What Ralf spoke about.

21 May

2026

DE Speech

Amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2402 on securitisation and a specific framework for simple, transparent and standardised securitisation (A10-0138/2026 - Ralf Seekatz) (vote)

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Mr President! Ladies and Gentlemen! I was somewhat surprised that, despite a continuous absence from the negotiations, the Left in particular has now objected to this negotiating mandate and we must therefore now also vote on it again and talk about it. So if you miss your plane, we're not to blame. At the same time, of course, I am pleased to see Mr Schirdewan live. We have found a majority in th…

11 Mar

2026

DE Speech

Savings and Investments Union: time to accelerate the process to deepen market integration (debate)

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9 Feb

2026

DE Speech

European Central Bank – annual report 2025 (debate)

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7 May

2025

DE Speech

Banking Union – annual report 2024 (debate)

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Madam President, I would like to thank my colleagues for their participation in this important debate. Although many areas of the Banking Union are characterised by very different partisan policies – as was also noted in the discussion – but above all by national interests, I think we have nevertheless managed to present an ambitious report. The report now forms the basis for the discussion around…

7 May

2025

DE Speech

Banking Union – annual report 2024 (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! We have negotiated a very balanced and at the same time ambitious annual report, which has also recognised the signs of the times and offers meaningful solutions. While the 2022 and 2023 annual reports focused very much on the war in Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing aggression, we have again focused more on the very core elements of the Banking Unio…

7 May

2025

DE Speech

Competition policy – annual report 2024 (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! The EU is at a turning point in history. Our actions for the coming years will certainly be decisive for the economic future of the coming decades and the preservation of our prosperity. We must therefore draw the right conclusions from Letta's and Draghi's reports. Three points, I think, are crucial for promoting European competitivenes…

31 Mar

2025

DE Speech

Savings and Investments Union (debate)

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Mr President! If 70% of savings are in savings accounts, we have a lot of untapped potential that could benefit our citizens and our economy. Private savings should go to innovative European companies, especially SMEs, small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of our economy. A better securitisation market or a European savings product could help deepen capital markets. That is wh…

13 Nov

2024

DE Speech

Fight against money laundering and terrorist financing: listing Russia as a high-risk third country in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen! Dealing with Russia has played a central role in the negotiations on the new Anti-Money Laundering Regulation. In order to make it a little harder for the Russian oligarchs to launder money in the EU and circumvent sanctions, many adjustments were made. Among other things, increased due diligence requirements and an asset register for luxury cars, yachts and air…

18 Sep

2024

DE Speech

Organised crime, a major threat to the internal security of the European Union and European citizens (topical debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! The report of the Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany published in September shows that the economic damage from organised crime in Germany has more than doubled – EUR 2.7 billion for 2023. Cybercrime alone has caused €1.7 billion in damage. 70% of criminal organisations are active in more than three Member States. We have been working very successfully…

24 Apr

2024

DE Speech

The sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive - Anti-Money Laundering Regulation - Establishing the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (joint debate - Anti-money laundering)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased that, after almost three years of negotiations, we can finally vote today on this money laundering package. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all my colleagues for the good cooperation. A very big praise to the Belgian Presidency of the Council, which ensured that we were finally able to negotiate the final package. We have created an amb…

17 Jan

2024

DE Speech

Extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Hate speech and hate crime are unfortunately becoming an increasing social problem and a threat to our rule of law. We must protect young people and marginalised groups in particular from all forms of hatred. There must also be no categorization. In particular, the Internet must not be a legally free space. We must fight hatred or cyberbullying with all the f…

12 Dec

2023

DE Speech

European Economic Security Strategy (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The European economy is under pressure. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as other geopolitical shifts, are challenging us. It is therefore right that the Commission should react and specifically analyse the strategic dependencies in areas such as raw materials, energy and technology. It is also good that it has been recognised that we need to …

11 Dec

2023

DE Speech

Role of tax policy in times of crisis (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Yes, inflation, high energy prices, supply chain difficulties are putting us all under pressure, putting our companies under pressure above all else. And targeted measures in tax policy are or should also be levers for securing liquidity, jobs and also investments. For the future business location, modernization and simplification of corporate taxes are there…

22 Nov

2023

DE Speech

Cyprus Confidential - need to curb enablers of sanctions-evasion and money-laundering rules in the EU (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The events in Cyprus show that it is really high time that we finally adopt and create a single set of rules and frameworks in the Union with the new regulation. But it has also become clear that we need to put more emphasis on the actual priorities. While we are currently negotiating between the European Parliament and the Council which merchandise dealers or f…

17 Oct

2023

DE Speech

Schengen area: digitalisation of the visa procedure - Schengen area: amending the Visa Sticker Regulation (Joint debate – Schengen area)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Commissioner! Yes, the digitalisation of the visa process is overdue, and that is why we certainly find it very, very good – many colleagues – that we are setting the right course for this digital future here in Parliament this week. The digital visa procedure will facilitate the application procedures for non-European travellers, relieve the administrative b…

4 Oct

2023

DE Speech

European green bonds (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, We have a very high investment need to meet the climate targets of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. However, to finance the transition to a more sustainable economy, we need private capital. With state investments alone, we cannot meet this enormous investment need. For this, it is important to bring enough investors to the capital market and to …

3 Oct

2023

DE Speech

The 10th consecutive increase in reference interest rates decided by the ECB and its consequences (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! It was only in July 2022 that the ECB raised its key interest rates for the first time, certainly initiating a long overdue interest rate turnaround. Under pressure of record inflation of 10%, ten further interest rate steps followed. In Germany they say: Better late than never. Now we have finally arrived at a point where monetary policy is having…

2 Oct

2023

DE Speech

Intelligent Road Transport Systems (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! It is completely clear: If we want to meet our ambitious CO2 reduction targets, passenger and freight transport must also play its part and become less polluting. In order for the sector to achieve this goal, we as politicians must create the right and, above all, technology-neutral framework conditions. In concrete terms, this means that we must enable the developme…

20 Oct

2021

DE Speech

Increased efforts to fight money laundering (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Unfortunately, the results in the fight against money laundering are quite manageable. Although the damage to the treasuries has accumulated to several billion euros, the EU does not yet have a single strategy to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The Directive has been revised five times. On a regular basis, there have been infringement proceeding…

14 Sep

2021

DE Speech

Natural disasters during the summer 2021 - Impacts of natural disasters in Europe due to climate change (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, In my hometown, in my home state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, the storm raged in July in the Eifel, on the Moselle, and the Ahr Valley was worst affected. We have 133 dead. Three people are still missing. In the Ahr Valley, 62 bridges, 40 schools, 55 kindergartens and five hospitals were destroyed. More than 3,000 companies have been affected by the disas…

5 Jul

2021

DE Speech

Financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2020 - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2019 (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, The EIB has made a significant contribution to stabilisation through its 2020 support programme. 420,000 small and medium-sized enterprises were supported. This has supported and secured 4 million jobs, including in the SME sector. Jobs have been secured, crisis-stricken sectors have been boosted accordingly, and the most severe economic impact has been mitigate…