What Jan-Christoph spoke about.

12 Sep

2023

DE Speech

Sustainable aviation fuels (ReFuelEU Aviation Initiative) (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! Alternative fuels are undoubtedly the key to decarbonising aviation. Also the only key we have, because electrification, as other colleagues have already said, will take some time. Now it's time to build up production capacity. And we are setting the right framework conditions for this with this law. As the European Union, we are at the forefront of decarbonisation a…

12 Sep

2023

DE Speech

EU-Tunisia Agreement - aspects related to external migration policy (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Yes, we need migration agreements with third countries. And the sections in the Tunisia agreement on the economic stabilization of the country are not at all bad in terms of content. But I wonder: Why now? Why now that President Kais Saied is turning the country into an autocracy? Why not when we had democratic structures in Tunisia? Is Kais Saied really a relia…

11 Jul

2023

DE Speech

Greening transport package (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I think it is good that the proposal for the greening of transport is finally here. The issue of emissions measurement in particular is, I believe, one with which we can achieve greater transparency for citizens. We as Free Democrats will fight for this report to uphold technological neutrality. I believe that in order to transport goods in a CO…

14 Jun

2023

DE Speech

Preparation of the European Council meeting of 29-30 June 2023, in particular in the light of recent steps towards concluding the Migration Pact (debate)

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Mr President, Madam Minister, Commissioner! It is good that the Member States have now agreed. Das ist ein Zeichen der Handlungsfähigkeit in einer Frage, in der Europa viel zu lange nicht handlungsfähig gewesen ist. Now we can finally begin negotiations between the Council and Parliament. As Free Democrats, we support the paradigm shift towards more order in migration and the introduction of borde…

13 Jun

2023

DE Speech

Situation in Lebanon (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen! Lebanon is in a dramatic economic and financial crisis. In particular, the galloping inflation makes the population to create. You have to imagine from an exchange rate of 1 to 1,500 they are at an exchange rate of 1 to 90,000 to the dollar. This has an impact on the population for all areas of life. The reforms demanded by the International Moneta…

10 May

2023

DE Speech

Externalising asylum applications and making funding to third countries conditional on the implementation of return agreements (topical debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Yesterday we celebrated Europe Day. This European Union is a direct response to what happened in this Second World War. We've decided to work together so that something terrible like this can't happen again. We learned a second lesson from the Second World War, namely that the Nazis persecuted people – because of their sexual orientation, their religion, thei…

18 Apr

2023

DE Speech

The need for European solidarity in saving lives in the Mediterranean, in particular in Italy (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner! It is, of course, unbearable that people drown in the Mediterranean Sea. I would like to say again at this point that it is a state task to rescue people from distress at sea. I call on the Member States and the Council to finally relaunch a state rescue mission at sea. The fact that we are discussing this at this point is because Italy has declared a state of emergency…

17 Apr

2023

DE Speech

Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System - Monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport - Carbon border adjustment mechanism - Social Climate Fund - Revision of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I think it is good that we are taking the big step today when it comes to voting on the main dossiers today. It is important that we strengthen emissions trading as an essential market-economy instrument in this area, because this will ensure, ladies and gentlemen, that CO2 savings are made where they are most favourable. That is a good principle, …

15 Mar

2023

DE Speech

Tunisia: Recent attacks against freedom of expression and association and trade unions, in particular the case of journalist Noureddine Boutar

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, The European Parliament stands with the Tunisian people. We stand with those who fight for democracy, who fight for their country not to continue on this path towards dictatorship. Tunisia is currently on this path. It has been on the way since President Saied basically abolished the Constitution. There were questionable elections with 11% turnout,…

15 Mar

2023

DE Speech

Deaths at sea: a common EU response to save lives and action to ensure safe and legal pathways (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Maritime rescue is, of course, a state task, and for far too long we have been counting on non-governmental organisations to take on this task. In this respect, what is happening in the Mediterranean is dramatic, and it is all the more dramatic if it is also happening in European waters – in Italian waters, as in this case. But, ladies and gentlemen, what we rea…

15 Feb

2023

DE Speech

EUCO conclusions: the need for the speedy finalisation of the Road Map (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen. Why can't we get any further, citizens ask themselves when it comes to migration policy. And you are right to ask yourself this question. Since 2015/16, since the great migration crisis, Member States have been blocking any legislative progress on this issue. And now the pressure is particularly high due to a large number of additional refugees from Ukraine; …

14 Feb

2023

DE Speech

Response to the situation in Tunisia (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I am shocked at the weak perception that the Commission and the Council are giving here. I do not know who prepared yours for you, ladies and gentlemen, but this does not reflect the reality that is currently prevailing in Tunisia. In Tunisia, there is a president called Saied, who has eroded democracy, abolished parliament, then rescheduled elections later, in …

