Speeches

Madam President, "They want us to freeze to death and destroy our electricity and heat supply." With these words, Kiev Mayor Klitschko describes Putin's brutal strategy for this winter. He exemplifies the fears of many people in Ukraine with whom we held talks with nine Green MPs in Kiev over the weekend. The Ukrainian winter is going to be tough. We Greens therefore fully support the €18 billion in financial assistance that we are voting on here tomorrow. The Ukrainian war economy is facing enormous challenges. Gross domestic product fell by 37% and inflation by 27%. During a brutal war, a country cannot recover economically. Financial assistance is important to keep Ukraine running. But it is now also a matter of laying the foundations for reconstruction. Reconstruction must become sustainable, involve civil society and comply with all democratic and anti-corruption provisions. Ukraine can rely on us: Solidarity with Ukraine.

Dear Commissioners, as Greens we warmly welcome that we are actually finally debating a reform of the Stability and Growth Pact and the fiscal rules. But some days ago we could see that the climate conference, the COP, ended with quite a disappointing result. And I think nearly all of us agree that we need more investments, we need more climate investments. And looking at the figures and estimations the Commission has come with, we can see that we are actually missing 520 billion each year for green investments. And it’s true, that’s not just public investments, it’s not just the European Union or the national level, but in general we are missing 520 billion to reach that goal. So I would ask you much more concretely, what do you think is in your proposal to ensure that we will end up with more green investments, needed green investments, to reach our climate goals? I think that you are missing the green investment rules, and I would like to get a comment from you on why you haven’t agreed to propose the green investment rule and what you think is the way forward for green investments.

Mr President! For several months Viktor Orbán has been blocking the global minimum tax for large corporations such as Starbucks, Amazon, Bayer or Ikea. Orbán has been dancing on the nose of the Czech Presidency of the Council and the European Commission on this issue for months. Instead of ignoring his extortion attempts for the release of EU funds from the NextGenerationEU fund, they give him free rein. First it was said that it should come to an agreement shortly before the summer, then it was September, then October. Now we have a deal for December. Orbán gets the reconstruction billions and ratifies the global minimum tax. There are better alternatives. EU Member States can decide on the tax without Hungary under enhanced cooperation. But the United States is also missing a compromise. At least since the midterms There is no longer a majority in the US chambers to ratify the global minimum tax. This is extremely bitter, because right now in the crisis, we need more tax justice and own resources for the budget to invest in climate, research and digitalization. That is why, in addition to what is now available, we need a second package, which, in our view, also includes the EU digital tax and a financial transaction tax. Our support is there, but we want to see you fight.

Madam President, Attacks on security agencies, critical infrastructure such as energy pipelines, parliaments and many companies. In Northern Germany, too, more and more companies are affected: Companies with millions in turnover, but also social institutions such as workshops for people with disabilities. Cybersecurity has been ignored for too long. Member States have long been unwilling to act together. The result is that, unfortunately, we have been very vulnerable for years. Now, however, cybersecurity is no longer an issue for nerds, but a very important fundamental issue as far as we all are concerned. And the NIS 2 Directive is an ambitious directive to create common standards and requirements for cybersecurity. In the case of cyberattacks, we need rapid reporting to the competent authorities. And we particularly welcome the fact that we have managed to agree to extend the scope to include public administration, social media and also telecommunications companies. The inclusion of encryption criteria and open source as a strengthening of cybersecurity has also made it into the directive. And this is really very welcome. There is one issue that continues to worry us as Greens, and that is that in the future, a verification process should also take place when registering Internet domains. In our view, this has little to do with cybersecurity, but a lot to do with the fact that freedoms can be put at risk. We have always accompanied this point very critically, are not satisfied with the result on this point, but will of course vote in favour of the directive overall and thank you for the very good and trusting cooperation. I believe that we are taking an important step forward in the area of cybersecurity.

Mr President! The brutal murder of Juraj and Matúš in Bratislava shocks our entire community. LGBTI people across Europe are afraid – afraid of being victims of disgusting hatred and violence. The murder in Bratislava is not an isolated act. He joins in countless violent crimes against our community across Europe this year alone: the murder of Malte C. in Münster, the attack on the London pub In Oslo, several people were injured and killed. And also on Prides In Germany, trans people were attacked, rainbow flags lit, and cobblestones were thrown at people. Europe is not a zone of freedom for queer people. People no longer dare to be themselves. Hateful rhetoric and the questioning of human rights for LGBTI people form a sad framework for this. You can't be neutral when it comes to misogyny. You have to take a stand, take a stand – across Europe. This is our mission.

