Johan DANIELSSON

Policy topics Johan DANIELSSON is active on

What Johan DANIELSSON has said (77)

• 2025-03-05 “E-000937/2025 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas on behalf of the European Commission Since the 14th package, the EU has taken far-reaching initiatives to curb the operation as well as the risks posed by Russia’s shadow fleet. The recent 16th package significantly expanded the number of listed vessels by 74, thereby bringing the total number of ships subject to EU sanctions to 153. To date, this measure has had a considerable impact on the activity of the shadow fleet. These ships have often changed their names, flag and ownership to obfuscate their identities. Despite such attempts, the vessels become tainted and struggle to lift oil, increasing the cost for Russia to operate such a fleet. In addition to listing vessels, the Council has taken auxiliary measures to weaken the shadow fleet. For example, it has broadened the listing criterion, and designated companies which are material in enabling the fleet. This includes shipping companies and their managers, who facilitate the transport of Russian oil. Any vessels owned or controlled by these individuals or entities also become subject to restrictions, for example on accessing EU services. Coordination with international partners plays an important role in undermining the shadow fleet. The EU is committed to continued strong multilateral cooperation, with the goal of implementing measures that will further weaken Russia’s ability to wage its war of aggression. At the same time, it should be noted that targeting requires thorough preparation to ensure a solid legal basis. Variations in legal standards between the United Kingdom, United States and EU can apply, and may result in designations that are different in scope and number. Ultimately, any decision on new listings, including those which result in a closer alignment with partners, is taken by the Council acting through unanimity.”
  EU-UK relations · EU-US relations · EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• 2025-02-12 “E-000673/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The Competitiveness Compass announced the initiative on the 28th regime as one of the key measures to contribute to EU competitiveness and to make business easier and faster in Europe. The burden due to fragmentation of rules in different policy areas, including national corporate regimes, is proportionately greater for smaller companies, which have less financial and human resources. The diversity of national regimes also creates constraints for investors by increasing complexity and costs. This initiative will provide companies, in particular innovative ones, with a harmonised set of rules to make investing and operating in the single market easier. As a key element, it will set out a new corporate legal framework for companies. It will build further on existing solutions in EU acquis, in particular on fully on-line procedures and digital tools for companies in EU company law. This corporate legal framework will be complemented by targeted actions in other policy areas to help innovative companies, start-ups and scale-ups develop in the Single Market. Whether and what labour law elements could be included is to be determined. The initiative will be subject to an open public consultation where all interested parties can express their views. In addition, the 28th regime will be discussed in the High-Level Forum on Justice for Growth. The Forum will be composed of representatives of all Member States, the European Parliament and stakeholders, including the main cross-industry organisations representing social partners at EU level. Further specific consultations would be considered, depending on the possible actions related to labour law.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• 2024-11-19 “E-002583/2024 Answer given by Ms Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission At EU level, Directive 2002/44/EC 1 lays down minimum requirements for workers when they are exposed, in the course of their work, to risks arising from vibration. In particular, it sets exposure limit values above which workers shall not be exposed. In case that the exposure limit value is exceeded, the employer shall take immediate action to reduce exposure below such limit value. Sweden has transposed Directive 2002/44/EC and it is now primarily for the competent national authorities to enforce the national provisions transposing the Directive. Therefore, the Commission is currently not planning to raise the issue in the Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work. At EU level, the Machinery Directive 2 already requires that machinery must be designed and constructed in such a way that risks resulting from vibrations produced by the machinery are reduced to the lowest level, taking account of technical progress and the availability of means of reducing vibration. As from 20 January 2027, the new Machinery Regulation 3 will require that specific information on the vibration values is made available to users. 1 Directive 2002/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibration) (OJ L 177, 6.7.2002, p. 13, ELI: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2002/44/oj). 2 Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC (OJ L 157, 9.6.2006, p. 24, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2006/42/oj). 3 Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2023 on machinery and repealing Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 73/361/EEC (OJ L 165, 29.6.2023, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1230/oj).”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions
• 2024-11-19 “E-002584/2024 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission In the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), a budget of EUR 1.69 billion was allocated to co-fund dual-use transport infrastructure through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 1 . Following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, the Commission decided to significantly reinforce the support to dual-use transport infrastructure for military mobility by frontloading the available budget. In total, during the current MFF, CEF awarded co-funding worth EUR 1.75 billion to 95 projects in 21 Member States. All projects selected under the military mobility envelope of the CEF contribute to improve military mobility. In line with the Military Mobility Action Plan 2.0 2 , the Commission and the European External Action Service took swift action to identify, together with the Member States, priority military mobility corridors for large-scale movements of forces and military materiel at short notice, including in northern Europe (Sweden and Finland). This work also included the identification of gaps on those priority corridors, including an estimation of the costs to mitigate these gaps, which will help to better guide and prioritise future investments to build a coherent military mobility network. 1 Regulation (EU) 2021/1153 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the Connecting Europe Facility and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1316/2013 and (EU) No 283/2014 (Text with EEA relevance); ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1153/2024-07-18 2 https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/system/files/202211/Action%20plan%20on%20military%20mobility%202.0.pdf”
  EU funding for transportation · EU transport infrastructure integration
• 2024-10-15 “E-002082/2024 Answer given by Mr Tzitzikostas on behalf of the European Commission 1. The decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 4 October 2024 1 declaring void the provision on the return of the vehicle 2 holds direct effect within the EU legal order. In accordance with Article 264 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the provision is therefore to be considered void without any action needed from the Commission. 2. and 3. As indicated in the reply to written question P-002375/2024, the provision was not part of the Commission’s proposal. At the time of adoption, the Commission made a declaration 3 noting that the obligation of return of the truck would lead to inefficiencies in the transport system and an increase in unnecessary emissions, pollution, and congestion. These potential inefficiencies were confirmed by the study assessing the expected impacts of this obligation published in February 2021 4 . At this point the Commission does not see any need for legislative action to reinstate the provisions. The Commission will continue working together with the Member States on the implementation of the Mobility Package I to ensure a well-functioning internal market, fair competitive conditions for all players involved and improved social conditions for drivers. In this regard, the Commission will remain attentive as to any negative impact that the annulment of the provision on the return of the vehicle might have, especially on the working conditions of drivers and take any appropriate action. 1 Cases C-541/20 to C-555/20. 2 Article 1(3) of Regulation (EU) 2020/1055 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2020 amending Regulations (EC) No 1071/2009, (EC) No 1072/2009 and (EU) No 1024/2012 with a view to adapting them to developments in the road transport sector (OJ L 249, 31.7.2020, p. 17), amending Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 1071/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to pursue the occupation of road transport operator and repealing Council Directive 96/26/EC, OJ L 300, 14.11.2009, p. 51. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32020C0731(01) 4 https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/b35587b8-72a1-11eb-9ac9-01aa75ed71a1”
  Road transport environmental policy
• 2024-10-10 “E-002021/2024 Answer given by Mr Schmit on behalf of the European Commission In the implementation report 1 , the Commission identifies challenges linked to long subcontracting chains and indicates some good practices to overcome these challenges in case of posting of workers under the posting of workers directive 2 . The good practices include limiting the number of levels in subcontracting chains, but also extending the subcontracting liability to the full chain and enhancing cooperation between Member States to facilitate inspections and tackle abusive practices. The uptake of these good practices will be increased with the support of the European Labour Authority by organising Peer Learning Dialogues between Member States to allow for mutual learning. As regards legal certainty, the recommendation of limiting the number of levels in subcontracting chains, has been made in the context of the posting of workers directive 3 , and is covering only situations falling under the scope of the Directive, which mainly concern service provision contracts between two companies 4 . 1 Commission report of 30 April 2024 on the application and implementation of Directive (EU) 2018/957 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 June 2018 amending Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services (COM (2024)0320) - https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2024:0320:FIN 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A31996L0071, OJ L 18, p.1-6; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/957/oj OJ L 173, 9.7.2018, p. 16–24. 3 Directive 96/71/EC as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/957 regulates a situation where an undertaking established in one Member State in order to provide services post workers to another Member State. The directive applies to all sectors and undertakings, with the only exception of the seagoing personnel of merchant navy undertakings. 4 The recommendations were not made in the context of the Public Procurement Directive.”
  EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers · EU policy on employment subcontracting
• 2024-10-10 “E-002020/2024 Answer given by Mr Hoekstra on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the risks mentioned by the Honourable Member. These risks are monitored and assessed by the Member States, supported by the maritime surveillance services hosted in the European Maritime Safety Agency. The Member States have unanimously agreed to prohibit, since April 2022, vessels flying the Russian flag from accessing EU ports and locks. Since April 2023, vessels certified by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping are also subject to these restrictions. While there is a possibility for case-by-case derogations, e.g., for ships in need of assistance, these exceptions are granted only after thorough assessment by the competent authorities of the Member States to ensure they remain aligned with sanctions objectives, ensuring highest safety standards both at sea and on land, and protection of the marine environment. Additionally, the EU has a general trade embargo on oil of Russian origin. Consequently, EU ports and infrastructure have minimal exposure from the remaining Russian fleet. In addition to listing individual ships, a number of actions have been taken to address the risk of the dark fleet. The focus has been on increasing transparency by requesting relevant safety information. Diplomatic efforts complement these initiatives, particularly by engaging with flag States that enable dark fleet operations. The EU is also advocating for stronger international cooperation through the International Maritime Organization. As announced in the Political Guidelines 2024-2029 of the President of the Commission, security as well as competitiveness and safety are the main aspects that the future EU Ports Strategy will examine. The Commission is currently at the early stages of preparing this initiative.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “The housing crisis in Europe is a real one. We have housing prices which are going up higher than incomes, and a lot of young people and families have great difficulties in paying for a home. Politics is also responsible, but housing policy is something which leads to lots of questions about responsibility. We have responsibilities in Europe and in the member states. The regulation in Europe sometimes means obstacles for construction in member states. We should start about looking, revising rules and withdrawing them. In Sweden, for example. We are being held up from investing in social housing in certain sectors and in other countries too. We must make sure we can fight homelessness. And it's also a question of building materials. We shouldn't invest 100%. We should make sure that this sector is dynamic.”
