What Jens spoke about.

7 Jul

2026

DE Answer

Urgent measures to strengthen the competitiveness and safeguard quality jobs in the EU’s automotive sector (debate)

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I think you obviously misunderstood me. I did not say that we need to accelerate climate goals, but I said that we need to be open to technology and find practical ways to ensure transformation. This means not accelerating, but sticking to the goals, but allowing a mix of possibilities and a competition of technologies. In this respect, I believe that this is an approach that we can take together.…

7 Jul

2026

DE Speech

Urgent measures to strengthen the competitiveness and safeguard quality jobs in the EU’s automotive sector (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, If Europe's largest car manufacturer wants to cut 100,000 jobs, it's more than a company decision, it's a desperate cry for help. The automotive industry is one of Europe's key industries; if it loses competitiveness, Europe loses – and that is exactly what we have been seeing for years. While China and the US are massively supporting their indu…

6 Jul

2026

DE Speech

Air passenger rights (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Tzitzikostas, ladies and gentlemen! After 12 years of negotiations, it is now clear that the European Parliament has kept its word. Many Member States wanted to weaken air passenger rights; They wanted to reduce compensation and reduce consumer rights. For us as EPP it was always clear: Not with us! Cost reductions for airlines must not take place on the backs of pass…

18 Jun

2026

DE Speech

Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles (debate)

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18 Jun

2026

DE Speech

Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles (debate)

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21 May

2026

DE Speech

Periodic roadworthiness tests and technical roadside inspection (Roadworthiness package) (A10-0139/2026 - Jens Gieseke) (vote)

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Mr President! Dear colleagues, This compromise represents a reasonable balance between more road safety and less bureaucracy. We say clearly: No annual main inspections for older vehicles and no additional testing requirements for light commercial vehicles. This is an important relief for consumers and, in particular, for our small and medium-sized enterprises. At the same time, we are modernising…

29 Apr

2026

DE Question

EU strategy in response to the ongoing Middle East crisis, its implications on energy prices and the availability of fertilizers (joint debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, The crisis in the Middle East has a direct impact on Europe, on our energy prices, on our security of supply. The high energy prices put a noticeable strain on families, SMEs and industry. This is why action is needed now – fast, direct, effective, European and coordinated. Firstly: secure the supply. Saving summer vacation. Kerosene must be available through…

28 Apr

2026

DE Speech

Presentation of the Better Regulation and Enforcement Communication (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner Dombrovskis! Good legislation determines trust and competitiveness. Europe has a problem here: Too many rules, too complex, too slow. This slows down investment and innovation. Europe needs to get faster and better. Both belong together. Clear steps are needed for this. Firstly: Less bureaucracy, noticeable and measurable. Every new rule must be …

20 Jan

2026

DE Speech

Air passenger rights (debate)

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Dear Madam President, Commissioner Tzitzikostas! Dear colleagues, Air passenger rights are non-negotiable. The existing framework has proved its worth. full stop. However, if the Council succeeds, around 60% lose their right to compensation – as Mr Novakov has just pointed out – and this is not acceptable to us. We want to maintain the existing level of protection for passengers. At the same time,…

16 Dec

2025

DE Speech

Presentation of the automotive package (debate)

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27 Nov

2025

DE Speech

Development of an industry for sustainable aviation and maritime fuel in Europe (debate)

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8 Oct

2025

DE Speech

Europe’s automotive future – reversing the ban on the sale of combustion cars in the EU (topical debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Hoekstra, ladies and gentlemen! The European automotive industry is in deep crisis. Almost weekly, we hear about new dismissal announcements from manufacturers and suppliers. In Germany alone, more than 51,500 people have been released this year. So the hut is on fire, but apparently not everyone understands this. Instead of finally giving the car industry the much-ne…

8 Sep

2025

DE Speech

Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Roswall, ladies and gentlemen! Now is the time to summarize. This is a bit difficult if you want to talk to your colleagues. With regard to Mrs Sardone: I would have liked to have said something about the actual things that we have decided – the question of documentation obligations, because we have actually reduced it. But she doesn't seem to be interested in the debate…

8 Sep

2025

DE Speech

Circularity requirements for vehicle design and management of end-of-life vehicles (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Roswall, ladies and gentlemen! Imagine this: Nearly 300 million cars drive on Europe's roads every day, with 3 to 4 million disappearing every year. Just go away. The question is: Where do these vehicles land? Some reappear in third countries such as Africa, where they pollute the air with their old exhausts. Others are parked somewhere on the side of the road and slo…

