Speeches

Mr President, thank you very much. Europe has witnessed yet another summer of extreme weather, with intense drought, huge fires and a scorching heat. It is the heat that kills the most people. This is why greener cities, EU emergency support, better climate adaptation are important. The fact is, however, that only reducing emissions can save our future generations, as well as our vulnerable and fragile and elderly today. I am concerned when more and more right-wing politicians talk about pausing the climate transition and postponing sharp action on the future – despite the fact that study-by-study shows how serious the situation is and that we actually also have more fruits to draw from changing faster. No, instead we need to increase climate ambition, accelerate renewables and make ourselves independent of fossil fuels. The extreme weather of spring and summer can only be interpreted in one way: The EU's climate policy needs to move faster.

Sorry I did not completely understand the first part of the sharing, so sorry, I did not have my headset. Thank you very much, Emma. I completely agree with you. We need to set a very high standard on all climate legislation, and that’s exactly why we need to cooperate on this. And I really think the vote tomorrow is extremely important to make sure that we do not only have strict legislation that we work together on with the EU ETS, but that we also make sure that the financial markets support the sustainable solutions. And this is what we are doing tomorrow. So please colleagues, listen to Emma and to us who really believe that this is important.

Mr President, Commissioner, the taxonomy is the gold standard for sustainable investments. This is upheld by the existing very strict criteria for energy production. By adding nuclear at the same level as solar and wind, and having stricter criteria for biogas than for fossil gas, it’s incomprehensible. This cannot be in line with the original law and its ‘do no significant harm’ principle. Not even the Commission’s own experts are supporting it. They even believe that this inclusion risks the entire credibility of the taxonomy on the financial markets. With a broader and weaker taxonomy, there will be less investment in solar and wind. The exact solution is to quickly become independent from Russia. Listen to Ukraine’s Ambassador to Germany and reject this greenwashing of the taxonomy. (The speaker agreed to respond to a blue-card speech)

Thank you colleague for this question. It is important to make sure that we are doing a transition that is social and fair, and that is in the heart of my Group. And this is why I worked so hard together with the colleague to have a very balanced compromise where we are actually investing to make sure that more will go to the public, to transition to the future, to make sure that the Social Climate Fund is helping the households to transition, to make sure that you actually can rebuild the homes and also in the traffic make it easier. Who is failing? The ones who help households to prepare or those who leave them behind and say you will pay for the higher prices in the future and we will not help you.

Thank you, Mr President, and thank you, Commissioner. We live in a divided world today. And a dangerous world. More than in a very long time, with increasing global hunger, with 100 million refugees, with war in Europe. All these crises have different causes, but our fossil-fuel dependence is definitely adding more wood to the fire. The now-expanding EU ETS is Europe’s flagship programme and perhaps the world’s sharpest climate tool to reduce emissions. There will be many beautiful speeches here today, more of them and all about how we are so responsible to tackle the climate change. I urge you to look past that and look instead to the vote tomorrow. Look closely at it, because it will be the European masters on how we vote in Europe for climate. Will the nice words in support the climate actually be worth anything when serious and concrete measures are on the table? That is what this is about. We have clear alternatives on our table. Either we go faster than the Commission when reducing our emissions, just as we did in the ENVI meeting of two weeks ago. Or we delay, we delay the reduction of the cap into a more distant future. Either we support a generous compromise to phase out free allowances to ’30-32, or we go slower than the Commission’s proposal. Either we support the ETS 2 – for buildings, transport, with massive social safeguards to save the Social Climate Fund – or we throw both climate and energy poverty measures into the bin. As this S&D shadow, I have three priorities: raise the ambition for climate, improve fairness to industry and the secure the social inclusion. The ENVI outcome secured climate ambition by going faster in expanding ETS to maritime, covering more emissions, more ships, eventually also removing the 50% rebate for the international shipping. We improved fairness to industry by providing both sticks and carrots, by example by the stronger Climate Investment Fund and – with our price cap, social climate fund preparation period for households entering into 2029, the energy price, emergency brake and the requirement for oil companies to pay their fair share –we safeguard the social dimension on the ETS 2. The citizens are watching us tomorrow. It is our Parliament’s chance to deliver to climate, to deliver to the socially fair future, and to make sure that we are really proving that the speeches are more than that. It’s reality and we are doing it together. (The speaker agreed to respond to a blue-card speech)