  EU policy on urban development
• “Thank you, chair, for giving me the floor. Uh, I'm very happy for the opportunity to present this report on the important topic of addressing subcontracting and labour intermediates to protect workers. And the reason that this report is so important is the reality that we face at labour markets throughout Europe. Today, we have a situation where fraud and exploitation is no longer isolated incidents. They are becoming a serious and systematic problems on labour markets across Europe. And this is especially evident in some sectors like construction, agriculture, logistics, cleaning, hospitality, hospitality and care work. And these are. At the same time, we also see some of the worst form of abuses unsafe conditions, unpaid wages, unfair competition that also pushes serious employers out of the market and creates dangerous working conditions for the people on the ground. Let me give you one example from my own home country, Sweden. In December 2023, in Sundbyberg, outside Stockholm, five people lost their lives when a construction elevator collapsed and fell eight floors. Four days after the accident. The employer was not sure if it was his own people or not in the elevator, because they basically have no clue who is at the actual workplace. Later, this was investigated. They found that 119 subcontractors across five tiers was involved in the construction. And this is just one example. We see the same example throughout Europe, and this is what happened when subcontracting chains gets too long and too complicated, responsibilities become blurred.”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions
• “Thank you chair, Commission colleagues. And thank you also to Andreas Schwab, my co-rapporteur, for a constructive discussion on this file, and also to all the shadow rapporteurs, of which many already have reached out to discuss at this early stage in the process. And I would also like to start with saying that I really look forward to the negotiations that will follow in June. One of the most common things that I hear when I speak to workers and also authorities after work related incidents. Is this increasing problem that no one seems to know? Who is working at the work site, who employs who, and who takes responsibility when something goes wrong? We are, in a sense, increasingly losing control over segments of our European labor market. This is bad for businesses, it's bad for workers, and it's also bad for the society as a whole. And it's clear that the national registers of posted workers are small but still important tool in preventing abuse and exploitation at the European labour market. At the same time, serious businesses have legitimate complaints that 27 different systems of declaration take up unnecessary time. I understand that this is also why my group has welcomed the idea of having a common public interface for posting declarations. The idea is good. By having one multilingual portal, you simplify the life of businesses without harming the ability to fight fraud and abuse at European workplaces. However, when looking at the proposal, it needs some important improvements and I want once again to thank my Co-rapporteur for good cooperation because some of these are dealt with in the draft already. Perhaps the most important is that we make sure that the proposal does not restrict access to the registry of declarations for actors that need it, whether it's social partners directly, their control organisation, national institutions, local authorities or companies themselves that do background checks on their subcontractors according to national law.”
  EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers
• “Thank you. Okay, first, perhaps on the rail freight, I would encourage you to try to. Together with us also push the member states to get something out of the ongoing trilogue on the rail capacity regulation, because I'm not so optimistic that we will go all the way that you want at the moment for airlines, for Europe. Uh, very interesting concrete proposal on anti tanking the taxonomy and so on on the reporting. Because I think it's quite interesting on this simplification that we are doing the corporate social responsibility reporting. I mean because when I speak to some Swedish companies and this is a specific tip perhaps in Sweden, because we have already implemented so the companies have already taken the cost. But for them it's simplifying that we have this European framework for reporting because they are telling me we still need to report because we have institutional owners that want us to answer the same question. So now we have to do it in different ways to different institutional owners. If we take away the European rules. So isn't there? The rules might not be perfect, but in the end, isn't it better that we have clear, strong European rules on this instead of national rules? Perhaps if you could enlight me from from the shipping industry, what are the big arguments that we still are in a situation that you have to go into these external border controls when you're entering the single market? I mean, if you could, what would the two strong cases be to keep the system that you would like to take away? Etf. I would echo what Mr. Giesecke told to the airlines for Europe, but we do have full support for your demands. And I also hope that we, in the revision of the Air Service regulation that we can get broad consensus that we need to do something to simplify this. Business models that are growing in part of the aviation sector, that creates problems for workers. And I think this is also an important part of the simplification to simplify life of workers in Europe as well. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. Uh, yeah. Let's see. I'm thinking I speak at the same time, and hopefully you can make sense of my question and give me an answer. But I agree, of course, on the point that renovation is a sustainable way to improve housing in Europe. But our experience in Sweden, and I guess it's the same throughout Europe, is that when you renovate property and we have a large part of the housing stock that needs to be renovated, it's hard to do this without a spike in rent as well. So it's how do we have any suggestion best practices on how you renovate the housing stock with maintaining affordability, because I think this is the key. When we renovate this big part of the housing stock, when it comes to construction materials, because this is something nationally, we do it every second year. Our competitiveness authorities to look into the the increase in prices of construction materials. We say it's a problem. Two years later we do the same inquiry. The result is the same. What could be done from the European level to to do something about the prices on construction materials? Because I think this is even if you take Ukraine and all the specific circumstances out of it over years, the increase is it's not sustainable. And I think this is something that push also for stability in construction and then perhaps a little bit out of the blue. But connecting to to sustainability, is there something we can do in the European level to promote building in wood, being a sustainable material, binding carbon dioxide while the building is there? Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you very much. And also thank you to the Commission for this very thorough presentation. It helped me at least orientate a little bit before the Ikea assembly. Uh, firstly, of course, I mean, we broadly, we agree with much of the priorities. And I think the issue of jamming and spoofing is an increasing threat for aviation, but also in the maritime sector in Europe. Uh, I would like to ask specific question. Perhaps you ended briefly to touch upon the social dimension of aviation. And I think this is from our group, an important issue, particularly also given the ongoing work between ICAO and ILO. As of course, you are aware, in 2022, this organization renewed the agreement to work together on important topics such as decent work, social dialogue, and sustainable development and aviation. So in this context, I would like to hear if the Commission could further develop on how the commission will support social sustainability initiatives at the ICAO assembly. And will the EU advocate for stronger integration of decent work standards and social dialogue in IKEA's strategic objectives, and specifically also wood, Wood Europe and the EU support initiatives to renew and amend the Ikea agreement before it expires. Thank you.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you sir. Also, thank you to Mr. Graham for being here. And thank you for all the important work being done, as you said. Europe is the industrial leader and we need to remain the leader in aviation. Some questions are one. Concerning founding, as I understood it was not in your in your graph, but for I think quite reasonable reasons. A lot of the money that goes into to companies goes to well established companies that are the leaders Airbus, Safran and so on. But there are also, especially in some of these hybrid technology electrification. We have some small European start ups as well. What can you do to help them to actually break through and also go to this market uptake stage? Um, secondly, perhaps, um, concerning what Mr. Gursky said, uh, on electrification, but both on hydrogen and perhaps not pure electrification, but also these hybrid electric traditional engines. What are the timeline When we're realistic, you can have this uptake. And thirdly, on sustainable aviation fuels, which will be a huge part of the solution, especially if we don't have this breakthrough in in technologies. Uh, from your perspective, what would you need them from your part to help? As, as Jessica said, but also, I mean, what regulatory framework is needed to make sure that we have that we can produce stuff in Europe at a price that works both for the producer and the end consumer in the near term, not, I mean, 2050, we will have a balance and we will have a market price that function. But in the short run, what has to be done regulatory but also in the parliament. Uh. Yeah, I most likely I have 20 more questions, but I also received a point on dedicated funding, not these five, six funding streams. Thank you.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “Thank you. I will be brief. Thank you to the colleagues for all all the comments, constructive comments, and I'm sure that we will find agreement in the in the continued talks that we will have also to find a balance of what data we actually store in the register. I'm glad that several of you pointed out the need to also ensure that people that need also get the ability to get a paper copy are also from city limits. Also mentioned some of the information that would be necessary to harmonize from her perspective. And I think if we work within the group of shadows, we could find a constructive wording on this that I hope we find a majority to support. So thank you for all the comments and looking forward to continue the discussions.”
  Transparency requirements of EU institutions
• “That clarity is urgently needed. The report also calls on the commission to propose a general rule in sectors with a high risk of labour exploitation. Subcontracting should be limited to no more than two levels below the main contractor. It also calls for joint and several liability for the entire subcontracting chain and a stronger regulation of labour intermediaries. Today, labour intermediaries are not properly defined and regulated, and ranging from established companies under national regulation to individual recruiters, informal brokers to even gangmasters. And this has to stop. I hope this report, and this is just some of the suggestions in the report, can be one contribution in our work together in the EU to take back control over our labour markets and ensure that all workers in Europe are protected, no matter where they work or who signs their contract. I look forward to the interventions from colleagues today, and the work that we will conduct together in the upcoming months to find a joint position in Parliament that also could play into the upcoming proposals from the European Commission. So thank you for the floor. Looking forward to the discussion.”
