What Maria spoke about.

23 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (A9-0271/2023 - Maria Spyraki) (vote)

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Mr President, I will be very, very brief. Today we vote on the update of the revision of the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, which is one of the key pillars of EU chemical legislation. It is also a very, very important component of our chemicals strategy for sustainability. The revision of CLP significantly increases the level of protection of consumers and the …

22 Apr

2024

EN Speech

Preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution (debate)

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Madam President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, when it comes to microplastic leakage, prevention is the only solution. Tackling the unintentional release of plastic pellets addresses a serious problem, not only for our environment, but also for our health. This proposal for a regulation aims to ensure that all operators handling pellets in the EU take the necessary precautionary measures. As…

17 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Rule of Law and media freedom in Greece (debate)

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Madam President, I followed this debate very, very carefully and I would like to table two questions to colleague in ‘t Veld. The very first one is: do you really believe that we have to start cutting funding to Greece, like we did in Hungary? Do you believe that the Mitsotakis administration is behaving in the same manner like the Orbán administration? And please tell me yes or no, because it is …

15 Jan

2024

EN Speech

Ozone depleting substances - Fluorinated gases regulation (joint debate - Gas emissions)

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Mr President, honourable Commissioner, dear colleagues, the scientific evidence have already confirmed fluorinated gas and ozone-depleting substances which are used in everyday-life appliances, like refrigerators and air conditioners, are highly potent human-made greenhouse gases, with some of the worst global-warming potential, often several thousand times stronger than CO2. By strengthening rule…

14 Dec

2023

EN Speech

Outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner Dalli, dear Minister, dear colleagues, the agreement in COP28 is a perfect example of European cooperation, coordination and leadership and it is also a powerful demonstration of the value of multilateralism in tackling our planet’s biggest challenges. It is now time to communicate that the crucial part of this historic deal is truly made in Europe. The outcome of t…

21 Nov

2023

EN Speech

Packaging and packaging waste (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, needless to say that we have to put an end on the dramatic increase of packaging waste generation. But at the same time, we have to take into account the concerns coming from the market. Various stakeholders raised the issue of effective implementation of packaging regulation. According to my opinion, it is critical to clear out that recyclable and reus…

20 Nov

2023

EN Speech

UN Climate Change Conference 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (COP28) (debate)

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Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, COP28 is a great opportunity for the EU to enhance and reinforce its leadership towards the climate neutrality until 2050. We are fulfilling our commitments, and the latest concrete example is the recent agreement between the Parliament and the Council on the EU regulation to reduce the energy sector’s methane emissions in Europe and in our global su…

8 Nov

2023

EN Speech

State of the Energy Union (debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner Simson, allow me to start by quoting Mario Draghi: ‘Where we need to get our act together is energy. We are going nowhere paying energy twice or three times what it costs in other parts of the world.’ By speeding up all the relative efforts in regard to the implementation of our REPowerEU plan, with all the emerging legislative measures, we have tried to decrease pr…

16 Oct

2023

EN Speech

Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner Hahn, dear colleagues, the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform is a facilitator and also an accelerator to enhance Europe’s global competitiveness by positioning us as a key player in the global technology landscape. But STEP should also be ready to serve as a conduit for cross-sectoral cooperation and dialogue among academia, industry, government and other sta…

4 Oct

2023

EN Speech

Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (A9-0271/2023 - Maria Spyraki) (vote)

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Mr President, thank you very much to all colleagues for the vast majority on this report. Mr President, now, based on Rule 59(4), Chapter 3, Section 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, I kindly request the report to be referred back to the ENVI Committee for interinstitutional negotiation. And for that, I would like to ask for your vote.…

3 Oct

2023

EL Speech

Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (debate)

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Mr President, dear Margaritis, thank you very much for the support from the European Commission. Allow me to switch in English because I owe a clarification concerning the issue of essential oil and please note it because it is important. According to the text we have already expressed on in the ENVI Committee, we reached an agreement on the essential oils that the Article 5(3) related to MOCs, wh…

3 Oct

2023

EN Speech

Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Vice-President, dear colleagues, the EU is the second largest producer of chemicals in the world, with a sales turnover of EUR 594 billion and 15% of the global sales, according to the official data of 2021. The EU chemical industry numbers 29 000 enterprises – big, and also small and medium enterprises. Chemicals are everywhere, improving our living standards, but also ma…

12 Sep

2023

EL Speech

Towards a more disaster-resilient EU - protecting people from extreme heatwaves, floods and forest fires (debate)

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Mr President, Minister, the climate crisis in my country was reflected as a tragedy in Thessaly and Thrace. Human lives were lost, the unique ecosystem of Dadia was deeply damaged, properties were destroyed and the autonomy of the country's supply was drastically limited. We have agreed here that 30% of the 2021-2027 budget will be allocated to policies to tackle the climate crisis. We must make t…

