What Hildegard spoke about.

15

Feb

2023

DE Speech

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Access to strategic critical raw materials (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Why do we need an EU Raw Materials Act? Can we no longer rely on our companies to take care of the supply of raw materials or on our trade relations to provide a sufficient framework for this? Why a new law at European level? Because times have changed. Firstly: Our access to raw materials is no longer secure, and our deep one-sided dependencies…

1

Feb

2023

DE Speech

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Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, We face a huge dilemma in Afghanistan. Should we continue to support the suffering civilian population with humanitarian aid, given that the Taliban is violating our most fundamental principles and is now also violating women's human rights to social participation and education? I think this question is tearing many of us apart. But the EU is th…

16

Jan

2023

DE Speech

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Shipments of waste (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, Dealing with shipments of waste may not be particularly sexy, but it is very necessary if we are to achieve our goals: a better circular economy, in which waste becomes new raw materials, namely shorter pathways and more efficiency in waste treatment, by finally also realising the internal market for wast…

13

Dec

2022

DE Speech

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ASEAN relations ahead of the EU-ASEAN summit in December 2022 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, The EU-ASEAN partnership has great potential. During a recent delegation visit to the largest ASEAN country, Indonesia, I was also able to personally convince myself of the interest in closer economic cooperation, and I say clearly here: economic cooperation, and not primarily development aid projects. The EU is a player in lower- and middle-inc…

23

Nov

2022

DE Speech

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The future European Financial Architecture for Development (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Three years ago, the European Union restructured its development aid in the hope that it could be more flexible and efficient. As an EPP, we have worked to launch a parallel debate on the reorientation of our European development finance institutions, because in the world there is more competition – let us think only of China – and more tasks – let us think only…

23

Nov

2022

DE Speech

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A truly interconnected Energy Single Market to keep bills down and companies competitive (topical debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, With a truly integrated European internal energy market, how can we make energy bills affordable and keep our companies competitive? Three short answers: All necessary cross-border connections must be built as soon as possible, i.e. by means of rapid approval procedures. The crisis has shown what accelerations we ar…

22

Nov

2022

DE Speech

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New EU strategy for enlargement (debate)

Madam President, Honourable Mr Picula, Honourable Commissioner! I believe that a new strategy for enlargement needs two things in particular: Honesty and genuine will to succeed. And I believe that your proposal, Mr Picula, needs to be improved in both areas. First of all, honesty: Cooperation with President Vučić and maintaining the Serbian government with Russia is simply unacceptable and contra…

13

Sep

2022

DE Speech

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Renewable Energy Directive (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, As rapporteur in my group in the Committee on Development, I would like to focus on the international dimension of the Renewable Energy Directive, which is crucial for the EPP. For us, it didn't take an energy crisis to realize: If we want to move quickly to a ramp-up of renewables and, above all, hydrogen, in order to advance the energy transition…

12

Sep

2022

DE Speech

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Energy efficiency (recast) (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Energy efficiency is the stepchild of energy policy. For years, far too little has happened here, which is now bitterly avenging itself in the energy crisis. That is why we also agree to increase ambition and set binding targets. But: We take into account the current situation. Public budgets are empty, and companies often lack the money to invest …

12

Sep

2022

DE Speech

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Deforestation Regulation (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, When it comes to protecting the world's forests, we are running out of time. They are the lungs of the earth, and with less lung capacity we will breathe harder. It is therefore good that we will vote tomorrow on a legislative proposal with the aim of entering into force at the beginning of 2023. What were and what are the key points of the EPP in …

7

Jul

2022

DE Speech

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Sustainable aviation fuels (ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative) (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! Discussions about the ReFuelEU Regulation were not easy. Because it's about a lot: new obligations for airports, airlines and fuel manufacturers. It is about mobility in Europe, especially for more remote regions. It is about competition from different sectors, about the scarce supply of alternative fuels and about Europe's position in internationa…

