What Thomas spoke about.

16 Feb

2022

DE Speech

EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Are we aware that every year we finance Putin's regime with tens of billions of euros through our gas purchases, indirectly co-financing the military build-up on the Ukrainian border? Anyone who does not understand today that gas is not only a climate policy problem, but also a security policy problem, has – I think – not done his homework. The Commission has recogni…

15 Feb

2022

EN Speech

Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2021 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2021 (debate)

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Madam President, I’m reflecting on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) report by Madame Loiseau, and it states – rightly so – that Europe is spending nearly EUR 400 billion on defence and military equipment. We’re the second-biggest global spender, and this spending is not reflected in our position on the negotiating table at all! The report even calls for extended expenditure of 2% of G…

20 Jan

2022

EN Speech

Protection of animals during transport - Protection of animals during transport (Recommendation) (debate)

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Madam President, I would like to thank the Commissioner for her introductory words. The report has shown overwhelming evidence that currently in Europe we’re having systematic non-compliance of the regulation in most of the countries. We have a lack of controls. We have a lack of infringements. We have a lack of data exchange. We have non-enforcement of Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. Also, sorry to sa…

14 Dec

2021

EN Speech

Cooperation on the fight against organised crime in the Western Balkans (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, unfortunately, in the Balkans, organised crime sometimes, or often, happens close to political leaders or sometimes even under the control of political leaders. In this context, we, as the European Union, should foremost take care that our IPA III funds are first of all – and most of all – used to strengthen the rule of law, to strengthen the institutions and the justice in the regio…

23 Nov

2021

DE Speech

Common agricultural policy - support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States and financed by the EAGF and by the EAFRD - Common agricultural policy: financing, management and monitoring - Common agricultural policy – amendment of the CMO and other regulations (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Wojciechowski! Will we cope with the dramatic loss of biodiversity with this CAP? It doesn't look good. We won't have proper crop rotation. We will not have mandatory environmental measures for all farmers who receive European tax money. We have no goal to reduce herbicides by 50%. Today, agriculture – a large part of agriculture – is unfortunately part of the climate pr…

21 Oct

2021

EN Speech

The outcome of the Western Balkans summit (debate)

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Mr President, yes, we have been talking about Albania and North Macedonia. We, as the European Union, gave them clear conditions which they had to fulfil for us to start negotiation talks, and both countries have fulfilled all the requirements. In terms of Albania, they made very brave justice reforms, and when it comes to North Macedonia, in all of these countries not everything is perfect yet. T…

19 Oct

2021

EN Speech

Commission Work Programme 2022 (debate)

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Madam President, addressing Vice-President Šefčovič I wish to start by saying, Commissioner, that you haven’t talked all too much about climate and biodiversity, which is still the most pressing issue for our mid-term and long-term societal problematics, and I know this was part of the work programme last year but the work is still not done. Science clearly tells us that we should even be more amb…

19 Oct

2021

EN Speech

The Rule of law crisis in Poland and the primacy of EU law (debate)

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Mr President, I say to Prime Minister Morawiecki: we’ve heard today that nearly nine out of ten citizens of Poland are in favour of European Union membership. Are you actually telling your people that questioning the primacy of the European Court of Justice is endangering the membership of Poland in the European Union? Are you telling them that your ECJ criticism and the questioning of the primacy…

6 Oct

2021

DE Speech

European solutions to the rise of energy prices for businesses and consumers: the role of energy efficiency and renewable energy and the need to tackle energy poverty (debate)

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Madam President, The fact that Russia does not enjoy the fact that Europe is switching to renewable energies, that Russia does not enjoy our Green Deal, may come as no surprise here. The fact that supply bottlenecks are driving up gas prices and thus energy prices is a direct attack on the Green Deal of the European Commission and the European Parliament. I am not surprised that our colleagues her…

5 Oct

2021

DE Speech

The situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner Johansson! I would like to thank you for mentioning the more than 700 political prisoners in Belarus. Let me give you an example: Ksenija Syramalot – sentenced to two and a half years for co-organising a peaceful demonstration for free elections, democracy and human rights. I took over a sponsorship for her. And I call on all of you to join me in sponsoring those people …

14 Sep

2021

EN Speech

Instrument for pre-accession assistance (IPA III) 2021–2027 (debate)

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Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear rapporteurs, we Greens very much welcome that after two years of lengthy negotiations, we finally have an IPA III. And we also welcome that the Green Deal of the Commission has left its footprint in this IPA III, literally amounting to up to 27% of all the funds going to climate and biodiversity and environmental topics. And if you know the region, if you know…