  EU policy on employment subcontracting
• “Thank you. Firstly, on the financing from a different perspective, but, I mean, the commission assumes that a large part will come from private investment. So how do we ensure that this does not lead to higher ticket prices, since also one of the objective is affordability for the service, then secondly, if you could perhaps since you are here, develop a little bit on the industrial and manufacturing leadership in rail, because this is an important part of the strategy that we agree on. But for me, it's a little bit unclear. How do we really ensure that this contributes to European leadership? And also how do we ensure also that the building of the actual infrastructure is done with well-paid jobs in Europe, performed on collective agreed wages? And then thirdly, you say this is a package everybody needs to buy in its entirety. And I mean, we really welcome this approach by the commission, but also in this movie, it was good for my home country, for example, Sweden, that the movie was moving quite fast because you can see that there exists no high speed rail and not 2030, not 2040. And then all of a sudden in 2050, it appears, because then we need to be done. But this is not how it works in reality. So if member states doesn't buy into this, what tools would the Commission have to ensure that this is a real European approach? I mean, I will do my best to change our government in September, but you might have problems with other other countries as well. So thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “However, one key improvement from my perspective is still missing in the draft report, and that is the ability of countries to make national adjustments to the reforms to ensure that they have data points they need for enforcement. Today, there is the possibility of downward flexibility. Personally, I would like to see also upwards flexibility within of course, the remit of the enforcement directive. To me this is if anything, also going to be key if we want to make the register attractive for all to join, because we need all Member States to join the directive in order for it to be successful. I'm not sure if we will hear it was in the programme from the Economic and Social Committee. Later, if we will. I can also say that I think that their resolution phrases as well, when they ask for a system that enabled Member states and I quote, to add or remove the information being requested in the standard form, thereby preserving Member States autonomy while still achieving the simplification objectives aimed for in the regulation. In addition, perhaps we will look for amendments to ensure a high quality standard form. We will also look into the issue of making sure that social partners are involved in the expert group and evaluation of the system, as well as seeing if we can make it easier for member states that want to keep different types of posting declarations together, notably that of companies from third countries. With this said, once again, I would like to thank you everyone for the cooperation so far and I look forward to the ongoing process this summer. Thank you.”
  EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers
• “And I mean, you have examples from all over Europe. I will now bring up a specific Swedish problem, perhaps a little bit to blame the Danish, but not only. I think you can see this in all cross border situation, but our biggest national train operator in Sweden have faced difficulties. They want to run nine trains from Sweden to Germany, but they cannot get the wagon's safety approval in Denmark. It takes time. It takes forever. They need to get every single wagon approved. Wagons that are already approved in Germany, in Sweden. But they are not able to pass Denmark. And as I said, I think this is one example. You have all these examples throughout Europe. But how can ERA make sure that we get these ridiculous obstacles for cross-border train traffic in Europe to, to to disappear? Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. And thank you for everyone that came today. It's hard not to be angry. I think we all get angry. And I think it's easy to agree that Amazon is a bullshit company. I think it's also quite easy to agree that companies does not turn nice, because we ask them to be nice. I think modern history has shown that the way to turn companies around is to unionize, to have strong unions that force companies to sign collective agreements. And I think, therefore, the issue of union busting is particularly making me angry today. And one thing, perhaps to the commission, perhaps the unions, but the representatives today, we have rules that make it possible. We have regulations that make it possible for the commission to investigate and put fines on companies that breach treaty articles on competition law. We also have the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and Article 12 that give every European the right to organize. So if we have 4 billion fines on Google, on competition law, why don't we have 8 billion fines on Amazon for union busting? Why don't we use these €8 billion to organize, to help unions to unionize throughout Europe and force these companies to behave. So I think this is something we need to proceed to make it extremely expensive for companies to do union busting and to make sure that we use this, this money to organize, because bullshit companies. Amazon is one of them. They don't turn nice because we ask them, even if they do it politely in the European Parliament. So this would be one suggestion, and I would like to hear the Commission, and at least you need a reaction.”
  EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• “Thank you. And please, in your answer, reflect that we need to keep Mr. Gieseke's prices down. So you stop insisted on the plug-in hybrids and can go electric and join the future. Precisely. We don't need to freeze the utility factor. But, to come to firstly, thank you for the report, and also for the presentation. I think it makes, I mean, a quite clear case for price transparency that we actually need to implement in force up here, but also perhaps to update and strengthen some part of the rules. If you, I mean, you make the case that there are some surcharges that are not there for objective reasons. Rectifying this, how do you do that at the same time taking into consideration, that some of the companies also have issues of underutilization and they have problems getting profitable. So I mean, you can have both things at the same time. You can have a price at the end consumers that doesn't perhaps all the time reflect underlying cost for that specific charging. But also you have some of the market players that have problems with profitability. Then my real question, second question is the same as Mr. Giseke. I mean, when we get the AFI regulation on the table, what are the key demands? So if we say today, it provides, as you say, visibility, but in the end then to change the actual market structure, what needs to be done in terms of regulation in the European level. And yes, in general, but then also perhaps to make it possible. Okay, I understand. You can have an application. You can have a, you can pay some monthly fee. You can be happy within a system. But so the system also works for someone that just want to charge with a credit card.”
  EV charging infrastructure
• “Thank you sir. Thank you to the coordinators. Also very happy to see Mr. Marinescu back in the Transport Committee. A few questions. Firstly on perhaps to all of you, more or less, you touched upon the issue of military mobility. We also now have these four priority military mobility corridors defined. And the overlap with the Ten-t map is quite large. So perhaps from your perspective, how has this aspect changed your work, influenced your work, and how can we ensure good coordination and implementation of both? And also from your perspective, what needs to be improved? What could we do also from the Parliament to to improve this coordination and then to, to both Mr. and Mr. Marinescu on the railway compliance maps. They are I mean we all agree that it's important with cross-border connections, but there are also other segments of the railway that are not completed yet. And in the news of three more or less the money will go to cross-border connections. So a lot of these other missing links will not be able to be financed under section three. It's down to the national reform programs, and there the money needs to compete with agriculture, with cohesion and so on. So in your role as coordinator, how do you assess the shift in focus and how do we ensure enough funding for these missing links that will no longer be able to be financed under under Sep three. And perhaps also to to to Miss Meissner? I mean, you mentioned all all the problems and mentioned them as well. I mean, onshore power supply bottlenecks, railway electrification, climate adaptation and so on. And your assessment of CF three in light of this, I mean, you were quite happy with, with CF, and also perhaps because by definition, ports are cross-border connections, and then you might be able to have sufficient finance. But if you could perhaps develop how you see the proposal from the Commission in regards to those challenges that you mentioned.”
  EU funding for transportation
• “Thank you. Sir. As you know the agreement that we have on our table reflects the reality of today's transatlantic aviation market. This is one of the most important and dynamic air transport relationships in the world. From my perspective, the agreement delivers on three things that are important for the Tran Committee in the European Parliament. First, it provides a legal certainty and stability. Airlines, airports and passengers benefit from predictable and clear rules that support long term planning, investment and connectivity throughout the Atlantic. Second, it safeguards European interests and competitiveness. The agreement ensures continued market access for EU carriers and a level playing field, while remaining fully consistent with EU legislation on safety, security, consumer protection and competition. And thirdly, it also recognises the importance of sustainability and social standards that The text strengthens cooperation on environmental issues and acknowledge the need to uphold high labour standards in the aviation sector. An issue of clear importance not only to me, but for this group and the whole Parliament. Overall, the agreement has demonstrated positive economic effects, including increased connectivity, more choice for passengers and tangible benefits for jobs and growth in the EU. This is why. I've taken a positive approach to the agreement, and I look forward to this exchange of views and any input from colleagues. Thank you.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Madam president, Democratic. Consultation and information is not just something that should be in certain places. It needs to be across the board. Workers who are affected by decisions should be implicated in the consultation. We can see that this is absolutely essential and it's being done through European Works councils. But often that protection is too weak. There are too many exemptions that mean that certain workers don't have the consultation rights that they are due. Some companies hide behind various versions of industrial secrecy and without sanctions, it's difficult for the workers to win the day. And that's why now we're strengthening the right to information, consultation and co-determination. And those companies who break the law will have to face the consequences because we now are seeing changes. We're seeing industrial changes, environmental changes. Workers need their rights more than ever. Strong European works councils are not an option. They're a guarantee that this transition will be sustainable and fair.”
  EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• “And, then perhaps also from our group, we have always insisted on the importance of public transport. And I know that you and the Commission, you have acknowledged this in multiple areas, and we have it in the social climate plans and in the Commission's Communication on Transport poverty recommendation on aiding rural mobility, sustainable urban mobility in all these areas. Public transport have an important role, but would it be an idea for the Commission to gather all this in a In a declaration to look at all the aspects and also come up with recommendations on how we from the European level can support public transport. And then to come back on the last two remarks you made, of course, being having been the rapporteur of seasonal time change in the Parliament. I very much welcome that you are pushing to get movement in the Council. We had broad majorities in the Parliament for this, and you can count on the Parliament's help in whatever you need to be able to to get this question moving, to abolish the change of time. And then finally on the Russian shadow fleet, very much welcome that you deliver on your promises on the insurances. I also understand that you will increase the number of ships in the shadow fleet being listed also. Very much welcome. I will also suggest that you look into the opportunity to mirror the sanction of the US, because even if we increase the number of ships, we will have 150 ships on the list. The US has 450, so mirroring the US sanction would be an easy way to increase the number of ships on the list. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. It would perhaps be more fun if we could do it this way that you suggested, but. Sorry. Thank you sir. Thank you. To to all the speakers for being here. Uh, a few questions. I mean, you make a quite clear case from the especially from the side of the airlines. Why you need a booking claim also to, to put the, the cost down to increase competition. But also we need to increase production. Uh, and, uh, firstly, perhaps on the scope of a booking claim. Uh, how would you view the scope of booking claim system should it be produced and uptake at an EU airport also to support an EU CF production capacity? Uh, also all of you touched upon what needed to be done to avoid the risk of double counting and so on. But what would you say is the, the one risk that we will be the hardest to to avoid when introducing a booking claim that we really need to keep the eye on and connecting also to the production. Because as I see this in your presentation, it will solve parts of the problems. But we also need to increase ease of production, especially in Europe and the commission and the commissioner in this trip, they introduced this concept of this double sided auctioning. Do you think this is something that is also needed in addition to the booking claim, to make sure also that you have some predictability for producers? It would be interesting to have the airline perspective on that as well. Thank you.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “Mr. president, Commissioner fraud and exploitation of workers is on the up in European workplaces. We're seeing growing problems with infiltration into welfare systems and into public services. New procurement rules are an opportunity to reverse the trend. But in order to do that, we need a proactive proposal that makes a difference in reality. Each year in Europe, we procure goods and services to the tune of 14% of our GDP. Not a cent out of this should end up in the hands of criminals. And there are a few requirements that are non-negotiables for my political family. First of all, we must make social conditionality mandatory. We need to limit subcontracting chains in all the risk sectors, and we must give the member States the necessary tools to be able to check on and exclude fraudsters. This is about protecting workers and taxpayers money. If we don't do this proactively enough, then we may as well not bother. Now that we're overhauling the rules, we have to get this right. Thank you. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Chair: Thank you very much. Miss Janet has the floor.”
  EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• “Thank you sir. Basically, after 1.5 hour, I have one question. The question is, can you commit to negotiate and conclude collective agreements for your workplaces throughout Europe? It's a simple question. I can help you avoid some of the wrong answers. I don't want to hear about Works Council that you respect the right to join a union. I'm glad you respect basic rights, but the question is, can you commit to negotiate and conclude collective agreements because they have not to do it? It's not European. This is the basic problem, the difference between respecting the law. It's okay. But you should also negotiate and conclude collective agreements. And perhaps otherwise our trade union representatives can explain the difference, because I think the preference to talk to workers directly and all this other nonsense that we are hearing, it's not enough. In Europe. We negotiate, we conclude collective agreement. And that's the way we protect workers rights and ensure democracy at the workplace. I think this is the one and only question I would like to have answered. Thank you.”
  EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• “Then for the teams, obviously, funding is of key importance. The technology is there, but it's also, of course, important that we have a real political will to also ensure one single European signalling system. And as I understand it at the moment, there continue to be national divergences in the EU team's deployment, which risk, of course, then to create fragmentation. And as I understood your last slide, you more or less already answered my question because the question is, does this divergence still exist? Is there a need for a more EU level oversight of the national implementation? I understood the question. Answer was yes in your ten points. But perhaps you could develop. How should this EU oversight to ensure that we have one EU. That we implement the same system in all national member states. And since I have seconds left and I'd like to hear my own voice, perhaps to, to the to the two corridors, because as we heard from the coordinator of the ertms, the cross-border links are important. But at the same time now, when we have this focus also in the financing on the missing cross-border links, for me, what is missing? How do we really ensure the whole network, if all the EU money is also diverted to the cross-border links? How do you, as coordinators, what should we do to ensure that we actually create the whole the whole corridors? Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you, chair. Also, thank you to Mr. Smith for the the presentation of the issue. And, of course, it's good that the Commission was disappointed and has concerned with this unilateral measures because, as you said, if we raise concern with interoperability, we might end up in a situation where we have rolling stock that cannot be used across borders. We are really undermining one of the core objectives of the European transport policy and also our ability to increase rail freight transport within Europe. I'm also happy to hear that you will push this hard in June at the next meeting of the Land Transport Agreement, because I think this is essential. But perhaps I'm also a little bit interesting to hear more, because you said that you firmly expect, in the end, the Swiss to adopt the common European approach and not to stick to the unilateral US positions and adopted safety measures. Do we have any commitment whatsoever from the Swiss authorities that it will be the outcome in the end? And then on the current land transport agreement, according to the Commission, are there enough safeguards in the Land Transport Agreement to resolve issues like this and to ensure a uniform approach? Or is there something that should be changed in the agreement? Because also to give the ability to the commission to ensure that we can avoid these unilateral measures being adopted in the future. I mean, and this can happen not only with Switzerland. It could also, in theory, happen by member states of the European Union. So do we need something else to ensure that this doesn't happen in the future?”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “(11:03:50 – 11:04:26): Yes. Yes. To conclude, so everybody at at the mission has said something. But just to underline to say thank you to EASA, the director and everybody that greeted us in Cologne. And also on the last point of Mr. Jonskin, I think the main takeaway is the importance of a strong, well financed EASA, not just for safety, but for the whole aviation ecosystem. And I think this is something in this committee we need to to work on, throughout this mandate to to to strengthen European competitiveness in the aviation sector. So just to say thanks to EASA, and to the colleagues that went to the mission together with us.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you sir. I'm not sure if it's on this point, but I do. It's. I'm not too late. Uh, the first point on the agenda after the vote is the commission presentation of the commission, uh, on their proposal amending directive 9962 as regards to the extension of the period during which heavy duty vehicles with zero emission can be benefit from a significant reduction in exemption from infrastructure or user fees. Since this is, uh, and from our perspective and urgency, uh, we would like to vote during this committee to treat this with the urgency procedure. I would propose, if we could do it during the ordinary vote, when we actually have members here, and perhaps not after the debate and discussion with the commission. That would be my proposal.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “President, Commissioner, we need a European transport policy and we need a proper financing for the programme. As well as we need military mobility. This will require strengthening of our infrastructure. We have to ensure that we have east west connections as a priority. But also let's look at the example of Sweden. There are there's 1000km between Stockholm and Lulea and we don't have any east west connections. So just this shows that we have to take military mobility seriously. And finally, as a member of the Socialists and Democrats, I would like to say that we have to ensure that we respect workers rights. There are shortages of workers in many transport sectors. We need these people. We need people to work, but they have to work in proper conditions to ensure that they want to work in the transport sector.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Okay, most of the question has been put or answered already, but my first initial question was about this issue of rural areas because you have difference between countries but also within countries. So what could the Commission theoretically do to also help deployment in rural areas? Then on the Htvs, okay, you say it is feasible to go from these 2000 to the 20,000. How much of this shortening do you foresee in these prioritized corridors? And what about the rest of the network for heavy duty vehicles? And will these 20,000 charging points then be possible to use for the trucks and the trailers? And in the beginning, you said that one target was about safe and secure parking and overnight charging. How is this statistic statistically looking without role of safe parking places and overnight charging? And then also, you had a point in the presentation about the possibility to extend the regulation to Port Airport. Could you perhaps develop a little bit about the thinking in the commission?”
  EV charging infrastructure
• “But that means the stick really needs to work. We need to be able to do what you propose. We also need to go further to make sure that we get the necessary market uptake, so we not will get back to the debate on the target. So in that sense, the intermediary tool that you propose, I think could be one of the necessary things to need to to bridge the gap between early stage innovation and full scale production. So could you perhaps say something more on how this intermediary proposal will look like? Will we get legislation through the Parliament? How will you organise funding, governance and the design of the mechanism? Because I think this is one of the really concrete parts of your proposal when it comes to high speed rail. This is also could be important to support continued European leadership in manufacturing and production within the train industry, a leadership that we still hold. So perhaps also if you could develop a little bit on how the plan also will help to ensure a European In manufacturing and high quality jobs in Europe, because this perhaps also a part of the incentive to member states to go along with the plan and put the money that they are asking for on the table. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “(10:54:50 – 10:55:21): Thank you, Cher. I would like to start with thanking Mr. Tobir for the work done as rapporteur. And also, of course, underlying that also from the S and D, we support the recommendation from the rapporteur to give consent to the conclusion of this protocol. It is necessary and to a large extent technical step to allow Croatia to become a part of the aviation agreement and ensures that Croatia is covered by the same framework as other member states. So, looking forward to the further process.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “Thank you for the floor. Thank you, Commissioner, for being here. And then, of course, to sort of also thank you for the work done securing the the CFA three and also an increased funding for transport. And I mean, in the general climate of the structure of the budget, I think this is an achievement, as Mr. Giesecke said, uh, perhaps then some questions, uh, you alluded to with it, but as I understood your presentation, but also all this leaked version of the theft that we have been able to read in the last week, there is a significantly narrower eligibility criteria for transport products. This will be a harder focus on these cross-border projects, and it makes sense in one way, but also removing specific references to missing links, urban nodes, multimodal logistic platform and various other types of infrastructures that was in the CFT. It raises the question how can we ensure together that the national sections connecting the cross-border links, urban transport nodes, multimodal Multi-Modal hubs and so also get sufficient funding. And this will. As you said, of course be two perhaps national plans. Um, the competitiveness fund and so on. But how do we ensure that we get sufficient funding? Because if the whole corridor, the whole network doesn't work, it wasn't it won't really make sense with the cross-border connection and also for some of these long term European priorities, as Ertms is also need to be long term investments and avoid being more like a project fund that you you will get through these different funds. And so I think how do we ensure the coherence if we limit ourselves to the to the cross-border sections in the self-financing. Thank you.”