6

Jul

2022

DE Speech

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The Post-Cotonou Agreement (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The fact that we are talking today about the fact that the adoption of the post-Cotonou agreement has to be postponed for the third time by another year is an absolute testament to poverty for the EU. I have never been a big fan of continuing the ACP format, because the three regions have very different relations with the EU and we better need our own genuine go…

9

Jun

2022

DE Speech

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The call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties (debate)

Dear Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, We met with citizens for a year. 49 recommendations and 325 measures have emerged as a result. All institutional actors involved have committed to review the recommendations for their implementation. And we, as the European Parliament, are taking the ultimate step today, calling on Article 48 to formally open the way to Treaty changes as well. From my point…

8

Jun

2022

DE Speech

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The Commission's proposal for "Attracting skills and talent to the EU", particularly the Talent Partnerships with North African countries (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! As the vice-coordinator of my group in the Committee on Development, I welcome this Commission proposal because it addresses phenomena that are burning on our nails: illegal migration, the fact that people cannot bring their labour force into their country because of lack of prospects and embark on a dangerous, sometimes deadly journey. It addresses the apparent labour …

9

Mar

2022

DE Speech

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Batteries and waste batteries (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I expressly welcome the new Battery Regulation, which we are adopting today, because it contains important strategic positions from us, the European Parliament, on the circular economy and on critical raw materials. Above all, however, it takes into account the life cycle approach, and thus the Battery Regulation can almost be regarded as a template for furth…

15

Feb

2022

DE Speech

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EU-Africa relations (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, We understandably talk a lot these days about Ukraine and Russia, but also Africa, our neighbouring continent, deserves and urgently needs our attention. Mr Tomas Tobé made it clear: Population growth and the corresponding job requirements alone are an enormous challenge. The European Council is still stuck in the p…

24

Nov

2021

DE Speech

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Outcome of the COP26 in Glasgow (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I visited this COP with three hats: as a member of the Committee on Industry, as a member of the Committee on Development and as a member of the Committee on the Environment. In terms of industrial policy, I was particularly impressed by the conversation with the Chinese delegation. Of course, the set climate neutrality target of 2060 is too late, …

22

Nov

2021

DE Speech

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A European strategy for critical raw materials (debate)

, . – Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! A European strategy for critical raw materials – this is what we are discussing and voting on this week. My group, the EPP, has deliberately taken the initiative and brought the issue to Parliament – because we firmly believe that this is an essential, strategic issue for the European Union, where all institutions – the Commission, Parliament…

20

Oct

2021

DE Speech

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

Mr President, Commissioner! Important decisions need to be taken in Glasgow on binding CO2 reduction targets, financing and adaptation to climate change. But even more important than the mega-conferences every two years, in the EPP's view, it would be to make international climate protection a permanent issue and to appoint a climate commissioner with cabinet rank within the EU, who is constantly …

19

Oct

2021

EN Speech

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Climate, Energy and Environmental State aid guidelines (“CEEAG”) (debate)

Mr President, I fully subscribe to what my colleagues, Mr Ferber, Mr Pieper and Mr Arimont, have been saying regarding the effects of the revised state aid rules on SMEs. But, as the rapporteur for the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on the EU’s hydrogen strategy, I would like to comment on your proposal from a different, much more positive, angle. The draft guid…

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, ladies and gentlemen! Our discussions today in Parliament and among EU finance ministers show: Energy prices are extremely sensitive to both the population and industry. Affordable energy is part of the basic promise of the social market economy, and internationally competitive electricity prices for industry decide whether to continue producing in the EU or whether …

5

Oct

2021

DE Speech

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Implementation report on the EU Trust Funds and the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Was and is the EU's commitment to supporting refugees in Turkey meaningful and successful, yes or no? My verdict is clear: Yes, it was and still is useful. EU funding stabilises the situation of refugees in Turkey and makes it possible to ensure different needs such as schooling, housing, healthcare, labour market integration and psychosocial ca…

14

Sep

2021

DE Speech

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Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner Urpilainen, who is unfortunately no longer here. Western troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan. The Taliban are back in power, and this is fundamentally changing the European Union's cooperation with Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been the country to which most development aid has gone. Now it is rightly suspended and only humanitarian aid is prov…