What Christine spoke about.

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DE Written Statement

Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament - The outcome of 22 June hearings under Article 7(1) of the TEU regarding Poland and Hungary (continuation of debate)

I support the European Commission in demanding a declaration from the Hungarian government. We stand for a Europe of freedom and tolerance. All Member States must respect these values. There can be no place in the EU for discrimination and laws against people's fundamental freedoms. Our fundamental rights are non-negotiable. The new Hungarian law, which prohibits the “representation and promotion …

2

Apr

2025

DE Speech

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Outcome of the recent COP16 biodiversity negotiations in Rome (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! The agreement at COP 16 is an important signal, especially in times of global uncertainty. Two points are particularly important to me. Firstly: International cooperation works. Rome has shown this, even if the world situation is characterized by conflicts and tensions. And we can only solve the challenges in environmental policy together. And that is why we should do e…

23

Jan

2025

DE Speech

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Combating Desertification: 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Desertification is a global challenge and Europe is increasingly affected. Our food security, which we took for granted for a long time, is under threat. A solution can only be found with and not against our farmers. What happens when we decide over their heads has been shown in recent years. In the meantime, peasant protests have become everyday l…

18

Dec

2024

DE Speech

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Challenges facing EU farmers and agricultural workers: improving working conditions, including their mental well-being (debate)

Mr President! Commissioner! The costs increase, but the revenues do not. Instead of balanced reporting, we only talk about pollution and destruction of nature. It rains, and the field is not passable, the harvest: there. Your child is bullied and hostile as a farmer's child at school. Unfortunately, this is often the reality of farmers, for many years. It is therefore no wonder that the suicide ra…

18

Dec

2024

DE Speech

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Restoring the EU’s competitive edge – the need for an impact assessment on the Green Deal policies (topical debate)

Mr President! Ladies and Gentlemen, The Green Deal is a decisive step for the future of the European Union. Our goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 must not be called into question. This is our promise to the next generation: a climate-neutral Europe that ensures prosperity and competitiveness. At the same time, it is right to carefully examine the forward-looking path we want to take tow…

14

Nov

2024

EN Speech

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Deforestation Regulation: provisions relating to the date of application (vote)

Madam President, I would request a referral back to committee for interinstitutional negotiations under Rule 60(4).

23

Oct

2024

DE Speech

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U-turn on EU bureaucracy: the need to axe unnecessary burdens and reporting to unleash competitiveness and innovation (topical debate)

Mr President! Rules are meant to provide guidance, but too many rules only create a jungle to get lost in, and a fitting example of unnecessary requirements is the law on deforestation-free supply chains. The aim of the law is to combat illegal deforestation, but with a jungle of regulations and documentation, it completely overshoots the target and puts jobs at risk. I choose this example conscio…

16

Sep

2024

DE Speech

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Outcome of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Almost exactly one year ago, farmers stood here in front of the European Parliament for the first time. They have clearly given us the message that they want to be heard, that they want to have a discussion when it comes to decisions that affect them, that they want people to talk to them and no longer talk about them. It is therefore good that there is now a…

27

Feb

2024

DE Speech

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Geographical Indications for wine, spirit drinks and agricultural products (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Geographical indications – they are a success story. They have been protecting our traditional specialities in Europe for over 30 years – and that's a good thing! But unfortunately, the Commission and some regular parliamentarians threatened to exaggerate the report massively. They wanted to introduce mandatory indications of origin for ingredients that did not …

6

Feb

2024

DE Speech

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Plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques and their food and feed (debate)

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, While we are discussing here in the hemicycle, farmers are standing outside the parliament and protesting. I can understand them very well, because political goals are always set, but these goals are to be implemented exclusively through prohibitions and conditions. We rarely focus on innovation and technology in the discussions, but it is precisely with this…

4

Oct

2023

DE Speech

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The proposed extension of glyphosate in the EU (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner! For me, the discussion about glyphosate today is a perfect example of what is wrong with us, partly in society, but also here in the political house. Almost every discussion when it comes to plant protection products is conducted emotionally. Facts play less and less a role, but instead some doomsday scenarios spread here again, should the approval of glyphosate be exte…

13

Sep

2023

DE Speech

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Regulation of prostitution in the EU: its cross-border implications and impact on gender equality and women’s rights (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. Prostitution is not a profession like any other – exit is the goal. I can only subscribe to this quote from our Commission President. As political leaders, but also as a society as a whole, we must not turn a blind eye to the suffering that people experience through prostitution. That is why we must give a voice to all those affected, especially girls and women.…

11

Jul

2023

DE Speech

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Nature restoration (debate)

If it is falsely claimed, I would like to make it clear again here: We as the EPP stand by the objectives of the Green Deal, and yes, we want the Montreal Agreement to be implemented worldwide. We agree on the goal, but not on the path. There are completely different ideas and the Commission's proposal is heading in exactly the wrong direction. The protection of biodiversity can only work hand in …

10

May

2023

DE Speech

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

Mr President, Commissioner! We agree on the goal: We want strong agriculture and forestry, yes, and we want resilient agriculture. We want long-term food security, but yes, we also want short-term food security, because if we only focus on long-term food security, our farms will no longer be here. And those who are no longer here cannot ensure the food security of the future. This is the first dif…

17

Apr

2023

DE Speech

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Order of business

Madam President, On behalf of the EPP Group, I would like to change the proposed title of the ECR for the debate. As an EPP Group, we request the following title: . We as the EPP Group do not support individual actions against certain Member States. A one-sided focus on a particular Member State, as in the case of the Netherlands, is disproportionate and ineffective. Nature conservation policy mus…

4

Jul

2022

DE Speech

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Women’s poverty in Europe (debate)

Madam Vice-President, Commissioner! Almost one in four women in the European Union is affected by poverty. Poverty means more than material deprivation. Poverty also means social exclusion and social isolation. We must effectively tackle the root causes of poverty and social exclusion. We must finally overcome the structural gap between men and women in the economy, in the gender pay and pension g…

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, ladies and gentlemen, No one thinks directly of women in the common agricultural policy, but women play a crucial role. This role is often ignored, let alone honored. Women make a very, very important contribution. I would even go so far as to say: Women are the backbone of our family-run farms in rural areas. It is our rural women who have been fighting for many years for our agr…

18

Oct

2021

DE Speech

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Farm to Fork Strategy (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner! Over the last few months, in the Committee on the Environment and Agriculture, we have taken a close look at the proposal for the Farm to Fork Strategy and put together a compromise package that paints a picture of how we envisage the European food supply in the future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs for their wo…