  EU funding for transportation
• “You will also deal with the Railway capacity Regulation. The aim of the original proposal from the Commission was to create a unified European rail network. From the Parliament's side, we are somewhat concerned that the council position going into the negotiations with this strengthening of the binding national strategic guidance could risk making cross-border rail slower and less reliable. So my plea to the presidency is to work together with us to find a balanced agreement that delivers what was expected, originally a unified European rail network. I think this will be crucial in order to increase rail, both for passenger and freight. Then finally, and I will not go into details because I will have several colleagues that will ask about specific files. But you have a few files that have That have been stuck in council for some time. Is there any of those that you will take some sort of initiative to get momentum? And then perhaps as a final remark, to touch upon your general priority of security? I think you will find broad support in this Parliament on any initiative taken in order to deal with the Russian shadow fleet to increase security of infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. So I think you can count on our support on these issues.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “So what will we do? What can you do? I think also in cooperation with IRA, not only on bottlenecks but also on rtms on deck to ensure the rollout. I think you will, as you say, you will find support in this group to to finance the deployment, to have additional funds for the deployment. But. I'm not sure what the question is, but I mean, okay, one question is obvious. What else do you need from us? I mean, in the sector in terms of regulatory support to, to to ensure rollout because Well, I'm looking forward to the answer on the first question, because I see that we have possible development. That is obvious. We have all these possible steps we could take, but what takes have been taken so far because it's of course, in general, I mean, I support we need to defend the programme. We need to to have research, we need to have to go to the deployment direction. But what is keeping us because this is I mean, rail is lagging behind and it's because we don't do what's in the plan.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “I think this especially goes for freight. In 2023, for instance, international rail freight accounted for just 1.6% of the total freight moved via the tunnel. This limited use is due to persisting regulatory, technical and operational differences, and I think it therefore important to highlight this as a politically unsolved challenge. Secondly, in aviation, the UK is asking for further streamlining and easier access to the EU market when it comes to wet leasing aircraft and crew from and to the EU member states. And of course, this is perhaps quite understandable from an operational perspective, given that they have much better access before they left the European Union. But in my opinion, we need to be careful here. The UK is a third country at the moment, and the Commission is in the process of revising the Air Service regulation, including the wet leasing provisions and intra and extra EU. Our goal here is to withhold from doing something with one third country right now, and instead prioritizing the Air Service revision in order not to set a precedent or path dependencies for that revision. With that said, in general, the implementation of the transport chapters in the TCA are going quite well, and I'm looking forward to working together with the shadows and other members of the committee. Thank you.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Sorry. I'm sorry for being late. Is this Parliament with conflicting meetings? Just to thank because Mr. Ritchie is not here to thank. Mr. Novakov is the rapporteur and the other shadows as well, for all the work done on this file. And we from the S&D Group, we would of course have liked to find an agreement with the Danish presidency. But at the same time, if there is no possibility to movement from the council side on important points from Parliament concerning compensations, the three other delayed the prefilled common form and the issue of hand luggage. Then, of course, there is not much room for negotiation. So I think we from the S&D Group support the position adopted into the Parliament that we we take it as this as a second agreement position. What has been posed as negotiation mandate already from the rapporteur and that we go into to eventually then even if we didn't intend to do it, conciliation to find as a strong result as possible for passengers and passengers rights in Europe. With that said Mr.. Mr.. Richard would really like to to underline the good cooperation with the rapporteur and the shadow rapporteurs, and we look forward to the ongoing process. Thank you.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you sir. I would like to start by thanking colleagues for the amendments that they have submitted. I think that the amendments that I have received show a broad engagement with the file and highlight a number of important issues that we need to address as we move forward. The amendments mainly focus on a few key areas. Thank you. The balance between better data availability and data protection. The administrative burden for national authorities and citizens. The interoperability between national vehicle registers and the need to ensure legal clarity for cross border situations. As a rapporteur, my objective is to find a balanced approach that strengthens cooperation between member states with an aim to improve enforcement and reducing fraud, while fully respecting data protection rules and avoiding unnecessary complexity. But also, I would say at the same time, it is important to ensure that administrative solution does not result in avoidable costs or burdens for citizens, including those who may need or want to rely on physical registration documents. Secondly, I would also like to thank colleagues for what I have understood is a really constructive. Atmosphere at the technical meetings that are currently ongoing. I think that make me hopeful that we will find a strong consensus in support of reducing fraud, improving enforcement, and reducing burdens for both authorities and citizens. I believe that we have already made good progress, and I'm looking forward to also discussing the outstanding issues with the colleagues and shadow rapporteurs. I think I will stop here and listen to the colleagues. Thank you again, sir.”
  Driving licences
• “Thank you. Thank you very much. Coming from a member state where we have annual inspection from five years or five years, we have less of a media frenzy about the lack of engineers. And I would say two questions, and I will come back to the ten year or ten year threshold. But firstly, on a more technical side and on roadside inspection, I think it's good that the proposal make it obligatory for cargo security, security, security checks, and also that the proposals also put obligations on member states to ensure that the personnel during the transport that they are appropriately trained for the purpose. But my question, perhaps, is what additional measures is the Commission planning to make sure that operators provide drivers with relevant information, appropriate security materials? And also and I think this is important, sufficient time to actually securing the cargo, for example, will the Commission also update the best practices for cargo security? I mean, what additional measures will you do to make sure that this is really something that will be put into practice on the road? Because today this is this is really not the case. And then to come back on the ten years. Since I mean your impact assessment is quite clear, you will have significant gains with the proposal. It stated 7000 lives saved by 2050. But how did you end up with the ten year threshold for annual testing? Has you from the Commission assessed? What what would the additional benefits be, let's say from a perspective more looking in Sweden to do it for five years. What would what is the additional benefits to have testing from ten years compared to, let's say, 12, 14 and so on? I mean, do you have statistics on this as well? It would be interesting. Thank you.”
  Driving licences
• “Thank you. Commissioner, I have a concrete question concerning the updated rules for state aid. As you know, I come from a country that does not use income for determining access to public housing. Instead, we have a public housing model that is open to all people, regardless of income. And this, of course, means that the exemption for social housing is important for many member states have been of no practical use for us, and this has also created some problems with state investment in affordable housing for ordinary people. So with the revised state aid rules and the introducing of a new category of affordable housing that is allowing member states to support housing for households who cannot access adequate housing at affordable cost due to market outcome or market failure. Will this question according to you and also include then housing model as the Swedish without means tested or incomes criteria for access of public housing. Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you. Firstly, on the financing from a different perspective, but, I mean, the commission assumes that a large part will come from private investment. So how do we ensure that this does not lead to higher ticket prices, since also one of the objective is affordability for the service, then secondly, if you could perhaps since you are here, develop a little bit on the industrial and manufacturing leadership in rail, because this is an important part of the strategy that we agree on. But for me, it's a little bit unclear. How do we really ensure that this contributes to European leadership? And also how do we ensure also that the building of the actual infrastructure is done with well-paid jobs in Europe, performed on collective agreed wages? And then thirdly, you say this is a package everybody needs to buy in its entirety. And I mean, we really welcome this approach by the commission, but also in this movie, it was good for my home country, for example, Sweden, that the movie was moving quite fast because you can see that there exists no high speed rail and not 2030, not 2040. And then all of a sudden in 2050, it appears, because then we need to be done. But this is not how it works in reality. So if member states doesn't buy into this, what tools would the Commission have to ensure that this is a real European approach? I mean, I will do my best to change our government in September, but you might have problems with other other countries as well. So thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. Uh, also from me very much. Welcome to the committee. Looking forward to the cooperation. As Mr. Gieseke said, this is always the relevant committee to be so very much welcome. I also broadly agree on the priorities, some perhaps specific questions on different topics. Firstly, we know that being a safety agency, that passenger train operations in EU increasingly, increasingly are transitioning to single driver models with reduced staff on board. And of course we should welcome technological development. But also it raises question concerning passenger safety. Delayed evacuations, accessibility for disabled people and also, of course, workplace risk, where we have seen since 2020 a spike in passenger violence towards staff at trains. So how can ERA. That's my question. To enhance cooperation with National Safety Agency, to ensure that the operators safety management system effectively uphold these standards with the accessibility requirements. Evacuation time, protection against workplace violence, and so on. Then secondly, connected to this, as you know, DG mu plans to adopt the revision of the train driver certificate as ERA has a supporting role in developing common requirements and procedures. What would the ERA input be to the Commission in this ongoing work? And then thirdly, because I really welcome what you said, that you will be more foot on the ground to work with member States to take away obstacles for cross border train.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. President. I'm very happy that the Commission has finally unveiled a proposal that will help industry with its transition. President von der Leyen already said this during the previous term, but I think now we've got to deliver results. We need the right conditions to be able to leave fossil fuels behind and we also need the necessary conditions to make this transition to clean fuels. We know it isn't easy, and we know that if we want these sustainable fuels to be used, we need to produce them here in Europe. We're talking about energy security. And what is also at stake is jobs. We need to achieve three goals. First of all, we need to invest in European companies that develop and manufacture these fuels. Then we have to come up with solutions that will make sure that there is a high rate of return, high enough for the fuel producers, so that upstream investment pays off. Third point. We know that nowadays, um, uh, old generation fuels are more profitable and that has to change. We need a commission program to overcome these three problems I mentioned.”