Madam President, the market stability reserve (MSR) might seem like a technicality, but it is immensely important for climate. It is not only the first file in the Fit for 55 package, but also key to make the EU emissions trading system (ETS) fit for purpose. The historical problem with the EU ETS has been the high surplus of allowances after the euro and financial crisis. This has resulted in low prices, weak signals for industry to decarbonise. But the creation of the MSR and also the Swedish proposal in the last reform actually saved the European Union from – if we count from my home country, Sweden – 50 years of Swedish emissions. This is probably the main reason why the ETS prices are finally sending the right signal to the industry. And this is why we also now see a new green industrial revolution with new innovations such as green hydrogen popping up across Europe. However, after the pandemic, we now see a new large surplus: 30 years of Swedish emissions, if we should use my home country again to show you the picture. Weakening the MSR at this stage would be a huge mistake. Today, I hope for a very broad support for a continuously strong MSR without limiting further ambition in the ETS negotiations. I want to thank my S&D colleague and rapporteur for good work and wish you the very best for the trilogues that we have ahead of us.

Madam President, thank you very much. María de Lourdes Maldonado López, Margarito Martínez, José Luis Gamboa, Ever López Vázquez, Roberto Toledo – just to name a few of the journalists and media workers who have been murdered in Mexico in recent years. Mexico is the world's most dangerous place for journalists, with the exception of the world's war zones. Since 2018, the situation has deteriorated. A total of 47 journalists were killed. Journalists investigating corruption of officials or drug cartels are living particularly dangerously. Since taking office in 2018, Mexican President López Obrador has humiliated and threatened independent journalists in his daily press conferences. Under the pretext of countering fake news, the government has set up a state media platform to attack investigative journalism. In total, at least 68 human rights activists have been murdered. Violence against women is widespread and femicides are common. Environmental activists, indigenous peoples and women's rights activists are particularly vulnerable. The Mexican government must take concrete steps to enable journalists to work without fear of reprisals. The EU and its Member States now have a special responsibility to put the issue at the top of the agenda in their dialogues with Mexico.

Madam President, thank you very much. In times of uncertainty, darkness and turbulence, we sometimes need to remember which society we are passionate about: a fair, sustainable, democratic society. The fact that the EU can now unite over the political groups, in a clear direction for the EU, is a good sign of its strength. Today we are voting on our 8th Environment Action Programme. This is a tradition that has existed since the 1970s. By 2050, we in the EU will live in a climate-neutral society within planetary boundaries, and well before that, emissions will be significantly reduced. We will live in a fully circular economy with high biodiversity and a non-toxic environment. We are also clarifying our 2030 milestones for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and phasing out hazardous chemicals. We need to step up the pace of the Green Deal and fully achieve the UN Development Goals. I would have liked the Member States to finally give in and accept the obviousness of putting an end to fossil subsidies, at the very latest by 2025. It is a struggle we must continue.

Madam President, thank you very much. As the EU moves from a coal and steel union to becoming the world's first climate-neutral region, electrification is the key. We need batteries, lots of batteries. It is therefore important that the sustainable transition is also sustainable. The entire life cycle must be sustainable. Our batteries must be produced in full respect of human rights, using sustainable production methods and using as much recycled material as possible. I am therefore pleased with the progressive mandate we are taking today in the Batteries Regulation, with five clear increases in ambition: 1. Higher targets for recycling portable batteries. 2. All car batteries and industrial batteries will be collected. 3. Clear labelling of the carbon footprint of the entire battery manufacturing process. 4. More common standards for chargers. 5. Manufacturers must ensure that social and environmental sustainability standards are met. I would like to conclude by thanking my fellow party member Simona Bonafè for her excellent work as rapporteur, and I wish you, Simona, the best of luck in the forthcoming important negotiations.

