What Christophe spoke about.

23

Nov

2021

DE Speech

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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)

– Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! The Common Agricultural Policy and our farmers are our best guarantee of affordable and healthy food. If 50 years ago food production was at the heart of the CAP, today environmental, biodiversity and climate protection are at the top of its goals. And that's right. Farmers are and want to be part of the solution. But in order for them to play…

11

Nov

2021

EN Speech

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The outcome of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) (debate)

Mr President, EU-US relations are back on track and that’s exactly where they belong. With the grounding of the Airbus-Boeing dispute and the suspension of the Section 232, the tariff conflict, we can once again focus on building rather than on repairing. It is the mark of good policy not to let the perfect be the enemy of the better. You have taken your responsibility in doing so and created the …

20

Oct

2021

FR Speech

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UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, the UK (COP26) (debate)

Mr President, climate change is a reality and the person who has just spoken is also the one who condemns the lives of our children for their populist glory. I strongly condemn his words from the depths of my heart. And those who link soaring energy prices to our climate ambitions are playing the petty game of Vladimir Putin and his peers. Because it is precisely our dependence on fossil fuels tha…

19

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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

Mr President, I would like to thank Prime Minister Morawiecki for the explanations he tried to deliver today. But, unfortunately, Prime Minister, I have to say that your party and your Government’s actions speak much louder than your words. You could not possibly expect us to stand by, applauding while you fill the courts with politically appointed judges, while you try to muzzle the press, and wh…

6

Oct

2021

DE Speech

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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)

Madam President, Commissioner! If we do not get energy prices back under control as soon as possible, socially weaker and older citizens in particular will be brought to the brink of their existence this winter. We must prevent this by all means. However, I condemn those who want to use this debate about high energy prices to challenge our climate goals. These climate populists include Boris Johns…

5

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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The future of EU-US relations (debate)

Mr President, this summer’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, followed by the formation of the AUKUS pact between Australia, the UK and the US, without due consultation between allies, we all agree were nothing short of an affront. The lesson to be drawn from this is that as long as we lack credible political will to back our own security commitments, or as long as we cannot speak as one on foreign pol…

15

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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State of the Union (continuation of debate)

Mr President, if you had told us one year ago, Ms von der Leyen, during your State of the Union 2020, that, when you stood before us again, 70 per cent of the EU population would have been vaccinated, who would have believed you? It is a tremendous success of the EU and one that makes it very clear that we need the health union more than ever. But while the EU’s capacity to protect its citizens fr…

14

Sep

2021

EN Speech

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A new EU-China strategy (debate)

Madam President, the EU needs to steer, once and for all, an independent course with regard to China and the newly—emerged multipolar world. Therefore, we need a unilateral autonomy to be able to enforce our rules for all players on our single market, European or not – for example, by means of an instrument to fight distortive foreign subsidies – especially since the CAI, as Reinhard Bütikofer sai…

14

Sep

2021

FR Speech

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Presentation of the Fit for 55 package after the publication of the IPCC report (debate)

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, one of the key elements of the Fit for 55 package is undoubtedly the carbon adjustment mechanism at our borders. This centerpiece of our climate policy has a very noble purpose, which I obviously support: export our climate ambitions while maintaining the competitiveness of our industries. It would thus avoid their relocation. But at this stage, Mr Vice-President, …

8

Jul

2021

EN Speech

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Labour rights in Bangladesh (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Bangladesh has benefited greatly from the Everything But Arms scheme. We are now Bangladesh’s largest trading partner, and accounted for 24% of its exports in 2015. I therefore welcome that Bangladesh has expressed the wish to benefit from the Generalised System of Preferences Plus, after it graduates from its status of least developed country and becomes ineligible for…