Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ

Policy topics Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ is active on

What Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ has said (19)

• 2026-06-17 “(16:01:40 – 16:03:02): It was hard to listen to the extreme right and to the amount of hypocrisy in this room. Now they push you down the stairs and they ask you, where are you hurrying to? Because they said that renewables are more expensive. Are they? Have you talked to anyone trying to charge electricity or somebody putting gas and fuel in their car recently? Have you tried talking to somebody who's installed solar panels so that they can have free energy and then they are blocked by the right who stops energy communities. Renovation wave. We have put so much money in the renovation wave. Some countries have taken it all, Italy and others. Are you better off sharing the energy price with the environment just because your house is badly isolated and because you don't wanna take money from the EU to renovate? People do not love gas. They do not love coal. They love comfort. They love prices. They love convenience, and they love security. That's what they love. So let us give them something to live in the current, in in the future, not something ideological. Stop the ideology. Look reality in the face. Thank you very much, mister Cunha. President,”
  Energy performance of buildings
• 2026-01-16 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Séjourné on behalf of the European Commission 9.6.2026 Written question The Commission is aware of the significant number of injuries caused by pyrotechnic articles and their use. The recent evaluation of Directive 2013/29/EU [1] concluded that it has contributed to the safety of pyrotechnic articles on the internal market but also revealed issues that are currently not adequately addressed across the EU [2] . Following the assessment announced in the Internal Security Strategy ProtectEU [3] and to address the identified shortcomings, the Commission is currently launching the impact assessment process for a revision of the directive on pyrotechnic articles. [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2013/29/oj/eng. [2] https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=SWD(2025)268&lang=en. [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0148.”
  EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
• 2025-05-19 “E-001990/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is committed to ensuring that Natura 2000 sites are safeguarded against adverse effects from infrastructure projects. To assess the adequacy of current safeguards, in particular stemming from the Habitats Directive (HD) 1 , the Commission regularly monitors the implementation of EU environmental legislation, including the HD and the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 2 . The Commission also works closely with Member States to provide guidance and support in the implementation of these Directives. Emergency legislation can be used to introduce derogations from EU environmental law, but such derogations must be strictly limited to what is necessary to address the emergency situation and must not compromise the overall protection of the environment. Article 6(4) of the HD allows for derogations from the prohibition on plans or projects that may have a significant impact on a Natura 2000 site, but only in exceptional circumstances, when no other alternatives are available and mitigation measures are not enough, and subject to strict conditions. Any derogations introduced via emergency legislation must be carefully assessed to ensure that they are necessary, proportionate, and do not compromise the integrity of the Natura 2000 site or its network as a whole. Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are primarily responsible for ensuring compliance with EU law. In line with its strategic approach on enforcement action 3 , which focuses on cases of systemic non-compliance, the Commission considers that the means of redress available under national legislation would be the most appropriate mechanism to address individual cases of possible non-compliance. 1 Articles 6(3) and (4): Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7–50. 2 Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, OJ L 26, 28.1.2012, p. 1–21, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014, OJ L 124, 25.4.2014, p. 1–18. 3 As set out in the Communication of 19 January 2017 (EU law: Better results through better application C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10–20) and in the Communication of 13 October 2022 COM(2022) 518 final - Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects · Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2025-03-17 “E-001125/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the waste management situation in the Municipality of Ploiești. The Commission is not entitled to intervene in national permitting procedures and cannot compel Romanian environmental authorities to issue a permit for the new operator. The responsibility to authorise specific activities lies with Member States’ authorities, who are best placed to assess specific situations such as the waste management situation Ploiești. The Commission focuses its enforcement action on systematic failures to comply with EU law 1 . Moreover, the non-collection of waste cannot as such constitute a direct breach of the Air Quality Directive 2 . The Commission has already taken appropriate action against Romania, with four infringement procedures concerning the bad application of the EU waste legislation currently ongoing, as detailed below. 1) Case C-109/22 3 : the Commission is monitoring the execution of the judgment of the Court of Justice. To date, 29 landfills remain neither closed nor rehabilitated, and as a result, Romania is currently incurring penalties. 