Speeches

Madam President, Dear colleagues! Europe is at a turning point. Our productivity is stagnating, global uncertainty is growing and our competitiveness is coming under increasing pressure. In order to counter this, we need not only large strategies, but also concrete tools that have a noticeable effect on the everyday life of companies. This is where the 28th chance comes in. regimes. It can be another piece of the puzzle to finally use the single market as it is intended. A real home market for start-up, scaling and innovation, investment. It is also an economic signal: Europe wants to become faster, easier and more investment-friendly again. Companies should have the opportunity to think European from day one, not just nationally. But we can't fool ourselves either: The innovative, unified alternative could become a patchwork if interpreted in 27 national court systems with different procedures, standards of evidence and languages. That is why we should clearly advocate a regulation that is directly applicable everywhere. Because we don't get stronger through 27 individual paths. Nor should we shy away from the next debate. A genuine Single Market and a Capital Markets Union require a genuine European judicial system that can give reliable and uniform rulings in business disputes. Otherwise, the ECJ bottleneck and Europe remains slower than its competitors. So for more growth, we need a one-piece Europe – a market, a framework – not 27 half copies.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. In just a few weeks, Christmas is a time when millions of European families are looking for gifts for their loved ones. Today we have the chance to give them the greatest gift: security. Toys remain the most frequently reported product category in the EU rapid alert system for unsafe products. We cannot and will not accept this any longer. With the new Toy Safety Ordinance, we are sending a clear signal. Safe toys for our children in Europe are a top priority. And this regulation is more than an update of outdated regulations. It is a commitment to our values, to the protection of our children and to strengthening the competitiveness of European industry. By setting the highest safety standards, we create a market where quality wins. I would also like to thank the shadow rapporteurs and the other colleagues who have made this success possible with their excellent work. If we agree immediately, we will ensure that children in Europe can continue to play with the safest toys in the world in the future.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, For two decades, North Macedonia has been striving to join the EU – with perseverance, a willingness to reform and clear popular support. Despite the challenges, the country has made impressive progress. And yet, the accession process is stalled. Bilateral disputes have been blocking the way for years. This undermines confidence in North Macedonia and the credibility of the EU integration process. Yes, more reforms are needed. I know the difficulties on the ground, but they must not be a pretext to delay accession forever. It is time to strengthen confidence in the EU and its values by finally offering North Macedonia the perspective it deserves. I therefore expressly support my colleague's report. The European Council must send a clear signal for the swift start of the next phase of negotiations with full respect for Macedonian language and identity. The EU Commission should also actively support North Macedonia in achieving the next steps.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen! Europe faces the challenge of remaining an attractive location for venture capital and safe foreign direct investment. This is not only a question of competitiveness, but also of the future viability of our continent. The numbers speak a sobering language. While the US and China are investing heavily in start-ups and disruptive technologies, Europe is moving forward in small steps and risks losing innovation potential. Europe currently holds only 5% of the global venture capital funds launched and only 6% of the global funding for AI start-ups. The reasons are obvious. We are dealing with insufficient support for innovations, which are often stalled halfway to commercialization. The Single Market remains weakened by fragmentation and bureaucratic hurdles. This, of course, discourages investors, especially in strategically important sectors of the future. Venture capital-financed companies are changing entire sectors of the economy and, last but not least, have also boosted foreign direct investment in many sectors. Groundbreaking ideas therefore need the appropriate financial backing on site. We urgently need a strong financing environment in Europe that is more accessible to SMEs and less bureaucratic. It is crucial that we seek greater policy coordination on strategic investments. This includes harmonising innovation support more closely and focusing funding on key areas. Only with bold reforms and better coordination can we ensure that start-ups and scale-ups not only emerge here, but also grow in Europe. Clear action and commitment are needed here. I also call for this on behalf of SME Europe.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, With the vote on the report on toy safety, we will take a major step towards adapting the outdated existing rules to the needs of our time. We must seize the opportunity, because our children, as the most vulnerable and vulnerable consumer group, must be better protected from unsafe toys. We will address risks stemming from hazardous chemicals, insufficient cybersecurity or simply a lack of manufacturing. When it comes to the health of our children, there is no tolerance. Limit values for chemical substances based on current scientific evidence, a digital product passport or mandatory visible warnings on online marketplaces – these measures will prevent dangerous toys from reaching children’s hands. At the same time, we can ensure a level playing field for our European toy manufacturers and, in particular, support small and medium-sized enterprises, which make up a large part of them, through tailor-made assistance and reduced bureaucracy. Dear colleagues, let us send a clear signal for child protection and European business location! Equipped with a strong mandate, we will be able to adopt an effective, coherent and up-to-date regulation on the safety of toys in the upcoming negotiations. Many thanks to all shadow rapporteurs and all those who helped! We owe it to our children.