11
Jul
2023
Watch
Ecodesign Regulation (debate)
Mr President, thank you very much. Commissioner. It has already been three years since the Commission presented its Circular Economy Action Plan and we here in the European Parliament drew up our own-initiative report. Since then, we have taken clear steps to achieve our climate goals, and now we are also showing that we are delivering on the transition to a more circular economy. It is a great success and I would like to thank the rapporteur, Mr Moretti, and my shadow colleagues for their good cooperation and for reaching an agreement. There is a great deal of uncertainty in Europe, both politically and economically. In that case, it is particularly important to ensure and maintain the support that we have received from the voters for our environmental policy. This means that we need to think carefully about how we implement it. Clear frames are the way forward, not detail management. For businesses, the most important thing is quite simple: Everyone wants to be able to compete on equal terms. I think we have given them the tools to use what is one of our most important assets, namely the European single market. Our single market is one of our Union's greatest strengths. Unfortunately, we are not using it to its full potential. Sometimes we can even undermine its functionality. Removing internal barriers to trade and growth has therefore been one of my top priorities. But we have also put completely new proposals on the table, not least in terms of tougher measures to encourage more sustainable value chains both in textiles and on the electronics side. With these rules, I believe that European industry will have the opportunity to change on an equal footing. With this proposal, we are on the right track to create an EU market for sustainable products. That's the way to go.