17 Jun

2025

DE Speech

Latest developments on the revision of the air passenger rights and airline liability regulations (debate)

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Madam President, Minister Szłapka, Commissioner Tzitzikostas, ladies and gentlemen! The rights of air travellers are not a nice extra – they are at the heart of European consumer protection. However, this protection is currently being dismantled with an announcement, namely by the position of the Council, which decided on 5 June. We all agree: There is an urgent need for action in the revision of …

6 May

2025

DE Speech

CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles for 2025 to 2027 (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The automotive industry is a cornerstone of our European industry. About 13.8 million people work in the sector and generate 7 percent of the gross domestic product. We want automotive history to continue to be written in Europe, but the industry is under considerable pressure – global uncertainty, technological change, restrictive policies and the tariffs we ha…

2 Apr

2025

DE Speech

The importance of trans-European transport infrastructure in times of stalling economic growth and major threats to Europe’s security (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Tzitzikostas, ladies and gentlemen! With the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) we have a funding instrument that is clearly structured and focuses specifically on transport and energy infrastructure. Now about a new European Competitiveness Fund If it is discussed, I think it is completely wrong. Any new horizontal funding instrument would also dilute this important fo…

12 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Action Plan for the Automotive Industry (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Tzitzikostas, Minister Szłapka, ladies and gentlemen! In the automotive industry, the headlines are currently dominated by economic downturn and crisis. It is clear that there can be no "continued like this"; I am glad that the Commission has now also recognised this. We need a pragmatic and balanced policy. The action plan on the automotive sector, which we are discu…

12 Feb

2025

DE Speech

Competitiveness Compass (debate)

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Mr President! Mr Executive Vice-President Séjourné! Dear colleagues! The enormous challenges facing the European automotive industry are well known. There are millions of jobs in this key industry. And what do we have now? We have a strategic dialogue for this automotive industry and now a compass. The question: Is that enough? That is certainly not enough – it takes action! Employees and companie…

18 Dec

2024

DE Speech

Restoring the EU’s competitive edge – the need for an impact assessment on the Green Deal policies (topical debate)

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Mr. Chairman! Vice-President Ribera! Dear colleagues! The situation is indeed serious, and I am somewhat stunned when I hear colleagues from the SPD such as Tiemo Wölken, who then speaks of legal certainty and planning security here. I don't know if he says the same to VW employees who are afraid of losing their job. Redundancies, plant closures, loss of competitiveness – that is the truth. And th…

21 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Implementation of the Single European Sky (recast) (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Hoekstra, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for this constructive exchange. Although it is of course difficult on the far right and the far left to work constructively on such a factual topic, I believe that we have had a good debate overall. The Single European Sky demonstrates once again our European and also our EPP commitment to the continuous support of passengers, th…

21 Oct

2024

DE Speech

Implementation of the Single European Sky (recast) (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Hoekstra, ladies and gentlemen! 30 000 daily flights, 600 million passengers per year, more than 500,000 airline jobs, less than 17 000 national traffic control jobs, congested airports, a patchwork of routes due to air traffic control along national borders – this is the picture of the last European monopoly: air navigation services. I'm here today to ask you: Say ye…

8 Oct

2024

DE Speech

The crisis facing the EU’s automotive industry, potential plant closures and the need to enhance competitiveness and maintain jobs in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, Mr Dombrovskis, ladies and gentlemen! The transformation that the Greens, Social Democrats and Liberals initiated here a year and a half ago by banning combustion engines is not working. International sales markets are weakening, sales of battery vehicles in Europe are falling and the necessary infrastructure is not available. Even companies that have fully focused on electric vehicl…

13 Mar

2024

DE Speech

Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7) (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! The green ban policy is ubiquitous: First the burner-off, then absurd restrictions on the driver's license including night driving ban for beginners, finally a law to restore nature, which can paralyze our agriculture. In this House, we are increasingly engaged in correcting this anti-consumer and anti-industrial policy, a policy of de-industrialis…

27 Feb

2024

DE Speech

Driving licences (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Driving licences are part of growing up for many young people, especially in rural areas. A driver's license means freedom to meet friends, take a holiday trip or just drive to work. Thanks to the EU, the driver's license is also valid outside Germany. The EU Driving Licence Directive has thus far been a success story with real added value for each of us. The…