14 Feb

2023

DE Speech

CO2 emission standards for cars and vans (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen. We all have the goal of achieving the Paris climate goals. And, of course, the transport sector must contribute to this and also be decarbonised. For this, I think we need innovation and inventiveness. We have therefore always fought for this transformation to be open to technology. Because even the combustion engine can drive climate-neutrally with alternative …

1 Feb

2023

DE Speech

Preparation of the Special European Council meeting of February, in particular the need to develop sustainable solutions in the area of asylum and migration (debate)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I think I hear the words of the Christian Democrats here in the hall, that we should move forward on the migration pact. However, I now lack the belief that they really want it. Have you seen this ugly face of the extreme right in the speeches here in this room today? Do you really want to imitate this, ladies and gentlemen of the EPP, and dwarf yourself, as the…

18 Jan

2023

DE Speech

Criminalisation of humanitarian assistance, including search and rescue (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, Why are we discussing this question today? We are discussing this issue because in Italy, once again, the government is trying to make life difficult for sea rescuers with flimsy reasons. And that is a scandal, ladies and gentlemen, and that is what we must call it. But we are also talking about it because NGOs have to step in in the Mediterranean …

17 Jan

2023

DE Speech

Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter - annual report 2022 (debate)

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Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, Human rights are indivisible and belong to all people, regardless of gender, age, religion, origin, sexual orientation or political attitude. Anyone who criticizes human rights violations elsewhere must, of course, be exemplary. That is why it is important that we also attack human rights violations within the European Union. There are plenty of examples of t…

13 Dec

2022

DE Speech

Turkish airstrikes on northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (debate)

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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, It is clear, of course, that terrorist attacks such as the Istanbul attack must be condemned. I think there's no doubt about that. In my view, however, it is also clear that the military strikes that were subsequently carried out, so to speak, in retaliation by Turkey in Syria and northern Iraq must be condemned in the same way, because these milit…

13 Dec

2022

DE Speech

The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession (debate)

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Mr Colleague, I would like to thank you for clearly stating that there are no reasons under the rule of law for Romania and Bulgaria to be rejected by the Austrian Government, but that there are other reasons why you are clearly breaking a rule of law procedure on the part of Austria at this point. Thank you for this openness. You said that migration policy is the issue. Are you aware that it is e…

13 Dec

2022

DE Speech

The recent JHA Council decision on Schengen accession (debate)

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Mr President, Mr Minister, Commissioner! Schengen is undoubtedly one of the greatest achievements of the European Union. It inspires trust, it is a zone of freedom and prosperity. The fact that Austria has led this movement, which has led to Bulgaria and Romania not being admitted, for domestic political reasons – and exclusively domestic political reasons – is shabby, ladies and gentlemen, it is …

12 Dec

2022

EN Speech

Addressing persistent challenges in the aviation sector and the impacts on passengers, workers, capacity and safety (debate)

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Madam President, we’re talking about persistent challenges and one of those persistent challenges is not well addressed, from my point of view, and this is the change of legislation that we do in this House very regularly, dear colleagues, and this is challenging for the aviation sector because it is a global business, and in this global business we are addressing, on a European level, policies th…

23 Nov

2022

FR Speech

Forced displacement of people as a result of escalating conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

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Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, a humanitarian disaster is taking place in the Congo. Six million people have been internally displaced. Two and a half million children are malnourished. Colleagues, we cannot close our eyes to this. And all because an armed conflict is taking place in Congo, which is sometimes supported by external forces, which has just been said. This violence must stop. The…

23 Nov

2022

EN Speech

Human rights situation in Egypt (debate)

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Mr President, colleagues COP 27 has shed a light on the dire situation of human rights in Egypt, and COP 27 could have been an opportunity to bring a better situation for human rights, for the government to show that Egypt is committed to human rights. But all they’re doing is just the contrary. Yes, they have put in place a presidential pardon committee. But let’s be honest colleagues, they pardo…

23 Nov

2022

DE Speech

The need for a European solution on asylum and migration including search and rescue (debate)

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Mr President, dear representatives of the Commission and the Council, ladies and gentlemen! Actually, I am tired of having these debates; I say this very clearly at this point. We have nothing new that we are debating here. The Council gives us a lukewarm speech that does not even take advantage of speaking time because you have nothing to say. The Commission presents us with a 20-point programme,…

9 Nov

2022

DE Speech

Full application of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in Croatia (debate)

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Mr President, Vice-President of the Commission, ladies and gentlemen. Croatia has made a real effort and has managed to meet the criteria for joining the Schengen area within a very short period of time. And I am very, very happy that we can make this decision today, that the four million Croats can become part of the Schengen area and that Croatia will become part of the Schengen area. This means…

19 Oct

2022

DE Speech

Political situation in Tunisia (debate)

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Madam President, Commissioner! There is no doubt that Tunisia is one of the European Union's most important partners in the region. But Tunisia has unfortunately taken the wrong path since President Saied came to power, namely the path to a dictatorship. The constitution, which has just been adopted – with a participation of less than 30%, if official figures are to be believed at all – is illegit…