2) Case INF(2020)2276 4 : concerning Romania’s failure to close and rehabilitate 9 landfills in accordance with its Accession Treaty. 3) Case INF(2020)2355 5 : concerning the failure to establish a national waste infrastructure for treating waste. 4) Case INF(2024)2136 6 : concerning Romania’s failure to attain the various waste targets, with a letter of formal notice sent on 25 July 2024. The last three cases mentioned above are still at the administrative stage and have not been referred to the Court. The Commission is in close contact with Romanian authorities in order to ensure compliance is achieved as soon as possible (INF(2024)2136). 1 As set out in the Communication of 19 January 2017 (EU law: Better results through better application C/2016/8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10–20) and in the Communication of 13 October 2022 COM(2022) 518 final - Enforcing EU law for a Europe that delivers. 2 Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, OJ L 152, 11.6.2008, p. 1–44. 3 https://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf;jsessionid=E0143CD4AEDFC2B7B3351862ED646BCE?t ext=&docid=280628&pageIndex=0&doclang=fr&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=3405991 4 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 0)2276&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate 5 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 0)2355&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate 6 https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringementsproceedings/infringement_decisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(202 4)2136&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate”
  Air quality policy · Circular economy
• 2025-01-26 “E-000334/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Emergency authorisations are the responsibility of Member States, and it is primarily the role of their judicial systems to ensure compliance with applicable rules. However, the Commission considers the emergency authorisations granted by Romania for outdoor uses of products containing restricted neonicotinoids is not compliant with Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 1 as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union, and it continues its efforts to ensure Romania’s compliance with the applicable rules. Biocontrol solutions are available as alternative to chemical pesticides and their number increases. In the Vision for Agriculture and Food 2 , the Commission announced its intention to further speed up market access for biocontrol products. According to the Directive on the Sustainable Use of pesticides 3 , farmers must implement integrated pest management (IPM), which entails the use of preventive measures, biocontrol products, and, as a last resort, chemical pesticides for which the amount needed can be reduced with precision application techniques. Horizon Europe funds several projects 4 to support IPM. IPM can be supported, depending on the design of the common agricultural policy (CAP) Strategic Plans of a Member State, by the CAP which also provides specific support for organic farming through direct payments (eco-schemes), rural development measures and others, but also for advisory services and knowledge exchange on ecologically friendly practices that reduce reliance on pesticides. 1 OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 1. 2 COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A Vision for Agriculture and Food Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations COM/2025/75 final. 3 Directive 2009/128/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 71–86. 4 See research and innovation under the EU Research Framework Programme Horizon Europe to support sustainable plant protection, such as IPMWorks project https://ipmworks.net/. More information available in the AgriResearch factsheet on plant health: https://research-andinnovation.ec.europa.eu/document/download/e8a5772e-9fca-4583-a81b-649729068f1e_en. More information available in the AgriResearch factsheet on ecological approaches and organic farming: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/document/download/4ae48c83-5852-4d7a-8892-718a02d29595_en, and Cofunded partnership on Agroecology: https://www.agroecologypartnership.eu/.”
  Reduction targets for pesticides · EU policy on pesticides
• 2025-01-26 “E-000333/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission 1. + 2. The insufficiencies in the Sites of Community Interest (SCI) part of Romania’s Natura 2000 network are subject to an ongoing infringement 1 , as mentioned by the Honourable Member. However, the assessment of the information available carried out as part of this infringement indicates no insufficiencies regarding the habitats and species protected in the site ROSCI0074 Făgetul Clujului - Valea Morii, including in the wider area of the site. Thus, the Commission cannot establish any breach of the Habitats Directive 2 and will not enlarge the scope of this infringement procedure against Romania on the basis of the Făget Sud – Colonia Făget area. 3. Due to the infringement mentioned above, Romania has taken steps to address insufficiencies in the SCI part of its Natura 2000 network (e.g. by launching an ongoing project which is expected to deliver results by the end of 2025). Cohesion policy supports projects focused on the maintenance and increase of biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites. In 2021 – 2027 programming period the national programme for sustainable development has an allocation of EUR 150 million for these actions. In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will continue monitoring the situation and, where necessary, may decide to take appropriate action. 1 INFR(2019)2138: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/inf_23_142 2 Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the protection of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora, OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7‐50.”