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, before I forget what is on my heart: Thanks to the shadow rapporteurs for the excellent cooperation on this very technical but also difficult dossier. We have achieved a good compromise that will make SEP licensing in the EU more efficient. The proposal was also not criticised by DG TRADE during the hearing. The TRIPS Agreement is compatible, as was said during the hearing. Existing contracts will not be affected. They won't be changed either. This is simply a false claim. Ladies and gentlemen, third countries are already benefiting from the fact that we have no regulation at EU level. Weidlich's court location in Europe is often used because the court proceedings take a very long time. It has nothing to do with efficiency. Innovations mainly happen at the level of the users of the SEPs who make products from the technology location. If they don't make products, there won't be a driver to develop the next location and get a patent for it. Therefore, patent protection is not weakened, it is strengthened. Ladies and gentlemen, Nokia and Ericsson themselves pleaded for a regulation when they were still producing mobile phones. Unfortunately, even the European companies we have are no longer so leaders, and that is why we have to give gas. We need to do more to implement products quickly, to bring them to market, so that we also have drivers for the next developments, ladies and gentlemen. With this proposal, we will reduce licensing inefficiencies and transaction costs, facilitate licensing negotiations, speed up licensing negotiations and reduce costly and time-consuming litigation. A key word about the authority: I do not care which authority is assigned the new tasks, as long as it is accountable to the EU Commission and does not unnecessarily lengthen the implementation process to say a word about it. Ladies and gentlemen, please do not let the Huaweis and Qualcomms of this world determine what to do with our European SEPs. Let's determine this for ourselves and ensure a healthier and competitive market. This will benefit SEP holders in the form of sustainable revenue and growth and SEP users in the form of legal and financial predictability in their businesses. That's why I'm promoting a more transparent and fair system. One last word: With us it says so nicely: ‘In danger and great need, the middle ground brings death’. Let's just be brave and don't wait any longer.

Mr President, Commissioner Breton, dear Thierry, ladies and gentlemen! Once upon a time, there was a small company that started manufacturing smart meters. After some time, the company writes black numbers and suddenly it receives a letter from another company from a third country, which requires a considerable amount for the use of its SEP. Now the SME knows at best that SEPS is the abbreviation of standard essential patents and that 5G, which requires an intelligent measuring device to function, is a standard. However, the SEP landscape, ladies and gentlemen, is very difficult to manage and licensees are often completely obscure in the licensing negotiations. No wonder, for example, if the number of declared patents in 5G is around 50,000 and there are about 300 different patent holders. It is difficult for licensees, some 85 percent of whom are SMEs, to assess whether the patents offered for licensing are indeed essential for the standard in question, whether their product violates that standard and whether the royalty is reasonable. This lack of transparency sounds like a bad fairy tale, but it is a bitter reality. What threatens the companies are injunctions that would result in a production stop. Not only small but also large companies are forced to respond to all demands by threatening to stop production. The current system is susceptible to abuse and very often leads to conflicts, which are also carried out in court, which takes a long time. That is why we should, yes, we must, on the one hand, prevent the machinations of the black sheep, which abuse their monopoly position, and, on the other hand, allow the SEP holders, who license under correct conditions, to obtain their justified revenues more quickly. There are black sheep on every side – even if the licensees do not want to pay, although they are offered licensing under FRAND conditions. Of course, SEP holders have a right to receive royalties for their invention, in which they have invested time and money. The status quo is neither good for SEP holders nor for SEP users, as it slows down European companies in their ability to innovate and in the speed of bringing products to market. They resort in part to outdated standards only to avoid potentially unfair licensing negotiations. It is high time for fair negotiations. The envisaged central register will allow SEP users to have an overview of exactly which licenses they need to use a certain standard. In the case of 5G, it is estimated that only 15 percent of SEPs declared essential are actually standard essential. The essentiality review process will help to put a stop to the current registration of patents and thus enhance the high-quality European SEPs. The non-binding investigation of the total licence fee allows an approximate idea of the total costs incurred for the purchase of the licences. And with the compromise that we adopted in the Committee on Legal Affairs, we are strengthening the SEP at European level and thus Europe as a location for innovation. And one last word about it: Let us replace the existing ambiguities, unfair competition and lack of transparency with predictability, equal opportunities and transparency for our European companies, for our European SMEs and for our economic and innovation location Europe!