11 Sep

2023

EN Speech

Renewable Energy Directive (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Simson, severe natural disasters adding up to human and natural tragedies during this summer, around Europe and especially in my home country, Greece have highlighted the need to erase the EU emissions when it comes to the share of renewables in energy consumption to tackle the climate crisis and energy security. That is why here today we are doing a very important debat…

11 Jul

2023

EN Speech

Ecodesign Regulation (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the proposal for a new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation is, to my opinion, the cornerstone of our single market approach to new environmentally sustainable and circular products. As the rapporteur of the opinion on behalf of the ITRE Committee in this regulation, I would like to underline that we tried a lot to explain the added value of in…

11 Jul

2023

EN Speech

Nature restoration (debate)

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Madam Chair, Commissioner Sinkevičius, dear colleagues, climate crisis is now ongoing and that is why we need the Nature Restoration Law, not as an additional law to the 23 European laws on reinvigoration we have, but as the legal umbrella that will sufficiently accelerate the protection of nature and the restoration of biodiversity. Putting at the core of our attention people’s concern in the ame…

10 Jul

2023

EN Speech

European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Jourová, the ‘Save Cruelty—Free Cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ European Citizens’ Initiative has gained more than one million signatures from at least seven Member States, and its organisers presented this case in a hearing before the ENVI Committee on 25 May, and you were present, Madam Commissioner. Members of the initiative expressed strong con…

10 Jul

2023

EN Speech

Industrial Emissions Directive - Industrial Emissions Portal - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure - Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Energy efficiency (recast) (joint debate - Fit for 55 and Industrial Emissions)

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Madam President, Commissioner Vălean, dear colleagues, concluding Fit for 55 package, allow me to focus on the FuelEU Maritime Regulation on which I had the honour to be the shadow rapporteur on behalf of the ENVI Committee. According to my opinion, it is an essential stepping—stone towards establishing a forward condition for the energy transition of shipping. However, in order to meet our ambiti…

13 Jun

2023

EN Speech

Batteries and waste batteries (debate)

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Madam Chair, Commissioner Sinkevičius, dear colleagues, the batteries and waste batteries regulation is a new model of legislation cutting horizontally the whole value chain. And in this regard, allow me briefly to focus on two aspects. The first one is the direct support of the EU value chain. Every single player in the market has to take its own responsibility. And the fact that here in this Hou…

13 Jun

2023

EL Speech

This is Europe - Debate with the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, Mr President of the Republic of Cyprus, the active involvement of the European Union as an entity in the solution of the Cyprus problem and Hellenism is very important. But it is also fundamentally necessary for the Union to play its historic role as an international player. Because there can be no Member State in which the acquis communautaire is suspended in part a…

8 May

2023

EN Speech

Methane emissions reduction in the energy sector (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Simson, dear colleagues, it has been identified by the worldwide experts that cutting methane emissions is one of the most effective ways in order to reduce near-term global warming. And according to my opinion, it is a quick win to tackle the climate crisis. With the methane emissions reduction in the energy sector regulation, which we will vote on tomorrow, here in thi…

18 Apr

2023

EN Speech

Energy storage (debate)

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Madam President, I wish to thank Commissioner Simson for accepting our request and being here today to exchange views on the issue of energy storage, which I think it is of paramount importance not only in terms of security of supply, but also in order to address our final goal, which is our strategic autonomy. In this regard I would like to benefit from her presence here to table two questions co…

17 Apr

2023

EN Speech

Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Social Climate Fund - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation (debate)

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Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner Gentiloni – he’s leaving – today’s legislative package is, as we all understand, the cornerstone in order to address our 2030 goal by reducing at least 55 % of greenhouse gas emissions without leaving anyone behind. And in this regard, I would like to focus on three aspects. First, our targets are more ambitious than the initial text coming from the Comm…

14 Mar

2023

EN Speech

Question Time (Commission) - How to ensure energy security in the EU in 2023

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Mr President, coming to scaling up the market, I would like to go to the Hydrogen Valleys. And of course, you are familiar with the joint undertaking. We have a very few number of hydrogen valleys in the EU ground – two or three. And I would like to ask you if the Commission is preparing some action in this regard, particularly in terms of raising awareness at the regional level.…

14 Mar

2023

EN Speech

Question Time (Commission) - How to ensure energy security in the EU in 2023

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Commissioner Simson, my question is concerning the issue of production of green hydrogen in the framework of how to ensure energy security in the period of 2023. I would like to focus on the issue of the delegated acts that the Commission has already tabled. According to my opinion, and I think that we can share this opinion in this house, the industry needs clarity, needs stability and needs pred…