  Energy (green transition)
• “Thank you very much. Thank you for for all the comments from colleagues. Uh. For me, enforcement is important. But I think what Mariana said also shows that enforcement. Enforcement gets near to impossible. Too far down the chain. When seven Swedish authorities did a joint inspection at the construction of the factory at Northvolt in Sweden, they had to stop after 20 minutes because the police didn't have places for more people to take care of. And when the problem is this big, I think also you need to do something to change the structure on the labor market because the problem is too big to simply enforce it away. And of course, we need to do this with a certain form of flexibility in a way that we doesn't hurt European productivity. And I'm hopeful that we can find such a way. I mean, there are countries where they have introduced a limit of two tiers, and where employers and trade unions both happily co-exist in this system. When one of the biggest Swedish construction companies self imposed a limit on two tiers of subcontractor on themselves, they said the following to explain their decision.”
  EU policy on labour exploitation in global supply chains
• “Thank you. Commissioner. Ministers, we welcome the fact that the council has finally reached an agreement on a position regarding passenger rights. However, regrettably, the council's position is inadequate. Extending the compensation threshold from 3 to 4 hours is a step backwards and unacceptable for Parliament. For many passengers, this means that the right to compensation disappears. We often speak of simplification, but why not take the obvious step and introduce automatic payments for delays? Because at the moment you have to send in all kinds of forms and wait months to enjoy this, right? Why should families with children still have to pay extra to sit together on flights, to sit with their children? It should be a matter of course, that children can sit next to their parents without charge. We in Parliament will do our part to ensure stronger protection for Europe's travellers.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you. And thank you to the ministers for the presentations, for being with us today. I have a few questions. First one goes to the fact that the Cyprus presidency has outlined Intermodality as one of its key priorities. And at the same time, we know that the Commission has proposed to withdraw the revision of the Combined Transport Directive. The coordinators of this committee today decided to object to the withdrawal. And it would be interesting to hear how the presidency view this issue in the council and the possibility to actually work on the file, because we know that the Commission has no alternative proposal that they will put on the table. Secondly, I would like to echo what my colleague just said about the conciliation that we are heading to on air passenger rights. This is something that I'm glad that the presidency will give priority to because we are on the clock, but also to be very clear that this is a joint position from the whole Parliament. We will not accept any watering down on passenger rights when it comes to the reimbursement and the time frame for the right of reimbursement.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. And thank you for for everyone participating in the debate today. I think in the long term, perhaps this idea of having joint committee procedures on everything will not be a positive thing in the Parliament, but I think we will manage on this specific file. But that's that's another institutional requested this. No, but this is because you can never. That's another debate. But I think on the debate today, I think it was interesting. I think we have some common ground from which we can build the report, I think, on these data points. I will just underline that. I think the 300 data points is also because member states are asking for the same thing in different ways. I think if you actually look at the maximum amount of data points, if we put into the European forum, everything members are asking for is 62. So I think this is relevant for the discussion. And also if you see where the council are going, they are doing the Common European Forum closer and closer to 62. So I think the main simplification is that we get the single interface out. In my member state we are currently asking for, I think, 26 information points. When I speak to my national trade unions. They say we don't want more information than we need because what are we going to do with the information? So I think the flexibility argument for me is not that we need as many points as possible, perhaps that different member states need different points. And also this will be a way to encourage also receiving member states to join, because I think it will be very difficult, even for my right wing government in Sweden not to join. And I'm quite sure that when we win the election in two years, we will under no circumstances join if there is not a flexibility in the system. So I think this is the argument for the flexibility, not that we want as many points as possible, but I will look forward to the continuing debate.”
  Digitalization of public governance & administration
• “Thank you, Madam Chairman. Commissioner. Recently we've seen a huge amount of GPS, Interferers, helicopters, ambulances. We're talking about 123 flights that have been affected by this type of interference. And this is a hybrid war that Russia is exerting against Europe. An accident is every day closer. We have to take this threat seriously, and we have to take actions in order to counter these threats. We have to increase our technical capacity, and we have to be as strong as these actors that are behind this, especially those that take our access to satellites away. We're talking about our freedom. And the Commission will find support from this Parliament to deal with this problem together. Thank you.”
  EU competences on space policy
• “Instead, we need to make sure that we get the directive in place so that passengers actually can claim the right that you get the reimbursement that you have right to. Then finally, on the MFF, which is also highlighted by the present, this is, of course, essential. And the funding to make sure that we have resilient transport infrastructure to ensure military mobility and also the necessary infrastructure for new alternative fuels. And but the financing needs are enormous. Now, we received somewhat of a positive proposal from the commission, but that is in a sense an absolute minimum, because the estimate is that in reality we would need above 300 billion to ensure the cross-border connection, the hotspots for military mobility, the charging infrastructure. But at the same time, we know that in the last two terms, the council cut one third of the proposed financing to transport. So what will the presidency do in the preparation of the budget work to ensure that we at least keep the financing or best case, increase it to ensure the transport needs? Thank you.”
  EU funding for transportation
• “Thank you, thank you. You have to wait for the question from Danielson before you get in. So for me as well, very much. Thank you for the presentation. Uh, we very much welcome the Danish presidency general focus on security and continues to support Ukraine. Is glad it is also within the transport priorities. Uh, but on more concrete files that we will do during the coming months. First on file stock in council. I'm quite pleased that you will prioritize to get the general approach on the wait and dimension directive, but I would like to hear if you have any ideas and plans also for the combined transport proposal. That means tax in 2020. Secondly, I would say that I have some concerns, perhaps on some ongoing negotiations that we have between other institutions. Of course, we welcomed the Danish presidency's ambition to to find an agreement on the rail infrastructure capacity regulation. And we did do some progress, quite substantial under the Polish presidency. But my understanding is that we are losing speed already now to technical meetings. And from the Parliament perspective, we are perhaps also perceiving some backtracking or at least some very limited flexibility on the side of the council and from our perspective, a fragmented system where national guide binding guidance.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “President, at its core, this debate is about the fact that large parts of this House does not believe in climate change or change at all. During the election campaign, one of your Swedish ECR colleagues had the opportunity to explain why we shouldn't worry about climate change. And he explained and listen carefully now that we should not worry, because if we would not have had climate change, we would still have dinosaurs. And even if it's cute when older men worry about dinosaurs, it is fundamentally a serious issue, because we cannot allow the far right's fear of dinosaurs to threaten the green transition of European industry and ultimately, our competitiveness. Because in the end, the EU's 2035 target is not a threat to the car industry. It is an opportunity. We should focus on helping the car industry with faster rollout of charging stations to make sure that we have a world class European battery production, that we have socialist schemes, so ordinary people also can demand European made electric cars. This is the way to defend the auto industry. Thank you for the floor.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you sir. I would like to start by thanking colleagues for the amendments that they have submitted. I think that the amendments that I have received show a broad engagement with the file and highlight a number of important issues that we need to address as we move forward. The amendments mainly focus on a few key areas. Thank you. The balance between better data availability and data protection. The administrative burden for national authorities and citizens. The interoperability between national vehicle registers and the need to ensure legal clarity for cross border situations. As a rapporteur, my objective is to find a balanced approach that strengthens cooperation between member states with an aim to improve enforcement and reducing fraud, while fully respecting data protection rules and avoiding unnecessary complexity. But also, I would say at the same time, it is important to ensure that administrative solution does not result in avoidable costs or burdens for citizens, including those who may need or want to rely on physical registration documents. Secondly, I would also like to thank colleagues for what I have understood is a really constructive. Atmosphere at the technical meetings that are currently ongoing. I think that make me hopeful that we will find a strong consensus in support of reducing fraud, improving enforcement, and reducing burdens for both authorities and citizens. I believe that we have already made good progress, and I'm looking forward to also discussing the outstanding issues with the colleagues and shadow rapporteurs. I think I will stop here and listen to the colleagues. Thank you again, sir.”
  Driving licences
• “Thank you. Chair. As you know, the TCA is the primary treaty governing the post-Brexit relationship between the EU and the UK. And the Commission follows up yearly with an implementation report on the state of play on the TCA, given an assessment on all different sectors and in this House. The outfit? And the committee have decided to draw up a report on the implementation. And our opinion will focus, therefore, on the sectoral rules on transport. The draft report that I have submitted is covering general provision but also all the different transport modes. Firstly, and I think this is perhaps the most general but also most important remark, I feel that we can be happy with how the TCA is implemented when it comes to transport provisions. With that said, of course it will be important with a concerted and ongoing effort to closely cooperate with our close partner like the UK, in order to not let regulation diverge too much. This is, of course, a risk that will increase with time, and this is especially important in areas like passenger rights, decarbonization, decarbonisation efforts in aviation and maritime and road transport. Also, I try in the report to highlight two specific issues that perhaps are somewhat concerning. First, the fact that while some progress has been made, freight and passenger volumes through the Channel Tunnel remain low.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Also, thank you to the commission. Uh, it was interesting. I, I hadn't I haven't really prepared the question, so I hope I make sense, but to touch upon the definition of a vulnerable group because let's say you have a theoretical example of a member states that say to you in the Commission that they will introduce a subsidy for people to buy electric vehicles. It could be €7,000. They introduce some kind of ceiling on wages. So at least they exclude the richest in society. But still they might target 80% of the society. Is this from the Commission's perspective, sufficient targeting of vulnerable groups? Because it will also mean, of course, that the most vulnerable will still not be able to afford a car. In this theoretical example, would the Commission perhaps encourage the member States to instead look into social leasing, or some scheme that actually would help the most vulnerable people to also afford an electric car? Thank you.”
