/2020/1366/oj/eng. [2] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en. [3] Regulation (EU) 2024/1359 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1359/oj/eng.”
  Asylum & border control · EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood
• 2026-03-06 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera on behalf of the European Commission 4.6.2026 Written question The Commission is closely following the developments in the Middle East as well as their impact on the EU economy and businesses. On 29 April 2026, the Commission adopted the Middle East Crisis Temporary state aid Framework [1] (METSAF) to address the effects of the crisis on particularly affected sectors — namely agriculture, fishery, and transport — where small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs) are highly represented. EU State aid rules allow Member States to introduce support schemes to assist companies, including SMEs in various ways, including the de minimis Regulation based on which Member States may grant up to EUR 300 000 over any period of 3 years [2] . SMEs can also receive state aid that is exempted from prior notification to the Commission and can be implemented directly by Member States based on one of the state aid block-exemption Regulations [3] . Energy intensive users can benefit from state aid pursuant to the recently revised Emission Trading System State Aid Guidelines [4] or the price-support provisions of the clean industrial deal state aid framework [5] . In addition, the EU is providing support for the decarbonisation of SMEs, including for energy efficiency investments through the InvestEU Programme [6] , inter alia via the European Investment Fund’s Sustainability Guarantee [7] , as well as the European Investment Bank’s ‘Energy Efficiency for SMEs’ initiative [8] aiming to provide EUR 17.5 billion in financing to help up to 350 000 SMEs lower their energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202602593. [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202302831. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02014R0651-20230701; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/state-aid-agricultural-and-forestry-sectors.html; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=LEGISSUM:4646029; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32022R2586. [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020XC0925(01). [5] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/clean-industrial-deal-state-aid-framework.html. [6] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=LEGISSUM:4516649. [7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52021XC0713(02). [8] https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2025-331-more-than-350000-european-companies-to-get-energy-efficiency-support-under-major-eu-financing-initiative.”
  State Aid · Energy transition (state support)
• 2025-04-07 “E-001415/2025 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is committed to the achievement of ambitious road safety goals, with the aim of having no deaths or serious injuries on EU roads by 2050. In this context, road infrastructure plays a crucial role by contributing to the prevention of accidents and by diminishing their consequences when they do occur. Road markings are an important feature of road infrastructure but are adapted by every Member State to its specific conditions, such as climate, traffic, costs, environmental policy etc. There are no common rules at EU level on the type of markings to be deployed on roads within the Union. Whilst the addition of a certain photoluminescent effect to road markings may be a useful feature to be considered by national administrations according to specific local situations, the Commission would underline that this cannot replace the need for road lighting which ensures the visibility of obstacles and of other road users in all weather and road conditions.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• 2024-11-07 “P-002473/2024 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission The Commission agrees that digitalisation and innovation are crucial for enhancing the competitiveness of rail freight transport. It is for this reason that it referred to Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) as a game changer for rail freight in its 2023 Communication on Greening Freight Transport 1 . The Commission has already supported the innovation phase of DAC: it has contributed EUR 39.5 million from the Horizon Europe programme 2 to the activities of the European DAC Delivery Programme run by the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking 3 . The development of a standardised DAC product is progressing well. Efforts now need to focus on ensuring that DAC can be deployed across Europe. Given the complexity and size of the migration from the traditional coupling solutions towards the DAC technology, the Commission supports the initiative launched under the umbrella of Europe’s Rail to begin the operation of trains equipped with DAC on certain commercial routes in a pioneer phase as of 2027. This phase will serve to fully explore the efficiency of the DAC technology and provide evidence of its benefits in commercial operations. It will also help finetune the scope of the migration and its timeline. 1 https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/c1472590-4276-49b8-91948300f6197e2c_en?filename=COM_2023_440.pdf 2 https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-opencalls/horizon-europe_en 3 https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/institutions-and-bodies/search-all-eu-institutions-andbodies/europes-rail-joint-undertaking_en”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you. I will speak in Romanian language, so put your headphones. European aviation companies in Europe pay around €200 as a tax per metric ton of kerosene. I would like to ask about the difference in competitiveness between EU companies and companies in the rest of the world, taking into account this added fee that puts added pressure on EU companies. Thank you.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few comments. As the shadow rapporteur on the report of Moldova, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area is a key strategic instrument for the European integration of the Republic of Moldova since its provisional application in 2016. It has facilitated a significant increase in Moldovan exports to the EU, particularly in sectors like agriculture, textiles and machinery, making the EU Moldova's main trading partner. Beyond the beyond the economic modernisation. The FTA also strengthens the country's societal resilience by aligning national legislation with EU standards, improving governance and supporting the rule of law, all critical elements in countering Russian influence in the region. Moreover, the agreement has fostered a more stable and predictable investment climate, boosting investor confidence and attracting attracting foreign direct investment, including for SMEs. That now benefit from improved market access. With EU accession negotiations officially launched in December 2023, Moldova enters a new phase in its path towards the European Union. Continued political, financial and technical support from the EU will be essential to ensure irreversible and sustainable progress on its European journey. Thank you.”