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank all those who took part in the debate. Together, I would like to emphasise, we have succeeded in strengthening our European craftsmanship by attesting to the quality and origin of craftsmanship produced in the EU with this new quality label. Our cultural and traditional heritage is strengthened. The quality label on products will not only help the regions of origin to be better known, but will also ensure fair competition for producers, as counterfeiting is finally made more difficult. About a quarter of producers suffer a significant loss of turnover due to the allegedly authentic products, which in fact come from third countries. Consumers, on the other hand, benefit from the certainty provided by the geographical indication that they are really buying a genuine product with traditional characteristics. This legislation has only been possible because of the excellent cooperation with the shadow rapporteurs in the European Parliament, to whom and to whose team I would like to thank once again very, very much. And, of course, Commissioner Breton and the Swedish Presidency, and important preparatory work has also been carried out by the Czech Presidency. Negotiations were not always easy. But I think we can really be proud together now that we have achieved this and that we have brought this flagship to the port. And I say: We have produced a success story. And finally, I can say that we learned a lot from each other about our great, traditional handicraft products.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The report on the protection of geographical indications for craft and industrial products is a true European success story. Finally, we will be able to protect the many traditionally produced products such as porcelain, textiles or knives with an EU seal of approval. The report is a success story because it can be summarised under the title ‘Efficiency’. Efficient because we have closed a loophole in the law. This European label has existed since 1992 for agricultural products such as the Thuringian Rostbratwurst, as for wine, for spirits, but not for traditional craft products such as Murano glass or Lauscha Christmas balls. The approximately 400 products, which are mainly produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, are eligible for this new protection system. Efficient because we create EU-wide harmonisation, but it does not deprive nationally already protected products of the protection they have acquired. 16 Member States already have national protection systems, but this protection must be requested from the national authorities in accordance with the relevant procedures. And the protection then applies only to this member country. The new legislation provides protection in all Member States with only one application. Nationally protected geographical indications will continue to be protected. Your national protection becomes a European protection. Producers do not have to submit a new application again, but benefit directly from the new European protection system as soon as the Member States notify the EU Commission of the products. Efficient because we create a streamlined application process in which the outcome of the national application process is examined by the European Union Intellectual Property Office for completeness or possible errors. This will also be possible electronically. As the applicants are small, medium-sized crafts enterprises with limited resources, as mentioned above, we have provided special facilities for SMEs. You will benefit from cheaper fees for the national stage of application. There is no fee for the EU phase. Legislation is also efficient because we have reduced the bureaucratic effort to a minimum. A good example of this is self-declaration. The manufacturer will be able to submit this to the competent authority every three years as a standard procedure in order to maintain continuity. The new protection is also efficient due to its effect. Nowadays, many products are bought online and therefore we have ensured that the protection also applies online and thus the domain names of the traditional products are also protected. The control exercised over national authorities must also cover e-commerce. European protection will be extended to the international level as we will also adopt the relevant Recommendation on the EU's accession to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications this week. The new legal system will enable craftsmen to obtain greater legal protection for their products than is currently possible through trademark law. The registration of geographical indications is cheaper than the registration of trade marks and the holders of geographical indications do not have to pay for the renewal of their geographical indications. Geographical indications are entered only once. There is no need for renewal, as in the case of trade marks. Producers therefore receive an additional advantageous protection instrument in addition to the existing trademark law. So: efficient and good.

Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, With the accession of the European Union to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications, we make it possible for all protected products to be protected at international level. This is already the case for some European products originating from the seven Member States which had already acceded to the Geneva Act, and not yet for others. The protection of designations of origin and geographical indications has real added value. It promotes traditional know-how and has a positive impact on growth, employment and the competitiveness of enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises. Producers benefit from legal protection of their geographical indications in global markets and increased legal clarity in the event of conflicts. Consumers benefit from the certainty provided by a geographical indication that they are buying a genuine product with specific characteristics. For example, if a Thuringian Rostbratwurst protected by a geographical indication is purchased in a third country, then the buyer should also be sure that it is a real Thuringian sausage from Thuringia in Germany. Conversely, when shopping for supermarkets in the EU, we should be sure that a coffee protected as a geographical indication from Colombia actually comes from Colombia. Today's vote is based on a ECJ ruling that allows for the accession of the EU and the seven Member States. I would like to thank all of you very, very warmly for the fact that this vote can really come about so quickly that the deadline set by the ECJ can also be met.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Tomorrow's vote on overall product safety is an important milestone for the Single Market and for Europe's consumers. A good negotiation result for safe products in the European Union has finally been achieved. This is in line with what we as Parliament had already called for in November 2020 in the context of the own-initiative report on product safety, which I was allowed to negotiate as rapporteur. Up to now, a doll's bed has been subject to stricter safety requirements than a cot. It's over now. The new product safety regulation applies equally strict safety rules to all products, whether or not it is a product subject to sector-specific legislation, whether the product was purchased in-store or online, whether it was purchased from a supplier within the EU or outside the EU, and whether or not that product is interconnected and incorporates novel technologies, such as AI. We have increased consumer protection without increasing the administrative burden on businesses. We have ensured a level playing field in the internal market and paid particular attention to SMEs. We have made sure that there is now a point of contact in the EU for every product offered on the European single market. And we have increased obligations for online marketplaces that will improve product safety, mainly because over 70% are now also shopping online. And the RAPEX rapid alert system is becoming a modern Safety gate. We have made sure that product safety concerns can be communicated more quickly and that the identification of unsafe products can be faster and better communicated and, of course, product recalls finally reach consumers, because today an estimated one third of unsafe products continue to be used. Ladies and gentlemen, every dangerous product on the European market is one product too many. And that's why we acted.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. The Istanbul Convention is of immense importance because every single person, whether mostly women or, in some cases, men who are abused at home by a partner, is a victim too much. And because every child who is a victim of this domestic violence or witness to this abuse is one too many. Immeasurable suffering, lifelong physical and mental damage result from this domestic violence. With the Convention, we are setting standards for extremely important prevention, victim protection and law enforcement. The EU signed the Istanbul Convention seven years ago. How can it be that it has still not been ratified in all Member States? Dear Member States, it is high time to reach an agreement in the Council. Otherwise, I would suggest that you look into the eyes of the next woman who is raped or beaten at home and explain to her that she is not sufficiently protected as a victim and that she does not have adequate assistance because you have uncertainties in the Council as to the legal basis for ratification.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. What could be better than watching a child play, driving the construction crane through the sandbox or falling asleep with the teddy in his arm? It is all the more frightening to learn that in the past year, every fifth product classified as dangerous by the EU was a toy. It cannot and must not be that today's toys contain toxic or harmful chemicals that can lead to cancer or cause gene mutations. We need to act urgently to ensure not only that dangerous toys do not enter the internal market in the first place, but that, once they have entered the internal market, they are recognised and withdrawn from the market as soon as possible. We must intervene precisely where it is actually necessary in order not to unnecessarily burden the honest providers of toys and not to make the products more expensive. And at the same time, we must consistently pull the black sheep out of circulation. The proposed measures aim, firstly, to be able to react more quickly to scientific findings by specifically adapting chemical limit values, secondly, to identify and eliminate the risks posed by so-called networked toys and, thirdly, to address the challenges of online distribution channels. Nowadays, most of the dangerous toys come directly into the hands of our children through online marketplaces and from third countries. Online marketplaces need to do more to get the black sheep out of circulation. In any case, memoranda of understanding cannot effectively prevent the importation of unsafe toys and must also make controls more efficient, both offline and online. Market surveillance authorities need adequate human and financial resources to carry out their tasks efficiently. If enforcement fails, the best law is of no use. Greater safety for our children and at the same time a level playing field for our companies – that is our goal, dear Commission, that is what we are aiming for in the proposal.