  EU policy on social criteria in public funding
• “(15:29:38 – 15:31:57): Thank you, Chair. Also, welcome back to the commissioner. First, one question on maritime. The commissioner also touched upon the issue of ownership and flags. And, as you alluded to, we have a situation today with a significant share of the EU tonnage that are owned and controlled that are not flagged within the EU. So my question is what concrete measures can the EU and its member states take to ensure that we have more EU flags, things that we have not done previously that will make this ambition work this time? Secondly, coming back to the current situation that you started with and also the clear vulnerabilities that we have seen due to our dependence on fossil fuels and the current crisis. I had prepared two questions. The first one was on the short term and the guidelines and what we can expect this week. You went through it quite well, I think. So then perhaps my question is then instead on the more long term game. Is there and what is happening with this SAF early movers coalition? Is there any progress on this double auctioning pilot? Do we see something? Because after the short term problems, we need to be less dependent on fossil fuels in the long term. Then third issue, question, favorite question from me. I put it first time when I was elected 2019 to commissioner Valjean, and she promised a revision of the air service regulation fourth quarter 2020. And now I put the question to you several times in the hearings, and it was supposed to be before Christmas, first quarter before summer. Now it's after summer. Will we see the proposal of the air service regulation after summer and preferably 2024 this year? And then last point, not so much a question, but I would like to echo what mister Gieseke said. Because we know we are on a short time frame now to agree on air passenger rights. So precisely as my colleague said, just encourage you to continue and put more pressure on the member states because if we don't show more flexibility, more will to negotiate from the member states, there is a real risk that we will run out of time. And after 13 years, we will have no agreement on air passenger rights. Thank you.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector · Decarbonisation of maritime transport
• “Mr. president, Commissioner, the train, the tragic train accidents in Greece and Spain remind us that railway safety can never be taken for granted. But we must also recognise that these two tragedies are different in Spain. The accident is recent. It's still subject to an ongoing and independent investigation, with authorities cooperating being committed to transparency. In contrast, the accident in Greece also exposed deeper structural problems with chronic underinvestment, outdated infrastructure and also some serious systemic failures. But from both tragedies. We need also to draw lessons to strengthen railway safety across Europe. So, Commissioner, let me turn to you with three questions. Firstly, our the mandate of ERA. Is it enough or the resources sufficient or should the mandate and resources be expanded? Secondly, my question was on the European Occurrence Reporting system. So I very much welcome the announcement of the commissioner today. But finally, if you also could develop a little bit what progress has been made so far since the infringement procedure against Greece one year ago? Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. Thank you chair. Thank you to the Commissioner for being here for the presentation. And you can count on broad support in this committee for an ambitious agenda on transport and also in trying to defend the CEF and the importance of program funding for infrastructure in Europe. I have a couple of questions. Also coming back to some of the commitments you made at the hearing here in the Parliament. The first one is that you committed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of working conditions in all mode of transport. So my given the urgency to improve social conditions in transport, I would like to ask at what stage is the process currently and when can we accept some kind of presentation, some some outcome and findings. And then also on the specific issue that is not in the work programme, but that I know you and the Commission is working on, is the Air Service regulation. If you could give some insight on when we could expect a proposal, even if not 25, when in 26. And on the automotive dialogue, you will have a lot of questions. I will not put so many questions, but I would really encourage you to make sure that heavy duty vehicles get enough attention in the strategy, because in the public debate, it's mostly focused on cars. But to be to safeguard European production of heavy duty vehicles, to actually have zero heavy duty vehicles, we cannot forget it. And we need to do a lot of things. Weight and dimension. It's good. It's out of the council because without this we will not have battery trucks for example. So do not forget heavy duty vehicles.”
  EU funding for transportation
• “Thank you. I will almost be as short as renewed. But not not not completely. Just to say also from the S&D Group that we welcome the proposal from the commission, uh, to extend the total exemption for zero emission heavy duty vehicles until 2031. And of course, this measure is there to make the business case for zero emission transport more attractive. And this is, according to our group, important. I would but I would just like to underline perhaps also and we just voted in favour of the urgency procedure. And I appreciate all the hard work between the automotive strategy on the fifth of Mars and this day. But of course, this directive has been in place for longer than that, I think from the Parliament perspective, it is a problem that we have due to real facts in reality have to deal with this as an urgency. We do it because it's it's a necessity. But I think there is a case to say that the commission, there are a lot of brilliant people there that could have seen this and prepared it also before the automotive strategy was in place. So I think as going further, he has to have it stated that I think this is unfortunate that we are stuck with these urgencies, even if it's a necessity this time. Thank you.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you. I will speak Swedish. Fraud and exploitation are increasing in the European labor market. We're seeing infiltration into the services sector, in the healthcare sector. And if we don't take action, then we will see ever more tax money going to criminals and fraudsters. And so we need three things. Social rules and requirements must be applied and enforced. We need to reduce the supply chain and the subcontractors. We need to make that better for the employees. That actually makes life harder for criminal operators. So we need to look at criminality. We need to exclude Companies that are associated with organized crime or engaged in any kind of crime or fraud.”
  EU policy on employment subcontracting
• “Oversight fails and workers pay the price, sometimes ultimately with their life. And at the same time, and I think this is important. Europol has warned that almost all of Europe's most threatening criminal networks are using legal business structures to gain a foothold in the European economy. This is especially apparent in sectors like logistic. Other cash incentive businesses and construction. And in this way, this is also an issue that is a broader threat for our societies. The report argues. I argue that in order to address this, we need to achieve three things. We need firstly to have prevention to make it really hard to commit fraud and exploitation in the first place. Secondly, we will need control to increase the chances that fraud and abuses will be detected and stopped. And thirdly, we need to have effective sanctions ensuring that those that still break the rules also face real consequences. It's only if we achieve all these three things that the business model for these types of companies will be we will be able to fight it. And several member states are actually trying to take these types of action already today. But time and again, they those efforts face legal challenges, often with reference to EU internal market rules, and this creates hesitation. Member states are unsure what are the limits. Is it possible for member states to impose stricter rules? Can they demand direct employment? Can they require shorter subcontracting chains? And this report makes it clear that we need a signal from the European Commission that, yes, member states are allowed to act and not only allowed, they should take action.”
  EU law enforcement cooperation in criminal matters
• “Okay. So? Well, then you have the opportunity to hear it again, Commissioner. President. Commissioner. Sustainable biofuels produced in Europe are of decisive importance. If we are to reduce reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector. But for the road sector, electricity is the only option. Anything else is pie in the sky. When it comes to aviation maritime. However, the situation is more complex. We have to reduce our autonomy. Or dependency on authoritarian regimes. This is why we need to produce here in Europe. First of all, however, we have to ensure that we adopt an adequate climate policy. This is why we must take a long term view of this investing in sustainable fuels. At the same time, we also have to ensure that we have a sufficient production of electric vehicles. And in parallel to this, we have to keep pressure up to ensure that the fuels are produced here in the European Union. I don't have much speaking time, so I'd like to stop now, but we know now what we need to do for the future.”
  Powertrain choice: EV-only pathway vs. equal support for hybrids, e-fuels, H2
• “Thank you very much. Thank you also for interesting presentation. Perhaps one should prepare questions and read them. But I mean, when we listen to the presentation, what I what strikes me it makes sense. Everything you have the innovation pillar, the system pillar, the deployment group. But and all the innovation, all the research is necessary. We need I mean, you said good for analog to digital, perhaps skip digital to go to AI as Gieseke said. But what have we actually been able on a European scale to deploy lately of major impact for improvement rail? I mean, what what are the technological steps that we have been able to do? Because I think this is the core question, how do we actually deploy the technology that we have? And I mean, on our terms. It's obvious that member states are not even stressed. I think some of the demands of the 20 that we will not in my home country, Sweden, that we will not meet the target date. There are a little bit stressed from authorities from the government on Rtms. It looks like 2042 in Italy. Yes. Well, this is what it is.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank you. It's not a lot, really. But first of all, uh, Miss Matera, thank you for being clear that we do not need to backtrack on CO2 standards. I think that was an important message. Perhaps also in this panel, uh, I would say, uh, you also asked for harmonization. Uh, I would say that despite that, Alfa regulation is quite clear on transparent and comparable prices, there are continue to be customers believing that we still have a lack of clarity around pricing. Do you think there is room for manoeuvre for the industry, the EU, the Commission to work together to find guidelines to make transparency in charging station on prices. Then perhaps a question also to the road industry. I mean. I think we have a dual problem because okay, let's say we have 200 rooms. If you go out to an industrial site in close to a Swedish harbour, you will find tens and hundreds of trucks, all belonging to companies that don't follow one single rule, at least not 200. They don't pay wages, they don't respect working time, they don't respect rest rules and so on. So at one hand, we would support harmonization, digitalization to see that we have mutual recognition. But at the same time, they're also going to be a need for rules and enforcement. On the other hand, because we have a sector where you have interior to comply to 200 rules, but we have a lot of competition based on not following any of these rules. So how do you see both things at the same time?”