Mr President, thank you very much. The death penalty is irreversible in Iran. At least 275 people were executed last year. Iran executes the most people per capita in the world, including those who only demand their fundamental rights and freedoms. False confessions are pressed under atrocious torture, leading to unlawful executions. There is no evidence that the death penalty acts as a deterrent. On the contrary, research shows the opposite. Between 2009 and 2020, Iran executed at least 67 juvenile offenders. 85 juvenile offenders are currently sentenced to death. In Iran, the death penalty is still used against LGBTQ people. Media reports claim that two men were recently executed and although it has not been confirmed from sources in Iran, it has happened in the past. I hope this is fake news, of course, but the country has carried out judgments like this. There is no humane way to execute a man. There are only brutal and even more brutal methods. In Iran, hanging is used as a method of execution. Unlike other countries, which use advanced devices to break the neck with hanging, Iran uses simple devices that cause death by throttling. The victim may be tormented for up to 20 minutes before the moment of death. This summer I negotiated the European Parliament resolution on the Swedish citizen Ahmadreza Djalali, who has been sentenced to death in Iran. Again, he must be immediately released so that he can return to his family. The death penalty is based on a medieval view of humanity. The humanitarian ideals of the Enlightenment contributed to the abolition of the death penalty in Europe. A majority of the world's states have turned their backs on the death penalty for good. I hope Iran is ready to do the same. Until Iran imposes a moratorium on the death penalty, I would like to call on the EU to develop targeted sanctions against Iranian government figures involved in the imposition of the death penalty. It's time for Djalali to come home.

Mr President, thank you very much. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child clearly states that every child has the right to play. Play contributes to development, health and well-being. We're going to encourage play. It is therefore unacceptable that we have legislation in Europe that does not protect children so that we have safe toys. We need to review and tighten the regulatory framework. We cannot allow chemicals and hazardous substances in any toys sold in the EU. No matter where they are produced and regardless of the age of the children, we should not have hazardous chemicals. We need to ensure the safety and privacy of children even in the online toys that have become increasingly popular. We must also encourage the sustainable production of toys and introduce a sustainability label on toys. As a parent, I am very convinced that every child in the EU should have the right to feel safe and secure when playing. But we need to change the rules now.

Madam President, thank you very much. One in four cancer deaths occurs within the borders of the EU, even though only one in ten global citizens live here. Of course, there are different reasons for this, but it is clear that the EU and our Member States must step up their efforts to combat cancer. Action is needed along the whole chain, from root causes, prevention, screening, treatment and aftercare. I am particularly pleased that the prevention work has come out so well in this report and that the importance of chemicals and endocrine disruptors is highlighted. It is also positive that the committee is based on the World Health Organisation's research and that the carcinogenicity of alcohol is shown and that there are recommendations there. It's time to turn our backs on wine lobbyism and introduce labels on alcohol bottles. It is time for the rest of the EU to follow the Swedish restrictive alcohol policy – not the other way around. I would also like to say clearly that, with regard to wine lobbyism, we must be pleased that the report states that there are no safe levels of alcohol consumption.

(Beginning of the speech without microphone) ... Member States shall, when formulating Union policies, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings. I have followed the work and worked with animal transport over the past year. I have to say that it has been a terrible experience to see how animals today suffer on our roads and also at sea, how they experience everything from heat stroke to standing in their own stool or having broken bones, and how young animals are not able to suckle. That is why, in my work in Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into the Protection of Animals during Transport, I have worked on a number of basic principles for better animal welfare. Firstly, together with colleagues, I have proposed a maximum time limit of eight hours for the transport of domestic animals. For the transport of animals by sea, we propose a time limit of 24 hours. I think most citizens think it is already this way. That's really a minimum. Secondly, we should introduce a stricter regulatory framework for the transport of pregnant animals. These animals have special needs and are particularly vulnerable. Transport of pregnant animals can cause miscarriage or premature childbirth. Thirdly, the transport of suckling animals under 35 days of age should be prohibited. Experts have made it clear that it is not appropriate to transport suckling animals, because it naturally causes stress in the animals, but also because they are too young to be able to absorb the food in the trucks. A maximum time limit of four hours should be introduced for the transport of animals at the end of life. Fourthly, only those third countries that are on a green list of countries implementing EU animal welfare legislation should be allowed to transport animals. I would urge the Commission to carefully examine the European Parliament's recommendations in its forthcoming revision of the regulation on animal transport. The situation on the roads and at sea in the Union is unworthy and nothing short of a scandal. That is why I would like to call on the Commission to urgently propose a tightening of the regulatory framework, but also to put in place tools for better control and enforcement of EU rules in the Member States.

