What Elsi spoke about.

21 Nov

2023

FI Speech

Recent developments at the EU’s external border between Finland and Russia and the need to uphold EU law (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, representative of the Council, Russia has launched a new hybrid operation against Finland and, at the same time, against the EU as a whole. Putin's machinery is now threatening and using asylum seekers as a weapon, with the aim of creating a crisis that would turn our eyes away from Ukraine. The Russian FSB and border authorities transport refugees from far away to the …

21 Nov

2023

FI Speech

Packaging and packaging waste (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is very important that the growing amount of packaging waste in Europe is contained. Practical solutions are needed and separate collection needs to be improved. It is therefore good that we have made significant improvements to the Commission's proposal. Nevertheless, the position of the Committee on the Environment on the table would undermine…

21 Nov

2023

FI Speech

Sustainable use of plant protection products (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, it is a good idea to look at and assess the need to reduce plant protection products at EU level, but this must be done fairly and with the involvement of farmers. Unfortunately, the Commission's proposal did not take these into account, but improvements have now been made to the position of the Committee on the Environment. Thank you to the rapporteurs for this work, b…

19 Oct

2023

FI Speech

Generational renewal in the EU farms of the future (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, thank you to the negotiators for a good text. It is clear that without young farmers there will be no European food security or security of supply. It doesn't look good right now. There will be no successors to the farms if the operating environment does not change. Lack of incentives, lack of prospects for unprofitable farms, a climate of debate that denigrates and bla…

17 Oct

2023

FI Speech

Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Russia does not want to put an end to the evil with which it threatens the very existence of Ukraine and also the West. The EU must remain united in its resistance, and each Member State also has a role to play. Pressure on Russia must be increased. We need to weaken Russia's power. The EU needs to tighten its stance towards third countries that in one way or another su…

4 Oct

2023

FI Speech

The proposed extension of glyphosate in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen of the Commission, I personally welcome the fact that the Commission has proposed to the Member States the extension of the authorisation for the use of glyphosate. I hope that this will also be supported by the Member States, as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is also in favour of an extension. The problem is that no one has been able to properly asses…

13 Sep

2023

FI Speech

Reviewing the protection status of wolves and other large carnivores in the EU (topical debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, it is truly reassuring that, after years of turmoil, the Commission has finally heard Member States' serious concerns about wolves. Parliament has taken a clear stance on the matter, so that a common solution must be found and there can no longer be any controversy about responsibility. No one should have to fear for their own safety, for their domestic animals or for t…

11 Jul

2023

FI Speech

Nature restoration (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, biodiversity is essential to life and must therefore be strengthened. It is a pity, therefore, that the content of this unrealistic Commission proposal for a restoration regulation, which completely ignores the different circumstances in the Member States, does not serve this objective. The Commission's procedures have also failed to respect the negotiating partners. So…

10 Jul

2023

FI 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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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow we will vote on the historic FuelEU Maritime regulation, which will be a very strong catalyst for emissions reductions in the EU maritime transport sector. I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Warborn, and the other negotiators for their good cooperation. I am very pleased with the balanced outcome we have negotiated, which sets ambiti…

13 Jun

2023

FI Speech

Ensuring food security and the long-term resilience of EU agriculture (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, thank you to the rapporteur, Mr Mortler, and the negotiators for this good text. It is important to strengthen resilience in the food sector and agriculture, as only strong farms and farmers who believe in the future can safeguard our security of supply. That is why the reasonableness and predictability of legislation must be maintained and why the Commission must put f…

13 Jun

2023

FI Speech

Batteries and waste batteries (debate)

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Mr President, it is quite clear that the transport sector needs to reduce emissions in order to meet the 2050 climate target. The electrification of road transport is key in this respect, without forgetting other sustainable solutions such as biogas or synthetic fuels. I would like to congratulate colleagues on the balanced and ambitious outcome of the negotiations. The Batteries Regulation ensure…

13 Jun

2023

FI Speech

Artificial Intelligence Act (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, artificial intelligence is developing at a tremendous pace and its use opens up enormous opportunities, for example in the optimisation of logistics chains or in the field of intelligent transport. Rapid developments and new uses have also highlighted the importance of regulation so that AI can be used ethically, safely and purposefully, especially when we are talking a…

10 May

2023

FI Speech

The role of farmers as enablers of the green transition and a resilient agricultural sector (continuation of debate)

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Mr President, I would also like to thank the Minister and the Commissioner for their presentation. At the heart of this period's EU policy is indeed agriculture and forestry, we farmers and forest owners. The most important and effective measure of climate action is the reduction of emissions, but carbon sequestration also plays an important role. We have exactly two sectors, agriculture and fores…

17 Apr

2023

FI Speech

Deforestation Regulation (debate)

