What Benoît spoke about.

16

Feb

2022

FR Speech

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Charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this text unfortunately contains certain flaws. Some Member States today – notably Belgium – have the unfortunate idea – fortunately not yet implemented – of introducing a per-kilometre tax on private vehicles, which would obviously have important consequences for the employment of people living in rural areas. The text will not prevent such bad ideas. Second el…

19

Jan

2022

FR Speech

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Presentation of the programme of activities of the French Presidency (continuation of debate)

Madam President, Mr President, do you sincerely believe that your three promises of democracy, progress and peace can be fulfilled if Europe does not become an opportunity for all? 137 million Europeans live in rural areas. Believe me, it is not enough for them to cross the street to find a job or to access a hospital. They have to travel long distances every day, tirelessly, and at a price, moreo…

20

Oct

2021

FR Speech

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Preparation of the European Council meeting of 21-22 October 2021 (debate)

Madam President, one of the objectives of the European summit will be to have a strategic debate on the common commercial policy. I hope that this will also be an opportunity to have a democratic dimension. How do you want our farmers, for example, to continue to accept that products imported into Europe do not meet the same health, environmental or social standards on our territory? This is a dem…

5

Oct

2021

FR Speech

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The future of EU-US relations (debate)

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, who can believe that we could succeed in the climate challenge without a strong agreement with the United States? Who can believe that we could face an invasive China without a powerful connection to the Americans? Who can believe – as I heard this morning – that China or Russia would have values closer to ours than our American friends – values of democracy and…

4

Oct

2021

FR Speech

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EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 – Recommendations on next steps towards "Vision Zero" (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Rapporteur, first of all thank you for your open-mindedness during the discussions and debate; we used to work together, in particular on the roadworthiness report and the whole package that accompanied it. 20 000 people, 20 000 families that are affected in Europe every year, this is a little more than a city like mine, it obviously affects us all deeply. There is a gr…

15

Sep

2021

FR Speech

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State of the Union (debate)

Madam President, without you, without the Commission, no Member State could have vaccinated so many of its citizens. Without you, without the Commission, no Member State could have supported its workers, but also its businesses, with such intensity, such strength and urgency. Without you, today there would be no substantial recovery plan in the different Member States. Without you, climate ambitio…

14

Sep

2021

FR Speech

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

Mr President, Commissioner, first of all I would like to thank our Italian, Austrian and French friends who have intervened urgently in our region, in Wallonia and also in Germany, to come and help the victims. I hear this morning all the debates we can have on global warming. I have no doubt that there can indeed be a link between what we have experienced in Wallonia or Germany and global warming…

7

Jul

2021

FR Speech

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Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021 (debate)

Mr President, Madam President, European values are not negotiable. All those, governments or citizens, who push them must have an answer other than just a reproaching finger. Anyone who, in a way, puts a finger on these values must be punished. This is the case today. In any case, you use all the mechanisms at your disposal to sanction these behaviours and all those who shake up what is the founda…