...the army and civilian political leaders have divided power since August 2019. However, General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan broke the power-sharing agreement when he staged a military coup in October 2021. A state of emergency was imposed, the Military-Civilian Transitional Council was dissolved and the civilian government was fired, while Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was arrested along with his ministerial colleagues. After Hamdok's resignation, peaceful protests were organized against military rule, which in turn responded with extreme violence. whereas, according to the European External Action Service (EEAS), at least 70 people have been executed since the military coup in October 2021; whereas sexual violence against women and girls by the security forces is particularly heinous; People continue to risk their lives on a daily basis for basic human rights, freedom of assembly, democracy and a life free from political repression and corruption – rights that we take for granted in Europe. Our joint resolution in the European Parliament condemns the military's merciless violence against the civilian population, attacks on hospitals, arrests of political activists and journalists, and the shutdown of the internet. This must stop immediately. Impunity in Sudan must be stopped and the EU must work with its partners to ensure that those responsible are now brought to justice. The Commission and the Member States must make full use of the EU sanctions mechanism in order to target sanctions against the responsible military leaders in Sudan. An EU ban must be transposed on the sale of security equipment and surveillance technology to Sudan. I would urge the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs to ensure that the Union's migration policy does not undermine the Union's support for human rights. whereas there is a risk of EU and Member State cooperation with Sudan in the field of migration being used to persecute journalists; It is in the interest of the EU and its Member States to promote democratic, sustainable development in Sudan. It's time to get to work on it.

Mr President, thank you very much. China must guarantee that all journalists in Hong Kong can work freely without the risk of reprisals. Freedom of the press and media must be guaranteed. Freedom of expression, association and the press are now as restricted in Hong Kong as in China. whereas the NSL must be repealed immediately, as it violates China’s commitments and obligations under international law; All Hong Kong political prisoners must be released. At the same time, China will of course also release our Swedish bookstore Gui Minhai. I call on the Council to immediately impose targeted sanctions on officials in Hong Kong and China who are responsible for the ongoing human rights violations that we are now seeing. whereas China’s horrific treatment of Uyghurs can be classified as a crime against humanity, as previously confirmed by the European Parliament; The European Parliament will not review or ratify the EU-China Investment Agreement at all as long as these violations continue.

Mr President, thank you very much. Wild animals in the circus do not belong in this century. It is time for the EU to listen to the more than a million citizens whose signatures have been handed over to the Commission in order to ban this exploitation of animals. Wild animals belong in nature, not in the circus for our entertainment. whereas captivity limits the behaviour of wild animals and also poses risks to their physiological and psychological well-being; The animals are usually trained hard, even when they are very small, in order to erase all their natural instincts and behaviors. With the help of punishments and rewards, they learn to perform unnatural tricks that are also harmful to the animals. A concrete example is hind legs for elephants, something that is very rarely carried out in freedom and that can cause joint damage. Circuit operations are based on the fact that the business is on the move. Travelling means that the animals are stressed and that their outdoor stay is often limited to small temporary enclosures for a short period of time. Can you imagine the horror of animals travelling that way? Of the EU Member States, 24 have already adopted some form of restrictive measures against the use of wild animals in circuses. A harmonised EU legislation prohibiting the transport of wild animals in circuses would avoid animal transport being carried out between different Member States with different levels of animal protection. In fact, several countries in the world have already introduced bans on wild animals in circuses. Completely animal-free circus is available in Malta, and Cyprus has also taken the lead. In addition, Bolivia and Mexico have imposed a ban. Other countries, such as Belgium, Austria and Iran, have introduced bans on wild animals in circuses. The traditional circus is actually outdated. Fewer and fewer people are amused by the animals being transported around. Instead, there is a new interest in so-called new circuses, where people perform in the place of animals. These amazing artists manage the cultural heritage of the circuses without harming the animals.

