What Christophe spoke about.

19 May

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the Fertilisers Action Plan (debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members, I would like to conclude by thanking you, first of all, for all your valuable contributions today and maybe highlight a few points that you have raised as well. I would first mention what Elsi Katainen has said about the decision that our farmers are about to make. I spoke recently to a French farmer. He has 400 hectares and he said that if the situation remain…

19 May

2026

EN Speech

Presentation of the Fertilisers Action Plan (debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members, first of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the fertiliser action plan, adopted just a few minutes ago in the College by the European Commission, so we can say this is really hot off the needle. Fertilisers are not only an agriculture issue; it is a question of Europe's food resilience, strategic autonomy and capacity to act. Fertilisers ar…

30 Apr

2026

EN Speech

Women’s entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and outermost regions (debate)

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Madam President, I am very pleased that we have had the opportunity today to discuss this very important topic. We have carefully taken note of your views and your comments, and we will ensure that they are duly considered. Some contested the realities of women entrepreneurship in rural areas, but I have to say, figures do not lie and a lot needs to be done. Our combined efforts within the CAP, ac…

30 Apr

2026

EN Speech

Women’s entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and outermost regions (debate)

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Madam President, dear rapporteur Łukacijewska, equality for women is a fundamental right of the European Union, and the EU is firmly committed to ensuring that women have the tools, the resources and the support they need to thrive and succeed in all areas of the economy, including in agriculture. This commitment is clearly reflected in the roadmap for women's wines, designed to reaffirm our strat…

30 Apr

2026

EN Speech

How to secure a sustainable future for the EU livestock sector in light of the need to ensure food security, farmers’ resilience and the challenges posed by animal diseases? (debate)

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Madam President, thank you for the input that all of you have delivered. Indeed, the forthcoming livestock strategy will identify ways to promote a livestock sector that is competitive at global level, resilient to crisis and sustainable, while also remaining respectful of Europe's territorial diversity and citizens' expectations, and recognising as well the European excellence. Let me reply to so…

30 Apr

2026

EN Speech

How to secure a sustainable future for the EU livestock sector in light of the need to ensure food security, farmers’ resilience and the challenges posed by animal diseases? (debate)

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Mr President, rapporteur, honourable Members, I very much welcome the opportunity to discuss with you a topic that the Commission has identified as a crucial element of agriculture, of our European livestock sector. Coming from a livestock farm myself, I can very much relate to the day-to-day life of a livestock farmer. It is in many ways, especially dealing with animals, an extremely challenging …

9 Feb

2026

FR Speech

Amending Regulations on agricultural products as regards market rules and sectoral support measures in the wine sector and for aromatised wine products (debate)

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9 Feb

2026

EN Speech

Amending Regulations on agricultural products as regards market rules and sectoral support measures in the wine sector and for aromatised wine products (debate)

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Madam President, rapporteur, honourable Members, let me begin by thanking you for the important contribution the European Parliament has made to the wine package we presented in March 2025. This piece of legislation aims to urgently provide much-needed support to the EU wine sector in view of the unprecedented challenges of decreasing demand, changing consumer preferences and the effects of climat…

15 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Amending certain CAP Regulations as regards the conditionality system, types of intervention in the form of direct payment, types of intervention in certain sectors and rural development and annual performance reports, data and interoperability governance, suspensions of payments annual performance clearance and controls and penalties (debate)

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Madam President, I would like to thank you all for the discussion today. I also welcome the very broad support on the package, which, based on your reactions, also strikes a balanced approach because it achieves simplification without decreasing the capacity of our policy to reach sustainability objectives. I also understand that some of you would have preferred a slightly different result – maybe…

15 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Amending certain CAP Regulations as regards the conditionality system, types of intervention in the form of direct payment, types of intervention in certain sectors and rural development and annual performance reports, data and interoperability governance, suspensions of payments annual performance clearance and controls and penalties (debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members, to finish this very dynamic year, this debate comes at a very important moment in time. I refer, of course, to the important votes here in Parliament, but also the discussions by the leaders in the European Council on Thursday. And it is important to acknowledge the concerns farmers have. In last year's protests, reduction of administrative burden was one of th…

15 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Incentivising defence-related investments in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan (debate)

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Madam President, thank you very much for this very important debate. At a moment of great geopolitical danger, we are finally taking action and together we are equipping the Union with the instruments needed to protect our citizens. The 'mini omnibus' is small in name, but a big step forward for our defence readiness. Let us move forward together on our other defence proposals as well and let us d…

15 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Incentivising defence-related investments in the EU budget to implement the ReArm Europe Plan (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, I believe we can say that this is a very proud day. The political agreement on the mini‑omnibus on defence was agreed in just one sitting, just one trilogue, and that is exactly the kind of speed and efficiency we need when our defence readiness is at stake. And so, I thank the rapporteur Mr Kols, I thank the shadow rapporteurs in this House and, of course, the Da…