  Nature protection and restoration in the EU
• 2025-01-14 “E-000110/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Code of Practice on Disinformation 1 is a robust set of commitments and detailed measures to fight disinformation while respecting freedom of expression - agreed upon by online platforms, search engines, the advertising industry, fact-checkers, researchers and civil society organisations. Following the signatories’ willingness to have the Code integrated into the Digital Services Act (DSA) framework 2 , the Board 3 and the Commission assessed the Code, concluding it meets the conditions for codes of conduct under the DSA 4 . In practice the Code can become a significant and meaningful benchmark for determining compliance with the DSA for those providers of very large online platforms and very large online search engines that adhere to and comply with its commitments. Meta subscribes to most commitments on fact-checking under the Code. Meta’s recent announced changes related to their United States third-party fact-checking program currently do not apply in the EU. The Commission considers fact-checking an effective means to mitigate risks linked to disinformation 5 . Independent, impartial fact-checking can significantly contribute to identifying and addressing risks linked to the dissemination of disinformation, negative effects on civic discourse and electoral integrity, while respecting freedom of expression. However, Article 35 of the DSA does not prescribe specific mitigation measures; other measures could also mitigate relevant systemic risks provided they are reasonable, proportionate and effective. Meta’s announced changes to their hate speech policy and political content control do apply globally. The Commission has received related ad hoc risk assessment reports and currently reviews them. Meta must report on its content moderation resources in its transparency reports every six months 6 . 1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/code-practice-disinformation 2 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act). 3 European Board for Digital Services. 4 Article 45(1) and (3). Both positive assessments can be found here: https://digitalstrategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/code-conduct-disinformation 5 Guidelines on the mitigation of systemic risks for electoral processes: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52024XC03014&qid=1714466886277 6 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-brings-transparency”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• “Thank you. And I would like to to state our points on behalf of Madeleine's by with our member responsible for for the file. Dear president, the rapporteur, dear colleagues, first of all, thank you for the work on this file. I think we share a common objective to ensure that health is not sidelined and remains a core priority within the EU. This is precisely why we believe dedicated policy window for health is essential. Health technologies and systems cannot be treated in the same way as agriculture or biotech. Without a clear and distinct framework. There is a real risk that health priorities will be diluted from a green perspective. We want to emphasize that the development of health technologies must be public interest driven. Innovation should not be guided primarily by profitability, but by public health needs. This means ensuring that new technologies are affordable, accessible and equitably distributed across all member states. Public funding must come with clear guarantees. We cannot support a model where public investments de-risk innovation while access and pricing remain driven by private interests. We also tabled amendments to ensure that support to civil society organizations in the health sector remain effective. As we know, they face budget cuts often. Competitiveness. Competitiveness must be understood more broadly. Reducing pollution is not a constraint. It is a driver of competitiveness and resilience. Preventing disease lowers health care costs, strengthens our workforce and improves economic sustainability. In this context, we must take seriously the health impacts of harmful substances such as PFAs and endocrine disruptors. Addressing these challenges is not only environmentally necessary, but also a key component of a forward looking and competitive European health strategy. Thank you.”
  Public and private sectors role in healthcare services
• “Commissioner. Tough job. You have to deal with both houses and the heating of said houses. In in my country. Uh, yeah, it was it was a lottery. People cut down on the temperature inside their houses. They they unpack the woolies. Okay. We'll do with 16, 18°C inside, but we need to plan for this. We need to be able to help our citizens. And then when people take matters into their own hands and they try to produce some energy, they're not allowed access to the market. The major companies don't allow them to sell the surplus Us or to give it to somebody else. You cannot give away cheap energy even if you want to. We need to support this type of energy community. We need to bring down the electric bills because people don't feel at home that things are getting better, then they won't support Europe. What we do here is very important. I can't wait to see the four pillars with all those actions. I can't wait for them, I mean it. And let me tell you something else. We don't need to be dependent on various dictators. Aliyev or God knows who. No, we need our renewable energy produced here in Europe and also produced by citizens with European support. Good European energy. That's what the Green Deal is all about. It's not a woke leftist Marxist conspiracy. It is all about a Europe that relies on its own energy. Thank you very much.