Mr President, thank you very much. Even before the omicron alarms, there were estimates that 700,000 Europeans could lose their lives in COVID-19 before the summer. The EU must therefore coordinate better and ensure that vaccine coverage does not vary as at present between 92% and 29%. It's not sustainable. It is obvious that the vaccines both protect against the spread of infection and save lives. At the same time, we must have proportionate measures, not counterproductive vaccine requirements. It is crucial that the inclusion of third doses in the Digital COVID Certificates is quickly put in place. It is also crucial that we rapidly develop new vaccines adapted to the mutated variants. But most important of all in the fight against omicron is that we go and take that third dose as soon as possible.

Madam President, thank you very much. The development of new medicines and medical technologies is accelerating. This is evident in how quickly we developed effective and safe vaccines with new technology. The new technology is sometimes very costly. With more opportunities comes inevitably more priorities. When we prioritize, then we can either do it arbitrarily or we can use proven and research-based tools. Today, we are taking a clear stand in favour of using these very tools to get out and get as many good medicines as possible across the EU. We are stopping the duplication of efforts in different EU countries to evaluate medical technologies. We take the opportunity to learn from each other and support the smaller countries that also have less resources. This may involve tools for earlier diagnosis of a rare disease or new tools for mapping the spread of infection, or for obtaining that new effective treatment for cancer. After three years of negotiations on the part of the Member States, we now finally have an agreement. In times of health crisis, the EU's common response has now been another success. I would like to thank our colleague Tiemo Wölken, who has been the main negotiator, and who has secured the priorities of the Socialist Group – to have a transparent system in place that is also characterised by the public interest over profit.

In the EU, we have almost 450 million inhabitants, but this differs greatly between the Member States. In some Member States more than 80 million people live, in others it may be half a million. And world-class care requires resources, experience and specialist expertise. It is not easy for each Member State to build up that competence for the most rare diseases. It is therefore extremely important that we coordinate at European level, in order to help the smallest countries and those with the most rare diseases. With joint procurement, we can drive down prices and better secure the availability of rare medicines, and with common resources, we can build an experience bank that shortens the time to the right diagnosis and to the right measures. It should not take five years to make the right diagnosis, and we need to find treatments for more than the current 6% who receive proper, good treatment for rare diseases. I hope that the European Commission will take on board the Court's conclusions and follow Parliament's call for a concrete action plan with clear objectives. We owe it to the 30 million people who are already living with a rare disease.

Madam President, thank you very much. With a new fourth wave in Europe, COVID is now re-emerging. It is the delta variant, above all, that is responsible for this pandemic in the unvaccinated. The vaccine is the way out of the crisis and we need to have the whole world with us to stop new variants. Although half of the world's population has now received their first dose, it is deeply worrying that only 5% in the poorer countries have been given the same opportunity. We must therefore, in a new global effort, ensure that vaccines, knowledge and medical equipment are also transferred to the poorer part of the world. The risk of new variants not only makes it unwise not to vaccinate everyone – it is also deeply unfair. Many countries do not have the same opportunity to allow people to telework and provide support to companies and employees if they have to be at home. But it is also a question of trust, the cornerstone of multilateral cooperation. I recently returned from COP26 in Glasgow and met several delegations from developing countries who were deeply irritated, angry and frustrated that both vaccine targets and climate finance targets have deeply damaged trust – that we are not actually delivering on these things. For global cooperation, for the climate, for health, for the economy and for the social, it is crucial that we vaccinate everyone in the world.