15 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Murder of Mehdi Kessaci - urgent need for ambitious European action against drug trafficking (debate)

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Mr President, thank you all for your very valuable contributions to this debate. It is really encouraging to hear how strong the support is for us to take action on drugs and organised crime, and this across all political groups in this hemicycle. I believe that is how we can honour as well the memory of Mehdi Kessaci. It is also encouraging that you have addressed all aspects of the problem: the …

15 Dec

2025

EN Speech

Murder of Mehdi Kessaci - urgent need for ambitious European action against drug trafficking (debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members of this House, we have seen too much violence on Europe's streets, too many young lives taken, and wherever drug trafficking exists, it leaves a trail of violence, corruption, disrupted communities and lives destroyed. In my opinion, there is only one way for us to honour the memory of Mehdi Kessaci: we must take stronger action because the situation with illega…

7 Oct

2025

FR Speech

Common agricultural policy (joint debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, first of all I would like to thank you for this open exchange, I will not comment on all the subjects that have been discussed and that have no direct link with the two proposals that I hope we will adopt tomorrow. The European Commission took the demonstrations of our farmers almost two years ago seriously. These had three main demands. One of them was to pu…

7 Oct

2025

EN Speech

Common agricultural policy (joint debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members, first of all, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to exchange on these two important files that I have put very early on already in my mandate. I especially would like to thank the two rapporteurs, Céline Imart and André Rodrigues, for their work, as well as their shadow rapporteurs, to have delivered so quickly on these important files. Time is of th…

10 Jul

2025

EN Speech

Post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members, let me first of all start by thanking you for your thoughtful contributions, the broader lines of which I share and the entire Commission shares. I would like to particularly give thanks again to Carmen Crespo Díaz and all the people that have worked together with you to get the report done by this Monday in order to be able to take your input on board. I think…

10 Jul

2025

EN Speech

Post-2027 Common Agricultural Policy (debate)

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Madam President, honourable Members, dear colleagues, thank you very much for putting this important point up for the plenary debate today. I believe this is a testimony of how important the common agricultural policy is for this House. I can reassure you that it is equally important for the European Commission. The CAP is one of our oldest policies at the heart of the European project. In Decembe…

13 Mar

2025

EN Speech

European Schools Alliance: potential to achieve the European education area by driving innovation, enhancing mobility and championing inclusivity (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, the design and development of the European Schools Alliance is still in its very early days. That is why a debate like the one today is so useful, and the outcomes will feed into the design of the pilot. After the pilot, the success of the European Schools Alliance will depend on the next Erasmus+ programme and, of course, the future multiannual financial framewor…

13 Mar

2025

EN Speech

European Schools Alliance: potential to achieve the European education area by driving innovation, enhancing mobility and championing inclusivity (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, last week, Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu delivered the Union of Skills package, and she presented it to you yesterday. The Union of Skills is a bold and ambitious package which strives to equip people with the right skills, starting with basic skills, and to support balanced cross-border mobility and free movement of knowledge and skills. The Union of Sk…

13 Mar

2025

EN Speech

A Vision for Agriculture and Food (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, thank you very much for this open and frank first exchange of views on the vision on the future of agriculture and food. I have the feeling that most of you are quite positive about this new direction – a new Commission that is going and putting farmers back in the centre and is also not afraid to speak about productivity in the farming and food‑producing sector. …

13 Mar

2025

EN Speech

A Vision for Agriculture and Food (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, dear colleagues, the first 100 days of our mandate were dedicated to delivering on what we promised and doing this in close cooperation with those who are most concerned: the farming and the food sector. Since I became Commissioner, my 'boots on the ground' promise has taken me already to eight Member States, and when I speak to farmers, I hear a strong call for s…

12 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Secessionist threats in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the recent escalation (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, many thanks for this debate. The Commission remains unequivocally committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU accession perspective as a single, united and sovereign country. The sovereignty, territorial integrity and constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina must be respected. Bosnia and Herzegovina has the historic opportunity to open EU accession negotiations…

12 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Secessionist threats in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the recent escalation (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, one year has passed since the historic decision of the European Council to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It seems the reform enthusiasm has evaporated, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has again entered into an institutional and political crisis. To get back on track, we call on all political actors to continue taking resolute action to fin…

12 Mar

2025

EN Speech

Frozen Russian assets (debate)

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Mr President, honourable Members, I believe that the discussion today has clearly shown that we need to continue to show our unwavering support to Ukraine. With the support by Europe and our partners, Ukraine will be in a position to achieve a just and lasting peace. For this reason, the assets of the Central Bank of Russia shall remain immobilised until Russia pays for the damage it has caused in…