  EU-Moldova relations
• “Yes. On the report of the Republic of Moldova. Yes. Okay. Dear colleagues. The deep and comprehensive free Trade area between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova has yielded the concrete results. In 2024, the EU was Moldova's largest trading partner, accounting for 54% of its total goods trade. Moldovan exports to the EU reached 65.6%, 6%, while trade with Russia declined sharply to just 2.5%. The total trade volume between the EU and Moldova amounted to approximately 7.5 billion in 2020. Four EU exports stood at 5.8 billion, mainly machinery, transport equipment and chemicals, while imports from Moldova totaled 2.5 2.4 billion, including machinery, minerals and chemical products. Beyond tariff elimination, the FTA has opened access to services markets and enabled the EU and Moldovan companies to establish subsidiaries under equal conditions. Moldova continues aligning its trade legislation with EU standards, a process that strengthens governance, the rule of law and investment opportunities. Since 2022, the EU has introduced temporary trade measures to support Moldovan agriculture. Agricultural exports extended until July 2025. These are part of the EU's broader solidarity response to the regional challenges caused by Russias war in Ukraine. The opening of EU accession negotiations with Moldova in December 2023 marked the key milestone. Still, full implementation of the FTA remains a challenge, particularly in less competitive sectors. Continued EU political and technical support is essential to ensure that Moldova can turn this agreement into a sustainable driver of economic growth and European integration.”
  EU-Moldova relations
• “Thank you very much, colleague, for this question. I said this clearly. The Green Deal should be adjusted based on social, geographical and economic conditions. We have to have an overarching view in this way. If we cannot be less strict with some conditionalities, we will lose our competitiveness.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you, Mr. President. Dear colleagues, Commissioner, one of our main priorities for European citizens and worries is security and safety and against economic and military threats. That's thus we need to grant more importance to transport infrastructure, which plays a significant part in a strategic, social and economic cohesion of Europe. Ensuring mobility for people, for freight, in order to have military mobility, and in order to overcome bottlenecks, we need to put in extra effort in expanding and diversifying these routes. In parallel, we will be able to facilitate exchanges between states and create new, new jobs. This is why these these actions in the Multiannual Financial framework are very important. But we need to find new solutions for transport, for transport infrastructure. That's so important for the connectivity and security of the whole, the whole of the Union.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Madam President. I have also a question which has some reference about what my previous colleague. Just ask you. My question is on territorial cohesion, military mobility and investment priorities in Eastern Europe. In the current geopolitical context, the European Union has set ambitious objectives regarding military mobility, including the capacity to ensure the rapid transport of military equipment along the west east axis, for example, from Paris to Bucharest within approximately three days. However, these objectives clearly highlights the major infrastructure, infrastructures infrastructure gaps that still exist in the member states of Eastern Europe. In this context, how will the Commission ensure that the high speed rail initiative does not concentrate investments to. Solely or on already developed western Corridors, but instead prioritizes the development of transport infrastructure in eastern member states, both from the perspective of territorial cohesion and of European resilience and security, and more specifically, which financial instruments and prioritization criteria will be used to accelerate infrastructure modernization in eastern member states, so that both civilian connectivity objectives and military mobility requirements can be realistically achieved. Also another question. High speed rail must never become a two speed mobility system serving only major major cities and higher income passengers. It must function as the backbone of an integrated and inclusive European rail network that connects seamlessly with regional, commuter, low cost and night services. How will the high speed rail initiative ensure that Europe. Europe's rail network serves all types of passengers and that services remain accessible and affordable? Thank you very much.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Dear colleague, I believe that developing our transport infrastructure Ensures connectivity, the transport of freight of goods. And also people. And it ensures more cohesion, social and territorial cohesion. So developing this infrastructure leads to a more safer and more developed single market. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “(18:18:40 – 18:19:05): Thank you very much, colleague, for this question. I said this clearly. The green deal should be adjusted based on social, geographical, and economic conditions. We have to have an overarching view in this way. If we cannot be less strict with some conditionalities, we will lose our competitiveness. Thank you.”
  Energy (green transition)