Mr President, my experience from being with the European Parliament delegation in Glasgow was that significant achievements were made, yet the world missed the opportunity to respect the Paris Agreement. The EU is leading the transition in the world with the climate law, with the Green Deal, but Biden and Kerry – the US – also want to share that leadership and it is back in the Paris Agreement with a new 2050 net zero target. That is, of course, very welcome. We also saw China and India commit to net zero ahead of the conference, but it is really deeply worrying that we are still aiming towards at least 2.4 degrees of heating. We met with the Climate Minister of the Maldives, a country with a highest point of 2.4 metres. They will literally disappear if this continues. It was really touching to hear how climate change is really a matter of life and death. COP26 was also about trust. We are about to fail on COVID vaccine deliveries and we failed to reach the climate financing goals. We have got another chance at COP27 to raise the short ambition. We cannot spoil it by not reaching the climate financing goals. The EU must also step up and overachieve on the climate law. Only strong action can rebuild trust. Only immediate action can save countries like the Maldives.

Mr President, thank you very much. Those who argue for the new CAP often state that it is at least better than the current one. And that may be true, but at the same time this proposal does not meet at all the expectations we should have of a green, modern, animal-friendly European agriculture. Perhaps modern politicians know more about Greta Gris than about real pigs. A report by the European Court of Auditors concludes that the EU’s climate spending of EUR 100 billion over the 2014-2020 period has had very little impact on emissions. According to the Court's report, the number of animals in agriculture must be reduced if we are to reduce emissions. We need to address the industrial approach to food production that is constantly focusing on increasing the number of animals. The modest earmarking of climate and environmental measures is not enough when the measures have proved to be so ineffective. Climate spending under the CAP must be directly targeted at measures that genuinely reduce emissions.

Mr President, thank you very much. The Western Balkans belong to the European Union. We need to set a clearer timetable for accession to the Union for individual countries in the region. North Macedonia changed its current name after the dispute with Greece a few years ago. It was an agreement that was hard to swallow for many, but which was nevertheless accepted. On the other hand, Bulgaria has now vetoed North Macedonia to even start accession negotiations. For its part, the Commission has reiterated that North Macedonia and Albania have met the requirements for opening negotiations. Then we are obliged to keep our part of the agreement. It is, of course, crucial that the Western Balkan countries overcome systemic corruption and fully live up to the EU's fundamental values of the rule of law, before there can be any question of membership. Each country in the Western Balkans must now be evaluated individually on its own merits, while a clear timetable for individual countries is needed in order for people in the region to feel the hope of EU membership.

Mr President, I’m hopeful we now have a better chance than ever to honour the Paris Agreement. The EU is leading the way with its Climate Law and climate package. The US has new targets and a new progressive president. Even China has pledged climate neutrality. I don’t think it’s possible to underestimate the importance of the Glasgow summit. In Paris, we changed direction, but the emissions kept rising. COP26 must be a turning point – not just for the conversation, but also for emissions. As Parliament’s delegate to COP26, I will do everything I can to spread our message for increased ambition. Today, we are adopting our negotiation mandate with a clear message to the world. Today’s pledges, which will result in three degrees of heating, are far from enough to avoid a climate catastrophe. Instead, we need radical action, such as ending fossil fuel subsidies, pricing emissions as in the ETS and action on climate finance. Most importantly, we need a true crisis mindset to take us from words to action.

Madam President, thank you very much. Last week, the UN Human Rights Council, with broad support, proclaimed a new human right – the right to a healthy environment. The climate crisis, increased pollution and the ever-increasing destruction of biodiversity have already shaken the bones of millions of people around the world. According to a World Health Organisation study, 24% of all deaths worldwide are linked to the environment, such as air pollution and chemicals. We are at risk of over a billion refugees as a result of the climate crisis in just a few decades. It is just as serious as when other human rights are not respected. In the EU, we have now taken the lead and declared a climate emergency. A clear signal that we are serious about this climate emergency is that we are now also taking the lead and treating the right to a healthy environment as an inviolable human right.