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “I initiated three blue cards for Mr. Faber. Uh, now for Mr. Oliveira. Two others. We have three blue cards on this one, so. Ah, but. Ah, but Mr. Kelly is from the same group, so it's. You're not allowed. You're not allowed to ask someone from your group. So this leaves us with one person, which is Nico. Stefan, please. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: Mr. Ferber, are you sure that it's only an issue of what's on? What's on offer? Imagine a student, a student or somebody who who's just begun his job or her job, and they have a very, very limited resources. They have no, they'll never get a loan from any bank irrespective of what the market has to offer, irrespective of what sort of new housing is out there for 200,000 or 300,000 or more euro. So how can a young man or young woman, how can they afford that irrespective of what's on offer on the market?”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you. Nikola stefanova. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: Thank you president. And because we had Mr. Papandreou speaking, I would like to refer to another famous Greek, Mr. Papanikolaou, and the taste test for HPV. This is important especially in the country where I come from, because, um, because the mortality rates are the highest in the EU for HPV and uh, we have over two and a half times more than the average and a mortality rate of four and four times more than in the European Union. I heard the numbers from Malta. I was also impressed to her to hear that, uh, Iron Curtain that we often refer to in the health committee between those who have and those who have not, uh, also extends beyond the East. It's not only in the East, it's also in the South, it's also in other places. And we shouldn't have such an iron curtain. And then I come back with my hat. As a budget person, I sit in budget and I remember very well the discussion when we had the budget for EU, for health. And we made it around 5.1 billion for the current MFF. And over a third went to the beating cancer plan. But because it was so little and yet not enough, we used it for conferences, meetings, etc. instead of using it for prevention. So we have to really think now that we have an MFF to invest in value for money on cancer, because value for money is the best investment in screening prevention. Enough tests for everyone and no more inequality between member States. Thank you.”
  HPV prevention
• “The debate is now concluded. And we can move to the next item on the agenda. A brief presentation of the Budka report, Research Fund for Coal and Steel Research Programme and Multiannual Technical and Financial Guidelines. I should like to give the floor directly to the rapporteur for four minutes. Mr. Budka. The floor is yours, sir.”
  EU research funding
• “Thank you. Nikola Stefanov. Please. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: Madam Commissioner, I would like to really thank you for your recent interventions in the case of Romania, floods in the northeast, the pride incident, uh, where the Ucpmb ensured rapid intervention, evaluation and everything. I notice that my country and others use ucpmb, just like some people use the emergency room for normal health care. And I want to echo my colleague who said we shouldn't do that because the intensity of the extreme elements will will grow, and we cannot always use the emergency room. We have to have prevention in place. So to reduce the intensity of these extreme events, and for you, I would really like to stress the relation to the, um, to the Solidarity Fund because you intervene via Ucpmb. And then a lot of the times also, member states request the Solidarity Fund, which we think there should be more of because the solidarity is so important in those times. And secondly, I want to draw your attention to the mental health of emergency workers, especially, uh, medical staff, firefighters and many others. I know that because many of Romania's firefighters intervened in Greece. And I know that they gained the support of the Greek population. And that is that is very heartwarming. But we also need to respect the people who participate in ucpmb, uh, interventions to make sure they have a good work life balance, to make sure they are properly paid, uh, that they are properly taken care of, because I think this force of EU intervention is something that people love about the Union when they are at their most desperate times, when their house is on fire and they see the union collaborating and saving. I really think their renewed commitment to to European integration happens as it should. Thank you.”
  EU Development & Humanitarian Aid
• “Thank you, Mr. President. On Erasmus, my message is this simple and the message of our group. Erasmus should never be a rich kid Scholarship, but should be a scholarship available to everyone, no matter how much money your parents have or do not have. So for the commission, it's super important that you don't always think another million of Erasmus students who will become pro-Europeans, because those are kids of the elites. For me, it's more important that the scholarships are better equipped. And in our view, there shouldn't be an Erasmus scholarship under €1,000 because with less than €1,000 with 670 as it is now, you cannot survive anywhere. And there's an unseen cost of non Erasmus. The students who don't even dare to go to the Erasmus offices because they say Erasmus is not for me, Erasmus is for the for the kids who have a parent to pay. Yeah. And this is a phenomenon that's all across Europe. Tell me if you can survive with €700 in Paris. Tell me. So we shouldn't look into more erasmus's. We should look into better erasmus's for the mobility part. Because, uh, if I if you talk to SM to the Erasmus student network or to any, uh, students, they will tell you the following. They don't have housing. Uh, they go to university and the university doesn't have dorms, doesn't have a place to offer. So then they have to go on the open market. Try going on the open market with €700 in the city of Milan.”