  EV charging infrastructure
• “The housing crisis in Europe is a real one. We have housing prices which are going up higher than incomes, and a lot of young people and families have great difficulties in paying for a home. Politics is also responsible, but housing policy is something which leads to lots of questions about responsibility. We have responsibilities in Europe and in the member states. The regulation in Europe sometimes means obstacles for construction in member states. We should start about looking, revising rules and withdrawing them. In Sweden, for example. We are being held up from investing in social housing in certain sectors and in other countries too. We must make sure we can fight homelessness. And it's also a question of building materials. We shouldn't invest 100%. We should make sure that this sector is dynamic.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you. Uh, thank you to the speakers as well. I'm glad that at least there seems to be an agreement in both panels that we really need to to stick to our targets, because I think that one also problem, not just in this sector but in other sectors, is that also investors are starting to contemplating about EU really being serious with the climate policies. And. Well, I think that's important across sectors. Let's there were some alignment among the speakers about what is needed. But perhaps if I could ask for the coalition, what do you what do you think is necessary except the booking claim we heard from T&E about the double sided auctioning. Is this something that you also would favor us to Mr. Berg and Sky energy? Uh, if we introduce a booking claim system, we will. The problem? To find a physical point of entry. Go away, so to say. Because if. If you still have fuel suppliers that apply the surcharges at the airport where you physically need to, to, to actually sell us the kerosene, will that problem still be there or do you think it's fixable? Also, perhaps from you and the other speaker that didn't clearly say that we should limit this to ISF? Uh, would you agree or would you say that it should be open for other sustainable aviation fuels as well? And to Sasha and Tony that proposed the limitation to ISF, uh, Easter, from your perspective, any short term problems with, with limiting the booking claim to, to, to ISF. Thank you.”
  Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “Thank you, Madam President. The EU has to lead technological development. We can't allow China to dominate the car industry. The future weakening the 2035 target is an unnecessary step in the wrong direction. It creates a lack of certainty for all those companies who have been trying to play by the rules in the long term. It's not just a retrograde step. It's also a distraction, a distraction from all of the steps that we know we have to take to strengthen Europe's car industry. 14 million workers work in the car industry in Europe. The only way to improve and ensure that these jobs still exist is that the future's green cars will be produced here in Europe. To do that, we have to increase demand. We have to do that quickly. And so I'm looking forward to continuing our work with the Commission's proposal to speed up the transition to zero emission corporate cars and to make e-cars e vehicles accessible to all. Will strengthen the the climate and strengthen Europe's competitiveness by doing it.”
  Road transport environmental policy
• “Thank you. Well, and my bad English is due to to the Easter break, but it will be English. Uh, firstly, thank you to all the three coordinators. And, uh, firstly, perhaps on the North Sea Baltic, because it is, as you expressed, an important link between the Nordic region, the Baltic states and Central Europe, both in terms of connectivity, but today also in resilience and military mobility at the EU's eastern flank and as a Swede, perhaps also important in this context, the growing importance of northern Scandinavia and also, as you stated, the Arctic Loop, both regarding military mobility, security, but also in the industrial transformation that we are in. So could you perhaps develop a little bit how this strategic importance will be reflected in your upcoming work plan for the North Sea Baltic Corridor? Then a question on the North Sea Mediterranean corridor that is perhaps a little bit more specific, because the whole aim of the Ten-t corridors is to facilitate seamless and interoperable, interoperable cross-border transport. And this goes beyond funding. And at the moment, we have some concerns with, uh, Switzerland that has adopted unilateral measures, uh, impacting rail freight services, which we believe could be in breach with the EU, Switzerland land transport agreement. We will have the European Commission in the in the committee later today to discuss the issue. But have you, as a coordinator, had any discussion with Swiss authorities to ensure their commitment and support to a unified approach on cross-border rail flights? Because, I mean, you can finance the infrastructure, but it's also important that we are able to use it seamlessly in Europe.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Chair. Also, thank you for the presentation. Sorry for for missing the first part of the presentation. Um, I have a question. Perhaps, uh, on how the the speaker view in order to to ensure affordable housing for vulnerable groups. But then also, I mean for families, people that have specific needs, perhaps also in terms of a larger accommodation, the combination between if you're looking at other big cities, how much can we solve by investment to build cheaper housing within these big cities, and how much needs to be a combination of housing policies and transportation policies? So you enlarge the area in which you can live and still work within the bigger cities, and do it without ridiculous times of commuting, because then, of course, there is not a reasonable housing option for these families. Thank you.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you. Thank you to all the speakers as well. First, an actual question concerning the HMP. I was one of the members that worked on the revision that included Hmps in the CMD directive. As I understood, one clear demand is not to include the definition within the current revision. That's our on the table. Is that enough from the legislative perspective, or do you need other things as well? A push for the closed system or anything else? Then secondly, we have heard from the unions, several of them on the need for inspections. And since the commissioner here, I think there is a real need for a push from the Commission to ensure that Member States live up to the ILO recommendations, that we get inspections, at least 1 in 10,000 workers. That would mean double the amount of inspection inspectors in my home country, Sweden, for example. But we also need to combine this with sanctions, because it's the risk of detection in combination with the sanctions that will deter companies of breaking, uh, health and safety rules. And finally, to follow up with Enrico and Ifat said also towards the Commission. In order to be able to deal with all the issues, we need to fight precarious employment in any form. So I really encourage you to be strong in the quality jobs roadmap, but also with the fair labour mobility package, because otherwise we will fail. Thank you.”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions
• “Thank you. Chair. Thank you to the Commissioner for the presentation. I hope you will be able to spend some time with your family during Christmas. Not just working on Christmas present to Jens. Uh, but as you know from our group, you will have full support of the troop proposal you presented a couple of weeks ago. First, on this tip, of course, securing Europe's leadership in sustainable fuels, but also securing the production here in Europe should be a priority for us. We all know that the market is not functioning at the moment, so we need targeted support, public support to get the market for sustainable aviation and maritime fuels to work. So we are very happy with your proposal. But also to be quite clear, I mean, some of the blame might be on the Commission as well, not the Commissioner himself, but on the Commission. I was glad to hear from the director, Cornelius, at the Sustainable Aviation Future Congress, that he really underlined that the Commission will do nothing with the target. The target is there. Now it's about how we will reach the target. But of course, one of the reasons that he has to say it 20 times at the Congress is that every other target has been changed by the Commission. So I really like that we are sticking to the targets.”
  Decarbonisation of maritime transport · Decarbonisation of aviation sector
• “Doesn't make it possible for European priorities for rail freight transport and so on. It will be a non solution for the Parliament. So I'm very afraid that we will get stuck in the negotiation if you don't increase your flexibility. I think the same will go for air passenger rights because as you said, you started the clock and that means you need to be more flexible because I think we adopted by broad majority in the Parliament and a proposal that strengthened passenger rights. And I hope you will show sufficient flexibility so that we can reach an agreement during the Danish presidency. Then, perhaps finally, I think we can all acknowledge green and competitiveness, reducing administrative burden as important priorities. I am perhaps missing from the social democratic perspective in your priorities, the issue of workers. So how will you secure during the six months and the files you're working on on the transport side, that it will also push tangible benefits for transport workers. Not at least to make sure that we can attract sufficient talent to to all modes of transport. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “If we buy up a subcontractor, we want them to do the job for us, not someone else. It is about quality, the work environment and preventing fraud and crime. And I think this is the only way for this single company to. To make sure that they don't have crime at their work sites. And I think it should not be a choice of other to let criminals into the workplace. We need a European regulation. It's a European problem. We heard it from our colleague from Slovakia. So I look forward to work together in the coming months to find the right balance, to make sure that we have a proposal that prevent fraud. But of course, when subcontracting is needed and it is at some business cases, it's going to be alone. It's not a proposal to ban subcontracting. It's a proposal to regulate it in a way so that we have safe and secure workplaces throughout Europe, throughout all sectors. So with this, my time is out. So I look forward to the work we will do in the coming months.”
  EU policy on labour exploitation in global supply chains
• “Since I'm here and since I said no previously. But just a question concerning, which was, I think in the bottom right square of one of the of the first PowerPoint slides, but not dealt in any depth. And that is the question of working condition, because under the Maritime Labour Convention, ships are required to comply with minimum standards on seafarers working and living condition. But as we know, in practice compliance is often demonstrated through a self-declaration by the ship owner, which is commonly treated as a effect and evidence that the MLC requirements are being met. But of obvious reasons, I think to rely on self-declaration carries a risk here. Port state control inspectors play a crucial role in verifying actual compliance. But today, my impression is that they may lack sufficient tools, training or guidance to go by on the check of the actual documentation. So my question is, what can AMSA do to strengthen the capacity of the PS inspectors to check whether the MLC requirements are actually followed, and not just on paper, but also in practice for the workers. Thank you.”
  EU rules on hazardous working conditions