Madam President, The climate crisis, the issue of energy security, the nature conservation crisis, foreign and security policy, the economic and social consequences of this terrible war of aggression by Vladimir Putin – these are just some of the major crises and challenges we face or face as the European Union. And we all never tire of stressing this over and over again – we MEPs, the EU Commission or even the Member States. At the same time, however, we are also seeing that a large part of the institutions in the European Union are not prepared to draw the right budgetary consequences from this. Because the truth is that our annual budgets are not able to cope with these major crises, to have enough flexibility for the big challenges. And that is why I would like to call on the European Commission to present the revision of the financial framework as soon as possible at the beginning of next year. And I would ask the Member States to react constructively and not to fight back. Otherwise, their Sunday speeches will become unreliable.

Mr President! The recession and high energy prices scare many Europeans. More and more people are afraid of winter. It is therefore good that Member States use their resources to introduce, for example, gas price caps. The problem is not that Member States act. The problem is that there is no action at European level. With more European solidarity, we can get through this winter better. For us, this also means that we now need a European cap on gas prices and mandatory energy savings for all Member States. We Greens were the first in the House to campaign for an over-profit tax on energy companies. We are pleased that the Commission has now launched a recovery of excess profits. But we must now also ensure that the recovery of excess profits is implemented well at national level. Member States should not absorb 33% but at least 50% of the profits of oil companies. We need to close loopholes so that profits do not simply migrate to other states and corporations can pay for themselves poorly. We need an agreement with Switzerland to stop profit shifting. Finance ministers must now work for this.

Mr President! We need zero-emission shipping by 2050 at the latest. Ship emissions have increased by 36% since 1990. They harm the climate and our health. So now is the time to act. It is good that the EU Commission is embarking on the road with the law on fuels in maritime transport and formulating climate targets for shipping. It is good that, under pressure from us Greens, the Committee on Industry and the Committee on the Environment, the emission reduction targets have been tightened in the Parliament report. It is also good that we are introducing expansion targets for renewable fuels. This makes climate-damaging LNG less attractive and makes renewable alternatives much more attractive. Nevertheless, the report has too many loopholes. During the discussions, the Committee on Industry and the Environment showed: More is possible and necessary. That is why I would like to ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to vote in favour of the amendments tabled by, for example, the Green Group and many other Members. Listen to the part of the industry that wants us to do more and sharpen our goals.

Madam President, The situation on the European energy markets is dramatic. Companies threaten to go bankrupt, and more and more people can no longer pay their energy bills. Through Putin's war of aggression and a completely wrong energy policy of the last decades, we have fallen into this crisis. It's time for big energy companies like Shell to pay off their profits and spend the money on social relief. We welcome the fact that the European Commission will put a concrete proposal on the table. An over-profit tax has to come. It is good that the EU Commission wants to intervene in the electricity markets. But why do you remain so inconclusive about the price of gas – at least so far? The price of gas is driving people to ruin. We need to regulate prices. If the market fails, the EU must act for the people. We need a gas price cap. EU Member States should cap the price of gas at an affordable level and use their market power to enforce it. A capped purchase price, binding joint purchasing and savings – this is how we get through the winter better.

Mr President! Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron – these three companies alone made almost €20 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2022, more than twice as much as in the first quarter of 2021. Big oil companies make billions in profits. While more and more people are barely able to pay their energy costs, some companies are doing very well. This is not only unfair, but also economically dangerous. According to the European Central Bank, the profits of some corporations are one of the drivers of massive inflation. This is another reason why we need instruments that limit excessive profits. We Greens therefore propose an excess profit tax of 50% on excessive profits. A further part of the profits will go to investments in renewable energies, which we urgently need. We call on EU finance ministers to take this step together. Spain, Great Britain and Italy are doing it. These are good examples, but they are not enough. Countries like Germany should follow suit. The economic crisis will be extremely severe, unemployment will rise, and inequality will increase. That's why we need the excess profit tax, and we need it now.