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Thank you for the question. Of course, when it comes to extensive deforestation, then I am talking specifically globally and specifically about rainforests. I am not talking about a country that is the most forested country in Europe, with 75% of its surface area covered by forests. I would not focus on this, but I would focus specifically on the fact that products from outside Europe that actuall…

17 Apr

2023

FI Speech

Deforestation Regulation (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, it is important that the methods of production and the origin of products on the European market be examined, for example in rainforests, in relation to products that have caused widespread deforestation. Despite the good starting point of the regulation, I cannot under any circumstances support the result of the negotiations. Firstly, the application of the legislation…

13 Mar

2023

FI Speech

Binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States (Effort Sharing Regulation) - Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) - Revision of the Market Stability Reserve for the EU Emissions Trading System (debate)

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Mr President, first of all, I would like to thank Mr Niinistö, the main rapporteur for LULUCF, and all the other colleagues, after all, for a perfectly balanced outcome. Soil and forests play an important role as carbon sinks and reservoirs, and certainly as sources of sustainably produced raw materials. Personally, I am pleased that the carbon sink target of the LULUCF Regulation is in line with …

13 Dec

2022

FI Speech

Renewable Energy, Energy Performance of Buildings and Energy Efficiency Directives: amendments (REPowerEU) (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner. Thank you to the rapporteur for your work on the Repower initiative. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted the EU to review its energy system. The European Union's security of supply and energy self-sufficiency must be increased, and fossil energy must be phased out as quickly as possible. Therefore, renewable energy production and permitting must be promoted by all pos…

23 Nov

2022

FI Speech

Protection of livestock farming and large carnivores in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, it is good that we are discussing large carnivores in this House, because many Member States, including Finland, have long suffered damage caused by large carnivores. Large carnivores belong to nature. They are part of the ecosystem and their sustainable stock needs to be maintained. At the same time, however, we as decision-makers have a responsibility and a duty to protect people, …

17 Oct

2022

FI Speech

Sustainable maritime fuels (FuelEU Maritime Initiative) - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, maritime transport is facing major emission reductions, with around 98% of ships still running on fossil fuels. We are on the verge of a very large, but absolutely inevitable, transformation in which the EU is leading the way for the whole world. The role of the co-legislators is to provide shipping companies, ports and the maritime sector as a who…

5 Oct

2022

FI Speech

Russia’s escalation of its war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, sabotage in the Baltic gas pipeline, illegal referenda and regional unions in Europe, repeated massacres of civilians and threats of nuclear weapons – everyone knows the perpetrator behind these atrocities. Instead of internal blame, we in Europe must focus on resolving this crisis. The sooner there are winners. If this cruel war teaches us anything, then we m…

13 Sep

2022

FI Speech

This is Europe - Debate with the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin (debate)

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Mr President, our Prime Minister, Mr Sanna, thank you for your excellent speech, which has analysed the situation in Europe in a comprehensive manner. Europe has gone from the COVID-19 crisis to Russia's brutal war of aggression, and we are still in a tough place. This winter we are testing the unity of the European Union. So far, the coronavirus and the war have only united Europe. Finland and Sw…

12 Sep

2022

FI Speech

New EU Forest Strategy for 2030 – Sustainable Forest Management in Europe (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, forests and their sustainable management are a solution in the fight against climate change and also in the replacement of fossil raw materials – both in products and in energy production. Unfortunately, initiatives affecting forests in the EU do not always recognise this fundamental issue. The EU needs a forest strategy that sees the societal benefits of forests broadl…

6 Jul

2022

FI Speech

Facilitating export of Ukrainian agricultural products: key for Ukrainian economy and global food security (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, Russia's invasion of Ukraine transcends all limits of humanity. Russia is consciously using hunger as a weapon to prevent Ukrainian agricultural production, including grain exports. The serious situation in Ukraine is reflected in global food security. Harvesting in Ukraine is about to begin, but stocks are already full. In the Black Sea, the ship's cargo is i…

7 Jun

2022

FI Speech

Binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States (Effort Sharing Regulation) - Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) - CO2 emission standards for cars and vans (joint debate – Fit for 55 (part 2))

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Mr President, Commissioner, the calculation of carbon sinks is taking a big step forward when we vote tomorrow on the LULUCF regulation. Sustainable forest management and wood use bring benefits to the climate through carbon sinks and also in products, as wood raw material replaces fossil raw materials. It is good that the climate census encourages this as well. Climate accounting should be as acc…

4 May

2022

FI Speech

The social and economic consequences for the EU of the Russian war in Ukraine - reinforcing the EU’s capacity to act (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is perhaps the biggest test in the history of the European Union. Our community is built to create peace and now its foundations are under the most severe threat since the Second World War. There is a war in Europe. With every move, Russia is striving to break up the Union, of which the closure of Bulgaria's and Poland's gas ta…