  Public funding for education
• “Thank you. And now, Vice President Stephanie. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: I got a message from a young lady in Romania who said, Niku, I cannot get a vaccine against the HPV virus because my doctor in my village is an anti-vaxxer and this is a number one country in terms of cervical cancer. Uh, thousands of women die yearly from something that can be prevented. How do we know? Can we prevent it? The Australian vaccination program shows us that 85% of their population was vaccinated, and they have zero cases of cervical cancer for women, uh, for with um ages of under 25. Now we have extreme right politicians and public public persons in dressed in white robes that spread information and panic panic mongering. And, uh, this is a crime. It's not just disinformation. It's a crime. And this is something that we need to take seriously. What are we doing in terms of prevention through the plan for cancer, for combating cancer? It's a good thing. But when it gets to the local communities, it's messages distorted. People receive misinformation. So everything that means support for the European Plan against cancer. We need to take this seriously. These fake doctors who are lying to people and their sentencing them to death, in my opinion. And I have a message to young people through vaccines, through everything you're doing. You're doing what the state should have done for you. You please inform yourselves and talk to everyone. And if you have an anti-vaxxer doctor, go see another doctor. That's not a problem. And I repeat the it's very important to have a European plan against cancer. But it's also important to give people scientific, clear information because this is how we save lives. Otherwise, we will be part of this digital crime that's happening. Thank you.”
  HPV prevention
• “Please. One minute. Yes. The vice president? Yes. Yes. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: Sorry, Mrs. Pollard. What you just said is equal to saying, well, we have insulin for your diabetes, but let us give you the positive aspects and the negative aspects about insulin. I don't think this is correct, because if this are cancer, a particular type of cancer has been eradicated in Australia by vaccination against HPV. Why shouldn't we do the same thing in Romania? Why not?”
  HPV prevention
• “Mrs. Vojnovic. Would you accept a blue card? **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: Well, it's a surprise. We do not have divergent opinions on every topic because I think that faced with death, we are all equal. And you are rightfully saying that too many Romanians die of cancer. Are you prepared to inform them to to let them know that they should get vaccines for women who should avoid cancer by vaccinating themselves?”
  HPV prevention
• “Thank you very much. And now for me. Now it's my pleasure to give the floor to Mr. Stefano. Vice president. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: Commissioner, we cannot talk about one thing in the morning and about something else in the afternoon. We have priorities. Or we have just words. And now I'm going to talk about the housing crisis that I have been insisted insisting on this entire week, because many people expect concrete solutions from us. We need to come up with them. We need to have a European fund for social housing. We need to have a European fund to improve the current housing conditions of people who don't afford proper housing. There are people who write to me on Instagram and say, I am a 31 year old woman. My husband earns the minimum wage and for a house, I need to still wait. Other people are telling me I need to be part of a couple in order to get credit from a bank. I cannot do this alone. I am alone and nobody is listening to me. So it's high time you used every fund that it has regional development funds all put together in order to envisage a whole package for housing in Europe. Unless we solve this problem. People are not going to be happy and they are not going to support us. We will have a unified Europe when we have a social Europe. Thank you so much.”
  EU housing policy
• “Thank you. Nicola. Stefano. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ: We are all very much affected in terms of our mental health. There are a number of crises happening, a crisis situation, if you will. We have a European strategy for mental health that ends in 2026, and we don't know what the follow up to that will be. So my first question is a very clear one. Will you give us a further clear strategy for mental health post 2026 with clear instruments? Uh, as in the strategy put forward by the European Parliament. Secondly, often the issue is money. But when it comes to mental health, if we have the right prevention measures, we can save an enormous amount of money. Do you have the intention to put in place a minimum standard? That's what we're calling for from the side of the European Parliament, to guarantee access to a minimum number of therapy sessions for each individual? Because if we don't have that minimum access to a therapist. Uh, we can't, um, ensure that mental health. Uh, healthy body, healthy mind. But we just seem to focus on the body for the moment. And thirdly, for healthcare professionals in the area of mental health, there is a draft law that would really make it a lot harder for them to exercise their profession. So I think there need to be much more flexible measures for the work of, uh, psychologists who themselves are struggling with their mental health.”
  EU policy on mental health