Mr President! Climate policy is security policy. We are witnessing in a brutal way how our dependence on Russian gas and uranium makes us vulnerable. We must therefore do everything we can to become independent of fossil energy and to push back Putin's influence. Putin would benefit from the taxonomy and lose the climate. It is no coincidence that the Russian energy companies Gazprom, Rosatom and Lukoil are among the biggest lobbyists for von der Leyen's taxonomy proposal. We hear the calls of Ukrainian MPs and voices from civil society asking us to stop the absorption of gas and nuclear energy. The taxonomy is the green seal of approval for financial investments. Many have already said this in the debate today. By absorbing atom and gas, this seal would be rendered unusable. It was a mistake, Commissioner McGuinness, that you made this proposal – in terms of security, finance and climate. Now it is up to us, dear colleagues, to stop this mistake and to object. That is why I would like to ask you to do this together with us tomorrow.

Mr President! Friday was a black day for all Europeans and a good day for multinationals. Viktor Orbán, alternating with the Polish government, is blocking the implementation of the global minimum taxation for large corporations. Thanks to Viktor Orbán, Amazon continues to pay no corporate tax in the European Union. And many European corporations such as Bayer or BASF can continue to artificially reduce their tax liability. Tax dumping in the EU must be stopped. It is a democratic problem when countries such as Hungary with 9% or Luxembourg with an effective tax rate of 2% undermine our tax system. Dear EU finance ministers, do not let Hungary and Poland continue to blackmail you. Introduce the global minimum tax without Viktor Orbán and Morawiecki. Yes, that's possible! We Greens call on you to: Use Article 20 to strengthen cooperation and finally implement the global tax deal.

Mr President! Before war criminal Putin began his brutal invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Ukrainian satellite communications were attacked by hacker groups. Attacks on international airports, the Finnish Ministry of Defence or even on German wind turbines: Putin's terrible war of aggression has also been taking place online for years. It is the declared goal of pro-Putin hacking groups to attack our infrastructure and spread disinformation. Modern warfare also takes place online. If our power grid fails or security agencies are paralyzed, we become incapacitated. The truth is that IT security plays too little role in public authorities and many companies. Our critical infrastructure in the EU is extremely vulnerable. It's only a matter of time before cyberattacks cause us big problems. As shadow rapporteur for the NIS 2 Directive, I repeatedly note, even during the ongoing negotiations, that Member States are not prepared to take sufficient action. And I am also very grateful to you, Commissioner, for the fact that you have just made it clear again and have also criticised the fact that, for example, public administrations should be excluded from the scope. We need a better European exchange of information in the event of cyberattacks, mandatory security standards for critical infrastructure and private companies, and for systems such as smart homes.

Madam President, Multinational corporations generated 360 billion euros in profits in 2020 alone. While many small businesses have suffered greatly in recent years, Amazon, Daimler or Bayer are making enormous profits. Especially in retail or gastronomy, many small businesses are still struggling for their existence. It's unfair that Amazon still pays less tax as a percentage than the bookstore around the corner. It's too easy for big corporations to push their profits into tax loopholes. That's why we need a global tax rate of at least 15 percent, and we need it now. We Greens strongly oppose a later introduction of the minimum tax at the end of 2023 and large exceptions for some Member States. We call on the blocking states of Estonia and Poland to clear the way for the minimum tax at this week's meeting of finance ministers.

Madam President, The economic crisis is coming back. High inflation and low growth are a dangerous cocktail. The road to recession is not far away. It is important to keep our European economy together. We must continue to boost employment, support businesses and invest in energy independence. Unemployment remains very high in much of Europe. And if the eurozone continues to divide, all of Europe will suffer. Too strict monetary and fiscal policies would hurt us economically. To the Fiscal Conservatives in this House: We need to keep states in a position to act and therefore suspend the Stability and Growth Pact for 2023 once again. We need common European investments – yes, also through a new fund – and a fair distribution of crisis costs. And we need a European Central Bank that acts prudently and does not now stifle economic development by raising the key interest rate.

Mr President! Gas prices are exploding! The price of gas is currently almost twice as high as it was 12 months ago, +17% since the terrible outbreak of war. We are too dependent on Russian gas, and we are too dependent on fossil energy as a whole. Energy supply must be ensured in the short term and dependency on fossil energy must be consistently reduced. People with small and middle incomes are not allowed to pay the bill for Putin's war of aggression. It is not enough to rely solely on long-term measures. We need national measures such as a noticeable increase in the Hartz IV standard rates in Germany. But we also need a European gas price cap that ensures basic supplies at fair prices for all. The difference to the market price can be paid to suppliers through a European fund. Limiting them to basic services would prevent disincentives. We must not leave people alone in this crisis.