Dear Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Without innovative solutions, we will not be able to meet our upcoming goals of the Green Deal, digitalisation and Industry 4.0. It is therefore important to strengthen intellectual property rights, such as patents, designs and trademarks, and to improve their enforcement. This report identifies existing problem situations and proposes solutions. For example, the efficient use of intellectual property rights can help corona-stricken companies get back on their feet, can make them more competitive and resilient. But only nine percent of SMEs have so far used such rights throughout Europe. We must therefore support SMEs to better protect their intellectual property through advice, financial means and user-friendly application procedures. The unitary patent will bring immense administrative relief and cost savings. This makes it possible to obtain patent protection with one application in 25 Member States. Costly, parallel actions are prevented by the Unified Patent Court, while at the same time increasing legal certainty. For these reasons, increased efforts should be made by all participating Member States to ratify the Unified Patent Jurisdiction Convention so that the Unified Patent Package can finally enter into force. Furthermore, the enforcement of intellectual property rights needs to be significantly improved. Counterfeit goods result in the direct loss of around 416 000 jobs per year. Counterfeit products can not only have a significant impact on citizens’ health – for example, in the case of fake masks. They are also often linked to organised crime. This makes it all the worse that brand and product piracy is rarely revealed. Therefore, on the one hand, enhanced cooperation between national enforcement authorities with EUIPO, Europol, Eurojust and OLAF is necessary to make detection and sanctioning more efficient. On the other hand, Member States should provide for effective and dissuasive sanctions for the production and dissemination of counterfeits. And last but not least, technologies such as artificial intelligence or blockchain can be used much more strongly for detection. Another important point is the protection of geographical indications. Here, the product with its regional characteristics, production and know-how are protected. There is already a European system of protection for agricultural products, which – you will forgive me and allow the regional reference – protects, for example, the Thuringian rust bratwurst. This system of protection not only benefits consumers by recognising authentic products across Europe, but also contributes to the preservation of cultural and regional heritage. We call for the existing system of protection of agricultural products to become more precise and effective, with less administrative burden. We also believe that such a sui generis protection system should also be created for non-agricultural products, so that regional SMEs that produce handicrafts and the like should also benefit from such protection throughout Europe. Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all shadow rapporteurs and their staff. We have worked together on what I think is an excellent text.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. As the EPP shadow rapporteur in the Committee on Legal Affairs, I consider this own-initiative report to be particularly important for two main reasons: firstly, because the number of women, but also men, who are victims of physical and psychological violence within the partnership, especially in the pandemic, has increased dramatically. Behind the figures are devastating individual fates with considerable long-term damage for those affected. We call on the Member States to maintain access to justice, consultations and assistance facilities even at such times and, of course, to provide financial security accordingly. Secondly: Children in particular are significantly affected by the violence in couples. They are silent victims and particularly vulnerable. And that is why child-friendly justice must not be the exception across Europe, but should be the rule. Investigative and judicial authorities must be properly trained to deal with these sensitive cases. The best interests of the child should always be paramount. Furthermore, domestic violence, separation and custody proceedings must not be dealt with in isolation from each other, but must be dealt with in the context of each other. I would like the Member States to address these issues as soon as possible so that victims of domestic violence, be they adults or children, can escape the perpetrator as quickly as possible and finally lead a non-violent life again.