Dear Mr President, kære Margrethe Vestager! With the Digital Services Act, we are making history. Together with the Digital Markets Act, we have the opportunity to cast strong principles for our digital world into laws. We need to democratize our internet and put big tech in its place. This is why it is important to prevent manipulative advertising. We have seen in the US or even in Brexit that manipulative advertising is decomposing our democracy. When a society no longer has a common reality, but each one tailor-made Fake news Our society is divided, our society is divided. Personalized, manipulative advertising is a problem. Therefore, it must become easier to reject personalized advertising on platforms. That is why I would also like to ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to vote in favour of amendments that have exactly that aim. Strong rules also need strong enforcement. We should honestly ask ourselves whether we are well positioned for this. The Big techCompanies employ thousands of lawyers and join them in the battle against our laws. The number of employees in the EU Commission, on the other hand, is manageable. And that is why we believe that it will be very important to strengthen the EU Commission for this debate in addition to decentralised enforcement. Because we have seen in the European General Data Protection Regulation what happens if we do not do this. We need a European digital agency that manages to act on an equal footing with the big tech companies and enforces our laws.

Madam President, Your Presidency of the Council, Mr President, started - unfortunately, it must be said - with a bad start. Your lobbying for the French nuclear industry threatens a month-long dispute over energy policy. And I want to say quite clearly that it is wrong to rely on nuclear power, and it is completely wrong to declare nuclear power green in the taxonomy. There are greener, safer and cheaper alternatives to nuclear to make Europe climate neutral. And we need a French President-in-Office of the Council who will bring together in the coming months and not put French industrial interests above the common good. The expectations for you, Mr President, are high. You have the chance, for example, to make the future conference a real success. The time for vague declarations of intent is now finally over. It is good that you declared here today to fight together with the German Federal Government for the right of initiative for the European Parliament. But don't stand still – ensure more transparency in the Council and ensure that we have a European right to vote with transnational lists!

Madam President, ‘They put their astronomical profits before people.’ These are the words used by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen to describe Facebook’s business practice. We find greens: It’s time to act. With the Digital Markets Act, we have the chance to democratize the Internet. Control of our online communication and information must not be in the hands of a few Silicon Valley bosses. Small and medium-sized businesses must have the same competitive opportunities in online retail as Google or Amazon. Large platforms exploit their market power and data monopolies. The EU must also enforce a level playing field in online markets. The Digital markets Act It can be a basis for that. We can only limit Facebook, Google and Co. by clear European laws. We also need interoperability for Messenger. If you use a messenger, you should also be able to send messages to other messengers in the future, as is already the case with SMS or e-mails. We need stronger regulations so that tech companies don't buy up start-ups to get rid of them as competitors. And we have to make sure that the Digital Markets Act Not only does it look good on paper, but it can also be enforced by the EU Commission. This means that the EU Commission needs sufficient staff to Digital Markets Act enforce. And this also means that we MEPs need control rights so that we can also discuss and assess wrong developments. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, you should also support the amendments tabled by the Economic and Industrial Committee. They make our position clearer and should therefore be decided.

Madam President, BlackRock-Eklat in von der Leyens EU-Commission: It's crazy. Billionaire oil investor advises EU on green and social finances. The decision of the EU Commission to commission the financial group BlackRock with a study on sustainable finance was rightly criticized sharply. How credible is a financial group that continues to invest 85 billion euros in coal? BlackRock has bought itself political influence through a low price. Such advisors are damaging our climate policy credibility. Companies that directly and indirectly benefit financially from European legislation are not good advisors. The fact that it was even possible for the Commission to overlook conflicts of interest in this decision is absolutely unacceptable. That is why Ombudswoman O'Reilly has rightly slapped you in the face, Commissioner Hahn. That is why we also call on you in our report to revise the Financial Regulation to define potential conflicts of interest and to give it a stop sign. The BlackRock case must not be repeated.

Madam President, Over 13 billion euros have been allocated in recent years through the Trust Funds for humanitarian aid to African states, Turkey, Colombia and Syrian refugees. We Greens support the EU spending more on humanitarian projects and showing responsibility. However, we strongly criticize the lack of transparency. No parliamentary scrutiny, no clear objective and no overview of the outflows for the different projects. Instead of non-transparent funds, projects should be adequately financed by the EU budget and controlled by Parliament. We criticize violations of fundamental rights in projects funded by the Funds. There must be no police violence against those seeking protection or isolation disguised as humanitarian aid. If project partners do not respect human rights, they must not be partners in the EU. We therefore call on the Commission to: Revise the trust funds, create more transparency and make a human rights check with the project partners.

Madam President, Viruses do not stop at national borders. That is why it is right to make the EU a health union. We need better coordination and clear responsibilities. We Greens therefore generally support closer coordination of health policy and more competences for the EU Commission. But the Commission's plans, which are now on the table, are counterproductive. We need more democratic control and transparency. It is not okay for the Commission to be given more resources and tasks without Parliament having any influence on the structure and design. It is wrong for the EU Commission to take money from the research programme, the health programme and crisis funds in order to strengthen its own structures. We fought in the budget discussions for an increase in the health programme to support more health care projects on the ground, not for it to flow into the Brussels administration. Revise the proposal that is now on the table and present an ordinary legislative proposal.

Mr President, big tech companies have grown into such powerful giants that they are increasingly threatening our entire democracy. Yesterday, with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp down, we experienced how dependent our online communication is on Mark Zuckerberg. Tech monopolies are detrimental to fair competition. Platforms like Amazon and Google are exploiting data from competitors to sell their own products at unfair prices. This is not a conflict of the EU against the US, it’s about a small, rich tech élite who wants to control our economies and societies. Structural problems require structural solutions. We have to break up Big Tech. Both in the US and in the EU, civil society and Members of Parliament are raising their voices. I call on our US colleagues to join this fight alongside the European Parliament.

Mr President! Brexit is and will remain the biggest failure of European politics in recent years. So that more people do not suffer from the consequences of Brexit, we decide today on the Brexit reserve. €5 billion will be disbursed directly to the most affected regions and sectors – coastal fishermen in the North Sea, small and medium-sized enterprises, organisations to advise workers and also to support EU citizens who are now moving back to the European Union from the UK. The Brexit reserve is intended to help where Brexit is most painful economically. It is important to us Greens that the funds are not simply paid out as watering cans, but that they go into climate-friendly and socially sustainable projects. We are shocked by the behavior of the German federal government, which is obviously planning to seep the funds into the federal budget. We call on Finance Minister Olaf Scholz to: Transfer the funds to the federal states so that the money arrives where it is most needed! Clear the way for it.

... our European health system is vulnerable and weak. Now is the time to learn the right lessons. The best health care is of no use to us if the health systems in our neighbouring countries collapse. That is why we need stronger cooperation. Pandemics cannot be combated by isolation. The coronavirus pandemic must and can become a blueprint for EU health policy. By working together and strengthening the EU, we will be able to achieve better healthcare and lower prices for medicines. This requires, in particular, that Member States are prepared to provide the EU with more and timely information on the health situation and pave the way for joint procurement. And to be clear: Parallel negotiations, as we witnessed during the coronavirus outbreak by individual Member States, are damaging the European Union. The danger that our negotiating position will get worse and we will let ourselves be played off against each other is increasing. That is why we want to prevent parallel negotiations by individual states. But secret contracts, such as the corona vaccines, must also be a thing of the past. Citizens have a right to know what happens to their taxpayers' money. That is why we call for full transparency on the contracts that the EU and the Member States enter into with pharmaceutical companies. We must not let anyone fall through the grid, and it was particularly important for us in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection to mention that up to 37 million Europeans suffer from rare diseases or from rare diseases. For many of the diseases, there are no or only very expensive medications. If the economic interest of the pharmaceutical companies is lacking, many people will not be helped. And this is precisely why it is important to us that we want to make it more attractive through joint procurement and make medicines cheaper for people suffering from rare diseases. We must do everything we can to help those affected. In the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, it was also important for us to reiterate our strong opposition to closed borders. Closed borders make crises bigger, not smaller. COVID-19 has shown us this and, above all, we have felt the economic consequences of it at the beginning. And that is why it is particularly important for us to point out that borders in the EU – also and especially for the movement of goods – remain open even in a pandemic. Let us now work together to ensure that the good position that we have negotiated across committees in Parliament remains in the trilogue and that we succeed in convincing the Member States of our content.